Okla. Admin. Code § 210:15-3-79

Current through Vol. 42, No. 8, January 2, 2025

Section 210:15-3-79 - Physical Science standards for high school

Physical Science. Standards for high school students from the domain of Physical Science address the following topics:

(1)Matter and its interactions.

(A)Performance expectation one (1). Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

(i)Clarification statement. Examples of properties that could be predicted from trends and patterns could include reactivity of metals, types of bonds formed, numbers of bonds formed, and reactions with oxygen.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. Assessment is limited to main group elements. Assessment does not include understanding of ionization energy and electronegativity.

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Developing and using models. Use a model to predict the relationships between systems or between components of a system.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) Each atom has a charged substructure consisting of a nucleus, which is made of protons and neutrons, surrounded by electrons.

(II) The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons in the atom's nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in columns. The repeating patterns of this table reflect patterns of outer electron states.

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)Patterns. Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of phenomena.

(B)Performance expectation two (2). Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties, and formation of compounds.

(i)Clarification statement. Identifying patterns in reactions allows the emphasis to be on student explanation of observed reaction outcomes. Reactions that students could be exposed to are synthesis (limited to elements forming a compound), decomposition (limited to a compound producing two or more elements), combustion, single displacement, or double displacement.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. Assessment is limited to chemical reactions involving main group elements.

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Constructing explanations. Construct and revise an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from a variety of sources and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons in the atom's nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in columns. The repeating pattern of this table reflect patterns of outer electron states.

(II) The fact that atoms are conserved, together with knowledge of the chemical properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and predict chemical reactions.

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)Patterns. Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of phenomena.

(C)Performance expectation three (3). Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.

(i)Clarification statement. Emphasis is on student reasoning that focuses on the number and energy of collisions (Collision Theory) and relationships between rate and temperature.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. Assessment is limited to explaining the result of changing one condition at a time in a simple reaction in which there are only two reactants.

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Constructing Explanations. Apply scientific reasoning, theory, and/or models to link evidence to the claims to assess the extent to which the reasoning and data support the explanation or conclusion.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) Chemical processes, their rates, and whether or not energy is stored or released. These can be understood in terms of the collisions of molecules and the rearrangement of atoms into new molecules, with consequent changes in the sum of all bond energies in the set of molecules that are matched by changes in kinetic energy.

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)Cause and effect. Cause and effect relationships can be suggested and predicted for complex natural and human-designed systems by examining what is known about smaller scale mechanisms within the system.

(D)Performance expectation four (4). Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction.

(i)Clarification statement. Emphasis is on using mathematical ideas to communicate the proportional relationships between masses of atoms in the reactants and the products, and the translation of these relationships to the macroscopic scale. Mathematical representations can include balancing chemical equations to represent the laws of conservation of mass, constant composition (definite proportions) and understanding the ratio of the coefficients between reactants and products.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. Assessment does not include complex chemical reactions or stoichiometry. Emphasis is on assessing students' use of mathematical reasoning and not on memorization and rote application of problem-solving techniques.

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Using mathematics and computational thinking. Use mathematical representations of phenomena to support claims.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) The fact that atoms are conserved, together with knowledge of the chemical properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and predict chemical reactions.

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)Energy and matter. The total amount of energy and matter in closed systems is conserved.

(2)Motion and stability: Forces and interactions.

(A)Performance expectation one (1). Analyze and interpret data to support the claim of a causal relationship between the net force on an object and its change in motion, as described in Newton's second law of motion.

(i)Clarification statement. Examples of data could include tables or graphs of position or velocity of an object as a function of time. Examples of objects subjected to a net force can include objects in free-fall, objects sliding down a ramp, or moving objects pulled by a constant force.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. Assessment is limited to macroscopic objects moving in one-dimensional motion, at non-relativistic speeds. Air resistance is ignored.

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Analyzing and interpreting data. Analyze data using tools, technologies, and/or models (e.g., computational, mathematical) in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) Newton's second law accurately predicts changes in the motion of macroscopic objects.

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)Cause and effect. Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.

(B)Performance expectation two (2). Use mathematical representations to support the explanation that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.

(i)Clarification statement. Emphasis is on the quantitative conservation of momentum in interactions and the qualitative meaning of this principle.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. Assessment is limited to systems of two macroscopic bodies moving in one dimension and does not include naming the types of collisions. Assessment should provide evidence of students' abilities to explain the mathematical relationships between momentum, mass, and velocity.

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Using mathematics and computational thinking. Use mathematical, computational, and/or algorithmic representations of phenomena or design solutions to describe and/or support claims and/or explanations.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) Momentum is defined for a particular frame of reference; it is the mass times the velocity of the object.

(II) If a system interacts with objects outside itself, the total momentum of the system can change; however, any such change is balanced by change in the momentum of objects outside the system.

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)Systems and system models. When investigating or describing a system, the boundaries and initial conditions of the system need to be defined.

