Coastal Explorers Core Themes

CT Core Science Framework Fit

SoundWaters Coastal Explorers Program targets multiple CT Core Science Curriculum Framework Content Standards.  Specifically,  SoundWaters science enrichment curriculum is designed to encourage scientific inquiry, literacy and numeracy at appropriate developmental levels.  Over the course of the Coastal Explorers Program, students are called-upon to develop aspects of the following Expected Performances for the state’s Grades 6-8 Cluster:

C INQ.5 Use appropriate tools and techniques to make observations and gather data.

C INQ.6 Use mathematical operations to analyze and interpret data.

C INQ.8 Draw conclusions and identify sources of error.

C INQ.9 Provide explanations to investigated problems or questions.

C INQ.10 Communicate about science in different formats, using relevant science vocabulary, supporting evidence and clear logic.

 

Grade 6

Core Themes, Content Standards and Expected Performances
Content Standards Expected Performances
Properties of Matter – How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of materials?6.1 – Materials can be classified as pure substances or mixtures, depending on their chemical and physical properties.Mixtures are made of combinations of elements and/or compounds, and they can be separated by using a variety of physical means.Pure substances can be either elements or compounds, and they cannot be broken down by physical means. C 2.Describe how the properties of simple compounds, such as water and table salt, are different from the properties of the elements of which they are made.

C 3.Explain how mixtures can be separated by using the properties of the substances from which they are made, such as particle size, density, solubility and boiling point.
Matter and Energy in Ecosystems – How do matter and energy flow through ecosystems?6.2 – An ecosystem is composed of all the populations that are living in a certain space and the physical factors with which they interact.Populations in ecosystems are affected by biotic factors, such as other populations, and abiotic factors, such as soil and water supply. C 4.Describe how abiotic factors, such as temperature, water and sunlight, affect the ability of plants to create their own food through photosynthesis.
Energy in the Earth’s Systems – How do external and internal sources of energy affect the Earth’s systems?6.3 – Variations in the amount of the sun’s energy hitting the Earth’s surface affect daily and seasonal weather patterns. Local and regional weather are affected by the amount of solar energy these areas receive and by their proximity to a large body of water. C 8.Explain how local weather conditions are related to the temperature, pressure and water content of the atmosphere and the proximity to a large body of water.
Science and Technology in Society – How do science and technology affect the quality of our lives?6.4 – Water moving across and through earth materials carries with it the products of human activities. Most precipitation that falls on Connecticut eventually reaches Long Island Sound. C 10. Explain the role of septic and sewage systems on the quality of surface and ground water.C 11.Explain how human activity may impact water resources in Connecticut, such as ponds, rivers and the Long Island Sound ecosystem.

 

 

Grade 8

Core Themes, Content Standards and Expected Performances
Content Standards Expected Performances
Earth in the Solar System – How does the position of Earth in the solar system affect conditions on our planet?8.3 – The solar system is composed of planets and other objects that orbit the sun.Gravity is the force that governs the motions of objects in the solar system.The motion of the Earth and moon relative to the sun causes daily, monthly and yearly cycles on Earth. C 20. Explain how the regular motion and relative position of the sun, Earth and moon affect the seasons, phases of the moon and eclipses.

The Coastal Explorers Program covers topics within many of the middle school Connecticut Science Framework Core Themes.  The following is a list of topics discussed (in depth or slightly) during the course of the Coastal Explorers Program:

  • water, its properties and how it moves through the Earth’s environment
  • some ways the ocean affects the weather
  • the causes of tides and how currents produced by tides affect the coastal environment
  • estuaries and some water quality and current dynamics that characterize estuaries
  • the environmental chemistry of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide
  • how pollutants might enter the surface waters of the watershed
  • ways our community can reduce impacts upon the Earth’s limited resources
  • the limits and demands upon Earth’s resources (specifically clean water)