NOTE: The colors are provided as a possible linear progression (red/easiest to violet/most challenging) for people that might prefer a more linear structure. Our core philosophy is that through creativity every color can be made easy or challenging for any learning level.

PHYSICAL SCIENCES

• Materials

• States of Matter

• Motion

 EARTH SCIENCES AND ASTRONOMY

• Earth: Components, Resources, Landforms and Characteristics

• Weather and Seasons

INVESTIGATION

• Observe common objects by using the five senses
• Describe the properties of common objects
• Describe the relative position of objects by using one reference (e.g., above or below)
• Compare and sort common objects by one physical attribute (e.g., color, shape, texture, size, weight)
• Communicate observations orally and through drawings
• Draw pictures that portray some features of the thing being described
• Record observations and data with pictures, numbers, or written statements
• Record observations on a bar graph
• Describe the relative position of objects by using two references (e.g., above and next to, below and left of)
• Make new observations when discrepancies exist between two descriptions of the same object or phenomenon

 LIFE SCIENCES

• Animals and Insects

• Plants

NOTE: The colors are provided as a possible linear progression (red/easiest to violet/most challenging) for people that might prefer a more linear structure. Our core philosophy is that through creativity every color can be made easy or challenging for any learning level.

PHYSICAL SCIENCES

• Matter

• Energy

• Light

• Electricity

• Magnetism

 EARTH SCIENCES AND ASTRONOMY

• Earth’s Components: Air, Water, Land

• Natural Resources

• Rocks, Minerals, and Soil

• The Sun is a Star and the Earth is in the Solar System

• Earth’s Position Creates Seasons

 INVESTIGATION

• Make predictions based on observed patterns and not random guessing.
• Measure length, weight, temperature, and liquid volume with appropriate tools and express those measurements in standard metric system units
• Compare and sort common objects according to two or more physical attributes (e.g., color, shape, texture, size, weight)
• Write or draw descriptions of a sequence of steps, events, and observations
• Construct bar graphs to record data, using appropriately labeled axes
• Use magnifiers or microscopes to observe and draw descriptions of small objects or small features of objects
• Follow oral instructions for a scientific investigation
• Repeat observations to improve accuracy and know that the results of similar scientific investigations seldom turn out exactly the same because of differences in the things being investigated, methods being used, or uncertainty in the observation
• Differentiate evidence from opinion and know that scientists do not rely on claims or conclusions unless they are backed by observations that can be confirmed
• Use numerical data in describing and comparing objects, events, and measurements
• Predict the outcome of a simple investigation and compare the result with the prediction
• Collect data in an investigation and analyze that data to develop a logical conclusion

 LIFE SCIENCES

• Life Cycles

• Stages of Life

• Change over Time and Extinction

• Adaptations

• Life in Diverse Environments

NOTE: The colors are provided as a possible linear progression (red/easiest to violet/most challenging) for people that might prefer a more linear structure. Our core philosophy is that through creativity every color can be made easy or challenging for any learning level.

PHYSICAL SCIENCES

• Atoms and Molecules

• Chemicals and Elements

• Heat

• Visible Light

• The Body as a Machine

• Speed

• Velocity

EARTH SCIENCES AND ASTRONOMY

• Rock Cycle

• Basic Rock and Mineral Identification

• Natural Reshaping of the Earth’s Landforms

• Water Cycle

• Energy from the Sun

• The Solar System

 INVESTIGATION

Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations. Students will:

• Differentiate observation from inference (interpretation) and know scientists’ explanations come partly from what they observe and partly from how they interpret their observations
• Measure and estimate the weight, length, or volume of objects
• Formulate and justify predictions based on cause-and-effect relationships
• Conduct multiple trials to test a prediction and draw conclusions about the relationships between predictions and results
• Construct and interpret graphs from measurements
• Follow a set of written instructions for a scientific investigation
• Classify objects (e.g., rocks, plants, leaves) in accordance with appropriate criteria
• Develop a testable question
• Plan and conduct a simple investigation based on a student-developed question and write instructions others can follow to carry out the procedure
• Identify the dependent and controlled variables in an investigation
• Identify a single independent variable in a scientific investigation and explain how this variable can be used to collect information to answer a question about the results of the experiment
• Select appropriate tools (e.g., thermometers, meter sticks, balances, and graduated cylinders) and make quantitative observations
• Record data by using appropriate graphic representations (including charts, graphs, and labeled diagrams) and make inferences based on those data
• Draw conclusions from scientific evidence and indicate whether further information is needed to support a specific conclusion
• Write a report of an investigation that includes conducting tests, collecting data or examining evidence, and drawing conclusions

