The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes - a breakdown of this NGSS DCI by Grade Level

All information has been obtained from http://www.nextgenscience.org/overview-dci and the subpages contained under that URL domain.

DCI: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes

(1.) Middle School

1. Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere via transpiration, evaporation, condensation and crystallization, and precipitation, as well as downhill flows on land. (MS-ESS2-4)
2. The complex patterns of the changes and the movement of water in the atmosphere, determined by winds, landforms, and ocean temperatures and currents, are major determinants of local weather patterns. (MS-ESS2-5)
3. Global movements of water and its changes in form are propelled by sunlight and gravity. (MS-ESS2-4)
4. Variations in density due to variations in temperature and salinity drive a global pattern of interconnected ocean currents. (MS-ESS2-6)
5. Water’s movements—both on the land and underground—cause weathering and erosion, which change the land’s surface features and create underground formations. (MS-ESS2-2)

(2.) 5th Grade

1. Nearly all of Earth’s available water is in the ocean. Most freshwater is in glaciers or underground; only a tiny fraction is in streams, lakes, wetlands, and the atmosphere. (5-ESS2-2)

(3.) 4th and 3rd students do not study the DCI known as the Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes

(4.) 2nd Grade

1. Water is found in the ocean, rivers, lakes, and ponds. Water exists as solid ice and in liquid form. (2-ESS2-3)

(5.) 1st and K students do not study the DCI known as the Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes

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