CURRICULUM MAP

SUBJECT:
BIG IDEA:

SCIENCE

COURSE:

PHYSICAL SCIENCE

(By
Quarter)

Quarter 1

Matter can be described or changed.

Assessment

Timeline

GRADE:

Essential Questions

Content/Concept

(What concepts should

students remember and
WHY?)

(What do your
students need to
KNOW?)

EQ 1: What skills do
scientists use to study and
describe matter?

Scientific Inquiry
Measurement
Graphing
Calculations
Experimentation
(Standards 9a-g)

EQ 2: How can changes in

matter be classified as
chemical or physical?

Physical changes alter the

appearance of a
substance.
(Standards 3c)

(How will you assess

what your students
ALREADY KNOW, and
assess WHAT
THEYVE LEARNED?)
Chapter
Tests/Quizzes
Projects
Labs
Role Play
Oral Assessments
White Boards, etc.

Priority

Skills
(What discrete subject
matter competencies do
students need to
DEMONSTRATE?)
Demonstrate ability to
measure, read graphs and
use formulas to guide
calculations.

List and recognize ways that

chemical changes differ from
physical changes.

Resources
(What MATERIALS will
teachers need?)

Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4
Prentice Hall TE
Prentice Hall
Supplementary
Resources
United Streaming
Edusoft
Instructional
Resources

(% CST, %
CAHSEE,
Endurance,
Leverage,
Readiness)
10%

2%

Chemical changes are a

change in matter that
produces one or more
new substances.
(Standards 3c)
EQ 3: How do solids,
liquids, and gases differ in
the motion of their particles,
and how do they transition
from one phase to another?

Solids closely locked in

position and can only
vibrate
Liquids move loosely
connected and can collide
with and move past one
another
Gas free to move
independently, colliding
frequently
(Standards 3c,d,and e)

List the properties of the

three phases of matter.
Explain how energy causes
each of the phase changes.

Page 1 of 6

7%

BIG IDEA:

Matter can be described or changed.

Assessment

Timeline
(By
Quarter)

Quarter 1
(Continued)

Essential Questions

Content/Concept

(What concepts should

students remember and
WHY?)

(What do your
students need to
KNOW?)

(How will you assess

what your students
ALREADY KNOW, and
assess WHAT
THEYVE LEARNED?)
Chapter
Tests/Quizzes
Projects
Labs
Role Play
Oral Assessments
White Boards, etc.

Priority

Skills
(What discrete subject
matter competencies do
students need to
DEMONSTRATE?)

Resources
(What MATERIALS will
teachers need?)

(% CST, %
CAHSEE,
Endurance,
Leverage,
Readiness)

EQ 3: (continued)

Freezing, melting,
vaporization,
condensation, and
sublimation
(Standards 5d)

EQ 4: What is the structure

of the atom?

Atoms are made of

protons, neutrons, and
electrons
(Standards 3a,b,c, and e)

List location and describe

each particle in the atom.

12%

EQ 5: How can the periodic

table be used to identify and
classify elements?

Each element has a

symbol, atomic mass, and
atomic number.

Use the periodic table to

describe the structure of an
elements atom.

12%

On the periodic table,

similar elements are
grouped together.
(Standards 7a,b,and c)

Identify the regions of the

periodic table and list the
similarities of the elements in
each region.

Page 2 of 6

Prentice Hall TE
Prentice Hall
Supplementary
Resources
United Streaming
Edusoft
Instructional
Resources

BIG IDEA:

Chemical reactions rearrange atoms and move energy.

Assessment

Timeline

Essential Questions

(By
Quarter)

(What concepts should

students remember and
WHY?)

Quarter 2

Content/Concept
(What do your
students need to
KNOW?)

(How will you assess

what your students
ALREADY KNOW, and
assess WHAT
THEYVE LEARNED?)

Priority
Skills
(What discrete subject
matter competencies
do students need to
DEMONSTRATE?)

(What MATERIALS will

teachers need?)

(% CST, %
CAHSEE,
Endurance,
Leverage,
Readiness)

EQ 6: How do atoms bond

to form molecules?

Electrons are shared or

transferred among atoms.
(Standards 5a,b)

EQ 7: What happens during

a chemical reaction?

Atoms are rearranged not

absorbed or created.
(Standards 5b,c)

Explain how the law of

conservation of matter
influences reactions

5%

Chemical reactions
liberate or absorb heat.
(Standards 5c)

Describe when a chemical

reaction has occurred.

2%

EQ 8: How do you test for

acids and bases?

Chapter
Tests/Quizzes
Projects
Labs
Role Play
Oral Assessments
White Boards, etc.

List the different types of bonds.

Resources

Use pH and litmus paper to

determine whether an acid or
base

Bases turn litmus paper

blue Why?
Acids turn litmus paper
red Why?
(Standards 5e)

EQ 9: Why is carbon
important?

Chapters 5, 6, 7
and 8
Prentice Hall text
and supplementary
resources
United Streaming
Edusoft

5%

2%
2%

Explain how carbon bonds

more than any other element in
nature

Carbon has the ability to

bond with itself and other
elements.
(6a-c)

Page 3 of 6

5%

BIG IDEA:

An objects movement can be described and explained.

