Weather Station

AZ Science Standards

This is a reproduction of the Earth and Space Science Education Standard. For more information, please visit the Arizona Department of Education.

Standard 6: Earth And Space Science

Students understand the composition, formative processes, and history of the earth, the solar system and the universe.

READINESS (Kindergarten)

Students know and are able to do the following:

• Identify basic phenomena and changes in the sky (e.g., sunrise, moon, stars)
• Understand that the sun heats and lights the earth
• Identify how the weather affects daily activities
• Identify basic earth materials (rocks, soils, water and gases) and their common uses

FOUNDATIONS (Grades 1-3)

Students know and are able to do all of the above and the following:

• Describe the basic earth materials (rocks, soils, water and gases) and their physical properties
• Identify the planets and their relationship to the sun
• Identify the seasons and their characteristics
• Identify and describe the patterns of movement of objects in the sky
• Identify major features of natural processes and forces that shape the earth's surface, including weathering and volcanic activity
• Describe natural events and how humans are affected by them
• Measure and record changes in weather conditions

ESSENTIALS (Grades 4-8)

Students know and are able to do all of the above and the following:

• Describe and model the motion of earth in relation to the sun, including the concepts of day, night, season and year
• Describe common objects in the solar system and explain their relationships
• Describe the composition (including the formation of minerals, rocks and soil) and the structure of the earth
• Provide evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed
• Explain how earth processes seen today, including erosion, movement of lithospheric plates, and changes in atmospheric composition, are similar to those that occurred in the past
• Describe the distribution and circulation of the world's water through ocean currents, glaciers, rivers, ground water and atmosphere
• Describe the composition and physical characteristics (including currents, waves, tides and features of the ocean floor) of the earth's bodies of water
• Describe and model large-scale and local weather systems
• Describe the composition, properties and structure of the atmosphere
• Explain how technology has impacted both earth and space science

PROFICIENCY (Grades 9-12)

Students know and are able to do all of the above and the following:

• Explain prominent scientific theories of the origin of the universe and the solar system
• Demonstrate an understanding of the earth's tilt, rotation and revolution and their effects on the seasons and the length of days
• Use the theory of plate tectonics to explain relationships among earthquakes, volcanoes, mid-oceans ridges and deep sea trenches
• Use evidence (e.g., fossils, rock layers, ice coils, radiometric dating) to investigate how earth has changed or remained constant over short and long periods of time
• Identify, investigate and predict the factors that influence the quality of water and how it can be reused, recycled and conserved
• Identify and compare the interactions between water and other earth systems including the biosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere
• Investigate, analyze and evaluate the factors that may influence weather; describe their effects on the environment and daily activities on earth

DISTINCTION (Honors)

Students know and are able to do all of the above and the following:

• Identify and predict natural hazards, using historical data
• Analyze and evaluate prominent scientific theories of the origin of the universe
• Explain the geochemical cycle through the movement of matter as it exists in different chemical reservoirs