The Earth As a Planet

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
* demonstrate an understanding of the properties of the Earth and of the internal (geological) and external (cosmic) processes operating on it, and draw comparisons with other objects in the solar system;
* investigate and analyse the Earth’s place in the solar system and the effects of cosmic and geological processes on it and on other objects in the solar system;
* describe and explain how observations of the Earth and other objects in the solar system, made both from Earth and from space, are used to study and better understand the natural and the human-made environments of the Earth.

Specific Expectations

Understanding Basic Concepts

By the end of this course, students will:
* visualize and describe the size, shape, and motions of the solar system, and the place of the Earth within it;
* describe the origin and evolution of the Earth and other objects in the solar system, and identify the fundamental forces and processes involved;
* compare the Earth with other objects in the solar system with respect to such properties as mass, size, composition, rotation, and magnetic field;
* describe and explain the following external processes and phenomena that affect the Earth: radiation and particles from the “quiet” and “active” sun; gravity and tides of the sun and moon; and the impacts of asteroidal and cometary material;
* describe the properties of the near-Earth space environment.

Developing Skills of Inquiry and Communication

By the end of this course, students will:
* formulate scientific questions about the nature, origin, and evolution of the Earth and other objects in the solar system;
* visualize and describe the size, shape, and motions of the solar system, and compare the Earth with other planets and objects within it, on the basis of information gathered through research;
* assess critically the scientific questions they have formulated and the information they have gathered in order to identify the fundamental forces and processes that shape the interior, surface, and atmosphere of the Earth and other objects in the solar system;
* identify surface features of the Earth and other objects in the solar system (e.g., craters, faults, volcanoes), using light, infrared, and radio/radar images;
* investigate, either through laboratory activities or research, the interaction of radiation and impacting particles with Earth materials such as air, water, and rock;
* assess the risks associated with solar ultraviolet radiation, and with the collision of asteroidal and cometary material with the Earth.

Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment

By the end of this course, students will:
* explain how the study of other planets and objects in the solar system has led to a better understanding of the Earth (e.g., explain how studying the greenhouse effect on Venus has increased understanding of the same effect on Earth);
* demonstrate an understanding of some of the historical, cultural, and aesthetic consequences of changes in the perception and understanding of the Earth’s place in space (e.g., evaluate the impact of images of the whole Earth taken from space);
* describe how observations and measurements of the Earth made from space are used to study and better understand natural physical elements of the Earth’s environment (e.g., its crust, water, air) as well as human-made elements (e.g., crops, cities, air and water pollution);
* describe the challenges of designing piloted and robotic spacecraft, and of operating them in near-Earth space;
* investigate Canada’s contributions to the study of our planet from near-Earth space (e.g., Radarsat, International Space Station), using information from various print and electronic sources;
* evaluate the negative effects of human activity on near-Earth space (e.g., space debris, pollution of the electromagnetic spectrum).


Introduction to Earth Sciences

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:
* identify and describe the elements and dynamic interactions of the Earth’s natural systems;
* investigate the basic structure of the planet and the geological processes associated with it, and use the knowledge gained to explain the major interactions among the hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere;
* assess the impact of natural forces and systems on the Earth’s physical and human environments, as well as the impact of human activities on natural systems.

Specific Expectations

Understanding Basic Concepts

By the end of this course, students will:
* demonstrate an understanding of the range of physical scales that apply in the Earth sciences (e.g., from those that apply to the planet as a whole to those used at the atomic level);
* describe the major interactions among the four spheres of the Earth – the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere;
* demonstrate an understanding of the continuous recycling of major rock types throughout Earth history, of the evidence that this process provides with respect to the length and complexity of Earth history, and of the very late appearance of human beings in the geological record;
* describe various kinds of evidence that suggests that life forms, climate, continental positions, and the Earth’s crust have changed over time (e.g., the extinction of the dinosaurs, evidence of past glaciations, evidence of the existence of Pangaea and Gondwanaland).

Developing Skills of Inquiry and Communication

By the end of this course, students will:
* interpret data about the nature of natural disasters, and explain the involvement of physical processes and the role of Earth science in connection with such events;
* demonstrate an understanding of the major tools and techniques (e.g., seismograph, magnetic signature of the ocean floor) that various Earth scientists (e.g., seismologists, geophysicists) use to conduct research on the basic structure and processes of the planet;
* document and explain, through investigation, examples of the complex interconnectedness of physical, chemical, and biological processes as they apply to the Earth (e.g., plants live in the biosphere by taking nutrients and other crucial substances from the other three spheres of the Earth, to which they also contribute important substances).

Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment

By the end of this course, students will:
* explain the interactions of the atmosphere and hydrosphere in the water cycle, and the impact of these interactions on humans;
* describe and explain the effects of natural systems on the Earth’s physical and human environments, and the increasing alteration of certain natural systems that has resulted from human activities;
* analyse, through cooperative research, national and international Earth science endeavours (e.g., Lithoprobe, Ocean Drilling Program) that have increased our understanding of the Earth’s crust, and assess the merits of funding such projects;
* assess how developments in technology have contributed to our understanding of the Earth (e.g., the development of sonar to map the ocean floor).