West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District Environmental Science

Transcription

1 West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District Environmental Science

2 The Mission of the West Windsor-Plainsboro Science Department Our mission is to cultivate science learners who have the foundational knowledge to make ethical, scientifically literate decisions and the ability to apply scientific practices in order to contribute to the needs of society and a changing world. Vision We envision a K-12 science experience that supports and challenges every student in their science learning journey. We will: Capitalize on diversity by reaching and exciting students at all levels and interests by differentiating learning within classrooms and by offering a robust program of studies. Emphasize authentic science and engineering practices and leverage the interdisciplinary nature of science with arts, technology, math, reading, and writing. Integrate scientific knowledge and 21st century competencies to prepare students to make informed decisions and take action to address real world problems.

3 Unit 1 Title: Biogeochemical History of Earth Content Area: Science Course & Grade Level: Environmental Science 9-12 Summary and Rationale The first unit provides a framework for students of how life interacts with the physical and chemical earth. The study of environmental science incorporates concepts from this interaction and also many cultural concepts and areas of study. Most people associate Environmental Science with either environmental activism, a movement for change in public and personal decisions driven by goals or feelings that may not be scientific, or with only systematic toxicology that does not address global issues. It is important for students who are going to spend a year studying Environmental Science to have a solid framework that places the subsequent unit goals in an overall context of rigorous science. As a way to illustrate the change over time that the earth has experienced in the past and the scale of ecological and geological change that is currently occurring (largely due to human actions) students will explore the influence of life on the earth and the earth on life over geologic time. As part of this study students will be using a growing understanding of biogeochemistry and radiometric dating to learn about geologic eras and coevolution of the abiotic and biotic components of the earth. The unit will culminate with an examination of the change of geologic eras that is currently occurring as we have moved from the Holocene to the recently recognized Anthropocene, an era dominated by anthropogenic changes to the earth's systems. Standard HS-ESS1-5 HS-ESS1-6 HS-ESS2-7 Recommended Pacing 4 Weeks NGSS Standards/Performance Expectations Evaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust and the theory of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the ability of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks. Examples include evidence of the ages oceanic crust increasing with distance from mid-ocean ridges (a result of plate spreading) and the ages of North American continental crust increasing with distance away from a central ancient core (a result of past plate interactions).] Apply scientific reasoning and evidence from ancient Earth materials, meteorites, and other planetary surfaces to construct an account of Earth s formation and early history. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on using available evidence within the solar system to reconstruct the early history of Earth, which formed along with the rest of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. Examples of evidence include the absolute ages of ancient materials (obtained by radiometric dating of meteorites, moon rocks, and Earth s oldest minerals), the sizes and compositions of solar system objects, and the impact cratering record of planetary surfaces.] Construct an argument based on evidence about the simultaneous coevolution of Earth's systems and life on Earth. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the dynamic causes, effects, and feedbacks between the biosphere and Earth s other systems, whereby geoscience factors control the evolution of life, which in turn continuously alters Earth s surface. Examples of include how photosynthetic life altered the atmosphere through the production of oxygen, which in turn increased weathering rates and allowed for the evolution of animal life; how microbial life on land increased the formation of soil, which in turn allowed for the evolution of land plants; or how the evolution of corals created reefs that altered patterns of erosion and deposition along coastlines and provided habitats for the evolution of new life forms.]

