SECTION 112.47. Aquatic Science, Adopted 2021 (One Credit)

(a) General requirements. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course. Prerequisite: one unit of high school biology. Recommended prerequisite: Integrated Physics and Chemistry, Chemistry, or concurrent enrollment in either course. This course is recommended for students in Grade 10, 11, or 12.

(b) Introduction.

(1) Aquatic Science. In Aquatic Science, students study the interactions of biotic and abiotic components in aquatic environments, including natural and human impacts on aquatic systems. Investigations and field work in this course may emphasize fresh water or marine aspects of aquatic science depending primarily upon the natural resources available for study near the school. Students who successfully complete Aquatic Science acquire knowledge about how the properties of water and fluid dynamics affect aquatic ecosystems and acquire knowledge about a variety of aquatic systems. Students who successfully complete Aquatic Science conduct investigations and observations of aquatic environments, work collaboratively with peers, and develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.

(2) Nature of science. Science, as defined by the National Academy of Sciences, is the "use of evidence to construct testable explanations and predictions of natural phenomena, as well as the knowledge generated through this process." This vast body of changing and increasing knowledge is described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models. Students should know that some questions are outside the realm of science because they deal with phenomena that are not currently scientifically testable.

(3) Scientific hypotheses and theories. Students are expected to know that:

(A) hypotheses are tentative and testable statements that must be capable of being supported or not supported by observational evidence. Hypotheses of durable explanatory power that have been tested over a wide variety of conditions are incorporated into theories; and

(B) scientific theories are based on natural and physical phenomena and are capable of being tested by multiple independent researchers. Unlike hypotheses, scientific theories are well established and highly reliable explanations, but they may be subject to change as new areas of science and new technologies are developed.

(4) Scientific inquiry. Scientific inquiry is the planned and deliberate investigation of the natural world using scientific and engineering practices. Scientific methods of investigation are descriptive, comparative, or experimental. The method chosen should be appropriate to the question being asked. Student learning for different types of investigations include descriptive investigations, which involve collecting data and recording observations without making comparisons; comparative investigations, which involve collecting data with variables that are manipulated to compare results; and experimental investigations, which involve processes similar to comparative investigations but in which a control is identified.

(A) Scientific practices. Students should be able to ask questions, plan and conduct investigations to answer questions, and explain phenomena using appropriate tools and models.

(B) Engineering practices. Students should be able to identify problems and design solutions using appropriate tools and models.

(5) Science and social ethics. Scientific decision making is a way of answering questions about the natural world involving its own set of ethical standards about how the process of science should be carried out. Students should be able to distinguish between scientific decision-making methods (scientific methods) and ethical and social decisions that involve science (the application of scientific information).

(6) Science consists of recurring themes and making connections between overarching concepts. Recurring themes include systems, models, and patterns. All systems have basic properties that can be described in space, time, energy, and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems as patterns and can be observed, measured, and modeled. These patterns help to make predictions that can be scientifically tested, while models allow for boundary specification and provide tools for understanding the ideas presented. Students should analyze a system in terms of its components and how these components relate to each other, to the whole, and to the external environment.

(7) Statements containing the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.

(c) Knowledge and skills.

(1) Scientific and engineering practices. The student, for at least 40% of instructional time, asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to explain phenomena or design solutions using appropriate tools and models. The student is expected to:

(A) ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations;

(B) apply scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems;

(C) use appropriate safety equipment and practices during laboratory, classroom, and field investigations as outlined in Texas Education Agency-approved safety standards;

(D) use appropriate tools such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information System (GIS), weather balloons, buoys, water testing kits, meter sticks, metric rulers, pipettes, graduated cylinders, standard laboratory glassware, balances, timing devices, pH meters or probes, various data collecting probes, thermometers, calculators, computers, internet access, turbidity testing devices, hand magnifiers, work and disposable gloves, compasses, first aid kits, field guides, water quality test kits or probes, 30-meter tape measures, tarps, ripple tanks, trowels, screens, buckets, sediment samples equipment, cameras, flow meters, cast nets, kick nets, seines, computer models, spectrophotometers, stereomicroscopes, compound microscopes, clinometers, and field journals, various prepared slides, hand lenses, hot plates, Petri dishes, sampling nets, waders, leveling grade rods (Jason sticks), protractors, inclination and height distance calculators, samples of biological specimens or structures, core sampling equipment, fish tanks and associated supplies, and hydrometers;

(E) collect quantitative data using the International System of Units (SI) and qualitative data as evidence;

(F) organize quantitative and qualitative data using probeware, spreadsheets, lab notebooks or journals, models, diagrams, graphs paper, computers, or cellphone applications;

(G) develop and use models to represent phenomena, systems, processes, or solutions to engineering problems; and

(H) distinguish between scientific hypotheses, theories, and laws.

(2) Scientific and engineering practices. The student analyzes and interprets data to derive meaning, identify features and patterns, and discover relationships or correlations to develop evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs. The student is expected to:

(A) identify advantages and limitations of models such as their size, scale, properties, and materials;

(B) analyze data by identifying significant statistical features, patterns, sources of error, and limitations;

(C) use mathematical calculations to assess quantitative relationships in data; and

(D) evaluate experimental and engineering designs.

