EARTH SCIENCE GRADE 9

THE EWING PUBLIC SCHOOLS 1331 Lower Ferry Road

Ewing, NJ 08618 BOE Approval Date: 11/29/10 Michael Nitti Donald Wahlers, Supervisor and District Staff Superintendent In accordance with The Ewing Public Schools’ Policy 2230, Course Guides, this curriculum has been reviewed and found to be in compliance with all policies and all affirmative action criteria.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Unit 1: Objects in the Universe 1 Unit 2: History of Earth 5 Unit 3: Properties of Earth Materials - Soils 8 Unit 4: Plate Tectonics 11 Unit 5: Energy in Earth Systems 13 Unit 6: Atmosphere 16 Unit 7: Renewable (Alternative) Energy 19 Unit 8: Biogeochemical Cycles 22 Unit 9: Ecosystems 25

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Unit 1: Objects in the Universe Why Is This Unit Important? People have been looking at the night sky for thousands of years. Ancient astronomers used the cycles of the Sun, Moon and stars to tell time and mark the seasons. Early observers noted the changing positions of the planets and developed ideas about the solar system based on these beliefs. Because of their distance to Earth, objects are so far away that until recently, astronomers knew very little about these objects. The ancient Greeks believed that the Earth was stationary and the Sun rose and set because it orbited our planet on a daily basis. Today we realize that the Earth’s rotation is the reason for the apparent motion of the Sun. The big ideas embedded through this unit are:

• The apparent motion of celestial bodies in the night sky seems complex, but is in fact simple and regular.

• Our Sun is one of but a hundred billion in our galaxy; our galaxy is one of but a hundred billion in the observable universe.

• The physical characteristics of the early universe impact the structure and evolution of the modern universe.

Enduring Understandings 1. Students will be able to evaluate evidence supporting the big bang theory. 2. Students will understand the relationship between color and temperature of a

star. 3. Students will explain how stellar distances are determined. 4. Students will distinguish between temperature and luminosity and apparent

magnitude. 5. Students will describe how the H-R Diagram is constructed and used to identity

stellar properties. 6. Students will plot stars on the H-R diagram. 7. Students will summarize the sequence of events leading to the formation of a

star like our sun. 8. Students will describe the observational evidence supporting the modern theory

of star formation. 9. Students will explain how the formation of a star is affected by its mass. 10. Students will explain why/how stars evolve off the main sequence. 11. Students will summarize the evolutionary stages followed by a sun-like star once

it leaves the main sequence. 12. Students will explain how white dwarfs form. 13. Students will compare and contrast the death of high and low mass stars. 14. Students will evaluate the models of the universe developed by Aristotle,

Ptolemy, Copernicus, and Kepler.

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15. Students will describe the three main types of galaxies. 16. Students will analyze the nebular hypothesis. 17. Students will cite evidence for the theory of the expanding universe. Essential Questions 1. How is stellar parallax used to measure the distances to stars? 2. What is the general relationship between color and temperature of a star? 3. What is plotted on the H-R Diagram? 4. What is the birth place for all stars? 5. What is the difference between apparent magnitude and luminosity? 6. How do astronomers measure star temperatures? 7. How do stars form into main sequence stars? 8. How do main sequence stars form into white dwarfs? 9. How do main sequence stars form into black holes? 10. What causes a star to explode? 11. What is the major difference between Ptolemy and Copernicus’ models of the

solar system? 12. How are the three main types of galaxies different from one another? 13. How did the Earth and its solar system develop? 14. How does Hubble’s Diagram provide evidence for the expanding universe? Acquired Knowledge 1. Nearby stars appear to move with respect to more distant background stars due

to the motion of the Earth around the Sun. This apparent motion is called Stellar Parallax. As the distance to a star increases, then its parallax decreases.

2. Cool stars (i.e., Spectral Type K and M) radiate most of their energy in the red and infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum and thus appear red, while hot stars (i.e., Spectral Type O and B) emit mostly at blue and ultra-violet wavelengths, making them appear blue or white.

3. Stellar distances are determined using parallax. As the distance to a star increases, then its parallax decreases.

4. The universe is expanding. The galaxies that are farthest away are moving away from us and the farther away they are, the faster they are moving away. With all the energy (matter could not have existed as we know it in an energy field so intense) in that one place after arriving or being created, a huge explosion, the Big Bang, created space and time. The energy dispersed and, as things cooled down, matter began to form. It's the expanding universe that is the evidence for the Big Bang as well as the microwave background radiation that was discovered in the 1960's and found to be everywhere in the Universe.

5. The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth. The brighter the object appears, the lower the value of its magnitude. Luminosity is the total brightness of a star or other astronomical object. It is expressed in Watts (symbol 'W') and represents the total amount of energy that the object radiates each second over all wavelength

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regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Luminosity is a physical property of the object and does not depend on the distance it is being observed from.

6. Determining the color of a star tells astronomers how hot a star is relative to other stars. One way astronomers measure the absolute temperature of a star is by measuring the star's magnitude with two or more color filters, usually yellow and blue. A hot star will be brighter through the blue filter than through the yellow. Astronomers use a formula to determine precisely where on the spectral temperature scale a star fits. Another way astronomers measure the temperature of a star is by studying the star's spectrum; they will then view the pattern of absorption lines created by the star, which vary depending on the star's temperature.

