NY Middle School 6-8 Science Learning Standards
| Performance expectations | Claims and evidence |
NY state science learning standards for sixth grade, seventh grade, and eight grade. The first administration of the new NYS middle school grade 8 science exam, which assesses students on the 6-8 MS performance expectations below, is planned for this June 2024 (per the NYSED science implementation roadmap).
MS. Structure and Properties of Matter
MS-PS1-1 | Atomic Composition of Simple Molecules
Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on developing models of molecules that vary in complexity. Examples of simple molecules could include ammonia and methanol. Examples of extended structures could include sodium chloride or diamonds. Examples of particulate-level models could include drawings, 3D ball and stick structures, or computer representations showing different substances with different types of atoms.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include valence electrons and bonding energy, discussing the individual ions composing complex structures, or a complete depiction of all individual atoms in a complex molecule or extended structure.
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MS-PS1-3 | Natural Resources
Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural
resources and impact society.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on natural resources that undergo a chemical process to form the synthetic material. Examples of new materials could include new medicine, foods, and alternative fuels.
Assessment boundary: Assessment is limited to the qualitative interpretation of evidence provided.
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MS-PS1-4 | Thermal energy and phase changes
Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and phase (state)
of a substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on qualitative particulate- level models of solids, liquids, and gases to show that adding or removing thermal energy increases or decreases kinetic energy of the particles until a change of phase occurs. Examples of models could include drawings and diagrams. Examples of particles could include ions, molecules, or atoms. Examples of substances could include sodium chloride, water, carbon dioxide, and helium.
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MS-PS1-7 | Density
Use evidence to illustrate that density is a property that can be used to identify samples of matter.
Clarification statement: Emphasis should be on students measuring the masses and volumes of regular and irregular shaped objects, calculating their densities, and identifying the samples of matter.
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MS-PS1-8 | Natural Resources
Plan and conduct an investigation to demonstrate that mixtures are combinations of substances.
Clarification statement: Emphasis should be on analyzing the physical changes that occur as mixtures are formed and/or separated. Examples of common mixtures could include salt water, oil and vinegar, and air.
Assessment boundary: Assessment is limited to separation by evaporation, filtration and magnetism.
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MS. Chemical Reactions
MS-PS1-2 | Chemical Reactions
Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to
determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.
Clarification statement: Examples of chemical reactions could include burning of a wooden splint, souring of milk and decomposition of sodium bicarbonate.
Assessment boundary: Assessment is limited to analysis of the following properties: density, melting point, boiling point, solubility, flammability, color change, gas production and odor.
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MS-PS1-5 | Conservation of Mass in Chemical Reactions
Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical
reaction and thus mass is conserved.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on the law of conservation of matter and on physical models or drawings, including digital forms, that represent atoms.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include the use of atomic masses, balancing symbolic equations, or intermolecular forces.
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MS-PS1-6 | Design for Transfer of Thermal Energy
Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs
thermal energy during a chemical and/or physical process.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on the design, controlling the transfer of energy to the environment, and modification of a device using factors such as type and amount of a substance. Examples of designs could include combining vinegar and baking soda, activating glow sticks at various temperatures and dissolving ammonium chloride or calcium chloride.
Assessment boundary: Assessment is limited to the criteria of substance amounts, reaction time, and observed temperature changes.
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MS. Forces and Interactions
MS-PS2-1 | Newton's Third Law
Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding
objects.
Clarification statement: Examples of practical problems could include the impact of collisions between two cars, between a car and stationary objects, and between a meteor and a space vehicle.
Assessment boundary: Assessment is limited to vertical or horizontal interactions in one dimension.
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MS-PS2-2 | Newton's First and Second Law
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on
the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on balanced (Newton’s First Law) and unbalanced forces in a system (including simple machines), qualitative comparisons of forces, mass and changes in motion (Newton’s Second Law), frame of reference, and specification of units.
Assessment boundary: Assessment is limited to forces and changes in motion in one-dimension in an inertial reference frame and to change in one variable at a time. Assessment does not include the use of trigonometry.
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MS-PS2-3 | Electric and Magnetic Forces
Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
Clarification statement: Examples of devices that use electric and magnetic forces could include electromagnets, electric motors, or generators. Examples of data could include the effect of the number of turns of wire on the strength of an electromagnet, or the effect of increasing the number or strength of magnets on the speed of an electric motor.