4 [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of how the biosphere interacts with all of Earth s other systems.] HS-LS2-2 HS-LS2-5 HS-LS4-5 HS-PS1-8 Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales. [Clarification Statement: Examples of mathematical representations include finding the average, determining trends, and using graphical comparisons of multiple sets of data.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to provided data.] Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. [Clarification Statement: Examples of models could include simulations and mathematical models.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the specific chemical steps of photosynthesis and respiration.] Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on determining cause and effect relationships for how changes to the environment such as deforestation, fishing, application of fertilizers, drought, flood, and the rate of change of the environment affect distribution or disappearance of traits in species.] Teacher Note: Within this unit the focus of this SLO is on the relationship of various life forms found in the fossil record over geologic time and the environmental conditions within the Earth system which may have precipitated the changes in life forms. Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on simple qualitative models, such as pictures or diagrams, and on the scale of energy released in nuclear processes relative to other kinds of transformations.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include quantitative calculation of energy released. Assessment is limited to alpha, beta, and gamma radioactive decays.] Instructional Focus Unit Enduring Understandings - Environmental science encompasses most areas of academic study. - Understanding patterns of interaction between biotic and abiotic elements of the earth that occurred in the past can help model and contextualize current patterns of change. - The earth is extremely old and has undergone massive changes since its formation, some of which have been directly caused by living things. - Changes to the atmosphere, the climate, the chemistry of the oceans and the earth s surface have had profound effects on life many times in the past. - Ozone high in the atmosphere provides an important atmospheric barrier protecting living things from ultraviolet light. - Humans are currently the primary drivers of change on the current earth. The pace of change is far faster than when other organisms influenced biogeochemical changes in the past. Unit Essential Questions - Why is iron in some rocks in the form of iron oxide (rust) and in others not combined with oxygen at all? - Why was the development of single celled cyanobacteria so important to both the geologic and biologic evolution on Earth? - Why were plants aquatic prior to the establishment of Earth s ozone layer? - Why/How do geologic events cause mass extinction?

5 - Why did the dinosaurs go extinct? - How does the current pace of change to the atmosphere, climate, chemistry and surface of the earth compare to what has happened in the past? - How has human interaction with the ozone layer demonstrated the power of humans to be both detrimental and helpful when dealing with environmental issues? Content Statements ESS1: Earth s Place in the Universe ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth - Continental rocks, which can be older than 4 billion years, are generally much older than the rocks of the ocean floor, which are less than 200 million years old. (HS-ESS1-5) ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth - Although active geologic processes, such as plate tectonics and erosion, have destroyed or altered most of the very early rock record on Earth, other objects in the solar system, such as lunar rocks, asteroids, and meteorites, have changed little over billions of years. Studying these objects can provide information about Earth s formation and early history. (HS-ESS1-6) ESS2: Earth s Systems ESS2.E: Biogeology - The many dynamic and delicate feedbacks between the biosphere and other Earth systems cause a continual coevolution of Earth s surface and the life that exists on it. (HS-ESS2-7) LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics LS2. A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems - Ecosystems have carrying capacities, which are limits to the numbers of organisms and populations they can support. These limits result from such factors as the availability of living and nonliving resources and from such challenges such as predation, competition, and disease. Organisms would have the capacity to produce populations of great size were it not for the fact that environments and resources are finite. This fundamental tension affects the abundance (number of individuals) of species in any given ecosystem. (HS-LS2-2) LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems - Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are important components of the carbon cycle, in which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, atmosphere, oceans, and geosphere through chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes. (HS-LS2-5) LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience - A complex set of interactions within an ecosystem can keep its numbers and types of organisms relatively constant over long periods of time under stable conditions. If a modest biological or physical disturbance to an ecosystem occurs, it may return to its more or less original status (i.e., the ecosystem is resilient), as opposed to becoming a very different ecosystem. Extreme fluctuations in conditions or the size of any population, however, can challenge the functioning of ecosystems in terms of resources and habitat availability. (HS-LS2-2) LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity LS4.C: Adaptation - Changes in the physical environment, whether naturally occurring or human induced, have thus contributed to the expansion of some species, the emergence of new distinct species as populations diverge under different conditions, and the decline and sometimes the extinction of some species. (HS-LS4-5) LS4.C: Adaptation - Species become extinct because they can no longer survive and reproduce in their altered environment. If members cannot adjust to change that is too fast or drastic, the opportunity for the species evolution is lost. (HS-LS4-5) PS1: Matter and Its Interactions PS1.C: Nuclear Processes - Nuclear processes, including fusion, fission, and radioactive decay of unstable nuclei, involve release or absorption of energy. The total number of neutrons plus protons does not change in any nuclear process. (HS-PS1-8)

