Earth Science
Interrelationship In Earth/Space Systems Standard (2.6)
The student will investigate and understand basic types, changes, and patterns of weather. Key concepts include
a) identification of common storms and other weather phenomena;
b) the uses and importance of measuring, recording, and interpreting weather data; and
c) the uses and importance of tracking weather data over time.
a) identification of common storms and other weather phenomena;
b) the uses and importance of measuring, recording, and interpreting weather data; and
c) the uses and importance of tracking weather data over time.
Understanding the Standard (background information)
- Earth’s weather changes continuously from day to day.
- Changes in the weather are characterized by daily differences in wind, temperature, and precipitation.
- Precipitation occurs when water, previously evaporated, condenses out of the air and changes its phase from a gas to a liquid (rain) or to a solid (snow or sleet).
- Extremes in the weather, such as too little or too much precipitation, can result in droughts or floods.
- Storms have powerful winds, which may be accompanied by rain, snow, or other kinds of precipitation.
- Weather data are collected and recorded using instruments. This information is very useful for predicting weather and determining weather patterns.
- Weather influences human activity.
- Scientists collect weather data over time to study trends and patterns. These trends and patterns help them to make future weather predictions.
Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Changes Standard (2.7)
The student will investigate and understand that weather and seasonal changes affect plants, animals, and their surroundings. Key concepts include
a) effects of weather and seasonal changes on the growth and behavior of living things; and
b) weathering and erosion of land surfaces.
a) effects of weather and seasonal changes on the growth and behavior of living things; and
b) weathering and erosion of land surfaces.
Understanding the Standard (background information)
- Living organisms respond to weather and seasonal changes. This can be reflected in changes in growth and behavior.
- Adverse conditions of weather may slow the growth and development of plants and animals, whereas optimal weather conditions may accelerate the growth and development of plants and animals.
- Dormancy is a state of reduced metabolic activity adopted by many organisms (both plants and animals) under conditions of environmental stress or when such stressful conditions are likely to appear, such as in winter.
- Many trees produce new leaves in the spring and lose them in the fall due to seasonal changes in temperature and light.
- The outward coloration and coloration patterns of many animals are similar in appearance to the plants in the places in which they live. This similarity to background is referred to as camouflage, and it enables animals to hide and avoid those that may eat or harm them.
- Some animals (e.g., geese, monarch butterflies, tundra swans) travel from one place to another and back again (migration) in search of a new temporary habitat because of climate, availability of food, season of the year, or reproduction.
- Some animals (e.g., groundhogs, black bears) go into a deep sleep (hibernation) due to seasonal changes. Hibernation is a condition of biological rest or inactivity where growth, development, and metabolic processes slow down.
- Some animals undergo physical changes (e.g., thickening of dog fur in the winter and shedding in the summer) from season to season.
- Land surfaces are subject to the agents of weathering and erosion. Land surfaces that are not covered with or protected by plants are more likely to be subject to the loss of soil by wind and water.
- Weathering is the breaking down of rocks, which usually happens over long periods of time.
- Erosion is the process by which the products of weathering are moved from one place to another. Erosion may happen quickly (e.g., during a flood or a hurricane) or over a long period of time.
Earth Resources Standard (2.8)
The student will investigate and understand that plants produce oxygen and food, are a source of useful products, and provide benefits in nature. Key concepts include
a) important plant products are identified and classified;
b) the availability of plant products affects the development of a geographic area;
c) plants provide oxygen, homes, and food for many animals; and
d) plants can help reduce erosion.
a) important plant products are identified and classified;
b) the availability of plant products affects the development of a geographic area;
c) plants provide oxygen, homes, and food for many animals; and
d) plants can help reduce erosion.
Understanding the Standard (background information)
- Plants provide many useful products and materials, which benefit human beings as well as other living organisms.
- Plant products include such essentials as oxygen and food, as well as materials useful for clothing and shelter.
- Plants may grow well in certain geographic areas, thus enabling the production of plant products that allow humans to live in and thrive in those areas.
- Some examples of plants that grow in Virginia’s geographic regions include:
- Piedmont: apples, tobacco, cabbage;
- Blue Ridge Mountains: evergreens, apples, corn;
- Valleys and Ridges: evergreens, apples, corn; and
- Appalachian Plateau: tobacco.
- Plants provide homes and food sources for many animals.
- Plants are important in the prevention of soil erosion.
- Products from plants include, but are not limited to, cinnamon from the bark of trees; fiber from reeds, grasses and trees; cotton from a cotton plant; spices from various plant parts; lumber from wood; rubber from rubber trees; and medicines (e.g., aloe vera from the aloe plant, quinine from the bark of Cinchona trees found in South America to treat malaria).