Assessment boundary: Assessment about questions that require quantitative answers is limited to proportional reasoning and algebraic thinking.
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MS-PS2-4 | Gravity
Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are
attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects and the distance between them.
Clarification statement: Examples of evidence for arguments could include data generated from simulations or digital tools; and charts displaying mass, strength of interaction, distance from the Sun, and orbital periods of objects within the solar system.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include Newton’s Law of Gravitation or Kepler’s Laws.
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MS-PS2-5 | Electric and Magnetic Fields
Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist
between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.
Clarification statement: Examples of this phenomenon could include the interactions of magnets, electrically-charged strips of tape, and electrically-charged pith balls. Examples of investigations could include first-hand experiences or simulations. Emphasis should be on using arrows to represent the directions of forces.
Assessment boundary: Assessment is limited to electric and magnetic fields, and is limited to qualitative evidence for the existence of fields.
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MS. Energy
MS-PS3-1 | Kinetic Energy, Mass, and Speed
Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on descriptive relationships between kinetic energy and mass separately from kinetic energy and speed. Examples could include riding a bicycle at different speeds, rolling different sizes of rocks downhill, and getting hit by a wiffle ball versus a tennis ball.
Assessment boundary: Assessment could include both qualitative and quantitative evaluations of kinetic energy.
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MS-PS3-2 | Potential Energy
Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes,
different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on relative amounts of potential energy, not on calculations of potential energy. Examples of objects within systems interacting at varying distances could include: the Earth and either a roller coaster cart at varying positions on a hill or objects at varying heights on shelves, changing the direction/orientation of a magnet, and a balloon with static electrical charge being brought closer to a classmate’s hair. Examples of models could include representations, diagrams, pictures, and written descriptions of systems.
Assessment boundary: Assessment is limited to two objects and electric, magnetic, and gravitational interactions.
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MS-PS3-3 | Thermal Energy Transfer
Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes
thermal energy transfer.
Clarification statement: Examples of devices could include an insulated box, a solar cooker, and a Styrofoam cup.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include calculating the total amount of thermal energy transferred.
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MS-PS3-4 | Energy Transfer: type of matter, mass, and temperature change
Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the
type of matter, the mass, and the change in the temperature of the sample of matter.
Clarification statement: Examples of experiments could include comparing final water temperatures after different masses of ice melted in the same volume of water with the same initial temperature, the temperature change of samples of different materials with the same mass as they cool or heat in the environment, or the same material with different masses when a specific amount of energy is added.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include calculating the total amount of thermal energy transferred.
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MS-PS3-5 | Work done on or by a system
Construct, use, and present an argument to support the claim that when work is done on or by a
system, the energy of the system changes as energy is transferred to or from the system.
Clarification statement: Examples of empirical evidence used in arguments could include an inventory or other representation of the energy before and after the transfer in the form of temperature changes or motion of object.
Assessment boundary: Assessment could include calculations of work and energy.
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MS-PS3-6 | Electric currents and circuits
Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred by electric currents.
Clarification statement: Emphasis should be on arrangements of circuit components in series and parallel circuits.
Assessment boundary: Assessment will be limited to qualitative analysis and reasoning.
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MS. Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation
MS-PS4-1 | Mathematical representations of waves
Develop a model and use mathematical representations to describe waves that includes frequency,
wavelength, and how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on describing waves with both qualitative and quantitative thinking.
Assessment boundary: Assessment is limited to comparing standard repeating waves of only one type (transverse or longitudinal).
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MS-PS4-2 | Interaction of waves with materials
Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through
various materials.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on both light and mechanical waves. Examples of models could include drawings, ray diagrams, simulations, and written descriptions. Materials could include plane, convex, and concave mirrors and biconvex and biconcave lenses.
Assessment boundary: Assessment is limited to qualitative applications pertaining to light and mechanical waves.
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MS-PS4-3 | Signals
Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals
are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on a basic understanding that waves can be used for communication purposes. Examples could include using fiber optic cable to transmit light pulses, radio wave pulses in wifi devices, and conversion of stored binary patterns to make sound or text on a computer screen.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include binary counting. Assessment does not include the specific mechanism of any given device.
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MS. Structure, Function and Information Processing
MS-LS1-1 | Living things are made of cells
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either one
cell or many different numbers and types of cells.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on developing evidence that living things are made of cells, distinguishing between living and non-living things, and understanding that living things may be made of one cell or many and varied cells.
