To create a custom lesson, click on the check boxes of the files you’d like to add to your
lesson and then click on the Build-A-Lesson button at the top. Click on the resource title to View, Edit, or Assign it.
MO.9-12.ESS.Earth and Space Sciences
Earth and Space Sciences
9-12.ESS1. Earth's Place in the Universe
9-12.ESS1.A. The Universe and its Stars
9-12.ESS1.A.1. Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the life span of the Sun and the role of nuclear fusion in the Sun’s core to release energy in the form of radiation. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the energy transfer mechanisms that allow energy
9-12.ESS1.A.2. Construct an explanation of the Big Bang theory based on astronomical evidence of light spectra, motion of distant galaxies, and composition of matter in the universe. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the astronomical evidence of the red shift of
9-12.ESS1.B.1. Use Kepler’s Law to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on Newtonian gravitational laws governing orbital motions, which apply to human-made satellites as well as planets and moons.]
9-12.ESS1.C.1. Evaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust, the theory of plate tectonics, and relative densities of oceanic and continental rocks to explain why continental rocks are generally much older than rocks of the ocean
9-12.ESS1.C.2. Apply scientific reasoning and evidence from ancient Earth materials, meteorites, and other planetary surfaces to construct an account of Earth’s formation and early history. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on using available evidence within the sol
9-12.ESS2.A.1. Develop a model to illustrate how Earth’s interior and surface processes (constructive and destructive) operate at different spatial and temporal scales to form continental and ocean-floor features. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how the appeara
9-12.ESS2.A.3. Develop a model based on evidence of Earth’s interior to describe the cycling of matter by thermal convection. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on both a one-dimensional model of Earth, with radial layers determined by density, and a three-dimensiona
9-12.ESS2.C. The Role of Water in Earth's Surface Processes
9-12.ESS2.C.1. Plan and conduct an investigation of the properties of water and its effects on Earth materials and surface processes. Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on mechanical and chemical investigations with water and a variety of solid materials to provide th
9-12.ESS2.E.1. Construct an argument based on evidence about the simultaneous coevolution of Earth’s systems and life on Earth. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the dynamic causes, effects, and feedbacks between the biosphere and Earth’s other systems, whereby g
9-12.ESS3.A.1. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity. [Clarification Statement: Examples of key natural resources include access to f
9-12.ESS3.A.2. Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on economic, social, and environmental cost-benefit ratios. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the conservation, recycling, and reuse of r
9-12.ESS3.C.1. Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity. [Clarification Statement: Examples of factors that affect the management of natural resourc
9-12.ESS3.C.2. Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems in order to restore stability and or biodiversity of the ecosystem as well as prevent their reoccurrences. [Clarification Statement: Examples of human
9-12.ESS3.D.1. Analyze geoscientific data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems. [Clarification Statement: Examples of evidenc
9-12.ESS3.D.2. Predict how human activity affects the relationships between Earth systems in both positive and negative ways. [Clarification Statement: Examples of Earth systems to be considered are the hydrosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, and/or biosphere.]
9-12.LS1. From Molecules to Organisms: Structure and Processes
9-12.LS1.A. Structure and Function
9-12.LS1.A.1. Construct a model of how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins which carry out the essential functions of life through systems of specialized cells. [Clarification Statement: Genes are the regions in DNA that code for proteins. Basic t
9-12.LS1.A.2. Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on functions at the organism system level such as nutrient upt
9-12.LS1.A.3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis. [Clarification Statement: Examples of investigations could include heart rate response to exercise, stomata response to moisture and temperature, and root
9-12.LS1.B.1. Develop and use models to communicate the role of mitosis, cellular division, and differentiation in producing and maintaining complex organisms. [Clarification Statement: Major events of the cell cycle include cell growth, DNA replication, preparation fo
9-12.LS1.C. Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms
9-12.LS1.C.1. Use a model to demonstrate how photosynthesis transforms light energy into stored chemical energy. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on illustrating inputs and outputs of matter and the transfer and transformation of energy in photosynthesis by plants
9-12.LS1.C.2. Use a model to demonstrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the conceptual u
9-12.LS2. Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
9-12.LS2.B. Cycles of matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
9-12.LS2.B.1. Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence that the processes of photosynthesis, chemosynthesis, and aerobic and anaerobic respiration are responsible for the cycling of matter and flow of energy through ecosystems and that environmental condit
9-12.LS2.B.2. Communicate the pattern of the cycling of matter and the flow of energy among trophic levels in an ecosystem. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on using a model of stored energy in biomass to describe the transfer of energy from one tropic level to an
9-12.LS2.B.3. Use a model that illustrates the roles of photosynthesis, cellular respiration, decomposition, and combustion to explain the cycling of carbon in its various forms among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. [Clarification Statement: The
9-12.LS3. Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
9-12.LS3.A. Inheritance of Traits
9-12.LS3.A.1. Develop and use models to clarify relationships about how DNA in the form of chromosomes is passed from parents to offspring through the processes of meiosis and fertilization in sexual reproduction.