 LIFE SCIENCES

• Life and Energy

• Producers, Consumers, and Decomposers

• Food Chains and Webs

• Ecosystems

• Reproduction

• Respiration and Digestion

• Transportation of Materials and Waste Disposal

PHYSICAL SCIENCES

• Forces

• Gravity

• States of Matter

• Molecules

• Chemical Changes

• Chemical Reactions

• Periodic Table

• Density

• Buoyancy

 EARTH SCIENCES AND ASTRONOMY

• Earth’s Structure

• Plate Tectonics

• Types of Water Induced Erosion

• The Rock Cycle

• Shaping Earth’s Surface

• Energy in the Earth System

• Cumulative effects of geologic processes

• Earth and Life History, fossils, and radioactive dating

• The rock cycle and how geographic changes effect climate & life

 INVESTIGATION

• Select and use appropriate tools and technology (including calculators, computers, balances, spring scales, microscopes, and binoculars) to perform tests, collect data, and display data
• Construct appropriate graphs from data and develop qualitative statements about the relationships between variables
• Communicate the steps and results from an investigation in written reports and oral presentations
• Recognize whether evidence is consistent with a proposed explanation
• Read a topographic map and a geologic map for evidence provided on the maps and construct and interpret a simple scale map
• Interpret events by sequence and time from natural phenomena (e.g., the relative ages of rocks and intrusions)
• Identify changes in natural phenomena over time without manipulating the phenomena (e.g., a tree limb, a grove of trees, a stream, a hill slope)
• Use a variety of print and electronic resources (including the World Wide Web) to collect information and evidence as part of a research project
• Communicate the logical connection among hypotheses, science concepts, tests conducted, data collected, and conclusions drawn from the scientific evidence
• Construct scale models, maps, and appropriately labeled diagrams to communicate scientific knowledge (e.g., motion of Earth’s plates and cell structure)
• Communicate the steps and results from an investigation in written reports and oral presentations

LIFE SCIENCES

• Functions within an Ecosystem

• Biomes and Populations

• Converting Materials to Energy

• Natural Resources

• Natural Materials

• Cell Characteristics

• Cellular Division

• DNA and Genetics

• Traits and Inheritance

NOTE: The colors are provided as a possible linear progression (red/easiest to violet/most challenging) for people that might prefer a more linear structure. Our core philosophy is that through creativity every color can be made easy or challenging for any learning level.

PHYSICAL SCIENCES

• Understanding and Calculating Force

• Conservation of Energy

• Waves-Solving Problems

• Voltage and Currants

• Atomic and Molecular Structure

• Chemical Bonds

• Conservation of Matter

• Stoichiometry

• Gasses and their Properties

• Temperature: Celsius, Kelvin, and Fahrenheit

• Acids and Bases

EARTH SCIENCES AND ASTRONOMY

• Stars and galaxies and their evolution

• Types of stars: Â size, temperature, and color

• The appearance, general composition, relative position and size, and motion of objects in the solar system; using astronomical units and light years as measurement

• Solar System Structure

• Dynamic Earth Astronomy and planetary exploration; the solar system’s change over time

• Fusion

• Earth’s Energy Budget

• Energy in the Earth System

• Climate and Climate Change

• Computer models are used to predict the effects in climate around multiple variables

INVESTIGATION

• Plan and conduct a scientific investigation to test a hypothesis
• Evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of data
• Distinguish between variable and controlled parameters in a test
• Recognize the slope of the linear graph as the constant in the relationship y=kx and apply this principle in interpreting graphs constructed from data
• Construct appropriate graphs from data and develop quantitative statements about the relationships between variables
• Apply simple mathematic relationships to determine a missing quantity in a mathematic expression, given the two remaining terms (including speed = distance/time, density = mass/volume, force = pressure Ô area, volume = area Ô height)
• Distinguish between linear and nonlinear relationships on a graph of data

LIFE SCIENCES

• Variation and Natural Selection

• Classification of Living Things

• Plant and Animal Structural Organization

• Reproductive Systems

• Bones, Muscles, Eyes, and Other Structures

• Elements in Living Things

• Molecules in Living Things

• Introductory Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry

• Cell Biology and Specialization

• Foundations of Molecular Biology

NOTE: The colors are provided as a possible linear progression (red/easiest to violet/most challenging) for people that might prefer a more linear structure. Our core philosophy is that through creativity every color can be made easy or challenging for any learning level.