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MS-LS1-2 | Cell function
Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways parts of cells
contribute to the function.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on the cell functioning as a whole system and the primary role of identified parts of the cell, specifically the nucleus, chloroplasts, mitochondria, cell membrane, and cell wall.
Assessment boundary: Assessment of organelle structure/function relationships is limited to the cell wall and cell membrane. Assessment of the function of the other organelles is limited to their relationship to the whole cell. Assessment does not include the biochemical details related to the functions of cells or cell parts.
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MS-LS1-3 | Interactions of body systems
Construct an explanation supported by evidence for how the body is composed of interacting systems
consisting of cells, tissues, and organs working together to maintain homeostasis.
Clarification statement: Emphasis should be on the function and interactions of the major body systems (e.g. circulatory, respiratory, nervous, musculoskeletal).
Assessment boundary: Assessment is focused on the interactions between systems not on the functions of individual systems.
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MS-LS1-8 | Response to stimuli
Gather and synthesize information that sensory receptors respond to stimuli, resulting in immediate
behavior and/or storage as memories.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include mechanisms for the transmission of this information.
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MS. Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems
MS-LS1-6 | Photosynthesis: flow of matter and energy
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of
matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on tracing movement of
matter and flow of energy.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include the biochemical mechanisms of photosynthesis.
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MS-LS1-7 | Cellular respiration
Develop a model to describe how food molecules are rearranged through chemical reactions to release energy during cellular respiration and/or form new molecules that support growth as this
matter moves through an organism.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on describing that molecules are broken apart and put back together and that in this process, energy is released.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include details of the chemical reactions for respiration or synthesis.
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MS-LS2-1 | Resource availability
Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms
and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on cause and effect relationships between resources and growth of individual organisms and the numbers of organisms in ecosystems during periods of abundant and scarce resources.
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MS-LS2-3 | Ecosystems: matter and energy
Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on describing the conservation of matter and flow of energy associated with ecosystem, and on defining the boundaries of the ecosystem.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include the use of chemical reactions to describe the processes.
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MS-LS2-4 | Population changes
Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological
components of an ecosystem affect populations.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on recognizing patterns in data and making warranted inferences about shifts in populations due to changes in the ecosystem.
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MS. Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
MS-LS2-2 | Competition, predation, mutualism, and parasitism
Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms in a variety of ecosystems.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on predicting patterns of interactions such as competition, predation, mutualism, and parasitism in different ecosystems in terms of the relationships among and between organisms.
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MS-LS2-5 | Evaluating design solutions
Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and protecting ecosystem stability.
Clarification statement: Examples of ecosystem protections could include water purification, waste management, nutrient recycling, prevention of soil erosion, and eradication of invasive species. Examples of design solution constraints could include scientific, economic, and social considerations.
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MS. Growth, Development, and Reproduction of Organisms
MS-LS1-4 | Probability of reproduction
Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful
reproduction of animals and plants, respectively.
Clarification statement: Examples of behaviors that affect the probability of animal reproduction could include nest building to protect young from cold, herding of animals to protect young from predators, and vocalization of animals and colorful plumage to attract mates for breeding. Examples of animal behaviors that affect the probability of plant reproduction could include transferring pollen or seeds, and creating conditions for seed germination and growth. Examples of plant structures could include bright flowers attracting butterflies that transfer pollen, flower nectar and odors that attract insects that transfer pollen, and hard shells on nuts that squirrels bury.
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MS-LS1-5 | Environmental and genetic factors
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence
the growth of organisms.
Clarification statement: Examples of local environmental conditions could include availability of food, light, space, and water. Examples of genetic factors could include the genes responsible for size differences in different breeds of dogs. Examples of evidence could include drought decreasing plant growth, fertilizer increasing plant growth, different varieties of plant seeds growing at different rates in different conditions, and fish growing larger in large ponds than they do in small ponds.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include genetic mechanisms, gene regulation, biochemical processes, or natural selection.
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MS-LS3-1 | Mutations
Develop and use a model to explain why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the
structure and function of the organism.
Clarification statement: Mutations in body cells are not inherited. Emphasis is on conceptual understanding that changes in genetic material may result in making different proteins.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include specific changes at the molecular level, mechanisms for protein synthesis, or specific types of mutations.
