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How to learn High school: Science

Colorado academic standards: Science, High school

0 of 42 concepts ready to learn · Markdown, for your AI

1. Apply understanding of animal behavior to animal care and use · Analyze the impact of environmental conditions on animal production

  1. How Natural Selection Works: Explain natural selection as the mechanism of evolution: heritable variation + competition for resources + differential survival and reproduction = change in allele frequency over generations

2. Describe the principles of nutrition and digestion and the role within an animal system · Describe feed classification and composition

  1. Digestion & Enzymes: Describe the organs of the human digestive system and how food is physically and chemically digested, including the role of enzymes as biological catalysts

3. Describe the principles of nutrition and digestion and the role within an animal system · Identify common nutrients and their role in animal growth and development

  1. Nutrients in a Healthy Diet: Identify the seven components of a healthy diet — carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, and water — and explain the role of each in the body

4. Understand the impact of disease, parasites and physiological disorders on animal health · Explain the principle of immunity and it's role in maintaining animal health

  1. Pathogens & the Immune System: Explain how pathogens (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) cause disease and describe how the immune system responds, including the roles of white blood cells (phagocytosis, antibody production) and the concept of immunity

5. Explain the role of genetics and reproductive management in animal systems · Understand current reproductive technologies and their application in an animal breeding program

  1. Human Reproduction: Describe the structure and function of the male and female human reproductive systems, and explain the processes of fertilisation, gestation, and birth including the role of the placenta

6. Explain the role of genetics and reproductive management in animal systems · Explain the process of animal selection, and the role selection plays in improving animal systems

  1. Predicting Inherited Traits: Explain how alleles are inherited in sexual reproduction and use Punnett squares to predict the probability of offspring inheriting a characteristic, including dominant and recessive alleles

7. Understand how animal growth, development and environmental interactions impact animal production · Explain cell structure and function

  1. Parts of Plant and Animal Cells: Describe the functions of the main components of plant and animal cells: cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, vacuole, mitochondria, ribosomes, and chloroplasts
  2. Grouping Species Using DNA: Explain cladistics: organisms are grouped by shared derived characters, not just similarity; how phylogenetic trees are built using molecular data (DNA sequence alignment) and the molecular clock; explain why birds are technically a group within dinosaurs (crown Avemetatarsalia); distinguish convergent evolution (unrelated species evolving similar traits) from parallel evolution; introduce horizontal gene transfer and why the tree of life is more accurately a web; explain why classification systems keep changing as new data emerge

8. Understand and analyze the environmental impact of energy production and use and the effect of efficiency on energy demands. · Analysis and application of energy saving techniques.

  1. Net Zero & Energy Transition: Evaluate the energy transition required to reach net zero: renewable energy scaling, electrification of transport and heat, green hydrogen; describe carbon capture and storage (CCS) and direct air capture (DAC); introduce proposed solar radiation management techniques (stratospheric aerosol injection, marine cloud brightening) and their potential risks and governance challenges; critically evaluate the role of individual behaviour change versus systemic policy in reducing emissions

9. Understand and analyze the environmental impact of energy production and use and the effect of efficiency on energy demands. · Understand the physics of energy movement.

  1. Finite Resources & Recycling: Explain that many raw materials (metals, fossil fuels, minerals) are finite resources, describe the environmental costs of extraction, and evaluate the benefits of recycling and the circular economy

10. Understand and analyze the environmental impact of energy production and use and the effect of efficiency on energy demands. · Understand the applications and environmental effects of energy extractio

  1. Earth's Atmosphere & CO2: Describe the composition of Earth's atmosphere (mainly nitrogen and oxygen, with small amounts of CO₂ and other gases), explain how human activity increases CO₂, and describe the impact on global climate

11. Understand and analyze the environmental impact of energy production and use and the effect of efficiency on energy demands. · Understand the environmental implications of energy conversion processes

  1. Renewable vs non-renewable energy: Distinguish between renewable energy resources (solar, wind, hydroelectric, tidal, geothermal, biomass) and non-renewable resources (coal, oil, gas, nuclear), comparing their advantages, disadvantages, and environmental impacts

12. Recognize the components of wildlife management · Recognize the importance of species management and management ethics

  1. The Biodiversity Crisis: Quantify the current biodiversity crisis: extinction rates 100-1000x the background rate; explain methods for measuring biodiversity loss (species-area relationship, population viability analysis, IUCN Red List categories); evaluate rewilding case studies — Yellowstone wolf reintroduction triggering a trophic cascade that changed river courses; Iberian lynx recovery; describe minimum viable population theory and conservation triage; examine ethical debates in deciding which species to prioritise

13. Recognize the components of wildlife management · Recognize the affects of human interaction in the form of hunting on a wildlife area