PHYSICAL SCIENCES

• Solving Problems about Trajectory and Vectors

• Momentum

• Heat and Thermodynamics

• Types of Waves and Their Characteristics

• Electric and Magnetic Fields

• Solutions

• Chemical Thermodynamics

• Reaction Rate

• Chemical Equilibrium

• Nuclear Forces

• Radioactive Decay

EARTH SCIENCES AND ASTRONOMY

• Earth’s Place in the Galaxy

• Evolution of Galaxies

• Volcanoes

•  Features of the ocean floor (magnetic patterns, age, sea-floor topography, evidence of plate tectonics)

• Heating of Earth’s surface and atmosphere by the sun,  convection within the atmosphere and oceans, winds and ocean currents

• Global patterns of climate bands from wind patterns, ocean currents, & mountain ranges

• Biogeochemical Cycles including the Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles

• The movement of matter from their natural reservoirs: natural and human effects

• Structure and Composition of the Atmosphere

• How the composition of Earth’s atmosphere has changed over time

• Local and Natural Resources

• Local Natural Hazards

INVESTIGATION

• Select and use appropriate tools and technology (such as computer-linked probes, spreadsheets, and graphing calculators) to perform tests, collect data, analyze relationships, and display data
• Identify and communicate sources of unavoidable experimental error
• Identify possible reasons for inconsistent results, such as sources of error or uncontrolled conditions
• Formulate explanations by using logic and evidence
• Solve scientific problems by using quadratic equations and simple trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions
• Distinguish between hypothesis and theory as scientific terms
• Recognize the usefulness and limitations of models and theories as scientific representations of reality
• Read and interpret topographic and geologic maps
• Analyze the locations, sequences, or time intervals that are characteristic of natural phenomena (e.g., relative ages of rocks, locations of planets over time, and succession of species in an ecosystem)
• Recognize the issues of statistical variability and the need for controlled tests
• Recognize the cumulative nature of scientific evidence
• Analyze situations and solve problems that require combining and applying concepts from more than one area of science
• Investigate a science-based societal issue by researching the literature, analyzing data, and communicating the findings. Examples of issues include irradiation of food, cloning of animals by somatic cell nuclear transfer, choice of energy sources, and land and water use decisions in California
• Know that when an observation does not agree with an accepted scientific theory, the observation is sometimes mistaken or fraudulent (e.g., the Piltdown Man fossil or unidentified flying objects) and that the theory is sometimes wrong (e.g., the Ptolemaic model of the movement of the Sun, Moon, and planets)

LIFE SCIENCES

• Alleles and Phenotypes

• Amino Acids and Base Pairing

• Biodiversity

• Population Fluctuations

• Factors that affect Ecosystems

• Gene Mutation and Change

• How Environments affect Species over Time

• Using Fossil Records to Estimate Organism Lifetime

• Homeostasis

• Nervous System and Neurons

• Digestive and Waste Systems

• Immune System

NOTE: The colors are provided as a possible linear progression (red/easiest to violet/most challenging) for people that might prefer a more linear structure. Our core philosophy is that through creativity every color can be made easy or challenging for any learning level.

PHYSICAL SCIENCES

• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics

• Particle Physics

• Condensed Matter Physics

• Applied Physics

• Engineering Physics

• Materials Science

• Quantum Mechanics

• Thermodynamics

• Theoretical Chemistry and Physics

• Physical Chemistry

• Nuclear Chemistry

• Materials Chemistry

• Inorganic Chemistry

• Analytical Chemistry

EARTH SCIENCES AND ASTRONOMY

• Atmospheric Sciences

• Meteorology

• Geology

• Physical Geography

• Geophysical and Geodesy

• Soil Science

• Ecology

• Hydrology

• Glaciology

• Climatology

• Astronomy

• Cosmology

• Oceanology

• Paleomagnetism

INVESTIGATION

• Create, execute, and write a scientifically valid dissertation or publicized research study

LIFE SCIENCES

• Anatomy

• Biochemistry
• Biocomputers
• Biocontrol
• Biodynamics
• Biomechanics
• Biomonitoring
• Biophysics
• Biopolymers

• Bioinformatics
• Biomaterials

• Astrobiology
• Cell Biology
• Conservation Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Marine Biology
• Microbiology
• Molecular Biology
• Structural Biology
• Systems Biology

• Botany, Ethnobotany, and Agronomy

• Ecology and Environmental Science

• Evolutionary Genetics
• Genomics

• Dietary Health
• Food Science
• Holistic/ Naturopathic Health
• Oncology
• Proteomics
• Medical Devices
• Medical Imaging
• Medical Social Work

• Agriculture
• Forestry

• Affective Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Computational Neuroscience
• Neuroethology
• Optogenetics
• Psychiatric Social Work
• Psychology

• Optometry
• Dentistry
• Pediatry
• Otolaryngology

• Immunogenetics
• Immunology
• Immunotherapy
• Phytopathology

• Pharmacogenomics
• Pharmacology

• Kinesiology
• Sports Science