7. Stars are born in nebulae. Huge clouds of dust and gas collapse under gravitational forces, forming protostars. These young stars undergo further collapse, forming main sequence stars. Stars expand as they grow old. As the core runs out of hydrogen and then helium, the core contacts and the outer layers expand, cool, and become less bright. This is a red giant (if the star is lass than times the mass of our sun) or a red super giant (if the mass is more than times the mass of our sun). It will eventually collapse and explode. Its fate is determined by the original mass of the star; it will become white dwarf if the star is up to 8 times the mass of our sun, neutron star if the mass is 8 to 15 times the mass of our sun, or black hole if the mass is over 15 times the mass of our sun.

8. White dwarfs form from the collapse of stellar cores stellar in which nuclear fission has stopped, and are exposed to space following the loss of the old star's planetary nebula.

9. Aristotle proposed that the heavens were literally composed of 55 concentric, crystalline spheres to which the celestial objects were attached and which rotated at different velocities with the Earth at the center. Ptolemy stated the geocentric model where Earth was at the center of the universe and all other heavenly bodies circled it. Copernicus proposed that the sun was stationary in the center of the universe and the earth revolved around it (heliocentric). Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion suggested that the paths of the planet’s orbits are more elliptical than circular.

10. The three fundamental classes of galaxies are elliptical, spiral, and irregular. Elliptical galaxies are so named because they have elliptical shapes: they look like fat, fuzzy eggs or footballs. Spiral galaxies like the one to the left have flat disks of stars with bright bulges called nuclei in their centers. Spiral arms wrap around these bulges. Anything that looks neither spiral nor elliptical will fall into the irregular category.

11. A large, diffuse, slowly rotating cloud of "dust and gas" began to contract due to gravitational forces. Because of the need to conserve angular momentum, as the cloud got smaller, it rotated faster (just like an ice skater spinning on one skate and pulling in her or his arms). This increased velocity caused the cloud to bulge in the middle. In the end the central portion, where most of the mass ended up, became the sun, with the planets forming from the material in the bulge.

12. The basic idea of an expanding universe is that the distance between any two points increases over time. One of the consequences of this effect is that, as light

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travels through this expanding space, its wavelength is stretched as well. Red light has a longer wavelength than blue light, so cosmologists refer to this process as redshifting. The longer light travels through expanding space, the more redshifting it experiences. Hubble found that the redshift was roughly proportional to the distance. Hubble plotted this data and his diagram shows that a galaxy's redshift increases linearly with its distance from Earth.

Acquired Skills 1. Read a constellation map 2. Graph stars’ temperature versus luminosity to create an HR diagram Major Assessments (assignments, quizzes, tests, projects, performance tasks, authentic assessments)

• H-R Diagram Laboratory: Students are given data of the luminosity and temperatures of various stars and are asked to plot the information. Once plotted, that data forms n H-R diagram.

• Astronomer Cards: The students create a “baseball” card with information pertaining to the early astronomer that they pick.

• Galaxy Laboratory: Students are given photographs of 12 different galaxies and must classify them as spiral, irregular, or elliptical.

Differentiation Enrichment Supplements List of Applicable NJCCCS and Strands/CPIs Covered In This Unit 5.4.12.A.1-6 Suggested Learning Experiences and Instructional Activities Anticipatory Sets In-Class Activities Technology Cross-Content Writing Activities Home-Link Activities Possible Dilemmas (Moral, Spiritual, Ethical, Etc.)

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Unit 2: History of Earth Why Is This Unit Important? The history of earth explains what the planet was like in the distant past. The evolution of our atmosphere has changed the various rock types and life forms throughout the evolving atmosphere. Students will determine how fossils can be used to explain changes in the Earth’s surface, life forms and environments. The big ideas embedded through this unit are:

• Fossils tell us about the environment in which the organisms lived.

• Permineralized remains have open spaces filled with minerals from groundwater.

• Rock layers can be ranked by relative age.

• The absolute age is the actual age of an object.

• Processes observable today are the same as the processes that took place in the past.

Enduring Understandings 1. Students will list the conditions necessary for fossils to form. 2. Students will describe several processes of fossil formation. 3. Students will explain how fossil correlation is used to determine rock ages. 4. Students will determine how fossils can be used to explain changes in Earth’s

surface, life forms, and environments. 5. Students will describe the methods used to assign relative ages to rock layers. 6. Students will interpret gaps in the rock record. 7. Students will give an example of how rock layers can be correlated with other

rock layers. 8. Students will identify how absolute age differs from relative age. 9. Students will describe how the half-lives of isotopes are used to determine a

rock’s age. Essential Questions 1. What is a fossil? 2. How is a fossil mold different from a fossil cast? 3. How are characteristics of an index fossil useful to geologists? 4. How do carbon films form? 5. What is the concept of relative age? 6. What is the relationship between the concept of relative age and the principle of

superposition? 7. How do radioactive isotopes decay? 8. What is uniformitarianism? 9. Why can’t scientists use carbon-14 to determine the age of an igneous rock?