  1. Biodiversity & Resilience: Explain what biodiversity means, why high biodiversity makes ecosystems more resilient, and describe the ways human activity threatens biodiversity (habitat destruction, pollution, invasive species, climate change)

14. Recognize the components of wildlife management · Recognize and explain wildlife animal adaptations

  1. Predator Loss and Ecosystem Effects: Quantify energy transfer efficiency through trophic levels (~10% rule); explain trophic cascades: how removing an apex predator triggers a chain of ecosystem changes (sea otters → sea urchin explosion → kelp forest collapse); define 'fishing down the food web'; evaluate evidence for ocean rewilding — shark reintroduction, whale recovery driving nutrient cycling; understand why ecosystem-based fisheries management is needed

15. Recognize the importance of navigation and the variety of navigational tools · Become familiar with modern mapping technology and software

  1. Deep-Ocean Exploration Technology: Explain how crewed submersibles (Alvin, Deepsea Challenger) and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) allow exploration of the deep; describe acoustic seafloor mapping using sonar and why only ~25% of the ocean floor has been mapped at high resolution; explore why the deep ocean is harder to explore than the surface of the Moon (pressure, cold, darkness, communication difficulties); survey astrobiology missions targeting ocean worlds in our solar system

16. Understand and apply the scientific principles of an ecosystem · Understand the impact of plant diseases & invasive species on the health of rangeland and forest areas

  1. Species Distribution & Change: Explain how environmental change (climate change, habitat loss, pollution) affects the distribution of species, including range shifts, local extinction, and invasive species

17. Understand and apply the scientific principles of an ecosystem · Understand nutrient cycles and their impact on an ecological system

  1. The Carbon Cycle: Describe the carbon cycle, tracing carbon through photosynthesis, respiration, feeding, decomposition, and combustion, and explain the role of each process

18. Life Science · Recognize that living things have unique characteristics and basic needs that can be observed and studied.

  1. Cells Under the Microscope: Understand that all living organisms are made of cells and use a light microscope to observe, interpret, and record cell structure

19. Physical Science · Recognize there are cause-and-effect relationships related to matter and energy.

  1. Physical vs Chemical Changes: Distinguish between physical changes (reversible, no new substances formed) and chemical changes (new substances formed, often irreversible), using conservation of mass to understand both types

20. Earth and Space Science · Natural hazards and other geological events have shaped the course of human history at local, regional, and global scales.

  1. Hazard Assessment & Evacuation: Explain probabilistic hazard assessment using eruption recurrence intervals and fault slip rates; describe how volcano observatories monitor ground deformation, gas emissions, and seismicity to issue alert levels; explore why communities remain near active hazards (fertile volcanic soil, poverty, cultural ties); discuss the ethics and politics of evacuation decisions and the social justice dimensions of disaster risk

21. Earth and Space Science · Plate tectonics can be viewed as the surface expression of mantle convection, which is driven by heat from radioactive decay within Earth's crust and mantle.

  1. How Tectonic Plates Move: Understand that convection currents in the molten mantle drive the movement of rigid tectonic plates; distinguish between convergent (collision/subduction), divergent (spreading ridges), and transform (sliding) plate boundaries; explain why volcanoes, earthquakes, and mountain chains cluster at boundaries; introduce the Wilson cycle of supercontinent assembly and breakup

22. Earth and Space Science · The rock record resulting from tectonic and other geoscience processes as well as objects from the solar system can provide evidence of Earth's early history and the relative

  1. Reading Ancient Climate Records: Explain how ice cores preserve ancient air bubbles, isotope ratios, and volcanic markers allowing reconstruction of temperature and CO2 going back 800,000 years; describe tree rings, ocean sediment cores, coral skeletons, and pollen records as additional climate proxies; explain how climate models are built and validated against the palaeoclimate record; describe the IPCC process of synthesising scientific evidence across thousands of studies to produce consensus assessments

23. Earth and Space Science · Explanations of and predictions about the motions of orbiting objects are described by the laws of physics.

  1. Orbital Mechanics: Apply Newton's laws to explain orbital motion: why orbit is continuously falling sideways rather than floating; how a gravity assist (slingshot manoeuvre) transfers momentum from a planet to a spacecraft; and why rockets need to reach a specific speed to enter orbit — with a conceptual (not algebraic) treatment of the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation

24. Earth and Space Science · All stars, including the sun, undergo stellar evolution, and the study of stars' light spectra and brightness is used to identify compositional elements of stars, their movem

  1. Galaxies and the universe: Describe the scale of the universe, including the structure of galaxies, the position of the Sun in the Milky Way, and the use of light years as a unit of distance, and appreciate why space exploration requires enormous timescales
  2. Life Cycle of a Star: Describe the life cycle of a star from nebula through main sequence to its end state (white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole depending on mass), and relate the life cycle to the origin of elements heavier than hydrogen

25. Life Science · Evidence of common ancestry and diversity between species can be determined by examining variations including genetic, anatomical and physiological differences.

