Earth and space science, middle school

Units

1. 1

   Earth, sun and moon: seasons, phases and eclipses

   4 lessons

   1. Moon phasesExplain the phases as the lit half of the Moon seen from different places along its orbit, name the phases in order, predict when each rises and sets, and find the date of the next phase.
   2. EclipsesExplain solar and lunar eclipses by what blocks the light, name the umbra and penumbra, say why eclipses are not monthly, explain why the Moon just covers the Sun, and state eclipse safety.
   3. Seasons and Earth's tiltExplain seasons as the effect of Earth's tilted axis, with sunlight spread over more or less ground and days longer or shorter, and show that distance from the Sun is not the cause.
   4. Tides: the Moon and Sun pull on the oceansExplain tides as two bulges of water caused mainly by the Moon's gravity, predict the times of high tides, and tell spring tides from neap tides by the Moon's phase.
2. 2

   Gravity and the solar system

   3 lessons

   1. Gravity and orbits in the solar systemExplain an orbit as sideways motion plus a pull toward the Sun, say why the Sun controls the solar system, and use data to show planets nearer the Sun move faster and the pull falls off quickly with distance.
   2. Galaxies and the Milky WayPlace the solar system inside the Milky Way, tell a galaxy from a solar system and the universe, describe the Milky Way's shape, and use a scale model and counting to grasp its size.
   3. Scale of the solar systemUse the astronomical unit and the light-year, compare sizes and distances in the solar system, work out how long light takes to travel, and build a scale model with one ratio.
3. 3

   Earth's history and geologic time

   2 lessons

   1. Relative dating with rock layersPut the events recorded in rock layers in order using superposition, original horizontality, cross-cutting and unconformities, and see that this gives order and not ages in years.
   2. Fossils and the geologic time scaleUse index fossils to date and match layers, read the geologic time scale as a to-scale bar, place major events in order, and say that dinosaurs and humans did not live together.
4. 4

   Rocks, minerals and the rock cycle

   3 lessons

   1. Minerals and their propertiesSay what a mineral is and how it differs from a rock, identify a mineral by streak, density and hardness instead of colour, and use the Mohs scale to bracket a hardness.
   2. Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocksTell the three rock families by how they form, read a rock's texture as evidence of its origin, and link crystal size to cooling speed.
   3. The rock cycle and what drives itShow the rock cycle as many paths between rock types with no start or end, say the Sun and Earth's interior drive different processes, and show that matter is conserved.
5. 5

   Plate tectonics and Earth's surface

   3 lessons

   1. Weathering, erosion and depositionTell weathering, erosion and deposition apart with one test, name agents and landforms, explain why small pieces weather faster, and compare slow and sudden changes in time and space.
   2. Evidence for plate tectonicsArgue from several kinds of evidence that Earth's plates move: today's GPS motion, matching rocks and fossils across oceans, the age of the seafloor, and the pattern of earthquakes and volcanoes, and compute how long an ocean takes to open.
   3. Plate boundaries: earthquakes, volcanoes, mountainsTell divergent, convergent and transform boundaries by plate motion, link each to its landforms and hazards, read earthquake depths at a trench, and explain what drives the plates.
6. 6

   The water cycle

   2 lessons

   1. The water cycleName the processes that move water around Earth, say the Sun and gravity drive them, show that water is conserved, and say where Earth's water is and how long it stays there.
   2. Groundwater and watershedsExplain how water soaks into the ground and is stored in aquifers, tell porous from permeable, say what a watershed is, and predict when a well runs dry if water is pumped faster than it is refilled.
7. 7

   Weather and air masses

   2 lessons

   1. Air pressure, humidity and air massesExplain air pressure and why wind blows from high to low pressure, compute relative humidity and find the dew point, and describe air masses and how they bring changes in weather.
   2. Fronts and weather forecastingDescribe cold and warm fronts, link lows and highs to clouds and clear skies, read the changes in station data as a front passes, and read a forecast percentage as a probability.
8. 8

   Oceans, atmosphere and climate

   3 lessons

   1. Global winds and the Coriolis effectExplain that unequal heating by the Sun drives the atmosphere, describe the circulation loops and the belts of prevailing wind, and say Earth's rotation makes moving air curve right in the north and left in the south.
   2. Ocean currentsExplain surface currents as driven by winds and bent by rotation and continents into gyres, show that currents carry heat, and explain deep circulation by density and upwelling.
   3. What sets a region's climateTell weather from climate, list the factors that set a region's climate, estimate temperature change with height, show that the ocean moderates temperature swings, and explain a rain shadow.
9. 9

   Natural resources

   2 lessons

   1. Mineral, energy and groundwater resourcesExplain that resources are unevenly spread because they formed by past geologic processes, trace fossil fuels back to buried organisms, and compute how long a resource lasts at its rate of use.
   2. Renewable and nonrenewable resourcesTell renewable from nonrenewable by rates, compare energy sources with data on emissions and reliability, work out how many homes a wind turbine supplies, and say how using less helps.
10. 10

    Natural hazards

    2 lessons

    1. Forecasting natural hazardsSay what data scientists use to forecast hazards, use the gap between P and S waves to find an earthquake's distance, read magnitude as a scale with big steps, and read a flood's chance over many years as a probability.
    2. Reducing hazard impactsShow that the damage of a hazard depends on people as well as nature, list layers of protection, compare options by benefit and cost, and see that a protection can shift harm elsewhere.
11. 11

    Human impact on Earth

    2 lessons

    1. Designing ways to reduce human impactIdentify human impacts on water, land and air, measure an impact with a control, design and test a way to reduce it, compare designs with a weighted matrix, and plan to monitor side effects.
    2. Population, consumption and Earth's systemsRead the growth of world population, show that total demand is people times use per person, say how greater demand changes Earth's systems, and separate what science can say from what society decides.
12. 12

    Climate change

    3 lessons

    1. Evidence of rising global temperaturesRead long-term trends in temperature, sea level and other data, explain why one cold day does not contradict a warming planet, and compare today's rate of warming with past changes.
    2. The greenhouse effect and its causesExplain how greenhouse gases absorb and re-emit heat, say that the natural effect is needed for life, tell it apart from the ozone hole, and show with numbers and evidence that people have added carbon dioxide.
    3. Natural and human factors in recent warmingRule causes of recent warming in or out with data, compare the size of natural and human factors on Earth's energy balance, and use models to conclude that human activities are the main cause.