(E)Performance expectation three (3).* Apply scientific and engineering ideas to design, evaluate, and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision.

(i)Clarification statement. An example of evaluation and refinement could include determining the success of the device at protecting an object from damage. Examples of devices could include football helmet, parachute, and car restraint systems, such as seatbelts and airbags. Refinement of the device may include modifying one or more parts or all of the device to improve performance of the device.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. Assessment is limited to qualitative evaluations and/or algebraic manipulations.

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Designing solutions. Apply scientific ideas to solve a design problem, taking into account possible unanticipated effects.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) If a system interacts with objects outside itself, the total momentum of the system can change; however, any such change is balanced by change in the momentum of objects outside the system.

(II) Criteria and constraints also include satisfying any requirements set by society, such as taking issues of risk mitigation into account; and they should be quantified to the extent possible and stated in such a way that one can tell if a given design meets them.

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)Cause and effect. Systems can be designed to cause a desired effect.

(D)Performance expectation four (4). Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can cause a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.

(i)Clarification statement. Students' investigations should describe the data that will be collected and the evidence to be derived from that data. Examples could include electromagnets/solenoids, motors, current carrying wires, and compasses.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. Assessment is limited to planning and conducting investigations with provided materials and tools.

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Planning and carrying out investigations. Plan and conduct an investigation individually and collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, and in the design: decide on types, how much, and accuracy of data needed to produce reliable measurements; consider limitations on the precision of the data (e.g., number of trials, cost, risk, time); and refine the design accordingly.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) Forces at a distance are explained by fields (gravitational, electric, and magnetic) permeating space that can transfer energy through space.

(II) Magnets or electric currents cause magnetic fields; electric charges or changing magnetic fields cause electric fields.

(III) "Electrical energy" may mean energy stored in a battery or energy transmitted by electrical currents.

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)Cause and effect. Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.

(3)Energy.

(A)Performance expectation one (1). Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known.

(i)Clarification statement. Emphasis is on utilizing calculations to understand that energy is transferred in and out of systems and conserved, as well as explaining the meaning of mathematical expressions used in the model.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. Assessment is limited to two or three components and the transfer of thermal energy, kinetic energy, potential energy, and/or the energies in gravitational, magnetic, or electric fields.

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Using mathematics and computational thinking. Create a computational model of a phenomenon, process, or system based on basic assumptions.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) Energy is a quantitative property of a system that depends on the motion and interactions of matter and radiation within that system. That there is a single quantity called energy is due to the fact that a system's total energy is conserved, even as, within the system, energy is continually transferred from one object to another and between its various possible forms.

(II) Conservation of energy means that the total change of energy in any system is always equal to the total energy transferred into or out of the system.

(III) Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transported from one place to another and transferred between two systems.

(IV) Mathematical expressions, which quantify how the stored energy in a system depends on its configuration (e.g., relative positions of charged particles, compression of a spring) and how kinetic energy depends on mass and speed, allow the concept of conservation of energy to be used to predict and describe system behavior.

(V) The availability of energy limits what can occur in any system.

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)System and system models. Models can be used to predict the behavior of a system, but these predictions have limited precision and reliability due to the assumptions and approximations inherent in models.

(B)Performance expectation two (2). Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as either motions of particles or energy stored in fields.

(i)Clarification statement. Examples of phenomena at the macroscopic scale could include the conversion of kinetic energy to thermal energy, the energy stored due to position of an object above the earth (considered as stored in fields), and the energy stored between two electrically-charged plates. Examples of models could include diagrams, drawings, descriptions, and computer simulations.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. Assessment does not include quantitative calculations, chemical energy, or effects of air resistance/friction.

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Developing and using models. Develop, revise, and/or use a model based on evidence to illustrate and/or predict the relationships between systems or between components of a system.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) Energy is a quantitative property of a system that depends on the motion and interactions of matter and radiation within that system. That there is a single quantity called energy is due to the fact that a system's total energy is conserved, even as, within the system, energy is continually transferred from one object to another and between its various possible forms.

(II) At the macroscopic scale, energy manifests itself in multiple ways, such as motion, sound, light, and thermal energy.

(III) These relationships are better understood at the microscopic scale, at which all of the different manifestations of energy can be modeled as a combination of energy associated with the motion of particles and energy associated with the configuration (relative position of the particles). In some cases the relative position energy can be though o as stored in fields (which mediate interactions between particles). This last concept includes radiation, a phenomenon in which energy stored in fields moves across space.

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)Energy and matter. Energy cannot be created or destroyed-only move between one place and another place, between objects and/or fields, or between system.

(C)Performance expectation three (3).* Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.

(i)Clarification statement. Emphasis is on both qualitative and quantitative evaluations of devices. Examples of devices could include Rube Goldberg devices, wind turbines, solar cells, solar ovens, and generators. Examples of constraints placed on a device could include the cost of materials, types of materials available, having to use renewable energy, an efficiency threshold, and time to build/operate the device.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. Assessment for quantitative evaluations is limited to total output for a given input. Assessment is limited to devices constructed with materials provided to students.

