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Hydromania's Geology Unit
and Washington's Essential Academic Learning Requirements

The following chart travels through the Geology Unit, tying it to the Washington Essential Academic Learning Requirements 2000 (this will link you to the State of Washington's Education Reform website) that are addressed by that unit. Sometimes only parts of a particular benchmark will be applicable to a Hydromania unit, but we thought it best to cite the entire benchmark for easier reference to these state goals. Please note also that because a lesson can be taught and expanded on at many levels of thoroughness, benchmarks were included assuming the most thorough coverage of the topic. Therefore, each teacher will want to review the listed benchmarks in order to see for her/himself which ones are in agreement with their plans. Hopefully you will find this to be a helpful and timesaving tool as you help students rise to the challenge of meeting these goals.

Curriculum Topic Essential Academic Learning Requirement Subtopic (if applicable)/
Grade 4 and 7 Benchmarks
Topic XIII:
Geology 		Science:
The student understands and uses scientific concepts and principles.
To meet this standard, the student will use properties to identify, describe, and categorize substances, materials, and objects, and use characteristics to categorize living things.		 Physical Science: Properties of substances:
  • Grade 4:
    > use properties to sort natural and manufactured materials and objects, for example, size, weight, shape, color, texture, and hardness.
  • Grade 7:
    > use physical and chemical properties to identify and describe substances, for example density, boiling point, and solubility.
Science:
The student understands and uses scientific concepts and principles.
To meet this standard, the student will use properties to identify, describe, and categorize substances, materials, and objects, and use characteristics to categorize living things.		 Physical Science: Motion of objects:
  • Grade 4:
    > describe the relative position and motion of objects.
  • Grade 7:
    > describe the positions, relative speeds, and changes in speed of objects.
Life science: Nature and properties of earth materials:
  • Grade 4:
    > observe and examine physical proerties of earth materials such as rocks and soil, water (as liquid, solid, and vapor) and the gases of the atmosphere.
  • Grade 7:
    > classify rocks and soils into groups based on their chemical and physical properties; describe the processes by which rocks and soils are formed.
Science:
The student understands and uses scientific concepts and principles.
To meet this standard, the student will recognize the components, structure, and organization of systems and the interconnections within and among them.		 Systems:
  • Grade 4:
    > identify the parts of a system, how the parts go together, and how they depend on each other.
  • Grade 7:
    > describe how the parts of a system interact and influence each other.
Physical Science: Energy sources and kinds:
  • Grade 4:
    > understand that energy keeps things running and comes in many forms.
  • Grade 7:
    > understand that energy is a property of substances and systems and comes in many forms, including stored energy, energy of motion, and heat energy such as heat, light electrical, mechanical, sound, nuclear, and chemical.
Physical Science: Energy transfer and transformation:
  • Grade 4:
    > know that energy can be transferred between various forms.
  • Grade 7:
    > determine factors that affect rate and amount of energy transfer; associate a decrease in one form of energy with an increase in another.
Physical Science: Physical/chemical changes:
  • Grade 4:
    > know that matter can undergo changes of state such as evaporation, condensation, or freezing and thawing.
  • Grade 7:
    > understand physical and chemical changes at the particle level, and know that matter is conserved.
Physical Science: Components and patterns of the earth system:
  • Grade 4:
    > recognize that the earth is a spherical planet with a mainly solid interior and a surface composed of landforms, bodies of water, and an atmosphere.
  • Grade 7:
    > describe the components and relationships of the earth system, including the solid earth (crust, hot convecting mantle and dense metallic core), the hydrosphere (oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, and streams), and the atmosphere (a mixture of gases).
Science:
The student understands and uses scientific concepts and principles.
To meet this standard, the student will understand how interactions within and among systems cause changes in matter and energy.		 Physical Science: Nature of forces:
  • Grade 4:
    > describe forces in terms of strength and direction.
  • Grade 7:
    > know the factors that determine the strength of the various forces.
Physical Science: Forces to explain motion:
  • Grade 4:
    > investigate and recognize factors which determine the effects of a push or pull on the motion of objects.
  • Grade 7:
    > understand the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of objects along a straight line.
Earth/Space Science: Processes and interactions in the earth system:
  • Grade 4:
    > identify processes that slowly change the surface of the earth such as erosion and weathering, and those that rapidly change the surface of the earth such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.
  • Grade 7:
    > describe the processes of constructive and destructive forces and how they continually change landforms on earth.
Earth/Space Science: History and evolution of the earth:
  • Grade 4:
    > recognize that fossils provide evidence of plants, animals, and environments that existed long ago.
  • Grade 7:
    > know the importance of fossils in documenting life and environmental changes over time.
Science:
The student knows and applies the skills and processes of science and technology.
To meet this standard, the student will develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.		 Questioning:
  • Grade 4:
    > ask questions about objects, organisms, and events in the environment.
  • Grade 7:
    > generate questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.
Designing and conducting investigations:
  • Grade 4:
    > plan and conduct simple investigations, using appropriate tools, measures, and safety rules.
  • Grade 7:
    > design, conduct, and evaluate scientific investigations, using appropriate equipment, mathematics, and safety procedures.
Explanation:
  • Grade 4:
    > use data to construct reasonable explanations.
  • Grade 7:
    > use evidence from scientific investigations to think critically and logically to develop descriptions, explanations, and predictions.
Modeling:
  • Grade 4:
    > model objects, events, or processes by representing them with concrete objects, metaphors, analogies, or other conceptual or physical constructs.
  • Grade 7:
    > correlate models of the behavior of objects, events, or processes to the behavior of the actual things; test models by predicting and observing actual behaviors or processes.
Communication:
  • Grade 4:
    > record and report observations, explanations, and conclusions using oral, written, and mathematical expression.
  • Grade 7:
    > communicate scientific procedures, investigations, and explanations orally, in writing, with computer-based technology, and in the language of mathematics.
Limitations of science and technology:
  • Grade 4:
    > distinguish between questions that can be answered with science and technology and those that cannot.
  • Grade 7:
    > understand that scientific investigation is limited to the natural world.
Dealing with inconsistencies:
  • Grade 4:
    > explain why similar investigations may not produce similar results.
  • Grade 7:
    > provide more than one explanation for events or phenomena; defend or refute the explanations using evidence.
Evaluating methods of investigation:
  • Grade 4:
    > recognize that results of scientific investigations can come from expected and unexpected sources.
  • Grade 7:
    > describe how methods of investigation relate to the validity of scientific experiments, observations, theoretical models, and explanation.
Evolution of scientific ideas:
  • Grade 4:
    > know that ideas in science change as new scientific thinking, theories, and evidence arise.
  • Grade 7:
    > explain how scientific theory, hypothesis generation, experimentation, and observation are interrelated and may lead to changing ideas.
Science:
The student knows and applies the skills and processes of science and technology.
To meet this standard, the student will know that science and technology are human endeavors, interrelated to each other, to society, and to the workplace.		 All people contribute to science and technology:
  • Grade 4:
    > know that science and technology have been practiced by all peoples throughout history.
  • Grade 7:
    > know that science and technology have been developed, used, and affected by many diverse individuals, cultures, and societies throughout human history.
Relationship of science and technology:
  • Grade 4:
    > recognize that people have invented tools for everyday life and for scientific investigations.
  • Grade 7:
    > compare and contrast scientific inquiry and technological design in terms of activities, results, and influence on individuals and society; know that science enables technology and vice versa.
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