This resource has 76 correlations with the National Standards.  
[HIDE CORRELATIONS]

• Physical Science
  • Structure of atoms
    • The nuclear forces that hold the nucleus of an atom together, at nuclear distances, are usually stronger than the electric forces that would make it fly apart. (9-12)
    • Nuclear reactions convert a fraction of the mass of interacting particles into energy, and they can release much greater amounts of energy than atomic interactions. (9-12)
    • Fission is the splitting of a large nucleus into smaller pieces. (9-12)
    • Fusion is the joining of two nuclei at extremely high temperature and pressure, and is the process responsible for the energy of the sun and other stars. (9-12)
    • Radioactive isotopes are unstable and undergo spontaneous nuclear reactions, emitting particles and/or wavelike radiation. (9-12)
    • The decay of any one nucleus cannot be predicted, but a large group of identical nuclei decay at a predictable rate and this predictability can be used to estimate the age of materials that contain radioactive isotopes. (9-12)
  • Transfer of Energy
    • Heat moves in predictable ways, flowing from warmer objects to cooler ones, until both reach the same temperature. (5-8)
    • Light interacts with matter by transmission (including refraction), absorption, or scattering (including reflection). To see an object, light from that object—emitted by or scattered from it—must enter the eye. (5-8) (5-8)
    • To see an object, light from that object--emitted by or scattered from it--must enter the eye.
    • The sun is a major source of energy for changes on the earth's surface. (5-8)
    • The sun loses energy by emitting light. (5-8)
    • A tiny fraction of that light reaches the earth, transferring energy from the sun to the earth.
    • The sun's energy arrives as light with a range of wavelengths, consisting of visible light, infrared, and ultraviolet radiation. (5-8)

• Life Science
  • Diversity and adaptations of organisms
    • Millions of species of animals, plants, and microorganisms are alive today. (5-8)
    • Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive characteristics of a species are insufficient to allow its survival. (5-8)
    • Fossils indicate that many organisms that lived long ago are extinct. (5-8)
  • Molecular basis of heredity
    • In all organisms, the instructions for specifying the characteristics of the organism are carried in DNA, a large polymer formed from subunits of four kinds (A, G, C, and T). (9-12)
    • The chemical and structural properties of DNA explain how the genetic information that underlies heredity is both encoded in genes (as a string of molecular "letters") and replicated (by a templating mechanism). (9-12)
    • Each DNA molecule in a cell forms a single chromosome. (9-12)
    • Changes in DNA (mutations) occur spontaneously at low rates. (9-12)
    • Some of the changes in DNA make no difference to the organism, whereas others can change cells and organisms. (9-12)
    • Only mutations in germ cells can create the variation that changes an organism's offspring. (9-12)
  • Biological evolution
    • Species is the most fundamental unit of classification. (9-12)

• Earth Science
  • Structure of the earth system
    • The solid earth is layered with a lithosphere; hot, convecting mantle; and dense, metallic core. (5-8)
    • Lithospheric plates on the scales of continents and oceans constantly move at rates of centimeters per year in response to movements in the mantle. (5-8)
    • Land forms are the result of a combination of constructive and destructive forces. (5-8)
    • Constructive forces include crustal deformation, volcanic eruption, and deposition of sediment. (5-8)
    • Destructive forces include weathering and erosion. (5-8)
    • Water, which covers the majority of the earth's surface, circulates through the crust, oceans, and atmosphere in what is known as the "water cycle." (5-8)
    • Water evaporates from the earth's surface, rises and cools as it moves to higher elevations, condenses as rain or snow, and falls to the surface where it collects in lakes, oceans, soil, and in rocks underground. (5-8)
    • The atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and trace gases that include water vapor. (5-8)
    • The atmosphere has different properties at different elevations. (5-8)
    • Clouds, formed by the condensation of water vapor, affect weather and climate. (5-8)
    • Global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather. (5-8)
    • Oceans have a major effect on climate, because water in the oceans holds a large amount of heat. (5-8)
  • Earth's history
    • Fossils provide important evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed (5-8)
  • Earth in the solar system
    • The sun is the major source of energy for phenomena on the earth's surface, such as growth of plants, winds, ocean currents, and the water cycle. (5-8)
    • Seasons result from variations in the amount of the sun's energy hitting the surface, due to the tilt of the earth's rotation on its axis and the length of the day. (5-8)
  • Energy in the earth system
    • Heating of earth's surface and atmosphere by the sun drives convection within the atmosphere and oceans, producing winds and ocean currents. (9-12)
    • Global climate is determined by energy transfer from the sun at and near the earth's surface. (9-12)
    • The greenhouse effect is the warming effect on the air caused by heat rising from the surface of the Earth and being trapped by gases in the troposphere. (9-12)
    • The energy transfer from the sun at and near the earth's surface is influenced by dynamic processes such as cloud cover and the earth's rotation, and static conditions such as the position of mountain ranges and oceans. (9-12)
  • Origin and evolution of the earth system
    • Interactions among the solid earth, the oceans, the atmosphere, and organisms have resulted in the ongoing evolution of the earth system. (9-12)
    • We can observe some changes such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on a human time scale. (9-12)
    • Many processes resulting in the ongoing evolution of the earth system, such as mountain building and plate movements take place over hundreds of millions of years. (9-12)

