# High school: Science

A course roadmap (science). Language: en. By @si. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0. 0 of 32 concepts ready. In the app: https://ai.page/roadmap/ia-sci-high-school

Part of: [Iowa: Science](https://ai.page/roadmap/ia-sci.md)

Goal: Iowa academic standards: Science, High school

## 1. Earth and Human Activity

- [Earth's Atmosphere & CO2](https://ai.page/c/earth-s-atmosphere-and-co2/index.md): 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

## 2. Earth's Systems

- [The Carbon Cycle](https://ai.page/c/the-carbon-cycle/index.md): Describe the carbon cycle, tracing carbon through photosynthesis, respiration, feeding, decomposition, and combustion, and explain the role of each process

## 3. Earth's Place in the Universe

- [Life Cycle of a Star](https://ai.page/c/life-cycle-of-a-star/index.md): 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

## 4. Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

- [Biodiversity & Resilience](https://ai.page/c/biodiversity-and-resilience/index.md): 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)
- [How Natural Selection Works](https://ai.page/c/how-natural-selection-works/index.md): Explain natural selection as the mechanism of evolution: heritable variation + competition for resources + differential survival and reproduction = change in allele frequency over generations
- [Extinction & Rapid Change](https://ai.page/c/extinction-and-rapid-change/index.md): Explain how environmental change can outpace a species' ability to adapt through natural selection, leading to extinction, using historical and contemporary examples
- [Evidence for Evolution](https://ai.page/c/evidence-for-evolution/index.md): 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

## 5. Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

- [Chromosomes, Genes & DNA](https://ai.page/c/chromosomes-genes-and-dna/index.md): 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
- [Predicting Inherited Traits](https://ai.page/c/predicting-inherited-traits/index.md): 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
- [Genetic Mutation](https://ai.page/c/genetic-mutation/index.md): 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

## 6. Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

- [Predator Loss and Ecosystem Effects](https://ai.page/c/predator-loss-and-ecosystem-effects/index.md): 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

## 7. From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

- [Aerobic Respiration](https://ai.page/c/aerobic-respiration/index.md): 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
- [Photosynthesis](https://ai.page/c/photosynthesis/index.md): 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
- [Cells to Organ Systems](https://ai.page/c/cells-to-organ-systems/index.md): Describe the hierarchical organisation of multicellular organisms: cells → tissues → organs → organ systems → organism
- [How the Body Stays in Balance](https://ai.page/c/how-the-body-stays-in-balance/index.md): Explain homeostasis as the process of maintaining a stable internal environment; describe the main feedback loop systems (negative feedback) using blood glucose regulation (insulin/glucagon) and body temperature as concrete examples; and connect the endocrine system (hormone-secreting glands) to the nervous system as two complementary communication systems with different speeds and durations

## 8. Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

- [Waves & Different Materials](https://ai.page/c/waves-and-different-materials/index.md): 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

## 9. Energy

- [Motors & the Motor Effect](https://ai.page/c/motors-and-the-motor-effect/index.md): 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
- [Body Temperature Regulation](https://ai.page/c/body-temperature-regulation/index.md): Explain how the human body detects and responds to environmental changes including temperature, including the role of the skin in temperature regulation (sweating, shivering, vasodilation, vasoconstriction)

## 10. Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

- [Electromagnets](https://ai.page/c/electromagnets/index.md): 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
- [Newton's First & Second Laws](https://ai.page/c/newton-s-first-and-second-laws/index.md): 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

## 11. Matter and Its Interactions

- [Physical vs Chemical Changes](https://ai.page/c/physical-vs-chemical-changes/index.md): 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
- [Investigating Forces](https://ai.page/c/investigating-forces/index.md): Plan and carry out investigations into forces, including measuring force with a newton meter, investigating Hooke's Law, and collecting and interpreting motion data to test Newton's laws
- [Metals vs Non-Metals](https://ai.page/c/metals-vs-non-metals/index.md): 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

## 12. Speaking and Listening Standards

- [Writing Science Reports](https://ai.page/c/writing-science-reports/index.md): Communicate scientific findings in a structured report using appropriate scientific vocabulary, SI units, and standard notation; describe how peer review and replication contribute to the reliability of scientific knowledge

