TEKS Correlations

Grades 4-7

Science

Grade 4: (4.2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific inquiry methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement descriptive investigations including asking well-defined questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology; (B) collect information by observing and measuring; (C) analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence; (D) communicate valid conclusions; and (E) construct simple graphs, tables, maps, and charts to organize, examine, and evaluate information.

(4.6) Science concepts. The student knows that change can create recognizable patterns. The student is expected to:
(A) identify patterns of change such as in weather, metamorphosis, and objects in the sky

(4.10) Science concepts. The student knows that certain past events affect present and future events. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and observe effects of events that require time for changes to be noticeable including growth, erosion, dissolving, weathering, and flow; and (B) draw conclusions about "what happened before" using fossils or charts and tables.

(4.11) Science concepts. The student knows that the natural world includes earth materials and objects in the sky. The student is expected to:
(A) test properties of soils including texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support life.

Grade 5: (5.2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement descriptive and simple experimental investigations including asking well-defined questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology; (B) collect information by observing and measuring; (C) analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence; (D) communicate valid conclusions; and (E) construct simple graphs, tables, maps, and charts using tools including computers to organize, examine, and evaluate information.

(5.11) Science concepts. The student knows that certain past events affect present and future events. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and observe actions that require time for changes to be measurable, including growth, erosion, dissolving, weathering, and flow; (B) draw conclusions about "what happened before" using data such as from tree-growth rings and sedimentary rock sequences.

(5.12) Science concepts. The student knows that the natural world includes earth materials and objects in the sky. The student is expected to:
(A) interpret how land forms are the result of a combination of constructive and destructive forces such as deposition of sediment and weathering.

Grade 6: (6.2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific inquiry methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement investigative procedures including asking questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology; (B) collect data by observing and measuring; (C) analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations from direct and indirect evidence; (D) communicate valid conclusions; and (E) construct graphs, tables, maps, and charts using tools including computers to organize, examine, and evaluate data.

(6.6) Science concepts. The student knows that there is a relationship between force and motion. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and describe the changes in position, direction of motion, and speed of an object when acted upon by force; (C) identify forces that shape features of the Earth including uplifting, movement of water, and volcanic activity.

(6.14) Science concepts. The student knows the structures and functions of Earth systems. The student is expected to:
(B) identify relationships between groundwater and surface water in a watershed.

Grade 7: (7.2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific inquiry methods during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement investigative procedures including asking questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment and technology; (B) collect data by observing and measuring;
(C) organize, analyze, make inferences, and predict trends from direct and indirect evidence; (D) communicate valid conclusions; and (E) construct graphs, tables, maps, and charts using tools including computers to organize, examine, and evaluate data.

(7.5) Science concepts. The student knows that an equilibrium of a system may change. The student is expected to:
(B) observe and describe the role of ecological succession in maintaining an equilibrium in an ecosystem.

(7.14) Science concepts. The student knows that natural events and human activity can alter Earth systems. The student is expected to:
(B) analyze effects of regional erosional deposition and weathering.

Goal: students will understand the properties of soil and sediments, and how changed in these over time affects human behaviors in a particular area.

Objective: students will compare soil types to find similarities and differences, students will observe layering of sediments and soils and make inferences about human behavioral patterns.

Materials Needed:
Activity one - For each group:
- 3 beakers, tall plastic cups or empty water bottles (all should be the same size) Beakers come with measurement grades on them. If using cups or bottles, indicate measurement on the sides of the containers in permanent marker.
- 3 coffee filters
- 3 plastic funnels
- samples of clay & silt, sand, and fine gravel (like aquarium gravel)
- water
- porosity chart (print out)
Activity two:
- environmental scenario outline (print out)


Activity Description:

• Divide students in to four groups. Each group has three soil samples. One is fine gravel, one is coarse sand, and one is clay and silt. How quickly water flows through the different samples is called permeability and how much water is held by the soil is called porosity. All the funnels should have a coffee filter in them to hold the soil in.
• Put a funnel in each of the empty glasses or water bottles. Pour one sample of soil at a time into it's own funnel.
• The next part will be timed. Each group will start with 1/2 cup of water for each sample. Pour the first cup of water into the fine gravel funnel. When there is no more water over the surface of the soil, write down the beaker measurement and put it on your chart.
• Repeat with coarse sand, then clay & silt samples.
• Look at each of the samples. Did all the water go through? See which line on the beaker is closest to the level of the water. Write that number on the chart where it asks for how much water made it through the soil. Subtract that number from the amount of water you started with to find out how much water is left in the soil sample. Now you can see which soil holds more water and which soil lets water flow more freely.
• Discussion:
  • Do you think if we let the samples sit here longer that more water would come out?
  • What else might effect the water level if we let it sit here long enough?
  • What about evaporation?

• Divide students into groups of four or five. Each group will research a different environmental scenario using book, internet, and other available sources. What plants and animals would have occupied the land during these different times?
• Students will present scenarios to the rest of the class, in chronological order as they occurred. On the stratigraphy graphic, have students list major ideas and activities for each scenario. (This graphic may be distributed individually to students, or enlarged to poster size for use by the entire class.)
• As you compare and contrast the different time periods, hypothesize about the possible reasons for the changes in the environment over time.
• Extension:

  • Were some of the answers to the questions generated answered by the students' research?
  • Where else could you find information about the reasons for the changing environment?
    
    

  Environments: