Belleville Mennonite School Scope and Sequence

Earth Science

Grade level: 9-10

The Nature of Science	Scientific methods, scientific experiments; change; scientific laws and theories; limitations of science
Matter	States of matter; properties of matter; atoms; combinations of atoms
Minerals	Mineral characteristics; formation of minerals; identification of minerals; physical properties of minerals; uses of minerals
Rocks	Distinguish between a rock and a mineral; the rock cycle; igneous rocks; metamorphic rocks; sedimentary rocks; identification of rocks
Energy and Mineral Resources	Nonrenewable energy resources; advantages and disadvantages of nonrenewable energy resources; inexhaustible energy resources; advantages and disadvantages to renewable energy resources; mineral resources; market conditions and values of mineral resources; types of mineral resources
Views of the Earth	Landforms; latitude; longitude; time zones; map projections; topographic maps; geologic maps; satellite maps
Soil and Weathering	Mechanical and chemical weathering; effects of climate on weathering; soil formation; soil horizons; factors that effect soil development; importance of soil; human activities that effect soil erosion
Erosion	Erosion by gravity; erosion by glaciers, erosion by wind
Water Erosion and Deposition	Surface water; causes of runoff; stages of stream development; alluvial fans and delta formation; importance of groundwater; shoreline erosion; types of shorelines
Plate Tectonics	Continental drift; sea floor spreading; theory of plate tectonics
Earthquakes	Why earthquakes occur; faults; energy travel in seismic waves; primary, secondary, and surface waves; structure of the Earth’s interior; people and earthquakes
Volcanoes	Formation of volcanoes; relationship between volcanoes and the Earth’s tectonic plates; chemical makeup of lava, tephra, and volcanic gas; types of volcanoes; igneous rock features; how volcanoes effect humans
The Earth’s Past	Fossil formation; fossils and the age of rock; absolute age of rock and fossils; relative age of rock and fossils; methods of dating rock
Evolution vs. Creationism	Creationism; microeveloution; macroevolution; the estimated age of the Earth from both the Christian perspective and the theory of macroevolution
Atmosphere	Atmospheric gases; structures of the Earth’s atmosphere; air pressure; energy transfers in the atmosphere; the water cycle; air movement
Weather	Water vapor in the atmosphere; cloud formation; classifying clouds; types of precipitation; high and low pressure fronts; development of severe weather; dangers of severe weather; weather forecasts
Climate	Factors that determine climate; climate classification systems; how organisms adapt to particular climates; what causes seasons; climate change
Oceans	Composition of ocean water; surface currents; temperatures of coastal waters; density currents; wave formation; ocean tides
Oceanography	The continental shelf; the continental slope; the Earth’s structures on the sea floor; ocean mineral resources; photosynthesis and chemosynthesis in the oceans; life in the ocean; ocean pollution
Our Impact on Land	Human population increase; population impacts on the environment; land use; ways to protect the environment; conserving resources; recycling
Our Impact on Water and Air	Water pollution; types of water pollution; ways to reduce water pollution; air pollution; types of air pollution; the affect air pollution has on people and the environment; reducing air pollution
Exploring Space	Radiation from space; early space missions; current and future space missions
The Sun, Earth, and Moon System	The Earth’s physical characteristics; the Earth’s rotation and revolution; what causes seasons to change; phases of the moon; solar and lunar eclipses; the moon’s surface; recent discoveries
The Solar System	The model of the solar system; the inner planets; the outer planets; other objects in our solar system
Stars and Galaxies	Stars; constellations; properties of stars; the Sun; the Sun’s layers and atmosphere; classifying stars; galaxies; the universe