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Acquired Knowledge 1. Fossils are more likely to form if hard parts of the dead organisms are buried

quickly. 2. Some fossils form when original materials that made up the organisms are

replaced with minerals. 3. Unconformities, or gaps in the rock record, are due to erosion or periods of time

during which no deposition occurred. 4. Rock layers can be correlated using rock types and fossils. 5. The principle of superposition states that in undisturbed layers, older rocks lie

underneath younger rocks. 6. Absolute dating provides an age in years for the rocks. 7. The half-life of a radioactive isotope is the time it takes for half of the atoms of the

isotope to decay into another isotope. 8. Uniformitarianism is the principle which states that physical forces working today

to alter the earth were also in force and working in the same way in former times. 9. Igneous rock doesn't contain any carbon; any carbon would be vaporized in the

heat of molten rock. Uranium is more commonly used to date igneous rocks. Acquired Skills 1. Graph the number of remaining un-decayed isotopes versus decayed isotopes. 2. Graph tree ring growth data and analyze the effect of environmental factors on

tree growth. 3. Sketch outcrops of rock layers. Major Assessments (assignments, quizzes, tests, projects, performance tasks, authentic assessments, etc.)

• Graphing Radioactive Decay Laboratory: Students will determine the half life of a radioactive isotope and determine the age of a sample given the rate of decay, the amount un-decayed, and the original amount of sample

• Deciphering Tree Rings Activity: Students will reconstruct past conditions of tree rings by looking at precipitation trends based on ring width

• Relative Age Activity: Students will interpret illustrations of rock layers and other geological structures to determine an order of events.

Differentiation Enrichment Supplements List of Applicable NJCCCS and Strands/CPIs Covered in This Unit 5.4 12 B.1-3

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Suggested Learning Experiences and Instructional Activities Anticipatory Sets In-Class Activities Technology Cross-Content Writing Activities Home-Link Activities Possible Dilemmas (Moral, Spiritual, Ethical, Etc.)

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Unit 2: Properties of Earth Materials – Soils Why Is This Unit Important? Tectonic processes continually change the face of our planet and renew the Earths surface over geologic time. In addition water and the atmosphere combine to weather and erode surface rocks to produce soil. Students will distinguish how the erosion and deposition process has been affected by human interaction and the effects it has on soil texture, nutrients and profile. The big ideas embedded in this unit are:

• How weathering and erosion affect soil formation in different geologic regions and climates.

• How soil formation rates, differentiate based on geology, geography and climate.

• How PH and macronutrient levels affect the health of plants.

• Compare and contrast soil permeability and porosity and the effects it has on soil texture formation.

Enduring Understandings 1. Students will differentiate between soil erosion and deposition. 2. Students will define loam. 3. Students will define humus (organic matter). 4. Students will compare and contrast soil permeability and porosity. 5. Students will identify the different types of mechanical weathering 6. Students will identify the different types of chemical weathering. 7. Students will determine how new minerals forms through hydrolysis. 8. Students will identify the six major factors that determine the rate of soil

formation. 9. Students will compare landslides, landflow, slump, soil creep and landfall. 10. Students will use a soil triangle to determine soil texture. 11. Students will differentiate between micro and macro soil nutrients. 12. Students will define pH, why pH is important to plants, and how to adjust pH

levels. 13. Students will determine the importance N, P and K in terms of soil nutrient levels. Essential Questions 1. Differentiate between weathering and erosion. 2. What are the two types weathering? 3. What are the different types of mechanical and chemical weathering? 4. What is Soil? Organic matter? 5. Identify soil forming factors.

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6. How long does it take for 1” of soil to form? Is the soil horizon formation rate the same throughout the world? Explain.

7. What is soil texture? Why is it important? 8. What factors affect soil erosion rates? 9. How does pH affect nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in soil? Process used

to adjust pH levels. Acquired Knowledge 1. Weathering is the process by which rocks breakdown. Erosion is the process by

which the weathered material is transported to a new location. 2. The two types of weathering are mechanical and chemical. 3. Types of mechanical weathering are pressure release fracturing, frost wedging,

abrasion, organic activity (root pry), thermal expansion and contraction, animal borrowing. Types of chemical weathering are dissolution, hydrolysis and oxidation.

4. Soil is the upper layer of the soil horizon (regolith) that support plants. Organic matter is a layer of decayed organic organisms that contain high amounts of nitrogen, calcium and carbon.

5. Soil forming factors are the chemical make-up of the parent 6. rock, climate, rates of plant growth and decay, slope aspect and time. 7. Soil forms at a rate of about 1” per 1,000 years. About 700 years in the rain

forest and 1,300 years in the arctic region. 8. Soil texture is the percentage of sand, silt and clay in a soil sample. Texture 9. controls the permeability rate and porosity (water holding capacity) of a soil

sample. 10. Flowing water, wind and glaciers are the primary soil erosion forces. 11. Soil pH levels control the rate at which soil nutrients are made available to plants.

Soil pH levels can be adjusted using sulfur ash (lower pH) and Lime (raise soil pH).

