High School Science Maryland Standards

Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Communicate scientific information that common ancestry and biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence.

Construct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment.

Apply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait.

Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations.

Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.

Create or revise a simulation to test a solution to mitigate adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity.

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Algorithms

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Design and implement an algorithm to play a game against a human opponent or solve a problem.

Develop prototypes that use algorithms (e.g., sequencing, selection, iteration, recursion, etc.) to solve computational problems by leveraging prior student knowledge and personal interest.

Justify and explain the rationale behind the selection of specific control structures when tradeoffs involve implementation, readability, and program performance.

Design and iteratively develop computational artifacts for practical intent, personal expression, or to address a societal issue by using events to initiate instructions.

Systematically analyze problems, using top down design, in order to break them down into smaller components, using procedures, modules, and/or objects to implement abstractions.

Create computational artifacts by using common structures to organize, manipulate, and process data

Represent the design elements and data flow (e.g., flowcharts, pseudocode, etc.) of the development of a complex program through the use of various visual aids and documentation techniques.

Systematically design and implement programs for broad audiences, solicit user feedback, and refine programs based on user feedback.

Identify and evaluate licenses that limit or restrict use of computational artifacts and consider implications on original work, especially when incorporating libraries and other resources.

Evaluate and refine computational artifacts to improve usability, accessibility, and efficiency.

Design and develop computational artifacts while working collaboratively.

Identify common features in multiple lines of code and substitute a single segment that uses lists (arrays) to account for differences.

Utilize lists to simplify solutions, generalizing computational problems, instead of repeatedly utilizing simple variables.

Explain how abstractions hide the underlying implementation of computing systems embedded in everyday objects.

Explain and compare levels of abstraction between application software, system software, and hardware layers.

Develop and evaluate guidelines and criteria that convey systematic troubleshooting strategies that can be used to identify/fix errors.

Use software tools to develop interactive data representations that help others to better understand real-world phenomena

Design computational models that identify and represent the relationships among different elements of data collected from a phenomenon or process

Translate, compare, and evaluate different bit representations of realworld phenomena (large data sets), such as characters, numbers, and images and how they are organized and stored.

Demonstrate and explain how an existing algorithm/computational innovation applies to problems in society.

Evaluate the ways computing impacts personal, ethical, social, economic, and cultural practices.

Evaluate and refine computational artifacts to reduce bias and equity deficits

Demonstrate and explain how an existing algorithm/computational innovation applies to problems across disciplines.

Demonstrate and explain how various methods of collaboration can increase diverse ideas and solutions.

Explain the positive and negative consequences that intellectual property laws can have on innovation.

Explain the privacy concerns related to the collection, generation, and analysis of large-scaled data that may not be evident to users.

Evaluate the social and economic implications of privacy in the context of safety, law, and ethics.

Illustrate how sensitive data and critical infrastructure can be affected by malware and other attacks and recommend security measures to address various scenarios based on factors such as efficiency, feasibility, and ethical impacts

Explain tradeoffs when selecting and implementing cybersecurity recommendations from multiple perspectives such as the user, enterprise, and government.

Understand and identify the relationship between Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability (CIA) Triad and the security measures that address the balance between them as it pertains to data.

Identify ethical concerns about individual privacy, intellectual property, entering systems without permission, and destroying data and demonstrate the ability to exercise proper judgement and best practices in a variety of different scenarios.

Recognize and prevent social engineering attacks. Differentiate between legitimate and fraudulent information.

Evaluate the scalability and reliability of networks by identifying and describing the relationship between routers, switches, servers, topology, and addresses.

Describe the issues that impact network functionality (e.g. Bandwidth, load, delay, topology, TCP/IP and OSI Models).

Algorithms and Programming

Culture and Diversity

Control

Cybersecurity

Computing Systems

Collection, Visualization & Transformation

Devices

Data Analysis

Hardware & Software

Impacts of Computing

Inference & Models

Modularity

Network Communication & Organization

Networks and the Internet

Program Development

Storage

Social Interactions

Safety, Law & Ethics

Troubleshooting

Variables

Safety, Law & Ethics

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Describe how artificial intelligence drives many software and physical systems (e.g., autonomous robots, computer vision, pattern recognition, test analysis).

Design and implement an algorithm to play a game against a human opponent or solve a problem.

Design and implement encryption algorithms to securely store and retrieve information.

Analyze and refine classic algorithms to solve problems.

Evaluate algorithms (e.g., searching, sorting) in terms of their efficiency, correctness, and clarity.

Illustrate the flow of execution of a recursive algorithm

Construct solutions to problems using student-created components, such as procedures, modules, and objects to implement abstractions.

Analyze a large-scaled computational problem and identify generalizable patterns that can be applied to a solution

Create programming solutions using libraries and APIs through the application of code reuse.

Utilize a software lifecycle process that considers security, to plan and develop programs for all types of users.

Explain security issues that might lead to comprised computer programs.

Develop different programs for various computing platforms (e.g., desktop, web, mobile).

Design software collaboratively using integrated development environments (IDEs), with version control and collaboration systems.

Develop and use a series of test cases to verify that a program performs according to its design specifications.

