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How to learn High school: Science

Idaho academic standards: Science, High school

0 of 39 concepts ready to learn · Markdown, for your AI

1. Earth and Space Science · Earth and Human Activity

  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
  2. 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)

2. Earth and Space Science · Earth's Systems

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

3. Earth and Space Science · Earth's Place in the Universe

  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

4. Life Science · Biological Adaptation: Unity and Diversity

  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. Extinction & Rapid Change: Explain how environmental change can outpace a species' ability to adapt through natural selection, leading to extinction, using historical and contemporary examples
  3. 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

5. Life Science · Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

  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
  2. 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
  3. 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

6. Life Science · Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

  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

7. Life Science · From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

  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
  3. Cells to Organ Systems: Describe the hierarchical organisation of multicellular organisms: cells → tissues → organs → organ systems → organism
  4. How the Body Stays in Balance: 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. Physical Science – Physics · Waves

  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

9. Physical Science – Physics · Energy

  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
  2. Body Temperature Regulation: 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)
  3. 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

10. Physical Science – Physics · Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

  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
  2. 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
  3. 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

11. Physical Science – Chemistry · Chemical Reactions

  1. Reactions That Release or Absorb Heat: Distinguish between exothermic reactions (release energy, temperature rises) and endothermic reactions (absorb energy, temperature falls), with everyday and industrial examples
  2. Types of Chemical Reaction: Identify and describe four types of chemical reaction: combustion (burning in oxygen), oxidation (gain of oxygen), thermal decomposition (breaking down by heat), and displacement (more reactive metal replaces less reactive one)

12. Physical Science – Chemistry · Structure and Properties 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
  2. Atoms, Elements & Compounds: Explain the differences between atoms, elements, and compounds; describe the simple Bohr model of the atom (nucleus with protons and neutrons, electrons in shells); and write and interpret chemical symbols and simple formulae

13. EXPLORE CAREER, TECHNOLOGY, AND CONSUMER EDUCATION IN FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION · EXAMINE CONSUMER EDUCATION ISSUES IN FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION

  1. Calculating Dietary Energy: Calculate and evaluate energy intake and requirements in a healthy daily diet, interpreting food labels and nutritional data

14. EXAMINE MICROBIOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PREPARATION · EXPLAIN THE CAUSES OF FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES AND PROCEDURES FOR PREVENTION

  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

15. DEMONSTRATE CHEMICAL PROCESSES INVOLVED IN FOOD PREPARATION · DEMONSTRATE THE PROCESS OF FERMENTATION AS IT APPLIES TO THE SCIENCE OF FOOD

  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

16. EXPLORE THE APPLICATION OF FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION · EXPLORE THE PROCESSES OF METABOLISM

  1. Anaerobic Respiration: Explain anaerobic respiration in animals as the incomplete breakdown of glucose to lactic acid when oxygen is in short supply, causing muscle fatigue; contrast this with aerobic respiration in terms of energy yield and products

17. EXPLORE THE APPLICATION OF FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION · EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF VITAMINS AND MINERALS IN FOOD SCIENCE

  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
  2. Diet Imbalance & Deficiency: Explain the health consequences of an imbalanced diet including obesity (excess energy), starvation (severe energy deficit), and deficiency diseases (lack of specific nutrients, e.g. scurvy, rickets)

18. EXPLORE CHEMISTRY IN FOOD SCIENCE · EXPLORE THE FORMATION OF COMPOUNDS THROUGH CHEMICAL BONDING IN FOODS

  1. Ceramics, Polymers & Composites: Describe the properties and uses of ceramics (hard, brittle, heat-resistant), polymers (flexible, lightweight, variable), and composites (combine properties of constituent materials), giving real-world examples of each

19. EXPLORE CHEMISTRY IN FOOD SCIENCE · USE THE PERIODIC TABLE

  1. The Periodic Table: Describe the organisation of the periodic table into periods and groups, explain the contribution of Mendeleev, and use the table to identify metals, non-metals, and predict patterns in reactivity

20. EXPLORE CHEMISTRY IN FOOD SCIENCE · EXPLORE CHEMISTRY AS A SCIENCE OF MATTER

  1. Pure Substances & Mixtures: Distinguish between pure substances and mixtures, identify formulations as useful mixtures with precise compositions, and use melting and boiling points to test for purity

21. EXPLORE THE WORLD OF FOOD AS A SCIENCE · DEMONSTRATE METHODS AND CONSIDERATIONS REQUIRED IN THE SCIENTIFIC EVALUATION OF FOODS

  1. Writing Science Reports: 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

22. LIVESTOCK REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS · Natural and Artificial Animal Reproduction

  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

23. EXAMINE MINERAL AND ENERGY RESOURCES MANAGEMENT · Recognize the Types and Importance of Energy Resources

  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
  2. 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