Standards Connections
Next Generation Science Standards
SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING PRACTICES
SAMPLE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, GRADES 6–8
Developing and
Using disposable cake pans or shallow boxes, florist foam or clay,
and aluminum foil (to represent the ground surface), build a model
of a watershed that demonstrates how water travels downhill
and gathers in a larger body of water. Create ways to represent
sediment and pollution that enters the flow of water along its way.
Using Models
Obtaining, Evaluating,
and Communicating
Information
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Using the Internet, find ads and marketing materials that promote
various power sources, including solar, wind, and fossil fuels.
Compare their messages to factual information about each
power source.
CROSSCUTTING CONCEPTS
SAMPLE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, GRADES 6–8
Systems and System Model
Research various models and diagrams of the hydrologic
system and choose one that best explains the processes
involved, including evaporation, condensation, precipitation,
and transpiration. Present them to the class.
Cause and Effect
Choose a halophyte (a plant that grows in water with high salinity)
and investigate how it is adapted to tolerate a saline environment.
Create one or more ideas for how humans could mimic nature
by removing salt from seawater to make it palatable for human
consumption. Describe how scientists might go about testing
similar strategies for removing salt from saltwater.
BIG IDEAS
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Grades 6–8
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