Concepts



Atoms, minerals and rocks

  1. That all everyday material substances are made up of atoms.

  2. That density is a direct result of the packing of atoms and their subsidiary parts in space.

  3. That the relative ... of rocks are minerals and atoms.

  4. That igneous rocks form from solidification of molten lava and magma.

  5. That the age of an igneous rock is determined by the age of last solidification.

  6. That igneous and metamorphic rocks make up the bulk of Earth.

  7. That the texture of igneous rocks reveals rate of cooling and other environmental conditions where it formed.

  8. That the composition of igneous rocks reveals the tectonic setting in which it formed.



Climate

  1. That sunlight heats the Earth's surface and sets its air temperature.

  2. That the Sun's energy is the primary source of heating for the planet's surface.

  3. That the curvature of the Earth's surface, rather than differences in distance to the Sun, causes the concentration of sunlight to vary between equator and poles.

  4. That areas of the Earth's surface closer to the poles are cooler because they receive less sunlight.

  5. That the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to its orbit around the Sun causes seasonal variations in sunlight.

  6. That moving air in the atmosphere and water in the oceans redistributes some of the energy and influences local climate.

  7. That it is cooler with increasing altitude in the region where weather takes place.

  8. That the same level of coolness in the atmosphere occurs at increasingly lower elevations closer to the poles.

  9. That the snowline drops from about x to sea level at the poles.

  10. That precipitation ...


Cultural ecology

  1. That different living things are suited for life in different environmental conditions.

  2. That different environmental conditions occur because of variations in the shape and composition of the solid Earth and conditions in air and water.

  3. The availability of specific food and clothing materials depend on environmental conditions because these items usually consist of living things.

  4. When environmental conditions change, traditional food and clothing sources may be at risk of disappearing.

  5. The availability of many mineral resources depends on the tectonic setting in which local rocks formed.

  6. Because tectonic settings vary, and rocks move over long periods of time, local availability of specific mineral resources vary.

  7. Petroleum availability depends on both environmental conditions because it was once living, but also on tectonic setting becuase is buried.

  8. Marine settings ...



Atoms, minerals and rocks

  1. Since atoms are too small to see, we know they exist based on evidence that you will be ready to understand in high school of afterwards.

  2. Knowing about the basic configuration of atoms is relatively recent, being known for only the last century, compared with knowledge of numbers relationships described by algebra that goes back more than a thousand years.

  3. The behavior and properties of materials, such as chemistry, density, and phase change make sense assuming certain structures of atoms.

  4. The behavior of elements in response to light and other radiation provide clues to their structure.

  5. The amount of energy required to make changes to the nucleus of atoms provides clues.



Climate

  1. Climate has been observed and recorded by people living in different places around the world.

  2. Once instruments such as thermometers were invented, aspects of climate such as air and water temperatures could be meausured in a consistent way by different people.

  3. Once instruments such as thermometers could pass measurements to computers connectd to the internet, networks of measurements could be made around the world.

  4. Since human lifespans are short, including the existence of people at all, there are ways to estimate climatic conditions such as temperature and precipitation using other clues such as fossils, tree-rings, the composition of rocks, and more, extending climate records far into the Earth's past.



Cultural ecology

  1. The relationship of humans to the environement and their dependence on other living things is known by observation and analysis.

  2. Models are used to estimate change.



Atoms, minerals and rocks

  1. Knowledge of atoms helps us understand how materials behave and to choose or make materials to fit a particular need.

  2. Knowledge of minerals helps us locate and identify mined resources.

  3. Knowledge of minerals and rocks helps us understand processes involved in the initial formation of the Earth, the development of the layers inside, and current processes inside the Earth.

  4. Lets us interpret materials found on other planets.

  5. Lets us predict some geologic hazards.



Climate

  1. It lets us understand key limits to life, such as the availability of sunlight and water, so that we can adjust the way we live and what we grow for food to be compatible with existing conditions and sustainable modifications.

  2. It lets us know how much weather variation to expect in order to plan ahead to minimize loss of life and property in the future.

  3. It lets us know why ... in the past.

  4. If we anticipate shortage or threhold temp sooner than it happens, we can plan ahead.

  5. We can borrow strategies found in other living things



Cultural ecology

  1. Farming, sustainability

  2. Society