West Virginia State Standards for Science: Grade 9

WV.SC.S.1. History and the Nature of Science: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the history of science and the evolvement of scientific knowledge; demonstrate an understanding of science as a human endeavor encompassing the contributions of diverse cultures and scientists; and demonstrate an understanding of the nature of science.

SC.9.1.1. Students will formulate scientific explanations based on the student's observational and experimental evidence, accounting for variability in experimental results.

SC.9.1.2. Students will recognize that science has practical and theoretical limitations.

SC.9.1.3. Students will recognize that science is based on a set of observations in a testable framework that demonstrate basic laws that are consistent.

SC.9.1.4. Students will conclude that science is a blend of creativity, logic and mathematics.

SC.9.1.5. Students will trace the development of key historical concepts and principles describing their impact on modern thought and life by identifying the scientist's contributions.

WV.SC.S.2. Science as Inquiry: Students will demonstrate the abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry; demonstrate understanding about scientific inquiry; and demonstrate the ability to think and act as scientists by engaging in active inquiries, investigations and hands-on activities a minimum of 50% of the instructional time.

SC.9.2.1. Students will model and exhibit the skills, attitudes and-or values of scientific inquiry (e.g., curiosity, logic, objectivity, openness, skepticism, appreciation, diligence, integrity, ethical practice, fairness, creativity).

SC.9.2.2. Students will demonstrate ethical practices for science (e.g., established research protocol, accurate record keeping, replication of results and peer review).

SC.9.2.3. Students will apply scientific approaches to seek solutions for personal and societal issues.

SC.9.2.4. Students will properly and safely manipulate equipment, materials, chemicals, organisms and models.

SC.9.2.5. Students will conduct explorations in a variety of environments (e.g., laboratories, museums, libraries, parks and other outdoors locations).

SC.9.2.6. Students will use appropriate technology solutions (e.g., computer, CBL, probe interfaces, software) to measure and collect data; interpret data; analyze and-or report data; interact with simulations; conduct research; and to present and communicate conclusions.

SC.9.2.7. Students will demonstrate science processes within a problem solving setting (e.g., observing, measuring, calculating, communicating, comparing, ordering, categorizing, classifying, relating, hypothesizing, predicting, inferring, considering alternatives and applying).

SC.9.2.8. Students will design, conduct, evaluate and revise experiments (e.g., identify questions and concepts that guide investigations; design investigations; identify independent and dependent variables in experimental investigations; manipulate variables to extend experimental activities; use technology and mathematics to improve investigations and communications; formulate and revise scientific explanations and models using logic and evidence; recognize alternative explanations; communicate and defend a scientific argument).

WV.SC.S.3. Unifying Themes: Students will demonstrate an understanding of interdependent themes present in the natural and designed world (e.g., systems, order and organization; evidence, models and explanation; constancy, change, and measurement; equilibrium and evolution; form and function); demonstrate the ability to identify, construct, test, analyze and evaluate systems, models and changes; and demonstrate the ability to draw conclusions about and predict changes in natural and designed systems.

SC.9.3.1. Students will analyze systems to understand the natural and designed world; use systems analysis to make predictions about behaviors in systems; recognize order in units of matter, objects or events.

SC.9.3.2. Students will apply evidence from models to make predictions about interactions and changes in systems.

SC.9.3.3. Students will measure changes in systems using graphs and equations relating these to rate, scale, patterns, trends and cycles.

SC.9.3.4. Students will understand that different characteristics, properties or relationships within a system might change as its dimensions are increased or decreased (e.g., scale up, scale down).

WV.SC.S.4. Science Subject Matter-Concepts: Students will demonstrate knowledge, understanding and applications of scientific facts, concepts, principles, theories and models as delineated in the objectives; demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationships among physics, chemistry, biology and the earth and space sciences; and apply knowledge, understanding and skills of science subject matter-concepts to daily life experiences.

SC.9.4.1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the interconnections of biological, earth-space and physical science concepts.

SC.9.4.2. The Cell and Molecular Basis for Heredity: Students will analyze and explain the principles of genetics (e.g., monohybrid and dihybrid crosses, mutations, genotypes, phenotypes, X and Y chromosomes, multiple alleles, DNA, probability, diversity).

SC.9.4.3. The Cell and Molecular Basis for Heredity: Students will illustrate meiosis and mitosis and relate to chromosome number and production of sperm, egg and body cells.

SC.9.4.4. The Interdependence of Organisms: Students will mathematically illustrate changes in populations of organisms.

SC.9.4.5. The Interdependence of Organisms: Students will identify and describe microscopic organisms and foreign substances in the environment and their harmful effects (e.g., microorganisms, mutagens, carcinogens).

SC.9.4.6. The Interdependence of Organisms: Students will design an environment that demonstrates the interdependence of plants and animals (e.g., energy and chemical cycles, adaptations of structures and behaviors).

SC.9.4.7. Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems: Students will explain how excretory, digestive systems work together in the human body.

SC.9.4.8. Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems: Students will identify and compare the structure and function of cell, tissues and systems of different organisms.

SC.9.4.9. Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems: Students will identify the organisms and the chemical processes involved in the decay of materials.

SC.9.4.10. Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems: Students will trace the transfer of matter and energy in the chemical-molecular processes of photosynthesis, respiration and fermentation.

SC.9.4.11. Structure and Properties of Matter: Students will using the element's position on the Periodic Table, predict physical and chemical properties.