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MS-LS3-2 | Asexual vs sexual reproduction
Develop and use a model to describe how asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical
genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on using models such as diagrams and simulations to describe the cause and effect relationship of gene transmission from parent(s) to offspring.
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MS-LS4-5 | Artificial selection
Gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence
the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on synthesizing information from reliable sources about the influence of humans on genetic outcomes in artificial selection (such as genetic modification, selective breeding, gene therapy); and, on the impacts these technologies have on society.
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MS. Natural Selection and Adaptations
MS-LS4-1 | Fossil record: patterns of change
Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that
natural laws operate today as in the past.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on finding patterns of changes in the level of complexity of anatomical structures in organisms and the chronological order of fossil appearance in the rock layers.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include the names of individual species or geological eras in the fossil record.
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MS-LS4-2 | Fossil record: evolutionary relationships
Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among
modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on explanations of the evolutionary relationships among organisms in terms of similarity or differences of the gross appearance of anatomical structures as evidence of common ancestry.
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MS-LS4-3 | Embryological development relationships
Analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development
across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on inferring general patterns of relatedness among embryos of different organisms by comparing the macroscopic appearance of diagrams or pictures.
Assessment boundary: Assessment of comparisons is limited to gross appearance of anatomical structures in embryological development.
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MS-LS4-4 | Genetic variation and probability of success in a specific environment
Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific
environment.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on using simple probability statements and proportional reasoning to construct
explanations.
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MS-LS4-6 | Frequency of traits in a population over time
Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to
increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on using mathematical models, probability statements, and proportional reasoning to support explanations of trends in changes to populations over time.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include Hardy Weinberg calculations.
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MS. Space Systems
MS-ESS1-1 | Earth-sun-moon system
Develop and use a model of the Earth-Sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the Sun and moon, and seasons.
Clarification statement: Examples of models could include physical, graphical, or
conceptual models.
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MS-ESS1-2 | Role of gravity
Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar
system.
Clarification statement: Emphasis for the model is on gravity as the force that holds together the solar system and Milky Way galaxy and controls orbital motions within them. Examples of models could include physical models (such as a model of the solar system scaled using various measures or computer visualizations of elliptical orbits) or conceptual models (such as mathematical proportions relative to the size of familiar objects such as students’ school or state).
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include Kepler’s Laws of orbital motion or the apparent retrograde motion of the planets as viewed from Earth.
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MS-ESS1-3 | Scale properties
Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on the analysis of data from Earth-based instruments, space-based telescopes, and spacecraft to determine similarities and differences among
solar system objects. Examples of scale properties could include the sizes of an object’s layers (such as crust and atmosphere), surface features (such as volcanoes), and orbital radius. Examples of data could include statistical information, drawings and photographs, and models.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include recalling facts about properties of the planets and other solar system bodies.
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MS. History of Earth
MS-ESS1-4 | Geologic time scale
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth’s 4.6-billion-year-old history.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on how analyses of rock formations and the fossils they contain are used to establish relative ages of major events in Earth’s history. Examples of Earth’s major events or evidence could include very recent events or evidence (such as the last Ice Age or the earliest fossils of Homo sapiens) to very old events or evidence (such as the formation of Earth or the earliest evidence of life). Examples of evidence could include the formation of mountain chains and ocean basins, the evolution or extinction of particular living organisms, or significant volcanic eruptions.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include recalling the names of specific periods or epochs and events within them, radiometric dating using half-lives, and defining index fossils.
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MS-ESS2-2 | Changes to Earth's surface
Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s surface at varying temporal and spatial scales.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on how processes change Earth’s surface at temporal and spatial scales that can be large (such as slow plate motions or the uplift of large mountain ranges) or small (such as rapid landslides or microscopic geochemical reactions), and how many geoscience processes (such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and meteor impacts) usually behave gradually but are punctuated by catastrophic events.
Examples of geoscience processes could include surface weathering and deposition by the movements of water, ice, and wind. Emphasis is on geoscience processes that shape local geographic features, where appropriate.
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MS-ESS2-3 | Past plate motions
Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor
structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions.
Clarification statement: Examples of data could include similarities of rock and fossil types on different continents, the shapes of the continents (including continental shelves), and the locations of ocean structures (such as ridges, fracture zones, and trenches).
Assessment boundary: Paleomagnetic anomalies in oceanic and continental crust are not assessed.
