NAC389.4915. Science: Standards.

By the end of the 12th grade, pupils must know, understand and be able to do everything required in the previous grades for courses in science offered in public schools. Instruction in the 9th grade through the 12th grade must be designed so that pupils meet the following standards by the completion of the 12th grade:

     1. For the area of science inquiry:

     (a) Understand that various methods of communication can be used to share scientific information;

     (b) Know that tables, charts, illustrations and graphs can be used to make scientific arguments or claims and can be used as visual aids for oral and written presentations regarding such scientific arguments or claims;

     (c) Know that scientists maintain a permanent record of procedures, data, analyses, decisions and understandings of scientific investigations;

     (d) Know that experiments which are repeated allow scientists to prepare statistical analyses and make unbiased conclusions;

     (e) Know how safely to conduct an original scientific investigation using the appropriate tools and technology; and

     (f) Know that models and modeling can be used to identify and predict certain cause-and-effect relationships.

     2. For the areas of science, technology and society:

     (a) Understand the impact of science and technology as it relates to the costs and benefits to society;

     (b) Know that science, technology and society have positive and negative influences on one another;

     (c) Know that patterns of consumption, efforts at conservation, and cultural and social practices in various countries have different impacts on the environment;

     (d) Know the influence of ethics on scientific enterprise; and

     (e) Know that scientific knowledge is built on previous scientific information.

     3. For the area of matter:

     (a) Understand that atomic structure explains the properties and behavior of matter;

     (b) Know that different molecular arrangements and motions account for the different physical properties of solids, liquids and gases;

     (c) Know that elements in the periodic table are arranged into groups and periods by repeating patterns and relationships;

     (d) Know that identifiable properties can be used to separate mixtures;

     (e) Know that atoms bond with one another by transferring or sharing electrons;

     (f) Know that chemical reactions can take place at different rates depending on a variety of factors which include, without limitation, temperature, concentration, surface area and agitation;

     (g) Know that chemical reactions release energy or absorb energy;

     (h) Know that during a chemical reaction, elements combine in predictable ratios and the numbers of atoms of each element do not change;

     (i) Know that most elements have two or more isotopes, some of which have certain practical applications; and

     (j) Know that the number of electrons in an atom determines whether the atom is:

          (1) An electrically neutral atom; or

          (2) An ion.

     4. For the areas of force and motion:

     (a) Understand the interactions between force and motion;

     (b) Know that the laws of motion can be used to determine the effects of certain forces on the motion of an object;

     (c) Know that an electromagnetic force can be established by magnetic forces and electric forces;

     (d) Know that the strength of the electric force between two objects:

          (1) Increases with an increase in the charge of the force; and

          (2) Decreases with an increase in the distance between the objects; and

     (e) Know that the strength of the gravitational force between two objects:

          (1) Increases with an increase in the mass of the objects; and

          (2) Decreases rapidly with an increase in the distance between the objects.

     5. For the area of energy:

     (a) Understand that there are interactions between matter and energy;

     (b) Know that certain waves, including, without limitation, sound waves, seismic waves and electromagnetic waves, have energy that can be transferred when the waves interact with matter;

     (c) Know that forms of energy can be converted;

     (d) Know that nuclear reactions can convert a relatively small amount of material into a large amount of energy;

     (e) Know the characteristics, applications and impacts of radioactivity;

     (f) Know the relationship between heat and temperature; and

     (g) Know that electricity is transferred from sources which generate electricity for consumption and practical uses.

     6. For the area of heredity:

     (a) Understand how genetic information is passed from one generation to the next generation;

     (b) Know that genetic information which is passed from a parent to an offspring is coded in the DNA molecule;

     (c) Know that DNA molecules provide instructions for assembling protein molecules;

     (d) Know that all cells in the body of an organism develop from a single cell and contain essentially identical genetic instructions;

     (e) Know several causes and effects of somatic mutations versus sex-cell mutations; and

     (f) Know how to predict patterns of inherited characteristics.

     7. For the area of the structure of life:

     (a) Understand that all life forms at every level of organization have specialized structures and use similar processes to satisfy the needs of life;

     (b) Know the structure and function of cells;

     (c) Know that the human body has a specialized anatomy and physiology composed of a hierarchical arrangement of differentiated cells; and

     (d) Know that disease disrupts the equilibrium that exists in a healthy organism.

     8. For the area of organisms and their environment:

     (a) Understand that ecosystems display patterns of organization, stability and change which result from the interactions and interdependencies between the living and nonliving components of the earth;

     (b) Know the relationship between various organisms and their physical environments;

     (c) Know how changes in an ecosystem can affect the biodiversity in the ecosystem and the contribution of the biodiversity to the stability of an ecosystem;

     (d) Know that the amount of living matter that an environment can support is limited by the availability of matter and energy and the ability of the ecosystem to recycle certain materials; and

     (e) Know the unique geological, hydrological, climatic and biological characteristics of the bioregions of the State of Nevada.

     9. For the area of the diversity of life:

     (a) Understand biological evolution and the diversity of life;

     (b) Know that organisms can be classified based on evolutionary relationships;

     (c) Know that the similarity of sequences of DNA provide evidence of relationships between certain organisms;

     (d) Know that records of fossils provide evidence of natural selection and the evolutionary consequences of natural selection;

     (e) Know that the extinction of a species can be a natural process;

     (f) Know that biological evolution explains the diversity of life; and

     (g) Know the concepts of natural and artificial selection.

     10. For the areas of the atmospheric processes and the cycle of water:

     (a) Understand that heat and energy transfer in and out of the atmosphere and influence the weather and the climate of the earth;

     (b) Know that the sun is a major source of the energy for the earth and provides the energy that establishes the weather and the climate of the earth;

     (c) Know that the composition of the atmosphere of the earth has changed in the past and continues to change;

     (d) Understand the role of the atmosphere in the greenhouse effect of the earth;

     (e) Know that convection and radiation play important roles in moving heat energy throughout the earth; and

     (f) Know that the rotation of the earth affects wind currents and ocean currents.

     11. For the area of the solar system and the universe:

     (a) Know the scientific theories of the origins and evolution of the universe;

     (b) Know the common characteristics of stars;

     (c) Know that stars are powered by the nuclear fusion of lighter elements into heavier elements, which results in the release of large amounts of energy;

     (d) Know the ways in which technology has increased the understanding of the universe;

     (e) Know the continuing processes involved in the formation and destruction of stars; and

     (f) Know that scientific evidence suggests that the universe is expanding.

     12. For the area of the structure and composition of the earth:

     (a) Understand scientific evidence concerning processes that take place on a geological time scale;

     (b) Know how successive rock strata and fossils can be used to confirm the age, history and changing life forms of the earth, including, without limitation, the manner in which this evidence is affected by the folding, breaking and uplifting of layers of the earth;

     (c) Understand the concept of and evidence supporting plate tectonics, including, without limitation, structural, geophysical and paleontological evidence;

     (d) Know that elements exist in fixed amounts and move through solid earth, oceans, the atmosphere and living things as part of biogeochemical cycles;

     (e) Know the processes of obtaining, using and recycling renewable and nonrenewable resources; and

     (f) Know that soil, which is derived from weathered rocks and decomposed organic material, is found in layers of the earth.

     (Added to NAC by Bd. of Education by R075-99, eff. 11-4-99; A by R041-05, 10-31-2005)