| (C) research and explore resources such as museums,
planetariums, observatories, libraries, professional organizations,
private companies, online platforms, and mentors employed in a science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field in order to
investigate STEM careers.
(5) The student understands how the properties of water
build the foundation of aquatic ecosystems. The student is expected
to:
(A) describe how the shape and polarity of the water
molecule make it a "universal solvent" in aquatic systems;
(B) identify how aquatic ecosystems are affected by
water's properties of adhesion, cohesion, surface tension, heat capacity,
and thermal conductivity; and
(C) explain how the density of water is critical for
organisms in cold environments.
(6) Students know that aquatic environments are the
product of interactions among Earth systems. The student is expected
to:
(A) identify key features and characteristics of atmospheric,
geological, hydrological, and biological systems as they relate to
aquatic environments;
(B) describe the interrelatedness of atmospheric, geological,
hydrological, and biological systems in aquatic ecosystems, including
positive and negative feedback loops; and
(C) evaluate environmental data using technology such
as maps, visualizations, satellite data, Global Positioning System
(GPS), Geographic Information System (GIS), weather balloons, and
buoys to model the interactions that affect aquatic ecosystems.
(7) The student knows about the interdependence and
interactions that occur in aquatic environments. The student is expected
to:
(A) identify how energy flows and matter cycles through
both freshwater and marine aquatic systems, including food webs, chains,
and pyramids;
(B) identify biological, chemical, geological, and
physical components of an aquatic life zone as they relate to the
organisms in it;
(C) identify variables that affect the solubility of
carbon dioxide and oxygen in water;
(D) evaluate factors affecting aquatic population cycles
such as lunar cycles, temperature variations, hours of daylight, and
predator-prey relationships; and
(E) identify the interdependence of organisms in an
aquatic environment such as in a pond, a river, a lake, an ocean,
or an aquifer and the biosphere.
(8) The student conducts short-term and long-term studies
on local aquatic environments. Local natural environments are to be
preferred over artificial or virtual environments. The student is
expected to:
(A) evaluate data over a period of time from an established
aquatic environment documenting seasonal changes and the behavior
of organisms;
(B) collect and analyze pH, salinity, temperature,
mineral content, nitrogen compounds, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity
data periodically, starting with baseline measurements; and
(C) use data from short-term or long-term studies to
analyze interrelationships between producers, consumers, and decomposers
in aquatic ecosystems.
(9) The student knows the role of cycles in an aquatic
environment. The student is expected to:
(A) identify the role of carbon, nitrogen, water, and
nutrient cycles in an aquatic environment, including upwellings and
turnovers;
(B) examine the interrelationships between aquatic
systems and climate and weather, including El Niño and La Niña,
currents, and hurricanes; and
(C) explain how tidal cycles influence intertidal ecology.
(10) The student knows the origin and potential uses
of fresh water. The student is expected to:
(A) identify sources of water in a watershed, including
rainfall, groundwater, and surface water;
(B) identify factors that contribute to how water flows
through a watershed;
(C) analyze water quantity and quality in a local watershed
or aquifer; and
(D) describe human uses of fresh water and how human
freshwater use competes with that of other organisms.
(11) The student knows that geological phenomena and
fluid dynamics affect aquatic systems. The student is expected to:
(A) examine basic principles of fluid dynamics, including
hydrostatic pressure, density as a result of salinity, and buoyancy;
(B) identify interrelationships between ocean currents,
climates, and geologic features such as continental margins, active
and passive margins, abyssal plains, island atolls, peninsulas, barrier
islands, and hydrothermal vents;
(C) explain how fluid dynamics causes upwelling and
lake turnover; and
(D) describe how erosion and deposition in river systems
lead to formation of geologic features.
(12) The student understands the types of aquatic ecosystems.
The student is expected to:
(A) differentiate among freshwater, brackish, and marine
ecosystems; and
(B) identify the major properties and components of
different marine and freshwater life zones.
(13) The student knows environmental adaptations of
aquatic organisms. The student is expected to:
(A) compare different traits in aquatic organisms using
tools such as dichotomous keys;
(B) describe how adaptations allow an organism to exist
within an aquatic environment; and
(C) compare adaptations of freshwater and marine organisms.
(14) The student understands how human activities impact
aquatic environments. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze the cumulative impact of human population
growth on an aquatic ecosystem;
(B) predict effects of chemical, organic, physical,
and thermal changes due to humans on the living and nonliving components
of an aquatic ecosystem;
(C) investigate the role of humans in unbalanced systems
involving phenomena such as invasive species, fish farming, cultural
eutrophication, or red tides;
(D) analyze and discuss how human activities such as
fishing, transportation, dams, and recreation influence aquatic environments;
(E) describe the impact such as costs and benefits
of various laws and policies such as The Endangered Species Act, right
of capture laws, or Clean Water Act on aquatic systems; and
(F) analyze the purpose and effectiveness of human
efforts to restore aquatic ecosystems affected by human activities.
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