Castle directory
Four wings. One connected year.
Use this map as a suggested 36-week route. Each room can stretch, compress, or connect with local phenomena and district pacing.
Wing 1 · Weeks 1–10
Organisms and Nonliving Things Are Made of Atoms
Students move from atoms and molecules to photosynthesis, food webs, global matter cycles, rock evidence, and deep time.
Enter this wingAtoms and Elements
The Composition of Matter
2Molecules and Extended Structures
The Composition of Matter
3Substances and Their Properties
The Composition of Matter
4Capturing the Sun’s Energy
Energy and Matter in Ecosystems
5Using Stored Energy
Energy and Matter in Ecosystems
6Food Webs and Trophic Pyramids
Energy and Matter in Ecosystems
7Global Cycles of Matter
Energy and Matter in Ecosystems
8Investigating Rock Strata
Earth Processes Through Geologic Time
9Reconstructing Earth’s History
Earth Processes Through Geologic Time
Wing 2 · Weeks 11–18
Matter Cycles and Energy Flows through Organisms and Rocks
Students connect Earth-system energy, surface change, chemical reactions, conservation, and engineering decisions.
Enter this wingWing 3 · Weeks 19–29
Natural Processes and Human Activities Shape Earth’s Resources and Ecosystems
Students use plate, rock, water, ecosystem, and particle models to explain why resources and conditions vary.
Enter this wingEarth’s Tectonic Plates
Processes that Shape Earth
17The Rock Cycle
Processes that Shape Earth
18The Water Cycle
Processes that Shape Earth
19Earth’s Natural Resources
Resources in Ecosystems
20Resources in Living Systems
Resources in Ecosystems
21Interactions Among Organisms
Resources in Ecosystems
22Changing Ecosystems
Resources in Ecosystems
23The Motion of Particles
States of Matter
24Heat, Temperature, and State Changes
States of Matter
Wing 4 · Weeks 30–36
Sustaining Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing World
Students analyze hazards and biodiversity, then evaluate and improve solutions that help communities and ecosystems.
Enter this wingVolcanic Eruptions and Earthquakes
Earth’s Natural Hazards
26Mass Wasting, Tsunamis, and Floods
Earth’s Natural Hazards
27Biodiversity
Humans and Changing Ecosystems
28The Importance of Healthy Ecosystems
Humans and Changing Ecosystems
29Engineering Solutions for Protecting Ecosystems
Humans and Changing Ecosystems
“Weeks” are planning ranges, not state mandates. Use the pacing, safety, accessibility, and teacher-review guides before adapting a sequence.