Standard 5.8: All
Students Will Gain An Understanding Of The Structure And Behavior Of Matter
Descriptive Statement: Exploring the nature of matter and energy is
essential to an understanding of the physical universe. This standard leads students from
their experiences with the states and properties of matter, to the development of models
of the atom and the underlying principles of chemistry.
Cumulative Progress Indicators Internet links / lesson
resources
By the end of Grade 4, students:
1. Describe and sort objects according to the materials from which they are made and
their physical properties.
2. Recognize that matter can exist as a solid, liquid, or gas, and can be
transformed from one state to another by heating or cooling.
3. Investigate matter by observing materials under magnification.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in the preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8,
students:
4. Identify characteristic properties of matter, and use one or more of those properties
to separate a mixture of substances.
5. Show how substances can react with each other to form new substances having
characteristic properties different from those of the original substances.
6. Know that all matter is made up of atoms that may join together to form molecules, and
that the state of matter is determined by the arrangement and motion of the atoms or
molecules.
7. Explain how atoms are rearranged when substances react, but that the total number of
atoms and the total mass of the newly formed substances remains the same as that of the
original substances.
8. Explain that over 100 different atoms, corresponding to over 100 different
elements, have been identified and can be grouped according to their similar properties.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in the preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12,
students:
9. Know that atoms consist of a nucleus surrounded by electrons, and that the
arrangement of the electrons determines the chemical behavior of each element.
10. Know that the nucleus consists of protons and neutrons, and that each atom of a given
element has the same number of protons, but that the number of neutrons may vary.
11. Explain how atoms can form bonds to other atoms by transferring or sharing electrons.
12. Demonstrate different types of chemical reactions and the various factors affecting
reaction rates.
13. Explain how the Periodic Table of Elements evolved and how it relates atomic structure
to the physical and chemical properties of the elements.
Standard 5.9:
All Students Will Gain An Understanding Of Natural Laws As They Apply To Motion, Forces,
And Energy Transformations
Descriptive Statement: Basic principles of physics emerge in this
standard, where the study of force and motion leads students to the concept of energy. All
forms of energy are introduced and investigated, and principles of transformation and laws
of conservation are developed.
Cumulative Progress Indicators Internet links / lesson
resources
By the end of Grade 4, students:
1. Demonstrate that the motion of an object can vary in speed and direction.
2. Demonstrate that the position and motion of an object can be changed
by pushing or pulling and that the change is related to the strength of the push or pull.
3. Recognize that some forces are invisible and can act at a distance.
4. Investigate sources of heat and show how heat can be transferred from one place to
another.
5. Investigate sources of light and show how light behaves when it strikes different
objects.
6. Demonstrate how sound can be produced by vibrating objects and how the pitch of the
sound depends on the rate of vibration.
7. Demonstrate how electricity can be used to produce heat, light, and sound.
Top
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in the preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8,
students:
8. Explain how a moving object that is not being subjected to a net force will move
in a straight line at a steady speed.
9. Show that when more than one force acts on an object at the same time, the forces
can reinforce or cancel each other, producing a net
force that will change the speed or direction of the object.
10. Investigate how the force of friction acts to retard motion.
11. Describe the various forms of energy, including heat, light, sound, chemical, nuclear,
mechanical, and electrical energy, and that energy can be transformed from one form to
another.
12. Explain how heat flows through materials or across space from warmer objects to cooler
ones until both objects are at the same temperature.
13. Explain that the sun is a major source of the earth's energy and that energy is
emitted in various forms, including visible light, infrared and ultraviolet radiation.
14. Show how light is reflected, refracted, or absorbed when it interacts with matter and
how colors appear as a result of this interaction.
15. Show how vibrations in materials can generate waves which can transfer energy from one
place to another.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in the preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12,
students:
16. Explain the mathematical relationship between the mass of an object, the unbalanced
force exerted on it, and the resulting acceleration.
17. Prove that whenever one object exerts a force on another, an equal amount of force is
exerted back on the first object.
18. Know that gravity is a universal force of attraction between masses that depends on
the masses and the distance between them.
19. Know that electrically charged bodies can attract or repel each other with a force
that depends on the size and nature of the charges and the distance between them.
20. Explain the similarities and differences between gravitational forces and electrical
forces that act at a distance.
21. Know that the forces that hold the nucleus of an atom together are stronger than
electromagnetic forces and that significant amounts of energy are released during nuclear
changes.
22. Explain how electromagnetic waves are generated, and identify the components of the
electromagnetic spectrum.
