Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) | Orbit Earth Expo

Kindergarten First GradeSecond GradeThird GradeFourth GradeFifth Grade ♦ Sixth GradeSeventh GradeEighth Grade


Kindergarten

(3) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student knows that information and critical thinking are used in scientific problem solving. The student is expected to: (B) make predictions based on observable patterns in nature

(5) Matter and energy. The student knows that objects have properties and patterns. The student is expected to: (A) observe and record properties of objects, including bigger or smaller, heavier or lighter, shape, color, and texture; and (B) observe, record, and discuss how materials can be changed by heating or cooling.

(6) Force, motion, and energy. The student knows that energy, force, and motion are related and are a part of their everyday life. The student is expected to: (A) use the senses to explore different forms of energy such as light, thermal, and sound; (C) observe and describe the location of an object in relation to another such as above, below, behind, in front of, and beside; and (D) observe and describe the ways that objects can move such as in a straight line, zigzag, up and down, back and forth, round and round, and fast and slow.

(7) Earth and space. The student knows that the natural world includes earth materials. The student is expected to: (B) observe and describe physical properties of natural sources of water, including color and clarity;

(8) Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among objects in the sky. The student is expected to: (A) observe and describe weather changes from day to day and over seasons; (B) identify events that have repeating patterns, including seasons of the year and day and night; and (C) observe, describe, and illustrate objects in the sky such as the clouds, Moon, and stars, including the Sun.

(9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that plants and animals have basic needs and depend on the living and nonliving things around them for survival. The student is expected to: (B) examine evidence that living organisms have basic needs such as food, water, and shelter for animals and air, water, nutrients, sunlight, and space for plants.

(10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to: (B) identify basic parts of plants and animals.

Back to the top


1st Grade

(3) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student knows that information and critical thinking are used in scientific problem solving. The student is expected to: (A) identify and explain a problem and propose a solution; (B) make predictions based on observable patterns.

(5) Matter and energy. The student knows that objects have properties and patterns. The student is expected to: (A) classify objects by observable properties such as larger and smaller, heavier and lighter, shape, color, and texture; (B) predict and identify changes in materials caused by heating and cooling; and (C) classify objects by the materials from which they are made.

(7) Earth and space. The student knows that the natural world includes rocks, soil, and water that can be observed in cycles, patterns, and systems. The student is expected to: (B) identify and describe a variety of natural sources of water, including streams, lakes, and oceans;

(8) Earth and space. The student knows that the natural world includes the air around us and objects in the sky. The student is expected to: (A) record weather information, including relative temperature such as hot or cold, clear or cloudy, calm or windy, and rainy or icy; (B) observe and record changes in the appearance of objects in the sky such as the Moon and stars, including the Sun; (C) identify characteristics of the seasons of the year and day and night; and (D) demonstrate that air is all around us and observe that wind is moving air.

(9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that the living environment is composed of relationships between organisms and the life cycles that occur. The student is expected to: (C) gather evidence of interdependence among living organisms such as energy transfer through food chains or animals using plants for shelter.

Back to the top


2nd Grade

(2) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student develops abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry in classroom and outdoor investigations. The student is expected to: (A) ask questions about organisms, objects, and events during observations and investigations.

(3) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student knows that information and critical thinking, scientific problem solving, and the contributions of scientists are used in making decisions. The student is expected to: (A) identify and explain a problem and propose a task and solution for the problem; (B) make predictions based on observable patterns.

(5) Matter and energy. The student knows that matter has physical properties and those properties determine how it is described, classified, changed, and used. The student is expected to: (A) classify matter by physical properties, including relative temperature, texture, flexibility, and whether material is a solid or liquid; (B) compare changes in materials caused by heating and cooling;

(7) Earth and space. The student knows that the natural world includes earth materials. The student is expected to: (B) identify and compare the properties of natural sources of freshwater and saltwater;

(8) Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among objects in the sky. The student is expected to: (A) measure, record, and graph weather information, including temperature, wind conditions, precipitation, and cloud coverage, in order to identify patterns in the data; (B) identify the importance of weather and seasonal information to make choices in clothing, activities, and transportation; and (C) observe, describe, and record patterns of objects in the sky, including the appearance of the Moon.

