Unit C: The Changing Earth
Themes: Change, Diversity, Energy and Systems
Overview: The history of our plant is one of change. There is evidence not only that Earth's surface is changing but that this change has, in turn, dramatically impacted the climate and life forms on Earth over time. In this unit, students examine scientific evidence for natural causes of climate change, for changing life forms and for continual changes to the Earth's surface.
This Unit Builds On:
Course Focus: We will spend ~25% of the course on this unit.
Students Will:
Key Concepts:
Overview: The history of our plant is one of change. There is evidence not only that Earth's surface is changing but that this change has, in turn, dramatically impacted the climate and life forms on Earth over time. In this unit, students examine scientific evidence for natural causes of climate change, for changing life forms and for continual changes to the Earth's surface.
This Unit Builds On:
- Grade 7 Science, Unit E: Planet Earth
- Science 10, Unit D: Energy Flow in Global Systems
Course Focus: We will spend ~25% of the course on this unit.
Students Will:
- Analyze the scientific evidence and explanations for geologic phenomena that occurred long ago or are taking place over a long period of time.
- Analyze and assess the evidence to explain the theory of plate tectonics and the internal structure of Earth.
- Analyze and assess the evidence provided by the fossil record of change in the environment and life forms over a period of 3.5 billion years.
- Analyze the evidence of, and assess the explanations for, natural variations in Earth;'s climate over the last two million years.
Key Concepts:
- Earth's internal structure
- theory of plate tectonics
- energy transmission in earthquakes
- fossilization, radiometric dating and half-life
- major characteristics and life forms of past eras
- gradualism compared to punctuated equilibrium
- mass extinctions
- evidence of variations in Earth's climate