Standard 4: Students will understand the dynamics of the hydrosphere.
Objective 1: Characterize the water cycle in terms of its reservoirs, water movement
among reservoirs and how water has been recycled throughout time.
a. Identify oceans, lakes, running water, frozen water, ground water, and atmospheric
moisture as the reservoirs of Earth’s water cycle, and graph or chart the relative
amounts of water in each.
b. Describe how the processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, surface
runoff, ground infiltration and transpiration contribute to the cycling of water through
Earth’s reservoirs.
c. Model the natural purification of water as it moves through the water cycle and
compare natural purification to processes used in local sewage treatment plants.
Objective 2: Analyze the characteristics and importance of freshwater found on Earth’s
surface and its effect on living systems.
a. Investigate the properties of water: exists in all three states, dissolves many substances,
exhibits adhesion and cohesion, density of solid vs. liquid water.
b. Plan and conduct an experiment to investigate biotic and abiotic factors that affect
freshwater ecosystems.
c. Using data collected from local water systems, evaluate water quality and conclude how
pollution can make water unavailable or unsuitable for life.
d. Research and report how communities manage water resources (e.g., distribution,
shortages, quality, flood control) to address social, economic, and environmental
concerns.
Objective 3: Analyze the physical, chemical, and biological dynamics of the oceans and the
flow of energy through the oceans.
a. Research how the oceans formed from outgassing by volcanoes and ice from comets.
b. Investigate how salinity, temperature, and pressure at different depths and locations in
oceans and lakes affect saltwater ecosystems.
c. Design and conduct an experiment comparing chemical properties (e.g., chemical
composition, percent salinity) and physical properties (e.g., density, freezing point
depression) of freshwater samples to saltwater samples from different sources.
d. Model energy flow in the physical dynamics of oceans (e.g., wave action, deep ocean
tides circulation, surface currents, land and sea breezes, El Niño, upwellings).
e. Evaluate the impact of human activities (e.g., sediment, pollution, overfishing) on ocean
systems.
Objective 1: Characterize the water cycle in terms of its reservoirs, water movement
among reservoirs and how water has been recycled throughout time.
a. Identify oceans, lakes, running water, frozen water, ground water, and atmospheric
moisture as the reservoirs of Earth’s water cycle, and graph or chart the relative
amounts of water in each.
b. Describe how the processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, surface
runoff, ground infiltration and transpiration contribute to the cycling of water through
Earth’s reservoirs.
c. Model the natural purification of water as it moves through the water cycle and
compare natural purification to processes used in local sewage treatment plants.
Objective 2: Analyze the characteristics and importance of freshwater found on Earth’s
surface and its effect on living systems.
a. Investigate the properties of water: exists in all three states, dissolves many substances,
exhibits adhesion and cohesion, density of solid vs. liquid water.
b. Plan and conduct an experiment to investigate biotic and abiotic factors that affect
freshwater ecosystems.
c. Using data collected from local water systems, evaluate water quality and conclude how
pollution can make water unavailable or unsuitable for life.
d. Research and report how communities manage water resources (e.g., distribution,
shortages, quality, flood control) to address social, economic, and environmental
concerns.
Objective 3: Analyze the physical, chemical, and biological dynamics of the oceans and the
flow of energy through the oceans.
a. Research how the oceans formed from outgassing by volcanoes and ice from comets.
b. Investigate how salinity, temperature, and pressure at different depths and locations in
oceans and lakes affect saltwater ecosystems.
c. Design and conduct an experiment comparing chemical properties (e.g., chemical
composition, percent salinity) and physical properties (e.g., density, freezing point
depression) of freshwater samples to saltwater samples from different sources.
d. Model energy flow in the physical dynamics of oceans (e.g., wave action, deep ocean
tides circulation, surface currents, land and sea breezes, El Niño, upwellings).
e. Evaluate the impact of human activities (e.g., sediment, pollution, overfishing) on ocean
systems.