9-12.LS3.B.2. Develop and use a model to describe 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: E
9-12.LS3.B.3. Make and defend a claim that inheritable genetic variations may result from: (1) new genetic combinations through meiosis, (2) mutations occurring during replication, and/or (3) mutations caused by environmental factors. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis
9-12.LS3.B.4. Apply concepts of statistics and probability to explain the variation and distribution of expressed traits in a population. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the use of mathematics (Punnett Squares) to describe the probability of traits as it relat
9-12.LS4. Biological Evolution; Unity and Diversity
9-12.LS4.B. Natural Selection
9-12.LS4.B.1. Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual
9-12.LS4.C.1. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on using data to provide evidence for how specific biotic and abiotic differences in ecosystems (such as ranges
9-12.PS1.A.1. Use the organization of the periodic table to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms. [Clarification Statement: Examples of properties that could be predicted from patterns cou
9-12.PS1.A.2. Construct and revise an explanation for the products of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties. [Clarification Statement: Examples of c
9-12.PS1.A.3. Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare physical and chemical properties of substances such as melting point, boiling point, vapor pressure, surface tension, and chemical reactivity to infer the relative strength of attractive forc
9-12.PS1.A.4. Apply the concepts of bonding and crystalline/molecular structure to explain the macroscopic properties of various categories of structural materials, i.e. metals, ionic (ceramics), and polymers. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the attractive and
9-12.PS1.A.5. Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that a chemical reaction is a system that affects the e
9-12.PS1.B.1. Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on student reasoning
9-12.PS1.B.2. Refine the design of a chemical system by specifying a change in conditions that would alter the amount of products at equilibrium. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the application of Le Chatelier’s Principle and on refining designs of chemical re
9-12.PS1.B.3. Use symbolic representations and mathematical calculations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on conservation of matter and mass through balanced chemical eq
9-12.PS2. Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
9-12.PS2.A. Forces and Motion
9-12.PS2.A.1. Analyze data to support and verify the concepts expressed by Newton's 2nd law of motion, as it describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration. [Clarification Statement: Examples of data
9-12.PS2.A.3. Apply scientific principles of motion and momentum to design, evaluate, and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision. [Clarification Statement: Examples of evaluation and refinement could include determining the
9-12.PS3.A.1. Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the changes in energy are known. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on explaining the meaning of mathematical expressions used in the model.]
9-12.PS3.A.2. Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as a combination of energy associated with the motions of particles (objects) and energy associated with the relative position of particles (objects). [Clarific
9-12.PS3.A.3. Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on both qualitative and quantitative evaluations of devices. Examples of devices could
9-12.PS3.B. Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer
9-12.PS3.B.1. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (se
9-12.PS3.C. Relationship Between Energy and Forces
9-12.PS3.C.1. Develop and use a model of two objects interacting through electric or magnetic fields to illustrate the forces between objects and the changes in energy of the objects due to the interaction. [Clarification Statement: Examples of models could include dra
9-12.PS4. Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer
9-12.PS4.A. Wave Properties
9-12.PS4.A.1. Use mathematical representations to support a claim regarding relationships among the frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media. [Clarification Statement: Examples of data could include electromagnetic radiation traveling in a v
9-12.PS4.A.2. Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning behind the idea that electromagnetic radiation can be described either by a wave model or a particle model, and that for some situations one model is more useful than the other. [Clarification Statement: Emphas
MO.RST.11-12.Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects
Craft and Structure
RST.11-12.4. Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 11-12 texts and topics.