  1. Evidence for Evolution: Describe the main types of evidence for evolution: the fossil record (change over time), comparative anatomy (homologous structures), and the geographic distribution of related species

26. Life Science · Variation between individuals results from genetic and environmental factors.

  1. Genetic Mutation: Explain genetic mutation as a random change in DNA sequence, describe causes of mutation (e.g. radiation, chemicals, copying errors), and explain that most mutations are neutral, some harmful, and a few beneficial
  2. Variation in Species: Explain variation within and between species, distinguishing between continuous variation (e.g. height) and discontinuous variation (e.g. blood group), and between genetic and environmental causes

27. Life Science · The characteristics of one generation are dependent upon the genetic information inherited from previous generations.

  1. Chromosomes, Genes & DNA: Describe the relationship between chromosomes, genes, and DNA in heredity, including the double helix structure of DNA and the historical roles of Watson, Crick, Franklin, and Wilkins

28. Life Science · Organisms use matter and energy to live and grow.

  1. Aerobic Respiration: Explain aerobic respiration as the process by which organisms release energy from glucose using oxygen, producing carbon dioxide and water; write and interpret the word equation: glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water
  2. Photosynthesis: Explain photosynthesis as the process by which plants use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen, and describe how mineral nutrients are absorbed through roots

29. Life Science · Growth and division of cells in complex organisms occurs by mitosis, which differentiates specific cell types.

  1. Cancer & Stem Cells: Explain that cancer occurs when mutations in DNA disable normal cell-cycle controls, causing uncontrolled cell division and tumour formation; describe how stem cells differ from specialised cells and their potential for regenerative medicine; and evaluate the ethical debates around embryonic stem cell research and genetic testing

30. Life Science · DNA codes for the complex hierarchical organization of systems that enable life's functions.

  1. DNA & Genes: Describe the double helix structure of DNA (base pairs, complementarity), explain how genes are sections of DNA that code for proteins, introduce the central dogma (DNA → mRNA → protein) conceptually, and discuss the ethical implications of CRISPR gene editing — including potential benefits (genetic disease treatment) and concerns (germline editing, 'designer babies')

31. Physical Science · Multiple technologies that are part of everyday experiences are based on waves and their interactions with matter.

  1. Waves & Different Materials: Explain how waves can be absorbed, transmitted, or reflected by different materials, and apply these interactions to explain colour perception, sight, communication technologies, and the effects of different surfaces on wave behaviour

32. Physical Science · Waves have characteristic properties and behaviors.

  1. Wave Properties & Types: Describe waves in terms of amplitude, wavelength, frequency, and wave speed; distinguish transverse waves (oscillation perpendicular to direction of travel) from longitudinal waves (oscillation parallel); and use the wave equation v = fλ

33. Physical Science · Although energy cannot be destroyed, it can be converted to less useful forms as it is captured, stored and transferred.

  1. Energy can't be created or destroyed: Explain the principle of conservation of energy (energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred between stores), and describe how energy is dissipated as thermal energy to the surroundings in all real processes

34. Physical Science · Force fields (gravitational, electric, and magnetic) contain energy and can transmit energy across space from one object to another.

  1. Motors & the Motor Effect: Explain the motor effect as the force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field, and describe how this principle is used in electric motors and loudspeakers

35. Physical Science · Energy is a quantitative property of a system that depends on the motion and interactions of matter and radiation within that system.

  1. Power: watts and energy per second: Define power as the rate of energy transfer (power = energy ÷ time, measured in watts), and compare energy transfer rates in different everyday contexts

36. Physical Science · Forces at a distance are explained by fields that can transfer energy and can be described in terms of the arrangement and properties of the interacting objects and the distance bet

  1. Electromagnets: Describe the magnetic effect of an electric current (a current-carrying wire produces a magnetic field), and investigate how the strength of an electromagnet depends on current, number of coil turns, and core material
  2. Newton's First & Second Laws: State and apply Newton's First Law (an object stays at rest or constant velocity unless acted on by a resultant force) and Second Law (force = mass × acceleration), including the relationship between mass, force, and acceleration

37. Physical Science · The sub-atomic structural model and interactions between electric charges at the atomic scale can be used to explain the structure and interactions of matter.

  1. Metals vs Non-Metals: Compare the physical and chemical properties of metals and non-metals, explaining metallic properties (malleability, lustre, conductivity) and how position in the periodic table predicts reactivity