(9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that living organisms have basic needs that must be met for them to survive within their environment. The student is expected to: (A) identify the basic needs of plants and animals; (C) compare the ways living organisms depend on each other and on their environments such as through food chains.

Back to the top


3rd Grade

(3) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student knows that information, critical thinking, scientific problem solving, and the contributions of scientists are used in making decisions. The student is expected to: (B) represent the natural world using models such as volcanoes or the Sun, Earth, and Moon system and identify their limitations, including size, properties, and materials.

(5) Matter and energy. The student knows that matter has measurable physical properties and those properties determine how matter is classified, changed, and used. The student is expected to: (C) predict, observe, and record changes in the state of matter caused by heating or cooling such as ice becoming liquid water, condensation forming on the outside of a glass of ice water, or liquid water being heated to the point of becoming water vapor;

(6) Force, motion, and energy. The student knows that forces cause change and that energy exists in many forms. The student is expected to: (A) explore different forms of energy, including mechanical, light, sound, and thermal in everyday life; (B) demonstrate and observe how position and motion can be changed by pushing and pulling objects such as swings, balls, and wagons; and (C) observe forces such as magnetism and gravity acting on objects.

(8) Earth and space. The student knows there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among objects in the sky. The student is expected to: (A) observe, measure, record, and compare day-to-day weather changes in different locations while include air temperature, wind direction, and precipitation; (B) describe and illustrate the Sun as a star composed of gases that provides light and thermal energy; (C) construct models that demonstrate the relationship of the Sun, Earth, and Moon, including orbits and positions; (D) identify the planets in Earth’s solar system and their position in relation to the Sun.

(9) Organisms and environments. The student knows and can describe patterns, cycles, systems, and relationships within the environments. The student is expected to: (B) identify and describe the flow of energy in a food chain and predict how changes in a food chain affect the ecosystem such as removal of frogs from a pond or bees from a field.

Back to the top


4th Grade

(3) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed decisions. The student is expected to: (B) represent the natural world using models such as the water cycle and stream tables and identify their limitations, including accuracy and size;

(5) Matter and energy. The student knows that matter has measurable physical properties and those properties determine how matter is classified, changed, and used. The student is expected to: (A) measure, compare, and contrast physical properties of matter, including mass, volume, states (solid, liquid, gas), temperature, magnetism, and the ability to sink or float;

(6) Force, motion, and energy. The student knows that energy exists in many forms and can be observed in cycles, patterns, and systems. The student is expected to: (A) differentiate among forms of energy, including mechanical, sound, electrical, light, and thermal; (D) design a descriptive investigation to explore the effect of force on an object such as a push or a pull, gravity, friction, or magnetism.

(8) Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among the Sun, Earth, and Moon system. The student is expected to: (A) measure, record, and predict changes in weather; (B) describe and illustrate the continuous movement of water above and on the surface of Earth through the water cycle and explain the role of the Sun as a major source of energy in this process; and (C) collect and analyze data to identify sequences and predict patterns of change in shadows, seasons, and the observable appearance of the Moon over time.

(9) Organisms and environments. The student knows and understands that living organisms within an ecosystem interact with one another and with their environment. The student is expected to: (A) investigate that most producers need sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make their own food, while consumers are dependent on other organisms for food; and (B) describe the flow of energy through food webs, beginning with the Sun, and predict how changes in the ecosystem affect the food web.