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Designing solutions. Design, evaluate, and/or refine a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and trade-off considerations.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) At the macroscopic scale, energy manifests itself in multiple ways, such as in motion, sound, light, and thermal energy.

(II) Criteria and constraints also include satisfying any requirements set by society, such as taking issues of risk mitigation into account, and they should be quantified to the extent possible and stated in such a way that one can tell if a given design meets them.

(III) Modern civilization depends on major technological systems. Engineers continuously modify these technological systems by applying scientific knowledge and engineering design practices to increase benefits while decreasing costs and risks.

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)Energy and matter. Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system.

(D)Performance expectation four (4). Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).

(i)Clarification statement. Emphasis is on analyzing data from student investigations and using mathematical thinking to describe the thermal energy changes both quantitatively and conceptually. Examples of investigations could include mixing liquids at different initial temperatures or adding objects at different temperatures to water.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. Assessment is limited to devices constructed with materials provided to students. Assessment includes both quantitative and conceptual descriptions of energy change.

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Planning and carrying out investigations. Plan an investigation or test a design individually and collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence as part of building and revising models, supporting explanations for phenomena, or testing solutions to problems. Consider possible confounding variables or effects and evaluate the investigation's design to ensure variables are controlled.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transported from one place to another and transferred between systems.

(II) Uncontrolled systems always evolve toward more stable states-that is, toward more uniform energy distribution (e.g., water flows downhill, objects hotter than surrounding environments cool down).

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)Systems and system models. When investigating or describing a system, the boundaries and initial conditions of the system need to be defined and their inputs and outputs analyzed and described using models.

(4)Waves and their applications in technologies for information.

(A)Performance expectation one (1). Use mathematical representations to explain both qualitative and quantitative relationships among frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media.

(i)Clarification statement. Emphasis is on using mathematical representations to understand how various media change the speed of waves. Examples of waves moving through various media could include: electromagnetic radiation traveling in a vacuum or glass, sound waves traveling through air or water, and seismic waves traveling through the Earth.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. Assessment is limited to algebraic relationships and describing those relationships quantitatively.

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Mathematical and computational thinking. Use mathematical representations of phenomena or design solutions to describe and/or support claims and/or explanations.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) The wavelength and frequency of a wave are related to one another by the speed of travel of the wave, which depends on the type of wave and the medium through which it is passing.

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)Cause and effect. Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.

(B)Performance expectation two (2).* Evaluate questions about the advantages and disadvantages of using a digital transmission and storage of information.

(i)Clarification statement. Examples of advantages could include that digital information is stable because it can be stored reliably in computer memory, transferred easily, and copied and shared rapidly. Disadvantages could include issues of easy deletion, security, and theft.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. (An assessment boundary is not associated with this performance expectation.)

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Asking questions. Evaluate questions that challenge the premise(s) of an argument, the interpretation of a data set, or the suitability of a design.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) Information can be digitized (e.g., a picture stored as the values of an array of pixels); in this form, it can be stored reliably in computer memory and sent over long distances as a series of wave pulses.

(II) Modern civilization depends on major technological systems. Engineers continuously modify these technological systems by applying scientific knowledge and engineering design practices to increase benefits while decreasing costs and risks.

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)Stability and change. Systems can be designed for greater or lesser stability.

(C)Performance expectation three (3). Evaluate the validity and reliability of claims in published materials of the effects that different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation have when absorbed by matter.

(i)Clarification statement. Emphasis is on the idea that different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation have different energies, and the damage to living tissue depends on the energy of the radiation. Examples of published materials could include peer-reviewed scientific articles, trade books, magazines, web resources, videos, and other passages that may reflect bias.

(ii)Assessment Boundary. Assessment is limited to qualitative descriptions.

(iii)Science and Engineering Practice.

(I)Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. Evaluate the validity and reliability of multiple claims that appear in scientific and technical texts or media reports, verifying the data when possible.

(iv)Disciplinary Core Ideas.

(I) When light or longer wavelength electromagnetic radiation is absorbed in matter, it is generally converted into thermal energy (heat).

(II) Shorter wavelength electromagnetic radiation (ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays) can ionize atoms and cause damage to living cells.

(III) Photoelectric materials emit electrons when they absorb light of high enough frequency.

(v)Crosscutting Concepts.

(I)Cause and effect. Cause and effect relationships can be suggested and predicted for complex natural and human-designed complex systems by examining what is known about smaller scale mechanisms within the system.

Okla. Admin. Code § 210:15-3-79

Added at 20 Ok Reg 159, eff 10-10-02 (emergency); Added at 20 Ok Reg 821, eff 5-15-03; Amended at 28 Ok Reg 2264, eff 7-25-11

Amended by Oklahoma Register, Volume 38, Issue 24, September 1, 2021, eff. 9/11/2021