Acquired Skills 1. Determine the texture of a soil using a soil triangle. 2. Determine the texture of a soil by performing a field test (ribbon test) 3. Adjust the soil nutrient levels by adding specific fertilizers for nitrogen

phosphorus and potassium. 4. Test soil pH levels using litmus paper to determine acidic and basic soils. Major Assessments

• Direct Instruction

• Video – clip of weathering and soil formation

• Lab - soil texture

• Lab - soil nutrients

• Class Discussion

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Differentation

• Enrichment

• Supplements List of Applicable NJCCCS and Strand/CPI Covered in this Unit 5.4.12.C.1 Suggested Learning Experiences and Instructional Activities Anticipatory Sets In-Class Activities Technology Cross-Content Writing Activities Home-Link Activities Possible Dilemmas (Moral, Spiritual, Ethical, Etc.)

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Unit 4: Plate Tectonics Why Is This Unit Important? Plate tectonics revolutionized the way geologists view Earth by bringing together nearly all the previous thoughts on geologic study. Plate tectonics is the unifying concept of geology. The theory of plate tectonics explains nearly all of Earth's major surface features and activities. These include faults and earthquakes, volcanoes and volcanism, mountains and mountain building, and even the origin of the continents and ocean basins. Plate tectonics also revitalized the field of geology by providing a new perspective from which to interpret many old ideas about continental movement. The big ideas embedded through this unit are:

• The Earth’s surface is broken into sections called plates.

• The transfer of energy in the Earth’s interior sets up massive convection currents in the mantle. These convection currents are thought to be the driving force that causes plate movement.

Enduring Understandings 1. Students will explain how the divergent, convergent, and transform plate

boundaries relate to the distribution of continents, mountains, and earthquakes. 2. Students will describe the evidence used to support the plate tectonics theory. 3. Students will describe continental drift and list the evidence that was used to

support the continental drift hypothesis. 4. Students will explain the differences between the continental drift hypothesis and

the theory of plate tectonics. 5. Students will explain seafloor spreading and describe the evidence that was used

to support seafloor spreading. 6. Students will calculate the rate of seafloor spreading. 7. Students will describe the model that has been proposed to explain the driving

mechanism for plate motion. Essential Questions 1. What are the hypotheses scientists hold as to the cause of plate movement? 2. How are continental drift and plate tectonics related? 3. How have plate movements caused changes in the positions and shapes of

Earth‘s landmasses? 4. What results from plate tectonics?

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Acquired Knowledge 1. Mountains are generally formed at convergent collision boundaries, volcanoes

are found at converging boundaries with subduction, earthquakes occur along transform plate boundaries, and divergent boundaries form rift valleys.

2. Alfred Wegener used the puzzle-like fit of the continents, fossil clues, climate clues, and rock clues to support the hypothesis of continental drift.

3. The theory of plate tectonics is that the Earth's lithosphere consists of large, rigid plates that move horizontally in response to the flow of the asthenosphere and the hypothesis of continental drift is that Earth's continents were originally one land mass called Pangaea and have migrated to form the continents as we know them today.

4. Average seafloor spreading rates range from 2-6 centimeters per year. 5. Convection within Earth's mantle is the driving force for plate tectonics. 6. Seafloor spreading is the idea that seafloor crust forms at mid-ocean ridges and

then spreads in opposite directions. Age of seafloor rocks and magnetic evidence of these rocks support the occurrence of seafloor spreading.

Acquired Skills 1. Calculation of rate of movement Major Assessments (assignments, quizzes, tests, projects, performance tasks, authentic assessments, etc.)

• Continental Drift Laboratory

• Seafloor spreading Laboratory List of Applicable NJCCCS and Strands/CPIs Covered in This Unit 5.4.12.D.1-2 Suggested Learning Experiences and Instructional Activities Anticipatory Sets In-Class Activities: Lithospheric Plate Boundary Chart Technology Cross-Content Writing Activities Home-Link Activities Possible Dilemmas (Moral, Spiritual, Ethical, Etc.)

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Unit 5: Energy in Earth Systems Why Is This Unit Important? A budget is a plan that shows how something enters and leaves a system and how much remains in a system. Systems on Earth are often described in terms of budgets. The energy budget of the Earth involves incoming solar energy, outgoing amounts of energy from the atmosphere into space, the amount of energy that remains in the atmosphere, and how the energy flows from one place to another. The big ideas embedded through this unit are:

• The Sun is the major external source of energy for Earth’s global energy budget.

• Earth systems have internal and external sources of energy, both of which create heat.

Enduring Understandings 1. Students will interconnect Earth events taking place within the global

environment, and determine the interdependencies at many levels and scale. 2. Students will describe what happens to solar energy once it reaches the Earth. 3. Students will describe how the energy budget of the Earth is balanced. 4. Students will discuss how changes in the composition of a planet’s atmosphere

will affect the temperature of that planet. Essential Questions 1. What is the Earth’s source of energy? 2. How does internal heat affect the tectonic plates of the Earth? 3. What is the effect of heating the earth surface through solar radiation? 4. How does the sun’s energy affect global climate? 5. What is isolation? 6. What happens to the energy that is not directly reflected back to space? 7. How would an increased amount of methane in the Earth’s atmosphere influence

Earth’s temperatures? 8. What is the pattern of energy entering and leaving the Earth’s climate over an

extended period of time? 9. What is the solar constant? 10. Which gases are considered to be Greenhouse gases? 11. What is geothermal heat?

