Grade 7 Science Nebraska standards Standards

Earth’s Systems

Gather, analyze, and communicate evidence of the flow of energy and cycling of matter associated with Earth’s materials and processes.

Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth’s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.

Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.

History of Earth

Gather, analyze, and communicate evidence to explain Earth’s history.

Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s surface at varying time and spatial scales.

Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of past plate motions.

Analyze and interpret data on geologic hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.

Structure and Properties of Matter

Gather, analyze, and communicate evidence of the structure, properties, and interactions of matter.

Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules.

Gather and make sense of information to describe how natural materials may undergo chemical reactions to create new synthetic materials and have an impact on society.

Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

Chemical Reactions

Gather, analyze, and communicate evidence of chemical reactions.

Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.

Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes.

Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

Gather, analyze, and communicate evidence of interdependent relationships in ecosystems.

Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.

Develop and use a model to describe how stable ecosystems maintain biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and increasing positive human impact on the environment.

Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems

Gather, analyze, and communicate evidence of the flow of energy and cycling of matter in organisms and ecosystems.

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.

Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as matter moves through an organism.

Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.

Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

Construct an argument supported by evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.