23. Explain that all energy is either kinetic or potential and that the total energy of
the universe is constant.
Standard 5.10:
All Students Will Gain An Understanding Of The Structure, Dynamics, And Geophysical
Systems Of The Earth
Descriptive Statement: The study of science should include a study of the
planet Earth and its relationship to the rest of the universe. This standard describes
what students should know about the composition of the earth and the forces that shape it,
while Standard 5.11 describes what students should know about astronomy and space science.
Cumulative Progress Indicators Internet links / lesson resources
By the end of Grade 4, students:
1. Recognize and demonstrate the use of different kinds of maps.
2. Investigate materials that make up the earth, including rocks, minerals, soils, and
fossils, and how they are formed.
3. Identify major sources and uses of water, discussing the forms in which it
appears.
4. Collect and record weather data to identify existing weather conditions, and
recognize how those conditions affect our daily lives.
Top
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in the preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8,
students:
5. Compare different map projections, and explain how physical features are represented on
each.
6. Identify the major features of the earth's crust, the processes and events that
change them, and the impact of those changes on people.
7. Identify the age of fossils, and explain how they provide evidence that life has
changed through time.
8. Describe and explain the causes of the natural processes and events that shaped
the earth's surface and interior.
9. Monitor local weather conditions and changes in the atmosphere that lead to
weather systems.
10. Investigate the composition, cycling, and distribution of the world's oceans and other
naturally occurring sources of water.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in the preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12,
students:
11. Use the evidence provided by topography, fossils, rock stratification, ice cores, and
radiometric data to investigate the earth's changes.
12. Use the theory of plate tectonics to explain the relationship among earthquakes,
volcanoes, mid-ocean ridges, and deep sea trenches.
13. Explore how weather phenomena and human activity are interrelated.
14. Identify and explain factors that influence water quality needed to sustain life.
Standard 5.11:
All Students Will Gain An Understanding Of The Origin, Evolution, And Structure Of The
Universe
Descriptive Statement: The study of science should include a study of the
planet earth and its relationship to the rest of the universe. This standard describes
what students should know about astronomy and space science, while Standard 5.10 describes
what students should know about the composition of the earth and the forces that shape it.
Cumulative Progress Indicators Internet links / lesson resources
By the end of Grade 4, students:
1. Observe and identify objects and their apparent motion in the day and night sky.
2. Relate the motions of the earth-sun-moon system to units of time (days, months,
seasons, years).
3. Construct a model of the solar system.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in the preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8,
students:
4. Describe the physical characteristics of the components of the solar system, and
compare the earth to other planets.
5. Explain how naturally occurring events on earth are related to the positions of
the sun, earth, and moon.
6. Describe the technologies used to explore the universe.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in the preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12,
students:
Top
7. Construct a model that accounts for variation in the length of day and night.
8. Evaluate evidence that supports scientific theories of the origin of the
universe.
9. Analyze benefits generated by the technology of space exploration.
Standard 5.12:
All Students Will Develop An Understanding Of The Environment As A System Of
Interdependent Components Affected By Human Activity And Natural Phenomena
Descriptive Statement: Creating an awareness of the need to protect and
preserve natural resources is a goal of science education. This standard calls for
students to develop knowledge of environmental issues, including management of natural
resources, production and use of energy, waste management, and the interdependence of
ecosystems.
Cumulative Progress Indicators Internet links / lesson resources
By the end of Grade 4, students:
1. Investigate the interdependence of living things and their environment.
2. Explain how meeting human requirements affects the environment.
3. Recognize that natural resources are not always renewable.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in the preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8,
students:
4. Evaluate the impact of personal and societal activities on the local and global
environment.
5. Compare and contrast practices that affect the use and management of natural
resources.
6. Recognize that individuals and groups may have differing points of view on
environmental issues.
7. Analyze the components of various ecosystems and the effects of those components
on organisms.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in the preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12,
students:
8. Investigate the impact of natural phenomena and physical processes, such as
earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires, floods, and hurricanes, on the environment of
different regions of the United States and the world.
9. Use scientific, economic, and other data to assess environmental
risks and benefits associated with human activity.
10. Apply the concept of ecosystems to understand and solve problems regarding
environmental issues.
This government publication was reprinted from http://www.state.nj.us/njded/cccs/10sciintro.html It has been reorganized and linked for our use by A.R.I.S.E.
Copyright © 1997-2008 Assistance &
Resources Integrating Science Education, A.R.I.S.E.
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04/19/08