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Acquired Knowledge 1. Earth systems have internal and external sources of energy, both create heat.

The sun is the source of external energy; decay of radioactive isotopes and gravitational energy from the earth's original formation are sources of internal energy.

2. The mantle's convection circulation propels the crustal plates. 3. Heating the earth's surface and atmosphere by the sun drives convection within

the oceans and atmosphere, creating ocean currents and winds. 4. Global climate is created by the sun's energy. 5. Isolation is the amount of energy that reaches the Earth from the Sun (measured

in watts/square meter/second) 6. The energy that is not directly reflected back to space is absorbed by clouds and

Earth’s surface. 7. If the amount of methane gas in the Earth’s atmosphere were increased, more

energy would be absorbed, so the temperature of the atmosphere would increase.

8. Over long periods of time (several years), the amount of energy leaving the Earth equals the amount of Energy entering the Earth.

9. The solar constant is the amount of relatively constant solar energy that reaches the top of the Earth’s atmosphere.

10. The principle Greenhouse gases are H2O vapor, CO2, O3, CH4, N2, O, CF2Cl2, and CFCl3.

11. Geothermal heat is the heat that originates beneath the surface of the earth. It is produced through the decay of radioactive elements and through mantle convection.

Acquired Skills 1. Compute the amount of solar energy reaching the ground Major Assessments (assignments, quizzes, tests, projects, performance tasks, authentic assessments)

• Global Energy Budget Laboratory: Students will interpret visual and graphical data illustrating the energy budget of the Earth

• Virtual Energy Budget Model: o http://www.sciencecourseware.com o Students will estimate temperature for any month for modern climate and

then see how well the model can estimate ice-age climate, when temperatures were about 7°C colder than today

Differentiation Enrichment Supplements

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List of Applicable NJCCCS and Strand/CPI Covered In This Unit 5.4.12.E.1-2 Suggested Learning Experiences and Instructional Activities Anticipatory Sets In-Class Activities Technology Cross-Content Writing Activities Home-Link Activities Possible Dilemmas (Moral, Spiritual, Ethical, Etc.)

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Unit 6: Atmosphere Why Is This Unit Important? Earth’s atmosphere contains nitrogen and oxygen, with small amounts of other gases. Gases move between the atmosphere and other parts of the Earth system, yet the composition of the atmosphere remains fairly constant. Local events can change the composition of the atmosphere, with global consequences. The big ideas embedded through this unit are:

• The three mechanisms of heat transfer are conduction, convection and radiation.

• The Earth’s distance to the sun does not affect seasons. -The relationship among energy provided by the sun, the global patterns of atmospheric movement and the temperature differences among water, land and atmosphere.

• Understand the impact Earth’s atmosphere has on life. Enduring Understandings 1. Students will describe the formation of the Earth’s early atmosphere and the

composition of the lower atmosphere. 2. Students will describe how energy from the sun moves through the atmosphere

by radiation, conduction, and convection. 3. Students will identify the characteristics of each atmospheric layer. 4. Students will analyze the Earth’s heat budget. 5. Students will identify how geography influences temperature changes in the

troposphere. 6. Students will explain the characteristics of the water cycle. 7. Students will investigate the effects of air pollution and ozone on the formation of

smog. 8. Students will learn that the tilt of the Earth on its axis causes the variations in

sunlight throughout the year. 9. Students will analyze the vertical structure of the atmosphere to understand its

impact on life. Essential Questions 1. What gases composed the early atmosphere? 2. How is heat transferred in the atmosphere? 3. Why does the stratosphere warm up the higher the elevation? 4. How does changing atmospheric pressure affect weather? 5. How does smog form? 6. How is the energy that is received by Earth distributed? 7. What is the Earth’s atmosphere composed of? 8. What are the five steps of the water cycle?

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9. What is lapse rate? 10. What are the factors that affect atmospheric climate? 11. What are the position of the Earth during the summer and winter solstice and the

autumnal and vernal equinox. 12. How is life impacted by Earth’s atmosphere? Acquired Knowledge 1. The early atmosphere was composed of nitrogen (10%), carbon dioxide (80%),

and water vapor (10%) 2. Heat is transferred through the processes of radiation, conduction, and

convection. 3. Temperature in the stratosphere increases with altitude because it is warmed by

energy from sun and it is the layer that contains ozone which absorbs UV radiation.

4. Changes in the pressure are what form high and low pressure systems. 5. Smog is incompletely burned gasoline from automobiles that reacts with nitrogen

oxides and atmospheric oxygen in the presence of sunlight to produce ozone. The ozone then reacts further with the automobile exhaust to form smog.

6. 50% of the energy received by the Earth is absorbed by the surface of the Earth, 15% of is absorbed by the atmosphere, 25% is reflected by clouds, 4% is reflected by the Earth’s surface, and 6% of the energy is scattered.