## 13. Writing Standards

- [Drawing conclusions from evidence (age 12+)](https://ai.page/c/drawing-conclusions-from-evidence-age-12/index.md): Identify patterns and trends in data, draw conclusions that directly address the hypothesis with quantitative reference to evidence, and evaluate the investigation by distinguishing between systematic and random errors and proposing targeted improvements

## 14. Earth and Space · Natural Resources

- [Finite Resources & Recycling](https://ai.page/c/finite-resources-and-recycling/index.md): 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
- [Hazard Assessment & Evacuation](https://ai.page/c/hazard-assessment-and-evacuation/index.md): 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

## 15. Life · Growth and Development of Organisms

- [Cells Under the Microscope](https://ai.page/c/cells-under-the-microscope/index.md): Understand that all living organisms are made of cells and use a light microscope to observe, interpret, and record cell structure

## 16. Physical · Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer

- [Reactions That Release or Absorb Heat](https://ai.page/c/reactions-that-release-or-absorb-heat/index.md): Distinguish between exothermic reactions (release energy, temperature rises) and endothermic reactions (absorb energy, temperature falls), with everyday and industrial examples

## 17. Science

- [Galaxies and the universe](https://ai.page/c/galaxies-and-the-universe/index.md): 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
- [Human Reproduction](https://ai.page/c/human-reproduction/index.md): 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
- [Digestion & Enzymes](https://ai.page/c/digestion-and-enzymes/index.md): Describe the organs of the human digestive system and how food is physically and chemically digested, including the role of enzymes as biological catalysts

## Health: 0 of 100

Of its 32 own concepts: 0 have an explanation, 0 have practice, 0 have a measurement question, 0 have a checked version.

Findings (each is a task for anyone's AI):

- Earth's Atmosphere & CO2 has no explanation yet
- The Carbon Cycle comes before Aerobic Respiration, which it needs
- The Carbon Cycle comes before Photosynthesis, which it needs
- The Carbon Cycle has no explanation yet
- Life Cycle of a Star comes before Galaxies and the universe, which it needs
- Life Cycle of a Star has no explanation yet
- Biodiversity & Resilience has no explanation yet
- How Natural Selection Works comes before Genetic Mutation, which it needs
- How Natural Selection Works has no explanation yet
- Extinction & Rapid Change has no explanation yet
- Evidence for Evolution has no explanation yet
- Chromosomes, Genes & DNA comes before Cells Under the Microscope, which it needs
- Chromosomes, Genes & DNA has no explanation yet
- Predicting Inherited Traits has no explanation yet
- Genetic Mutation has no explanation yet
- Predator Loss and Ecosystem Effects has no explanation yet
- Aerobic Respiration has no explanation yet
- Photosynthesis has no explanation yet
- Cells to Organ Systems has no explanation yet
- How the Body Stays in Balance has no explanation yet
- Waves & Different Materials has no explanation yet
- Motors & the Motor Effect comes before Electromagnets, which it needs
- Motors & the Motor Effect has no explanation yet
- Body Temperature Regulation has no explanation yet
- Electromagnets has no explanation yet
- Newton's First & Second Laws has no explanation yet
- Physical vs Chemical Changes has no explanation yet
- Investigating Forces has no explanation yet
- Metals vs Non-Metals has no explanation yet
- Writing Science Reports comes before Drawing conclusions from evidence (age 12+), which it needs
- Writing Science Reports has no explanation yet
- Drawing conclusions from evidence (age 12+) has no explanation yet
- Finite Resources & Recycling has no explanation yet
- Hazard Assessment & Evacuation has no explanation yet
- Cells Under the Microscope has no explanation yet
- Reactions That Release or Absorb Heat has no explanation yet
- Galaxies and the universe has no explanation yet
- Human Reproduction has no explanation yet
- Digestion & Enzymes has no explanation yet

Credit: The structure of Iowa academic standards: Science (https://educate.iowa.gov/media/8158/download?inline=); concepts from the Marble Skill Taxonomy (v1), © Generative Spark, Inc. (withmarble.com), text CC BY-SA 4.0, database ODbL 1.0: https://github.com/withmarbleapp/os-taxonomy, mapped to its standards by Marble.