Earth Science
This course covers the material in the Earth and Space Science/Science and Engineering strands of the California Next Generation Science Standards. It is intended to give students an opportunity to master these critical standards, meet one year of the KHSD physical science requirement for graduation and one year of the A-G “d” laboratory science requirement. Students will investigate and study the interactions between the four major Earth spheres including the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere in order to explain Earth’s formation, processes, history, landscapes, and how and why Earth changes over time. The course will also explore how current actions of man are interacting with and affecting Earth’s spheres leading to local and global changes. Topics to be addressed include, but are not limited to science and engineering practices, nature of science, measurement, mapping Earth’s surface, minerals, rocks, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, geologic time, meteorology, and Earth’s place in the universe. Students will participate in laboratory exercises, small group activities, web-based investigations and simulations, class discussions, projects, and research.