Back to the top


5th Grade

(3) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses critical thinking and scientific problem solving to make informed decisions. The student is expected to: (B) draw or develop a model that represents how something that cannot be seen such as the Sun, Earth, and Moon system and formation of sedimentary rock works or looks;

(6) Force, motion, and energy. The student knows that energy occurs in many forms and can be observed in cycles, patterns, and systems. The student is expected to: (A) explore the uses of energy, including mechanical, light, thermal, electrical, and sound energy; (C) demonstrate that light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object and is reflected or travels through one medium to another and is refracted;

(8) Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among the Sun, Earth, and Moon system. The student is expected to: (A) differentiate between weather and climate; (B) explain how the Sun and the ocean interact in the water cycle; (C) demonstrate that Earth rotates on its axis once approximately every 24 hours causing the day/night cycle and the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky; and (D) identify and compare the physical characteristics of the Sun, Earth, and Moon.

(9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that there are relationships, systems, and cycles within environments. The student is expected to: (B) describe the flow of energy within a food web, including the roles of the Sun, producers, consumers, and decomposers;

Back to the top


6th Grade

(3) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem solving to make informed decisions and knows the contributions of relevant scientists. The student is expected to: (B) use models to represent aspects of the natural world such as a model of Earth’s layers; (C) identify advantages and limitations of models such as size, scale, properties,and materials.

(6) Matter and energy. The student knows matter has physical properties that can be used for classification. The student is expected to: (C) test the physical properties of minerals, including hardness, color, luster, and streak.

(10) Earth and space. The student understands the structure of Earth, the rock cycle, and plate tectonics. The student is expected to: (C) identify the major tectonic plates, including Eurasian, African, Indo-Australian, Pacific, North American, and South American; and (D) describe how plate tectonics causes major geological events such as ocean basin formation, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building.

(11) Earth and space. The student understands the organization of our solar system and the relationships among the various bodies that comprise it. The student is expected to: (A) describe the physical properties, locations, and movements of the Sun, planets, moons, meteors, asteroids, and comets; (B) understand that gravity is the force that governs the motion of our solar system;

Back to the top


7th Grade

(3) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem solving to make informed decisions and knows the contributions of relevant scientists. The student is expected to: (C) identify advantages and limitations of models such as size, scale, properties, and materials.

(5) Matter and energy. The student knows that interactions occur between matter and energy. The student is expected to: (A) recognize that radiant energy from the Sun is transformed into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis; and (B) diagram the flow of energy through living systems, including food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids.

(9) Earth and space. The student knows components of our solar system. The student is expected to: (A) analyze the characteristics of objects in our solar system that allow life to exist such as the proximity of the Sun, presence of water, and composition of the atmosphere; and (B) identify the accommodations, considering the characteristics of our solar system, that enabled manned space exploration.

Back to the top


8th Grade

(3) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem solving to make informed decisions and knows the contributions of relevant scientists. The student is expected to: (B) use models to represent aspects of the natural world such as an atom, a molecule, space, or a geologic feature; (C) identify advantages and limitations of models such as size, scale, properties, and materials.

(7) Earth and space. The student knows the effects resulting from cyclical movements of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. The student is expected to: (A) model and illustrate how the tilted Earth rotates on its axis, causing day and night, and revolves around the Sun, causing changes in seasons; (B) demonstrate and predict the sequence of events in the lunar cycle; and (C) relate the positions of the Moon and Sun to their effect on ocean tides.

(8) Earth and space. The student knows characteristics of the universe. The student is expected to: (A) describe components of the universe, including stars, nebulae, and galaxies, and use models such as the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram for classification; (B) recognize that the Sun is a medium-sized star located in a spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy and that the Sun is many thousands of times closer to Earth than any other star; (C) identify how different wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum such as visible light and radio waves are used to gain information about components in the universe; and (D) research how scientific data are used as evidence to develop scientific theories to describe the origin of the universe.

(10) Earth and space. The student knows that climatic interactions exist among Earth, ocean, and weather systems. The student is expected to: (A) recognize that the Sun provides the energy that drives convection within the atmosphere and oceans, producing winds; (B) identify how global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather using weather maps that show high and low pressures and fronts; and (C) identify the role of the oceans in the formation of weather systems such as hurricanes.

Back to the top

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This