(3) Scientific and engineering practices. The student develops evidence-based explanations and communicates findings, conclusions, and proposed solutions. The student is expected to:

(A) develop explanations and propose solutions supported by data and models consistent with scientific ideas, principles, and theories;

(B) communicate explanations and solutions individually and collaboratively in a variety of settings and formats; and

(C) engage respectfully in scientific argumentation using applied scientific explanations and empirical evidence.

(4) Scientific and engineering practices. The student knows the contributions of scientists and recognizes the importance of scientific research and innovation on society. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations and solutions by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing, so as to encourage critical thinking by the student;

(B) relate the impact of past and current research on scientific thought and society, including research methodology, cost-benefit analysis, and contributions of diverse scientists as related to the content; and

(C) research and explore resources such as museums, planetariums, observatories, libraries, professional organizations, private companies, online platforms, and mentors employed in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field in order to investigate STEM careers.

(5) The student understands how the properties of water build the foundation of aquatic ecosystems. The student is expected to:

(A) describe how the shape and polarity of the water molecule make it a "universal solvent" in aquatic systems;

(B) identify how aquatic ecosystems are affected by water's properties of adhesion, cohesion, surface tension, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity; and

(C) explain how the density of water is critical for organisms in cold environments.

(6) Students know that aquatic environments are the product of interactions among Earth systems. The student is expected to:

(A) identify key features and characteristics of atmospheric, geological, hydrological, and biological systems as they relate to aquatic environments;

(B) describe the interrelatedness of atmospheric, geological, hydrological, and biological systems in aquatic ecosystems, including positive and negative feedback loops; and

(C) evaluate environmental data using technology such as maps, visualizations, satellite data, Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information System (GIS), weather balloons, and buoys to model the interactions that affect aquatic ecosystems.

(7) The student knows about the interdependence and interactions that occur in aquatic environments. The student is expected to:

(A) identify how energy flows and matter cycles through both freshwater and marine aquatic systems, including food webs, chains, and pyramids;

(B) identify biological, chemical, geological, and physical components of an aquatic life zone as they relate to the organisms in it;

(C) identify variables that affect the solubility of carbon dioxide and oxygen in water;

(D) evaluate factors affecting aquatic population cycles such as lunar cycles, temperature variations, hours of daylight, and predator-prey relationships; and

(E) identify the interdependence of organisms in an aquatic environment such as in a pond, a river, a lake, an ocean, or an aquifer and the biosphere.

(8) The student conducts short-term and long-term studies on local aquatic environments. Local natural environments are to be preferred over artificial or virtual environments. The student is expected to:

(A) evaluate data over a period of time from an established aquatic environment documenting seasonal changes and the behavior of organisms;

(B) collect and analyze pH, salinity, temperature, mineral content, nitrogen compounds, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity data periodically, starting with baseline measurements; and

(C) use data from short-term or long-term studies to analyze interrelationships between producers, consumers, and decomposers in aquatic ecosystems.

(9) The student knows the role of cycles in an aquatic environment. The student is expected to:

(A) identify the role of carbon, nitrogen, water, and nutrient cycles in an aquatic environment, including upwellings and turnovers;

(B) examine the interrelationships between aquatic systems and climate and weather, including El Niño and La Niña, currents, and hurricanes; and

(C) explain how tidal cycles influence intertidal ecology.

(10) The student knows the origin and potential uses of fresh water. The student is expected to:

(A) identify sources of water in a watershed, including rainfall, groundwater, and surface water;

(B) identify factors that contribute to how water flows through a watershed;

(C) analyze water quantity and quality in a local watershed or aquifer; and

(D) describe human uses of fresh water and how human freshwater use competes with that of other organisms.

(11) The student knows that geological phenomena and fluid dynamics affect aquatic systems. The student is expected to:

(A) examine basic principles of fluid dynamics, including hydrostatic pressure, density as a result of salinity, and buoyancy;

(B) identify interrelationships between ocean currents, climates, and geologic features such as continental margins, active and passive margins, abyssal plains, island atolls, peninsulas, barrier islands, and hydrothermal vents;

(C) explain how fluid dynamics causes upwelling and lake turnover; and

(D) describe how erosion and deposition in river systems lead to formation of geologic features.

(12) The student understands the types of aquatic ecosystems. The student is expected to:

(A) differentiate among freshwater, brackish, and marine ecosystems; and

(B) identify the major properties and components of different marine and freshwater life zones.

(13) The student knows environmental adaptations of aquatic organisms. The student is expected to:

(A) compare different traits in aquatic organisms using tools such as dichotomous keys;

(B) describe how adaptations allow an organism to exist within an aquatic environment; and

(C) compare adaptations of freshwater and marine organisms.

(14) The student understands how human activities impact aquatic environments. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze the cumulative impact of human population growth on an aquatic ecosystem;

(B) predict effects of chemical, organic, physical, and thermal changes due to humans on the living and nonliving components of an aquatic ecosystem;

(C) investigate the role of humans in unbalanced systems involving phenomena such as invasive species, fish farming, cultural eutrophication, or red tides;

(D) analyze and discuss how human activities such as fishing, transportation, dams, and recreation influence aquatic environments;

(E) describe the impact such as costs and benefits of various laws and policies such as The Endangered Species Act, right of capture laws, or Clean Water Act on aquatic systems; and

(F) analyze the purpose and effectiveness of human efforts to restore aquatic ecosystems affected by human activities.

Source Note: The provisions of this §112.47 adopted to be effective November 30, 2021, 46 TexReg 8044