EES Course Content Overview
Astronomy
1) How We Study The Heavens (10.4.1.2) a) Nature of light
i) EM Spectrum ii) Spectroscopy iii) Doppler Effect b) Telescopes
i) Refracting ii) Reflecting iii) Radiotelescopes c) Spectroscope d) Useful Tools
i) Pin hole projectors ii) Planishpere iii) Star Maps 2) Stars And Galaxies
a) Composition Of The Stars (10.4.1.1) i) Our star as a model (10.4.1.2)
(1) Layers
(2) Observing The Sun
(3) Dimensions & Temperature Of The Sun (4) Sunspots, Flares And Magnetic Storms ii) Energy Production
iii) Gravity balance within the star (10.4.1.3) b) How the Stars Look From Earth (10.4.1.2)
i) Apparent Magnitude ii) Absolute Magnitude c) Life History Of Stars (10.4.2.3)
i) Formation ii) Evolution iii) Composition
iv) Hertzsprung-Russell diagram d) Galaxies And The Universe
i) Big Bang (10.4.2.1) ii) Movement (10.4.2.4)
3) Solar Systems
a) Our Solar System as a model (10.4.1.2) i) The Sun
(1) Observing The Sun
(2) Dimensions & Temperature Of The Sun (3) Sunspots, Flares And Magnetic Storms (4) Source Of The Sun's Energy
ii) The Planets
(1) The Solar System (2) Recognizing A Planet (3) Classifying Planets (4) Describing The Planets
(a) Rotation, Density, Shapes & Sizes (b) Studying Distant Planets
(c) Description Of Each Planet iii) Other Parts Of The Solar System
(2) Asteroids
(3) Farthest Reaches (a) Kuiper Belt (b) Oort Cloud (c) Heliopasue
iv) Gravity within a solar system (10.4.1.3) (Prep For Physics) (a) Kepler’s Laws
(i) Elliptical Orbits
(ii) Equal Area-Equal Time
(iii) Orbital Radii vs. Time of Revolution (b) Planetary orbits
(2) Formation of the solar System (10.4.2.2) (a) Nebular Theory
(b) Accretion Disk Theory (c) Gravity’s Role
4) Earth Moon System – (Unit taught as needed) a) Seasons
i) Direct & Indirect Light ii) Hemispheric Relationships b) Moon Phases
c) Rotation & revolution i) General Movements ii) Calendar Items
(1) Solstices (2) Equinoxes (3) Aphelion (4) Perihelion
Earth Science
1) Structure of the Earth (8.4.2.4) a) Origin
b) Internal Heat c) Interior Structure
i) Determining
ii) Earthquakes & Plate Tectonics (8.4.2.3) (1) How Earthquakes Originate
(2) Locating Earthquakes (3) Measuring Earthquakes (4) Earthquakes in the Interior 2) Earth Processes & Mountain Building
a) Earth’s Internal Energy (2.3.1.1) (1) Heat formation
(2) Heat Transfer b) Plate Tectonics (2.3.1.1)
i) Evidence (8.4.2.2) (1) Historical (2) GPS Data ii) Volcanism (8.4.2.3)
(1) Magma Consistency (a) Dissolved gasses (b) Viscosity & Cohesion (2) Classes Of Volcanoes (3) Famous Eruptions (4) Igneous Intrusions (5) Faults
(c) Strike Slip
iii) Origin of Mountains (8.4.2.3) (1) Faulting
(2) Folding
(3) Plate Boundaries 3) Earth Chemistry (prep for Chem)
a) Periodic Table i) Groups ii) Periods b) Atomic Structure
i) Bohr Models ii) Valence Shells c) Identifying Minerals
i) Crystal Structures ii) Composition d) Identifying Rocks
i) Igneous ii) Sedimentary iii) Metamorphic
e) Dating Processes (8.4.2.1) i) Absolute
ii) Relative
Environment
1) Atmosphere
a) Heating of the Atmosphere (2.3.1.4) i) Composition and Structure
(1) Atmosphere's Temperature Layers (2) Gas Composition
(3) Other
(a) Water Vapor (b) Ozone
(c) Dust & Other Particulates ii) Measuring Air Temperature
(1) Thermometers (2) Temperature Scales (3) Isotherms
iii) Heating of the Atmosphere (1) How Heat Moves
(2) Temperature and Altitude (3) Sun's Rays and Seasons (4) Heating of Land and Water (5) Temperature Inversions (6) The Greenhouse Effect
b) Atmospheric Pressure and Winds (2.3.1.2) i) Studying Air Pressure
(1) Air Pressure and Weather (2) Measuring Air Pressure (3) Air Pressure Units
(4) Why Air Pressure Changes ii) Studying Winds
(1) How Winds Begin (2) The Coriolis Effect
(6) Wind and Pollution c) Weather and the Sun's Energy
(1) Air Masses (2) Fronts
(3) Global Patterns (4) Predicting Weather
2) Oceanography
a) Composition And Temperature Of Ocean Waters i) Minerals In Seawater
(1) Salinity And Its Variations
(2) Mineral Resources of Sea Water (8.4.1.1) ii) Heat, Gases And Life In The Sea
(1) Marine Life (6.4.1.2) (2) Oxygen
(3) Temperature Layers (2.3.1.1) (4) Measuring Ocean Temperatures iii) Ocean Heating
(1) Absorption/Radiation (2) Heating trends
(a) La Nina (b) El Nino b) Ocean Currents
i) Currents Under The Surface (2.3.1.2) (1) Density Currents By Evaporation (2) Density Currents From Polar Waters (3) Upwelling -
ii) Surface Currents (2.3.1.3) (1) Origin of Surface Currents (2) Gulf Stream
(3) Labrador Current (4) North Pacific Current (5) Equatorial Countercurrents (6) Measuring Currents c) Ocean Resources
i) Available Resources ii) Impact of currents (2.3.1.3)
(1) Weather (2) Trade (3) Insurance
iii) Environmental Impact (1) Eutrophication (2) Fishing
3) The Biome (Prep for Bio & AP Environmental) a) Ecosystems – Biomes (6.4.1.3)
i) Ecosystem Regions
ii) Factors determining biomes iii) Characteristics of Different Biomes iv) Climax ecosystem
v) Threats to Biomes b) Gaia hypothesis
c) Population in communities(6.4.1.1) i) Species interactions
ii) Niche, habitat
4) Energy in the ecosystem (2.3.1.4) a) Entropy
b) Productivity c) Food chains d) Food webs
5) Ecological & Biogeochemical cycles (6.4.1.2) a) Water cycle
b) Carbon cycle c) Nitrogen cycle
6) Resources and Our Environment (8.4.1.1 & 8.4.1.2) a) Renewable environmental resources
i) Air and pollution ii) Land and soil
iii) Problems in land and soil use iv) Water and pollution
b) Nonrenewable Resources i) Minerals and ares
ii) Important metals and their ares. iii) Important nonmetals
c) Nonrenewable Energy Resources i) Energy use
ii) Fossil fuels
iii) Uranium and nuclear power d) Alternative Energy Sources
i) Water power ii) Wind power iii) Solar energy iv) Geothermal energy e) Environmental Problems
i) Acid rain ii) Toxic wastes
iii) Nuclear waste disposal 7) Ecological Issues (Prep for Bio)