7. 78% of the Earth’s atmosphere is composed of nitrogen, 21% is composed of oxygen and the remaining 1% are trace gases.

8. The five steps to the water cycle are: condensation, precipitation, groundwater storage, runoff and evaporation (transpiration).

9. The lapse rate is 5.5 F every 1,000 ft. 10. The factors that affect atmospheric climate are precipitation, altitude, latitude,

bodies of water, and ocean currents. 11. On June 21 or 22 the Earth is positioned in its orbit so that the North Pole is

leaning 23.5° toward the Sun. During the summer solstice, all locations north of the equator have day lengths greater than twelve hours, while all locations south of the equator have day lengths less than twelve hours. On December 21 or 22 the Earth is positioned so that the South Pole is leaning 23.5 degrees toward the Sun. During the winter solstice, all locations north of the equator have day lengths less than twelve hours, while all locations south of the equator have day lengths exceeding twelve hours. On September 22 or 23, also called the autumnal equinox, neither pole is tilted toward or away from the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, March 20 or 21 marks the arrival of the vernal equinox or spring when the poles are not tilted toward or away from the Sun. Day lengths on both of these equinoxes, regardless of latitude, are exactly 12 hours.

12. The jet stream filters out harmful ultraviolet rays. Air pollutants are moved to the lower part of the atmosphere by the jet stream.

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Acquired Skills 1. Graph the layers of the atmosphere and identify the boundaries between each

layer. 2. Determine the temperature of a location given the other locations altitude. 3. Identify which atmospheric layer has ozone, which burns up meteors and which

contains 99% of the Earth’s weather. Major Assessments (assignments, quizzes, tests, projects, performance tasks, authentic assessments)

• Atmospheric Layers Laboratory: Graph the various temperatures and pressures associated with increasing altitude.

Differentiation Enrichment Supplements List of Applicable NJCCCS and Strand/CPI Covered In This Unit 5.4.12.C.2 5.4.12.F.1-2 Suggested Learning Experiences and Instructional Activities Anticipatory Sets In-Class Activities Technology Cross-Content Writing Activities Home-Link Activities: Written lab reports with an emphasis on data collection, graphing, analyzing data and writing a conclusion Possible Dilemmas (Moral, Spiritual, Ethical, Etc.)

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Unit 7: Renewable (Alternative) Energy Why is the Unit Important? Focusing on the Sun as the primary driver of energy, students will discover how other renewable energies are the result of the Sun’s energy. This unit helps students incorporate sustainable values into their community by focusing on renewable energies used in building design. This unit will focus on passive solar design, active solar design and equations, geothermal heating and cooling and rooftop wind turbines. The big ideas embedded through this unit are:

• Earth has renewable and nonrenewable resources; humans demand for and use of resources sometimes exceeds the available supply.

• Humans depend on a variety of energy resources, both renewable and nonrenewable to meet their energy needs.

• Producing renewable energy locally can offer a viable alternative to energy generated from fossil fuels.

Enduring Understandings 1. Students will identify the differences between renewable energy and non-

renewable energy. 2. Students will understand that a volt x ampere = watt. 3. Students will determine how to calculate a watt and kWh’s used by a standard

home. 4. Students will identify the solar absorption and emission rates of a square meter

solar panel. 5. Students will calculate how much energy is absorbed after atmospheric, solar

panel efficiency and inverter values are identified. 6. Students will determine how rooftop turbines work in different climate zones. 7. Students will differentiate between active and passive solar energy. 8. Students will compare and contrast wind, solar and geothermal maps of the U.S. 9. Students will derive how many panels are needed to supply electricity to a home

based on the areas climate data. 10. Student will determine the different energy output of the sun in the summer and

winter. 11. Students will determine how passive solar design is used to heat a home. 12. Students will determine how aperture, control, absorbers, and design affect the

efficiency of a passive solar design. 13. Students will determine how to landscape for optimum solar energy output and

shade.

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Essential Questions: 1. What is energy? 2. Describe how the sun is the primary source of all energy? 3. Describe the two ways solar energy can be used? 4. List the advantages of renewable energy. 5. What is geothermal energy and how is it used? 6. What are the 3 different geothermal energy zones? How are they different? 7. What is a watt? 8. What is a kilowatt? 9. What is a kilowatt hour? 10. What are generators, turbines and transformers? 11. What is L.E.E.D? 12. How is a helix turbine different from a standard wind turbine? Acquired Knowledge 1. Energy is the ability to do work. Energy can be found in a number of different

forms. This unit will focus on heat energy. 2. The suns heat drives passive solar energy (aperture), active solar energy

(absorption), wind energy (differential heating) and geothermal energy (emission).