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MS. Earth's System
MS-ESS2-1 | Cycling of materials and flow of energy
Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this
process.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on the processes of melting, crystallization, weathering, deformation, and sedimentation, which act together to form minerals and rocks through the cycling of Earth’s materials.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include the specific identification and naming of minerals and rocks but could include the general classification of rocks as igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary.
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MS-ESS2-4 | Cycling of water
Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth’s systems driven by energy from the Sun and the force of gravity.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on the ways water changes its state as it moves through the multiple pathways of the hydrologic cycle. Examples of models could include conceptual or physical models.
Assessment boundary: A quantitative understanding of the latent heats of vaporization and fusion is not assessed.
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MS-ESS3-1 | Distributions of limited resources
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth’s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geologic processes.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on how these resources are limited and typically non-renewable, and how their distributions are significantly changing as a result of removal by humans. Examples of uneven distributions of resources as a result of past processes could include petroleum (locations of the burial of organic marine sediments and subsequent geologic traps), metal ores (locations of past volcanic and hydrothermal activity associated with subduction zones), and soil (locations of active weathering and/or deposition of rock).
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MS. Weather and Climate
MS-ESS2-5 | Air masses
Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on how air flows from regions of high pressure to low pressure, the complex interactions at air mass boundaries, and the movements of air masses affect weather (defined by temperature, pressure, humidity, precipitation, and wind at a fixed location and time). Emphasis is on how weather can be predicted within probabilistic ranges. Data can be provided to students (such as weather maps, diagrams, and visualizations) or obtained through laboratory experiments (such as with condensation).
Assessment boundary: Assessment includes the application of weather data systems but does not include recalling the names of cloud types, weather symbols used on weather maps, the reported diagrams from weather stations, or the interrelationship of weather variables.
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MS-ESS2-6 | Patterns of circulation
Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on how patterns vary by latitude, altitude, and geographic land distribution. Emphasis is on the sunlight-driven latitudinal banding causing differences in density that create convection currents in the atmosphere, the Coriolis effect, and resulting prevailing winds; emphasis of ocean circulation is on the transfer of heat by the global ocean convection cycle, which is constrained by the Coriolis effect and the coastlines of continents. Examples of models could include diagrams, maps and globes, or digital representations.
Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include the dynamics of the Coriolis effect.
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MS-ESS3-5 | Rise in global temperatures
Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
Clarification statement: Examples of factors could include human activities (such as fossil fuel combustion, cement production, and agricultural activity) and natural processes (such as changes in incoming solar radiation or volcanic activity). Examples of evidence could include tables, graphs, and maps of global and regional temperatures, atmospheric levels of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, and the rates of human activities. Emphasis is on the major role that human activities play in causing the rise in global temperatures.
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MS. Human Impacts
MS-ESS3-2 | Natural hazards
Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the
development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
Clarification statement: Emphasis is on how some natural hazards, such as volcanic eruptions and severe weather, are preceded by phenomena that allow for reliable predictions, but others, such as earthquakes, occur suddenly and with no notice, and thus are not yet predictable. Examples of natural hazards could include those resulting from interior processes (such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions) and surface processes (such as mass wasting and tsunamis), or from severe weather events (such as blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and droughts). Examples of data could include the locations, magnitudes, and frequencies of the natural hazards. Examples of technologies could include global technologies (such as satellite images to monitor hurricanes or forest fires) or local technologies (such as building basements in tornado-prone regions or reservoirs to mitigate droughts).
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MS-ESS3-3 | Human impact
Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the
environment.
Clarification statement: Examples of the design process could include examining human environmental impacts, assessing the kinds of solutions that are feasible, and designing and evaluating solutions that could reduce that impact. Examples of human impacts could include water usage (such as the withdrawal of water from streams and aquifers or the construction of dams and levees), land usage (such as urban development, agriculture, or the removal of wetlands), and pollution (such as of the air, water, or land).
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MS-ESS3-4 | Effects of population increase
Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita
consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.
Clarification statement: Examples of evidence could include grade-appropriate databases on human populations and the rates of consumption of food and natural resources (such as freshwater, mineral, and energy). Examples of impacts could include changes to the appearance, composition, and structure of Earth’s systems as well as the rates at which they change. The consequences of increases in human populations and consumption of natural resources are described by science, but science does not make the decisions for the actions society takes.
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MS. Engineering Design
MS-ETS1-1
Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
MS-ETS1-2
Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
MS-ETS1-3
Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
MS-ETS1-4
Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.