MS-ESS2-2 | Earth's Dynamic 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.
Performance Level Descriptions
PLDs communicate the knowledge and skills expected of students to demonstrate proficiency in each Learning Standard. NYS assessments classify student performance into one of five levels.
Resources
Examples and discussion of resources for the learning, teaching, and assessment of MS-ESS2-2.
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Assessment
What assessment of MS-ESS2-2 might look like on a NY state exam.
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NGSS Dimensions
Performance expectation MS-ESS2-2 was developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:
- Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
- Construct a scientific explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources (including the students’ own experiments) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past.
- ESS2.A: Earth's Materials and Systems
- The planet’s systems interact over scales that range from microscopic to global in size, and they operate over fractions of a second to billions of years. These interactions have shaped Earth’s history and will determine its future.
- ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth's Surface Processes
- Water’s movements – both on the land and underground – cause weathering and erosion, which change the land’s surface features and create underground formations.
- Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
- Time, space, and energy phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or too small.
Connections to Other Standards
MS-ESS2-2 connections to ELA, math, and other science standards as outlined by the NYS Education Department: