HS-ESS2-4 | Energy Flow and Climate Change

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Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate.

Clarification statement: Examples of the causes of climate change differ by timescale, over 1-10 years: large volcanic eruption, ocean circulation; 10-100s of years: changes in human activity, ocean circulation, solar output; 10-100s of thousands of years: changes to Earth's orbit and the orientation of its axis; and 10-100s of millions of years: long-term changes in atmospheric composition and plate tectonic movement.

Assessment boundary: Assessment of the results of changes in climate is limited to changes in surface temperatures, precipitation patterns, glacial ice volumes, sea levels, and biosphere distribution.

Reference Tables

Relevant reference tables:


Assessment

What assessment of HS-ESS2-4 might look like on a NY state exam.

Exam Cluster Question
August 2026 Earth’s Oceans–A Climate Change Indicator Question 18
Carbon Emissions in Industry Question 23
Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’pai Volcano Question 43
January 2026 Greenland's Glacial Ice Question 31
August 2025 Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Question 46
June 2025 Modeling Earth Systems to Understand Global Climate Question 6
Modeling Earth Systems to Understand Global Climate Question 7
Sample clusters (Fall 2024) Earth's Climate Question 1
Earth's Climate Question 2

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.

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Level 1: Use a model/information to identify an energy flow into or out of an Earth system that results in a change in the climate.
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Level 2: Use a model/information to identify how (a) factor(s) affect(s) the flow of energy into or out of an Earth system and identify the resulting effect on climate over a timescale.
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Level 3: Use a model/information to identify factor(s) that affect the flow of energy into or out of an Earth system and describe one effect this would have on climate occurring over various timescales or use a model/information to describe how one change in the flow of energy in and out of an Earth system results in a change of climate.
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Level 4: Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate.
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Level 5: Evaluate and analyze data from climate change models to describe climate factors and the causational or correlational effect they have on climate change over different time scales.

Vocabulary

Terms from the Earth & Space Science Glossary that come from this standard or from the released exam questions that assess it.

From this standard
  • absorption
  • argument
  • atmosphere
  • atmospheric composition
  • axis of rotation
  • biosphere
  • carbon dioxide concentrations
  • climate change
  • climate factors
  • climate system
  • cyclical changes
  • Earth
  • Earth materials
  • Earth’s orbit
  • Earth’s systems
  • electromagnetic radiation
  • energy flow
  • flow of energy
  • geological record
  • glacial ice volumes
  • glaciers
  • human activity
  • ice ages
  • intensity and distribution of sunlight
  • model
  • ocean
  • ocean circulation
  • orientation of its axis
  • plate tectonic movement
  • precipitation patterns
  • radiation
  • reflection
  • sea level
  • shape of Earth’s orbit
  • solar output
  • solar system
  • surface temperature
  • tectonic events
  • timescale
  • volcanic activity
  • volcanic ash clouds
From released exam questions
Implied by this standard
  • energy balance (Earth's energy budget) – implied by "Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth's systems result in changes in climate."
  • Milankovitch cycles – implied by "Cyclical changes in the shape of Earth's orbit around the sun, together with changes in the tilt of the planet's axis of rotation, both occurring over hundreds of thousands of years, have altered the intensity and distribution of sunlight falling on the earth. These phenomena cause a cycle of ice ages"
  • thermohaline circulation – implied by "ocean circulation"

NGSS Dimensions

Performance expectation HS-ESS2-4 was developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:

Science and Engineering Practices
  • Developing and using models: Use a model to provide mechanistic accounts of phenomena.
  • Scientific knowledge is based on empirical evidence: Science arguments are strengthened by multiple lines of evidence supporting a single explanation.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
  • Earth and the solar system: Cyclical changes in the shape of Earth’s orbit around the sun, together with changes in the tilt of the planet’s axis of rotation, both occurring over hundreds of thousands of years, have altered the intensity and distribution of sunlight falling on the earth. These phenomena cause a cycle of ice ages and other gradual climate changes.
  • Earth materials and systems: The geological record shows that changes to global and regional climate can be caused by interactions among changes in the sun’s energy output or Earth’s orbit, tectonic events, ocean circulation, volcanic activity, glaciers, vegetation, and human activities. These changes can occur on a variety of time scales from sudden (e.g., volcanic ash clouds) to intermediate (ice ages) to very long-term tectonic cycles.
  • Weather and climate: The foundation for Earth’s global climate systems is the electromagnetic radiation from the sun, as well as its reflection, absorption, storage, and redistribution among the atmosphere, ocean, and land systems, and this energy’s re-radiation into space.
  • Weather and climate: Changes in the atmosphere due to human activity have increased carbon dioxide concentrations and thus affect climate.
Crosscutting Concepts
  • Cause and effect: Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.
Page contributors: Conrad Richman, Caroline Leonard
Earth and Space Science | HS. Weather and Climate
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