Online Textbook

Important Note: the "on-line textbook" is a compilation of lessons produced by CK-12 and other web sites providing free resources to students and teachers. The lessons closely correspond to the learning goals for this course.

Physical Earth (Earth Science)

A. The composition and properties of Earth’s interior are identified by the behavior of seismic waves.

• • Formation of the Earth

  • Earth’s Crust

  • Earth’s Mantle

  • Earth’s Core

  • Lithosphere and Asthenosphere

  • Layers of the Moon (Enrichment)

  • Earthquake Characteristics

  • Measuring Earthquake Magnitude

  • Seismic Waves

Related Articles:

• • A Decades-Long Quest to Drill Into Earth's Mantle May Soon Hit Pay Dirt

  • Why is the Earth's Core so Hot?

B. Earth’s crust consists of major and minor tectonic plates that move relative to each other.

• • Continental Drift

  • Theory of Plate Tectonics

  • Seafloor Spreading

  • Continental Margins

  • Transform Plate Boundaries

  • Divergent Plate Boundaries

  • Divergent Plate Boundaries in the Oceans

  • Continent-Continent Convergent Plate Boundaries

  • Ocean-Continent Convergent Plate Boundaries

  • Ocean-Ocean Convergent Plate Boundaries

  • Volcanoes at Hotspots

  • Wegener and the Continental Drift Hypothesis (Enrichment)

Related Article: How Earthquakes and Volcanoes Reveal the Beating Heart of the Planet

C. A combination of constructive and destructive geologic processes formed Earth’s surface.

• • Soil Characteristics

  • Landforms from Erosion and Deposition by Gravity

  • Landforms from Stream Erosion and Deposition

  • Landforms from Glacial Erosion and Deposition

  • Landforms from Wind Erosion and Deposition

  • Landforms from Wave Erosion and Deposition

  • Erosion by Groundwater

  • Deposition by Groundwater

  • Topographic Maps

  • Mars (Enrichment)

Related Articles: World's Tallest Tsunami | The Great Ice Age is Important to Illinois Agriculture | Five Interesting Outer Banks Facts

D. Evidence of the dynamic changes of Earth’s surface through time is found in the geologic record.

• • Uniformitarianism

  • Tree Rings, Ice Cores, and Varves

  • Principles of Relative Dating

  • Earth History and Clues from Fossils

  • Geologic Time Scale

  • Radiometric Dating

  • History of Paleozoic Life (Enrichment)

Related Article: Seven Answers to Climate Contrarian Nonsense

Life Science

A. Diversity of species occurs through gradual processes over many generations. Fossil records provide evidence that changes have occurred in number and types of species.

• • Origin of the Species

  • Fossils

  • Evolution Evidence (enrichment)

Related Article: How Dinosaurs Shrank and Became Birds

B. Reproduction is necessary for the continuation of every species.

• • Asexual vs. Sexual Reproduction

  • Vegetative Reproduction in Plants

  • Mitosis and Cytokinesis

  • Meiosis

  • Fertilization

  • Bacteria Reproduction (enrichment)

C. The characteristics of an organism are a result of inherited traits received from parent(s).

• • Mendel’s Pea Plants

  • Mendel’s Laws and Genetics

  • Punnett Squares

  • Modern Genetics

  • Non-Mendelian Inheritance

  • Pedigree Analysis

  • Genetic Disorders (enrichment)

Physical Science

A. Forces have magnitude and direction.

• • Motion

  • What is Force?

  • Friction

  • Newton's First Law of Motion

  • Newton’s First and Second Laws of Motion (enrichment)

B. Forces between objects act when the objects are in direct contact or when they are not touching.

• • Gravity

  • Magnets and Magnetism

  • Electric Charge

  • Levitating Trains (enrichment)

CK-12 FlexBooks (PDF Versions)

• Earth Science

• Life Science

• Physical Science