Grade 7 Science Mississippi standards Standards

Earth and Space Science

Physical Science

Life Science

Earth's Systems and Cycles

Students will demonstrate an understanding of how complex changes in the movement and patterns of air and water molecules caused by the sun, winds, landforms, ocean temperatures, and currents in the atmosphere are major determinants of local and global weather patterns.

Analyze and interpret weather patterns from various regions to differentiate between weather and climate.

Analyze evidence to explain the weather conditions that result from the relationship between the movement of water and air masses.

Interpret atmospheric data from satellites, radar, and weather maps to predict weather patterns and conditions.

Construct an explanation for how climate is determined in an area using global and surface features (e.g. latitude, elevation, shape of the land, distance from water, global winds and ocean currents).

Analyze models to explain the cause and effect relationship between solar energy and convection and the resulting weather patterns and climate conditions.

Research and use models to explain what type of weather (thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes) results from the movement and interactions of air masses, high and low pressure systems, and frontal boundaries.

Interpret topographic maps to predict how local and regional geography affect weather patterns and make them difficult to predict.

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between natural phenomena, human activity, and global climate change.

Read and evaluate scientific or technical information assessing the evidence and bias of each source to explain the causes and effects of climate change.

Interpret data about the relationship between the release of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels into the atmosphere and the presence of greenhouse gases.

Engage in scientific argument based on current evidence to determine whether climate change happens naturally or is being accelerated through the influence of man.

Students will demonstrate an understanding that the seasons are the direct result of the Earth's tilt and the intensity of sunlight on the Earth's hemispheres.

Construct models and diagrams to illustrate how the tilt of Earth's axis results in differences in intensity of sunlight on the Earth's hemispheres throughout the course of one full revolution around the Sun.

Investigate how variations of sunlight intensity experienced by each hemisphere (to include the equator and poles) create the four seasons.

Ecology and Interdependence

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the importance that matter cycles between living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem to sustain life on Earth.

Analyze diagrams to provide evidence of the importance of the cycling of water, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen through ecosystems to organisms.

Analyze and interpret data to explain how the processes of photosynthesis, and cellular respiration (aerobic and anaerobic) work together to meet the needs of plants and animals.

Use models to describe how food molecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins) are processed through chemical reactions using oxygen (aerobic) to form new molecules.

Explain how disruptions in cycles (e.g., water, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen) affect biodiversity and ecosystem services (e.g., water, food, and medications) which are needed to sustain human life on Earth.

Design solutions for sustaining the health of ecosystems to maintain biodiversity and the resources needed by humans for survival (e.g., water purification, nutrient recycling, prevention of soil erosion, and prevention or management of invasive species).

Organization of Matter and Chemical Interactions

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the physical and chemical properties of matter.

Collect and evaluate qualitative data to describe substances using physical properties (state, boiling/melting point, density, heat/electrical conductivity, color, and magnetic properties).

Analyze and interpret qualitative data to describe substances using chemical properties (the ability to burn or rust).

Compare and contrast chemical and physical properties (e.g., combustion, oxidation, pH, solubility, reaction with water).

Students will demonstrate an understanding about the effects of temperature and pressure on physical state, molecular motion, and molecular interactions.

Make predictions about the effect of temperature and pressure on the relative motion of atoms and molecules (speed, expansion, and condensation) relative to recent breakthroughs in polymer and materials science (e.g. self-healing protective films, silicone computer processors, pervious/porous concrete).

Use evidence from multiple scientific investigations to communicate the relationships between pressure, volume, density, and temperature of a gas.

Ask questions to explain how density of matter (observable in various objects) is affected by a change in heat and/or pressure.

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the proper use of the periodic table to predict and identify elemental properties and how elements interact.

Develop and use models that explain the structure of an atom.

Use informational text to sequence the major discoveries leading to the current atomic model.

Collect, organize, and interpret data from investigations to identify and analyze the relationships between the physical and chemical properties of elements, atoms, molecules, compounds, solutions, and mixtures.

Predict the properties and interactions of elements using the periodic table (metals, non-metals, reactivity, and conductors).

Describe concepts used to construct chemical formulas (e.g. CH4, H20) to determine the number of atoms in a chemical formula.

Using the periodic table, make predictions to explain how bonds (ionic and covalent) form between groups of elements (e.g., oxygen gas, ozone, water, table salt, and methane).

Students will demonstrate an understanding of chemical formulas and common chemical substances to predict the types of reactions and possible outcomes of the reactions.

Analyze evidence from scientific investigations to predict likely outcomes of chemical reactions.

Design and conduct scientific investigations to support evidence that chemical reactions (e.g., cooking, combustion, rusting, decomposition, photosynthesis, and cellular respiration) have occurred.

Collect, organize, and interpret data using various tools (e.g., litmus paper, pH paper, cabbage juice) regarding neutralization of acids and bases using common substances.

Build a model to explain that chemical reactions can store (formation of bonds) or release energy (breaking of bonds).

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the law of conservation of mass.

Conduct simple scientific investigations to show that total mass is not altered during a chemical reaction in a closed system. Compare results of investigations to Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier's discovery of the law of conservation of mass.

Analyze data from investigations to explain why the total mass of the product in an open system appears to be less than the mass of reactants.

Compare and contrast balanced and unbalanced chemical equations to demonstrate the number of atoms does not change in the reaction.