Assessment

Timeline

Essential Questions

(By
Quarter)

(What concepts should

students remember and
WHY?)

Quarter 3

Content/Concept
(What do your
students need to
KNOW?)

EQ 10: How can average

speed be calculated?

Average speed is total

distance divided by total
time.
(Standards 1b, c)

EQ 11: How is speed

different than velocity?

Velocity is speed in a
given direction.
(Standards 1c,d,e,f)

(How will you assess

what your students
ALREADY KNOW, and
assess WHAT
THEYVE LEARNED?)
Chapter
Tests/Quizzes
Projects
Labs
Role Play
Oral Assessments
White Boards, etc.

Priority
Skills
(What discrete subject
matter competencies
do students need to
DEMONSTRATE?)
Understand how to calculate
speed.

Understand how to calculate

speed.
Differentiate between speed and
velocity.

EQ 12: When is an object

accelerating?

Change in velocity may be

due to changes in speed,
direction, or both
(Standards 1e)

(What MATERIALS will

teachers need?)

Chapters 9, 10, 11,

and 13.1
Prentice Hall text
Prentice Hall
supplementary
resources
United Streaming
Edusoft Instructional
Resources

(% CST, %
CAHSEE,
Endurance,
Leverage,
Readiness)
5%

10%

2%
Describe the motion of an object
as it accelerates.
Calculate acceleration.

EQ 13: How do forces

cause objects to move?

Resources

Newtons Three Laws:

When forces on an object
are balanced, the motion
of the object does not
change
(Standards 2 b,c,e)

Explain Newtons laws of motion.

The greater the mass of

an object, the more force
is needed to achieve the
same rate.
(Standards 2f)

Determine the amount of force

needed to cause movement.

5%

Identify equal and opposite

forces.

2%

Identify the factors that determine

what forces are at work.

When an object is subject

to two or more forces at
once, the result is the
cumulative effect of all
forces.
(Standards 2b)

2%

Page 4 of 6

BIG IDEA:

An objects movement can be described and explained.

Assessment

Timeline

Essential Questions

(By
Quarter)

(What concepts should

students remember and
WHY?)

Quarter 3
(Continued)

EQ 14: Why do objects float

or sink?

Content/Concept
(What do your
students need to
KNOW?)
The density of an object
determines whether an
object floats or sinks in a
fluid.
(Standards 8d)
Buoyant force is equal to
the weight of the displaced
fluid.
(Standards b, c)

(How will you assess

what your students
ALREADY KNOW, and
assess WHAT
THEYVE LEARNED?)
Chapter
Tests/Quizzes
Projects
Labs
Role Play
Oral Assessments
White Boards, etc.

Priority
Skills
(What discrete subject
matter competencies
do students need to
DEMONSTRATE?)
Calculate density
Memorize the density formula
Compare the weight of displaced
fluid to the weight of an object,
and decide whether the object will
float in the fluid.
Know that water has a density of
1.0 g./ml.

Page 5 of 6

Resources
(What MATERIALS will
teachers need?)

Chapters 9, 10, 11,

and 13.1
Prentice Hall text
Prentice Hall
supplementary
resources
United Streaming
Edusoft Instructional
Resources

(% CST, %
CAHSEE,
Endurance,
Leverage,
Readiness)
2%

5%

BIG IDEA:

The Universe is filled with stars and their satellites.

Assessment
Content/Concept

Timeline

Essential Questions

(By
Quarter)

(What concepts should

students remember and
WHY?)

(What do your
students need to
KNOW?)

EQ 15: What role does

gravity lay in the formation of
our solar system?

Gravity has formed and

maintained the shapes of
planets, stars, and the
solar system
(Standard 2g)

Quarter 4

Gravity keeps objects in

orbiting motion
(Standard 2g)

(How will you assess

what your students
ALREADY KNOW, and
assess WHAT
THEYVE LEARNED?)
Chapter
Tests/Quizzes
Projects
Labs
Role Play
Oral Assessments
White Boards, etc.

Priority
Skills
(What discrete subject
matter competencies
do students need to
DEMONSTRATE?)
Describe the roles that gravity
and inertia play in revolution.

Resources
(What MATERIALS will
teachers need?)

Chapters 12, 14, 15,

and optional 13.2
13.4
Prentice Hall text
Prentice Hall
supplementary
resources
United Streaming
Edusoft Instructional
Resources

(% CST, %
CAHSEE,
Endurance,
Leverage,
Readiness)
2%

2%

EQ 16: How is earth

different than other planets?

Characteristics of each of
the eight planets.
(Standard 4e)

List the characteristics of inner

and outer planets.

4%

EQ 17: How does the sun

compare to other stars?

Average star in size and

temperature?
(Standard 4b)

Describe the life cycle of each of

the different masses and stars.

4%

EQ 18: How is distance in

space measured?

Astronomical and light

years
(Standard 4c)

Discern between the appropriate

uses of light-years and
astronomical units.

2%

Page 6 of 6