• Science as Inquiry
  • Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
    • Use data to construct a reasonable explanation.
    • Communicate investigations and explanations.
    • Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
    • Think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations.

• Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
  • Natural hazards
    • Natural hazards(disasters), include earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, floods, storms, and even possible impacts of asteroids.(5-8)
  • Risks and benefits
    • Risk analysis considers the type of hazard and estimates the number of people that might be exposed and the number likely to suffer consequences. (5-8)
    • The results of risk analysis are used to determine the options for reducing or eliminating risks. (5-8)
    • Students should understand the risks associated with natural hazards (fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions) (5-8)
    • Students should understand the risks associated with chemical hazards (pollutants in air, water, soil, and food). (5-8)
    • Individuals can use a systematic approach to thinking critically about risks and benefits. Examples include applying probability estimates to risks and comparing them to estimated personal and social benefits. (5-8)
  • Natural and human-induced hazards
    • Normal adjustments of earth may be hazardous for humans. (9-12)
    • Humans live at the interface between the atmosphere driven by solar energy and the upper mantle where convection creates changes in the earth's solid crust. (9-12)
    • As societies have grown, become stable, and come to value aspects of the environment, vulnerability to natural processes of change has increased. (9-12)
    • Natural and human-induced hazards present the need for humans to assess potential danger and risk. (9-12)
    • Many changes in the environment designed by humans bring benefits to society, as well as cause risks. (9-12)
    • Students should understand the costs and trade-offs of various hazards--ranging from those with minor risk to a few people to major catastrophes with major risk to many people. (9-12)
    • The scale of events and the accuracy with which scientists and engineers can (and cannot) predict events are important considerations. (9-12)
  • Sci and Tech in local, natl, and global challenges
    • Understanding basic concepts and principles of science and technology should precede active debate about the economics, policies, politics, and ethics of various science- and technology-related challenges. (9-12)
    • Individuals and society must decide on proposals involving new research and the introduction of new technologies into society. (9-12)
    • Decisions involve assessment of alternatives, risks, costs, and benefits and consideration of who benefits and who suffers, who pays and gains, and what the risks are and who bears them. (9-12)
    • Students should understand the appropriateness and value of basic questions--"What can happen?"--"What are the odds?"--and "How do scientists and engineers know what will happen?" (9-12)
    • The influence of humans on other organisms occurs through pollution--which changes the chemical composition of air, soil, and water. (9-12)

• Process Standards for Professional Development
  • Design
    • Introduce teachers to scientific literature, media, and technological resources that expand their science knowledge and their ability to access further knowledge. (NSES)

• Content Standards
  • Quality Teaching
    • Deepens educators’ content knowledge, provides them with research-based instructional strategies to assist students in meeting rigorous academic standards, and prepares them to use various types of classroom assessments appropriately. (NSDC)

• Teaching Standards
  • Teachers of science plan an inquiry-based science program for their students.
    • Select science content and adapt and design curricula to meet the interests, knowledge, understanding, abilities, and experiences of students.
    • Select teaching and assessment strategies that support the development of student understanding and nurture a community of science learners.
  • Teachers of science guide and facilitate learning. In doing this, teachers
    • Encourage and model the skills of scientific inquiry, as well as the curiosity, openness to new ideas and data, and skepticism that characterize science.
    • Orchestrate discourse among students about scientific ideas.
  • Teachers provide students with the time, space, and resources needed to learn science.
    • Create a setting for student work that is flexible and supportive of science inquiry.
    • Make the available science tools, materials, media, and technological resources accessible to students.
  • Teachers of science develop communities of science learners that reflect the intellectual rigor of scientific inquiry.
    • Nurture collaboration among students.