La Habra High School
Science Department

Science Standards - Earth Science

The student will:

classify the objects in the solar system as being stellar, rocky, gaseous, or comet-like.
diagram relative density vs. distance from the sun.
differentiate combustion and fusion reactions.
describe orbital perturbation due to gravitational effect of planets.
plot the positions of globular clusters to show location of the center of the Milky Way.
relate the discovery of local galaxies other than our own to Edwin Hubble's efforts in Pasadena.
explain stellar nucleosynthesis.
interpret the bonding energy per nucleon vs. the atomic number graph.
identify the wavelengths of the EM spectrum used in stellar analysis.
map the formation of novas, supernovas, and black holes.
use the red-shift as evidence for the big bang model of the formation of the universe.

The student will:

understand the relationships between rates of respiration, carbon dioxide concentration, and pH level.
describe bacteria's role in the nitrogen cycle.
explain how the release of carbon from fossil deposits by humans is at a greater rate than geochemical sinks can absorb.
diagram how the sun drives matter in the hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere.
calculate the residence time of carbon.

The student will:

distinguish between the relatives ages and absolute ages of continental vs. oceanic crust.
identify evidence for sea floor spreading.
define transform boundaries and the implications of the San Andreas fault zone to Los Angeles and California.
relate subduction to oceanic trenches.
relate earthquake location and tectonic boundaries.
identify the major types of faults and forces associated with them from Southern California.
compare the chemistry and physical properties of basaltic vs. rhyolitic lavas.
describe the resulting topography of volcanic eruptions.
identify the positive aspects of volcanoes.
identify the connection between subduction boundaries, volcanoes, earthquakes, & the Pacific Ring of Fire.

The student will:

The student will:

determine the percentage of incoming radiation, reradiated IR radiation, and absorbed radiation.
discuss the green house effect and the sources and potential dangers from increasing amounts of anthropogenic gases.
examine carbon dioxide concentrations on Earth, Mars, and Venus.
simulate the terraforming of Mars.
differentiate between radiation, conduction, convection, and heat transfer.
relate Coriolis Effect to global wind patterns and surface ocean current patterns.
illustrate that the distribution of marine organisms depends upon the temperature and salinity characteristics of sea water.
characterize the oceanic and atmospheric conditions during an El Niño, a normal, and a La Nina cycle.
describe how the thermal properties of water effect the ocean atmosphere interaction.
investigate causes of global warming and cooling.
differentiate between human time scales and geologic time scales.
contrast Uniformitarianism vs. Catastrophism.
identify the role of plate tectonics in biological evolution.

The student will:

identify the four major temperature layers of the atmosphere.
identify the major role of the minor constituents in the atmosphere.
examine a geological time scale and show the composition of the atmosphere over time.
identify the source of the Earth's water as it is attributed to the outgassing of the cooling mantle.
analyze a chart of excess volatiles.
compare and contrast stratospheric ozone and tropospheric ozone.
compare and contrast ozone and atmospheric oxygen.
describe the evolution of the ozone hole and latitudinal effect.
state the negative effects of excess ultraviolet radiation.
describe the chemical process responsible for the destruction of the ozone layer.
describe the history and evolution of chlorofluorocarbons.