Mission Library

The Speed of Change
Changes to Earth's surface
2nd Grade

The Mission

Storyline

The AI in charge of managing Earth's surface has glitched and is wreaking havoc.

The surface manager on Earth is confusing slow and quick changes to Earth's surface. As a result, it is causing extreme wind storms and erosion to occur instantaneously, while typically quick changes to Earth's surface are occuring over long periods of time. It's up to the crew to retrain the AI in the natural processes of Earth and get everything back on track.

3-Dimensional Science

Phenomenon

An AI agent has inaccurately rewritten the history of natural events on Earth's surface.

Science and Engineering Practices

Asking Questions and Defining Problems

  • Ask questions based on observations to find more information about the natural and/or designed world(s).

  • Ask and/or identify questions that can be answered by an investigation.

Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

  • Make observations (firsthand or from media) and/or measurements to collect data that can be used to make comparisons.

  • Make predictions based on prior experiences.

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

  • Use observations (firsthand or from media) to describe patterns and/or relationships in the natural and designed world(s) in order to answer scientific questions and solve problems.

  • Compare predictions (based on prior experiences) to what occurred (observable events).

  • Analyze data from tests of an object or tool to determine if it works as intended.

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

  • Make observations (firsthand or from media) to construct an evidence-based account for natural phenomena.

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

  • Read grade-appropriate texts and/or use media to obtain scientific and/or technical information to determine patterns in and/or evidence about the natural and designed world(s).

Crosscutting Concepts

Stability and Change

  • Students observe some things stay the same while other things change,a nd things may change slowly or rapidly.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth

  • Some events on Earth occur very quickly; others can occur very slowly.

Targeted Standards
Timeline
Skills in Action