Modify an existing program to add additional functionality and discuss intended and unintended implications (e.g., breaking other functionality).

Compare multiple programming languages or libraries and discuss how their features make them suitable for solving different types of problems.

Evaluate key qualities of a program through a process such as code review.

Compare and contrast foundational data structures and their primary functions.

Identify, categorize, and illustrate the roles of operating systems to include memory management, data storage/retrieval, process management, and access control.

Use data analysis tools and techniques to identify patterns in data representing complex systems.

Use a variety of robust data collection techniques and tools to generate data sets that support a claim or communicate information.

Evaluate the ability of models and simulations to test and support refinement of hypotheses.

Evaluate the positive and negative implications computational artifacts have on society

Evaluate the impact of equity, access, and influence on the distribution of computing resources in the global society.

Predict evolutionary trends of computational innovations that have revolutionized aspects of global society.

Predict how computational innovations may revolutionize aspects of global society

Debate the laws and regulations that govern and impact the development of computing innovations and policies.

Investigate reasons new technologies require evaluation of existing laws and regulations and the creation of new legislation.

Explain the privacy concerns related to the collection, generation, and analysis of large-scaled data that may not be evident to users.

Evaluate the social and economic implications of privacy in the context of safety, law, and ethics.

Compare and refine ways software developers protect devices and information from unauthorized access including complex encryption algorithms such as public key encryption.

Evaluate the scalability and reliability of networks by identifying and describing the relationship between routers, switches, servers, topology, protocols, and addressing.

Algorithms

Algorithms and Programming

Culture and Diversity

Control

Cybersecurity

Computing Systems

Collection, Visualization & Transformation

Devices

Data Analysis

Hardware & Software

Impacts of Computing

Inference & Models

Modularity

Network Communication & Organization

Networks and the Internet

Program Development

Storage

Social Interactions

Troubleshooting

Variables

Earth and Human Activity

Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.

Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on cost-benefit ratios.

Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity.

Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.

Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.

Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.

Earth's Place in the Universe

Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the life span of the sun and the role of nuclear fusion in the sun's core to release energy that eventually reaches Earth in the form of radiation.

Construct an explanation of the Big Bang theory based on astronomical evidence of light spectra, motion of distant galaxies, and composition of matter in the universe.

Communicate scientific ideas about the way stars, over their life cycle, produce elements.

Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system.

Evaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust and the theory of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks.

Apply scientific reasoning and evidence from ancient Earth materials, meteorites, and other planetary surfaces to construct an account of Earth's formation and early history.

Earth's Systems

Develop a model to illustrate how Earth's internal and surface processes operate at different spatial and temporal scales to form continental and ocean-floor features.

Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth's surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.

Develop a model based on evidence of Earth's interior to describe the cycling of matter by thermal convection.

Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth systems result in changes in climate.

Plan and conduct an investigation of the properties of water and its effects on Earth materials and surface processes.

Develop a quantitative model to describe the cycling of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.

Construct an argument based on evidence about the simultaneous coevolution of Earth systems and life on Earth.

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales.

Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.

Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for the cycling of matter and flow of energy in aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Use a mathematical representation to support claims for the cycling of matter and flow of energy among organisms in an ecosystem.

Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.

Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.

Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.

Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior on individual and species' chances to survive and reproduce.

Energy

Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known.

Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as either motions of particles or energy stored in fields.

Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.

Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).

Develop and use a model of two objects interacting through electric or magnetic fields to illustrate the forces between objects and the changes in energy of the objects due to the interaction.

Engineering Design

Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.

Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.

Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem.

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins which carry out the essential functions of life through systems of specialized cells.

Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms.

Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

Use a model to illustrate the role of cellular division (mitosis) and differentiation in producing and maintaining complex organisms.

Use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis transforms light energy into stored chemical energy.

Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for how carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules may combine with other elements to form amino acids and/or other large carbon-based molecules.

Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy.

Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Ask questions to clarify relationships about the role of DNA and chromosomes in coding the instructions for characteristic traits passed from parents to offspring.

Make and defend a claim based on evidence that inheritable genetic variations may result from: (1) new genetic combinations through meiosis, (2) viable errors occurring during replication, and/or (3) mutations caused by environmental factors.

Apply concepts of statistics and probability to explain the variation and distribution of expressed traits in a population.

Matter and Its Interactions

Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.

Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.

Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy.

Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.

Refine the design of a chemical system by specifying a change in conditions that would produce increased amounts of products at equilibrium.

Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction.

Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.

Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions

Analyze data to support the claim that Newton's second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.

Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.

Apply scientific and engineering ideas to design, evaluate, and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision.

Use mathematical representations of Newton's Law of Gravitation and Coulomb's Law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects.

Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.

Communicate scientific and technical information about why the molecular-level structure is important in the functioning of designed materials.

Waves and Their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer

Use mathematical representations to support a claim regarding relationships among the frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media.

Evaluate questions about the advantages of using a digital transmission and storage of information.

Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning behind the idea that electromagnetic radiation can be described either by a wave model or a particle model, and that for some situations one model is more useful than the other.

Evaluate the validity and reliability of claims in published materials of the effects that different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation have when absorbed by matter.

Communicate technical information about how some technological devices use the principles of wave behavior and wave interactions with matter to transmit and capture information and energy.