3. Solar energy can be used in passive design and active UV collection. 4. The advantage of renewable energy is that it is renewed in our lifetime or less,

unlike non-renewable. 5. Geothermal energy is heat that is trapped in the Earth from incoming solar

radiation. 6. The three different geothermal energy zones are identified by temperature; 1)

212 degrees F or above, 2) 100 degrees F, 3) 55-60 F. 7. A watt is a volt x ampere. 8. A Kilowatt is 1,000 watts. 9. A kilowatt hour is watts x hours / 1000. 10. A generator actually creates energy through a spinning copper wire field and a

transformer changes the electricity’s current from direct to alternating current. 11. Leadership in Environmental and Engineering Design. This is a green building

rating system. 12. A helix turbine has a different design (compact) and is used in residential rooftop

applications. Acquired Skills: 1. Calculate solar absorption rates and wind turbine rates using a formula. 2. Determine how a watt is generated. 3. Explain why kilowatt hours are used when determining monthly energy

consumption.

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4. Determine the kilowatt usage of their home, read and understand their energy bill.

5. Complete a renewable energy feasibility study on different sites around the US. 6. Rank sites across the United States in terms of feasibility and sustainability. 7. Construct a model renewable energy house and property. Major Assessments (assignments, quizzes, tests, projects, performances tasks, authentic assessments)

• Rank sites across the United States in terms of feasibility and sustainability.

• Construct a model renewable energy house and property. List of Applicable NJCCCS and Strand/CPI Covered In This Unit 5.4.12.G.7 Suggested Learning Experiences and Instructional Activities Anticipatory Sets In-Class Activities

1. Direct Instruction 2. Lab - green building passive shoebox lab 3. Class Discussion - 4. Oral presentations and discussions. 5. Class discussions 6. Building of renewable home and property model.

Technology Video

Cross-Content Writing Activities Home-Link Activities Possible Dilemmas (Moral, Spiritual, Ethical, Etc.)

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Unit 8: Biogeochemical Cycles Why Is This Unit Important? In ecology, a biogeochemical cycle is a pathway by which a chemical element or molecule moves through both biotic and abiotic compartments of Earth. Through this process, the element is recycled, although in some cycles there may be reservoirs where the element is accumulated or held for a long period of time. Elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another through various biogeochemical cycles. The most well-known and important biogeochemical cycles, for example, include the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle the oxygen cycle, the phosphorus cycle, the sulfur cycle and the water cycle. The big ideas embedded through this unit are:

• A biogeochemical system is the movement of matter within or between ecosystems.

• Biogeochemical systems are caused by living organisms, geological forces, or chemical reactions.

• The cycling of nitrogen, carbon, sulfur, oxygen, phosphorus, and water are examples of biogeochemical systems.

• Living things do not exist as isolated individuals or groups of individuals; all organisms have an effect on each other and their surroundings.

• All organisms interact with others of their own species, with other species, and with the physical and chemical environments that surround them.

Enduring Understandings 1. Students will describe the characteristics of the water, carbon, sulfur, oxygen,

and phosphorus cycles. 2. Students will analyze how humans interact with the water, carbon, and energy

cycles. 3. Students will outline the water cycle and carbon cycle and describe their role in

integrating atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere processes. 4. Students will understand and be able to identify carbon sources, sinks, and

release agents in the carbon cycle. Essential Questions 1. What is a biogeochemical cycle? 2. What are the three steps of the nitrogen cycle? 3. What four processes are involved in the water cycle? 4. How is sulfur moved in different chemical forms from the environment, to

organisms, and then back to the environment?

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5. How is phosphorus is recycled in the ecosystem? 6. How is the phosphorus cycle different than the other biogeochemical systems? 7. How do humans impact the biogeochemical cycles. Acquired Knowledge 1. A biogeochemical cycle is the process of recycling nutrients necessary for life

among living non-living components of an ecosystem. The recycling can include geological, chemical, and living components.

2. Four processes participate in the cycling of nitrogen through the biosphere: nitrogen fixation, decay, nitrification, and dentrification. Nitrogen fixation is the capture and conversion of atmospheric nitrogen gas into nitrogen compounds, stored in the soil that can be used by plants. Ammonia can be taken up directly by plants — usually through their roots. However, most of the ammonia produced by decay is converted into nitrates. Denitrification reduces nitrates to nitrogen gas, thus replenishing the atmosphere.

3. The processes that are involved in the Water Cycle are as follows:

• Evaporation- The process of water converted to water vapor due to the heat of the sun.

• Condensation- The vapor cools and the vapor is transformed into tiny droplets of water again as the temperature decreases.

• Precipitation- Water comes back to the surface of the Earth in the form of rain, snow and hail.

• Run Off- When some water stays on the surface of the earth and the rest flows into the water bodies like rivers, lakes, reservoirs, it is called run-off.

• Percolation- When the water on the surface of the earth seeps down underground it is called Percolation. It later forms aquifers in the low-lying regions.

• Transpiration- the emission of water vapor from the leaves of plants 4. The sulfur cycle includes the mineralization of organic sulfur to sulfide, the

oxidation of this to sulfate, and the reduction of this back to sulfide. It is then that microorganisms can incorporate it back into organic compounds.

5. The carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere of the Earth. It is one of the most important cycles of the earth and allows for the most abundant element to be recycled and reused throughout the biosphere and all of its organisms.

6. Carbon sinks include long-lived trees, limestone, plastic and the burial of organic matter, such as those that formed the fossil fuels we use today. Carbon sources include the burning of fossil fuels and other organic matter, the weathering of limestone rocks, and the respiration of living organisms. Release agents include volcanic activity, forest fires, and the burning of fossil fuels.

