Iowa+Core+Standards+and+Bencharks

Earth & Space - Grades 6-8
Earth and space science is the field of study concerned with the planet Earth or one or more of its parts. Earth and space science includes the science used to study the lithosphere (the solid portion of the earth), the atmosphere (the gaseous envelope surrounding the earth), the hydrosphere (the ice, water, and water vapor at or near the earth’s surface), the biosphere (the zone at or near the earth’s surface that supports life), and space beyond the atmosphere. It is the interactions between these parts, how they impact life on the planet and how we can use observations today to discover what forces created the surface features of the planet centuries ago that form a central portion of this study. Climate, weather, environmental issues, soil science and water quality  are all open areas of inquiry. Earth and space science instruction must include the inquiry knowledge and skills described in the inquiry section of the Iowa Core Curriculum for Science. Instruction should be engaging and relevant and strong connections must be made to students' lives.

Essential Concepts and/or Skills

 * || **Understand and apply knowledge of the structure and processes of the earth system and the processes that change the earth and its surface.** ||


 * || **Understand and apply knowledge of the water cycle, including consideration of events that impact groundwater quality.** ||


 * || **Understand and apply knowledge of earth history based on physical evidence.** ||


 * || **Understand and apply knowledge of the earth’s atmospheric properties and how they influence weather and climate.** ||


 * || **Understand and apply knowledge of the components of our solar system.** ||