K - 6 Grade Standards

			Kindergarten
III.	C	0	The student will recognize the changes that occur in the sky.
III.	C	0	1. The sun, moon, stars, clouds, birds, and airplanes all have properties, locations, and movements that can be observed and described. (NSES p.134)
			First Grade
III.	C	1	The student will recognize the changes that occur in the sky in a 24-hour day.
III.	C	1	1. The student will observe and describe the changes in the position of the sun and the moon.
III.	C	1	2. There are more stars in the sky than anyone can easily count, but they are not scattered evenly, and they are not all the same in brightness or color. (AAAS 4A1)
III.	C	1	3. The moon looks a little different everyday, but looks the same again about every four weeks. (AAAS 4A3)
III.	C	1	4. The sun warms the land, air, and water. (AAAS 4E1)
			Third Grade
III.	C	3	The student will understand the characteristics and relationships of objects in the solar system.
III.	C	3	1. The student will recognize the difference between rotation and revolution and their connection to day, night, seasons and the year.
III.	C	3	2. The student will identify the planets in the solar system and their relative sizes, distances and basic characteristics.
III.	C	3	3. The student will observe that the sun supplies heat and light to the Earth.
III.	C	3	4. The student will know that planets look like stars, but over time they move differently than stars.
			Fourth Grade
III.	C	4	The student will identify the patterns and movements of celestial objects.
III.	C	4	1. The student will recognize that the stars in the sky appear to slowly move from east to west, when facing south.
III.	C	4	2. The student will identify the sun as an average-sized star and that the other stars are so far away that they look like points of light.
III.	C	4	3. The student will know that telescopes magnify distant objects in the sky and dramatically increase the number of stars we can see.
			Fifth Grade
III.	C	5	The student will investigate the interacting systems found in our solar system. (NSES p 158-159)
III.	C	5	1. Things on or near the earth are pulled toward it by the earth's gravity. (AAAS 4B1)
III.	C	5	2. The earth is one of several planets that orbit the sun, and the moon orbits around the earth. (AAAS 4A4)
III.	C	5	3. Most objects in the solar system are in regular and predictable motion. Those motions explain such phenomena as the day, the year, phases of the moon, and eclipses. (NSES p. 160)

			Eight Grade
III.	C	8	The student will compare objects in the solar system and explain their interactions with the Earth (MASS III C 8 a 0)
III.	C	8	1. The student will recognize that the sun is the principal energy source for the solar system and that this energy is transferred in the form of radiation. (MASS III C 8 a 1)
III.	C	8	2. The student will explain how the combination of the Earth's tilted axis and revolution around the sun causes the progression of seasons and weather patterns. (MASS C 8 a 2)
III.	C	8	3. The student will compare and contrast the planets, moon, asteroids, meteors and comets taking into account their composition, mass and distance from the sun and recognize the conditions that have allowed life to flourish on Earth. (MASS III C 8 a 3)
III.	C	8	4. The student will use the predictability of the motions of the Earth, and sun to explain the length of day, length of year, phases of the moon, eclipses, tides and shadows. (MASS III C 8 a 4)
III.	C	8	5. The student will understand that gravity is the force that keeps planets in orbit around the sun and governs the rest of the motion in the solar system. (NSES p. 160)
III.	C	8	The student will describe the composition and structure of the universe (MASS III C 8 b 0)
III.	C	8	1. The student will recognize that the universe consists of many billions of galaxies, each containing many billions of stars and that there are vast distances that separate these galaxies and stars from one another. (MASS III C 8 b 1)
III.	C	8	2. The student will recognize that the sun is a medium-sized star and is the closest star to Earth. It is the central and largest body in the solar system and is one of billions of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. (MASS III C 8 b 2)
			Ninth Grade

III.	C	9	The student will relate the formation and components of our solar system to the condition necessary for life. (MASS III C 9 a 0)
III.	C	9	1. The student will explain how the sun, Earth and solar system formed. (MASS III C 9 a 1)
III.	C	9	2. The student will compare the characteristics of Earth with the characteristics and movement patterns of the other planets, their satellites and other objects in our solar system. (MASS III C 9 a 2)
III.	C	9	3. The student will compare and contrast the environmental parameters that make life possible on Earth with conditions found on the other planets of our solar system. (MASS III C 9 b 3)
III.	C	9	The student will use astronomical data to reveal the structure, scale, and changes in the stars, galaxies, and universe over time. (MASS III C 9 b 0)
III.	C	9	1. The student will identify different types of stars and galaxies and describe how stars, galaxies and the universe change over time. (MASS III C 9 b 1)
III.	C	9	2. The student will explain how nuclear fusion produces energy and other elements. (MASS III C 9 b 2)
III.	C	9	3. The student will describe the evidence from current technologies that has been used to understand the composition and the early history of the universe. (MASS III C 9 b 3)
III.	C	9	4. The student will explain how Doppler evidence indicates our universe is expanding in all directions. (MASS III C 9 b 4)
III.	C	9	5. The student will understand that the "big bang" theory places the origin between 10 and 20 billion years ago, when the universe began in a hot dense state; the universe has been expanding ever since. (NSES p. 190)
III.	C	9	6. The student will understand that gravitational force is an attraction between masses. The strength of the force is proportional to the masses and weakens rapidly with increasing distance between them. (AAAS 4G/1)