7. Phosphorus normally occurs in nature as a phosphate ion. Most phosphates are found as salts in ocean sediments or in sedimentary rocks. Geologic processes can bring ocean sediments to land. Plants absorb phosphates from the soil, and then bind the phosphate into organic compounds. The plants may then be

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consumed by herbivores that in turn may be consumed by carnivores. After death, the animal or plant decays, and the phosphates are returned to the soil. Runoff may carry them back to the ocean or they may be reincorporated into rock.

8. The phosphorus cycle differs from the other major biogeochemical cycles in that it does not include a gas pha se. Therefore the atmosphere is not involved.

9. Human influences on the phosphate cycle come mainly from the introduction and use of commercial synthetic fertilizers. An excessive concentration of phosphorus is considered a pollutant in bodies of water. Phosphate stimulates the growth of plankton and plants, favoring weedy species over others. Excess growth of these plants tend to consume large amounts of dissolved oxygen, potentially suffocating fish and other marine animals, while also blocking available sunlight to bottom dwelling species. This is known as eutrophication. Human impact on the sulfur cycle is primarily in the production of sulfur dioxide from industry, such as burning coal or the internal combustion engine. Sulfur dioxide can precipitate onto surfaces where it can be oxidized to sulfate in the soil, reduced to sulfide in the atmosphere, or oxidized to sulfate in the atmosphere as sulfuric acid, a principal component of acid rain. Humans impact the carbon cycle during the combustion of any type of fossil fuel. The carbon is said to be "fixed" in place and is essentially locked out of the natural carbon cycle. Humans intervene during by burning the fossil fuels. During combustion in the presence of oxygen, carbon dioxide and water molecules are released into the atmosphere.

Acquired Skills Major Assessments (assignments, quizzes, tests, projects, performance tasks, authentic assessments, etc.) Differentiation Enrichment Supplements List of Applicable NJCCCS and Strands/CPIs Covered in This Unit 5.4.12.F.3 5.4.12.G.1-3 Suggested Learning Experiences and Instructional Activities Anticipatory Sets In-Class Activities Technology Cross-Content Writing Activities Home-Link Activities Possible Dilemmas (Moral, Spiritual, Ethical, Etc.)

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Unit 9: Ecosystems Why Is This Unit Important? The study of ecosystems is important to understand the way humans work in conjunction with the environment. By examining the maintenance and quality of the atmosphere, generation of soils, hydrologic cycles, disposal of wastes and recycling of nutrients we can assure proper protection of the ecosystems. The big ideas embedded through this unit are:

• Natural and human made chemicals circulate with water inn hydrologic cycle

• Natural ecosystems provide an array of basic functions that affect humans

• Natural and human activities impact on the cycling of matter and the flow of energy through ecosystems

• Human activities changing land, oceans and atmosphere as well as populations of species

• Scientific, economic and other data assisting in assessing environmental risks. Enduring Understandings 1. Students will explain and analyze the sources and impact of a specific industry

on a large body of water. 2. Students will explain the unintended consequences of harvesting natural

resources from an ecosystem. 3. Students will compare over time the impact of human activity on the cycling of

matter and energy though ecosystems. 4. Students will assess how the natural environment has changed since humans

have inhabited the regions using maps, local planning documents and historical records.

Essential Questions 1. What is a natural resource? 2. How are maps used to track pollution? 3. What is an ecosystem? 4. What is a pollutant? 5. How is the hydrologic cycle affected by pollutants? 6. What is the consequence of pollutants on natural resources? Acquired Knowledge 1. Students will understand that a natural resource is a naturally occurring element

of the geosphere, hydrosphere and/or atmosphere.

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2. Students will learn to utilize maps to track pollution from its source to its affected part of the ecosystem.

3. Students will learn that an ecosystem is an ecological community together with its environment, functioning as a unit.

4. Students will learn that the hydrologic cycle is affected by pollutants through contamination of air, water and/or soil.

5. Students will learn the consequence of pollutants on natural resources range from loss or decline of animal or plant species, change in habits, and economic impacts on society.

Acquired Skills 1. Use maps to identify pollution sources. Major Assessments (assignments, quizzes, tests, projects, performance tasks, authentic assessments, etc.)

• Freshwater and Saltwater Organism Lab: The students will compare and contrast fresh and saltwater organisms.

• Oil Spill Laboratory: The students will be use oil, gravel, water, feather and sponge to understand how oil spills affect aquatic life

• Land Use Laboratory: The students will model Earth’s Farmland to understand the impact that human’s have on land use.

List of Applicable NJCCCS and Strands/CPIs Covered in This Unit 5.4.12.G.3-6 Suggested Learning Experiences and Instructional Activities Anticipatory Sets In-Class Activities: Surface water and Air Pollution Mini-Lab: The students can observe the increase and decrease of water pollution and air pollution at various sites around New Jersey. Technology Cross-Content Writing Activities Home-Link Activities Possible Dilemmas (Moral, Spiritual, Ethical, Etc.)