SC.9.4.12. Structure and Properties of Matter: Students will describe the characteristics of radioactivity substances including alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays; the half life of a radioactive isotope; a chain reaction; and differentiate between fission and fusion.

SC.9.4.13. Structure and Properties of Matter: Students will investigate the relationship between the density of an object, its mass, and its volume.

SC.9.4.14. Structure and Properties of Matter: Students will investigate physical states of matter including descriptions of the behavior of atoms and molecules in terms of the Kinetic Molecular Theory.

SC.9.4.15. Chemical Reaction: Students will write formulas and name compounds given oxidation numbers of monatomic and polyatomic ions.

SC.9.4.16. Chemical Reaction: Students will identify the various types of chemical bonds and the resulting compounds that are formed (e.g., ionic, nonpolar covalent, polar covalent).

SC.9.4.17. Chemical Reaction: Students will experimentally determine the products of chemical reactions; write balanced chemical equations; classify type of reaction; and describe energy changes.

SC.9.4.18. Energy: Students will identify, describe and differentiate various forms of energy and energy transformations.

SC.9.4.19. Energy: Students will relate absorption and dissipation of heat to the composition of a material.

SC.9.4.20. Energy: Students will demonstrate and diagram a magnetic field using bar magnets and iron fillings.

SC.9.4.21. Energy: Students will hypothesize and experiment when different components are substituted in an electrical circuit; define and solve electrical problems involving potential difference, Ohm's Law and power.

SC.9.4.22. Motions and Forces: Students will relate the forces between charged objects to the charge on the objects and the distance between them.

SC.9.4.23. Motions and Forces: Students will review foundational concepts of kinematics (e.g., speed-distance-time relationships) and dynamics (e.g., Newton's Laws, simple machines).

SC.9.4.24. Motions and Forces: Students will experiment with a pendulum to determine which variables (amplitude, mass, length) will affect the motion of the pendulum.

SC.9.4.25. Motions and Forces: Students will investigate types of waves and their properties including interference, diffraction, resonance; differences and similarities between transverse and longitudinal waves; wave equation to determine the relationships among speed, wavelength and frequency.

SC.9.4.26. Energy in the Earth System: Students will investigate formation and destruction of landforms.

SC.9.4.27. Energy in the Earth System: Students will demonstrate the relationships of temperature, air pressure, wind speed, wind direction and humidity as elements of weather.

SC.9.4.28. Energy in the Earth System: Students will compare and analyze the characteristics of oceans, including their lateral and vertical motions.

SC.9.4.29. Geochemical Cycles: Students will employ a variety of tests to identify common rock-forming minerals.

SC.9.4.30. Geochemical Cycles: Students will analyze and describe common rock samples using grain size and shape, and mineral composition.

SC.9.4.31. Geochemical Cycles: Students will use models to describe interactive cycles such as the water, the nitrogen and the carbon dioxide cycles.

SC.9.4.32. Origin and Changes in the Earth Systems and Universe: Students will examine how scientists use seismographic evidence in determining structure and composition of the Earth's interior.

SC.9.4.33. Origin and Changes in the Earth Systems and Universe: Students will determine the relative age of materials using time-stratigraphic and bio-stratigraphic relationships.

SC.9.4.34. Origin and Changes in the Earth Systems and Universe: Students will estimate the absolute age of materials using existing radioisotropic data.

SC.9.4.35. Origin and Changes in the Earth Systems and Universe: Students will describe the effects of the movement of subsurface water.

SC.9.4.36. Origin and Changes in the Earth Systems and Universe: Students will relate changes in the Earth's surface to the motion of lithospheric plates.

SC.9.4.37. Origin and Changes in the Earth Systems and Universe: Students will summarize and discuss the evidentiary basis for the Theory of Plate Tectonics.

SC.9.4.38. Origin and Changes in the Earth Systems and Universe: Students will research and describe the life cycles of various stellar types.

SC.9.4.39. Origin and Changes in the Earth Systems and Universe: Students will interpret topographic maps, weather maps and charts, and astronomical models such as solar systems, galaxies, constellations, stellar types and stellar evolution.

WV.SC.S.5. Scientific Design and Application: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the interdependence between science and technology; demonstrate the ability to distinguish between natural and man-made objects; demonstrate abilities of technological design; and demonstrate the ability to utilize technology to gather data and communicate designs, results and conclusions.

SC.9.5.1. Students will identify the scientific concepts underlying simple technological innovations.

SC.9.5.2. Students will cite examples of the interdependence of science and technology (e.g., new technologies have lead to development of new scientific knowledge).

SC.9.5.3. Students will apply scientific skills and technological tools to design a solution that addresses a personal or societal need.

SC.9.5.4. Students will analyze the consequences of imposed constraints on an engineering solution.

WV.SC.S.6. Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate personal and societal benefits when examining health, population, resource and environmental issues; demonstrate the ability to evaluate the impact of different points of view on health, population, resource and environmental practices; predict the long-term societal impact of specific health, population, resource and environmental practices; and demonstrate an understanding of public policy decisions as related to health, population, resource and environmental issues.

SC.9.6.1. Students will research uses and values of natural resources.

SC.9.6.2. Students will research current environmental issues (e.g., effects of pollution, solid waste management, local, national, and global issues).

SC.9.6.3. Students will describe the impact of cultural, technological, and economic influences on the evolving nature of scientific thought and knowledge.

SC.9.6.4. Students will explore occupational opportunities in science and technology including the academic preparation necessary.

SC.9.6.5. Students will engage in decision-making activities and actions to resolve science-technology-society issues.