6 PS1.C: Nuclear Processes - Spontaneous radioactive decay follows a characteristic exponential decay law. Nuclear lifetimes allow radiometric dating to be used to determine the ages of rocks and other materials. (HS-ESS1-5) (HS-ESS1-6) Ability Objectives - SWBAT General for all Units: Ask questions and define problems Develop and use models Plan and carry out investigations Analyze and interpret data Use mathematics and computational thinking Construct explanations and design solutions Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information Specific for Unit 1: Compare ecology, environmental science, environmental activism and sustainability. Organize areas of study or activity in appropriate categories. Develop an understanding of complex processes and relationships between the physical environment on earth and the organisms that populate it. Use tools such as radiometric dating and physical modeling to build a conceptual model of geological time and biogeochemical eras. Analyze the effect of major catastrophes, such as meteor impacts and massive volcanoes on extinctions and subsequent evolution. Contrast the effects of human contributions to extinctions of other species to those of natural processes. Compare the current rate of extinction to the geological background rate and to mass extinctions. Develop an understanding of the impact of human activities on the physical environment and the biosphere Sample Performance Tasks - Evaluate the merits and limitations of various models that illustrate the stability and change that occurs during the transmutation of the uranium-238 atom. Students will relate this decay series to the process of radiometric dating which is used as evidence to construct an account of Earth s formation and early history. (HS-ESS1-6) (HS-PS1-8) Present an oral and written argument based on data and evidence that illustrates the cause and effect relationship that is apparent in the simultaneous coevolution of Earth s systems and life on Earth (HS-ESS2-7) Develop and use a model based on radiometric dating evidence to explore the stability and change of the planet as the co-evolution of Earth s surface and the life that exists on it occurred. (HS-ESS2-7) Obtain, evaluate and communicate the cause and effect relationship that changes in environmental conditions may result in the extinction of species. (HS-LS4-5) Resources Core Text: Environmental Science, Karen Arms, 2008, ISBN-13:

7 Suggested Resources: Crash Course: The History of Life on Earth - Pkjp3u4&index=1&list=PL8dPuuaLjXtNdTKZkV_GiIYXpV9w4WxbX The Age of the Earth - How do we know the Age of the Earth? Radiometric dating Bozeman Science: ESS1C - The History of the Earth Life's Rocky Start - PBS NOVA Documentary USGS - How do geologists date rocks? Radiometric dating! National Geographic - Mass Extinctions What Causes Animal Die-Offs? BBC Nature - Big Five Mass Extinction Events Bozeman Science- Stratospheric Ozone Impact of Superstorm Sandy on Wildlife:

8 Analyzing Global Solutions to the Loss of Biodiversity Performance Expectations HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering. Natural Phenomenon Ecosystems are dynamic and when disturbed there is the potential for loss of biodiversity on many levels. As stated in the standard species become extinct because they can no longer survive and reproduce in their altered environment. If members cannot adjust to change that is too fast or drastic, the opportunity for the species evolution is lost (HS-LS4-5). The evidence shows that the pace of the changes to environments that are currently happening suggest the emergence of a sixth mass extinction. Design Task/Solution Task: Student groups are given possible solutions to the problem of loss of biodiversity to evaluate. Current solutions to the problem of loss of biodiversity include setting aside land, seed banks, breeding programs, and wildlife refuges. Based on your findings, evaluate these solutions and make a judgment as to whether or not they are suitable solutions to the problems being faced looking at cost effectiveness, safety, reliability, and limits to cultural and environmental impacts. Solution: Students are expected to use evidence-based arguments in order to effectively evaluate the solution with which they are presented. Science and Engineering Standards ETS1.B.HS.1 When evaluating solutions it is important to take into account a range of constraints including cost, safety, reliability and aesthetics and to consider social, cultural and environmental impacts. LS2. A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems - Ecosystems have carrying capacities, which are limits to the numbers of organisms and populations they can support. These limits result from such factors as the availability of living and nonliving resources and from such challenges such as predation, competition, and disease. Organisms would have the capacity to produce populations of great size were it not for the fact that environments and resources are finite. This fundamental tension affects the abundance (number of individuals) of species in any given ecosystem. (HS-LS2-2) LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience - A complex set of interactions within an ecosystem can keep its numbers and types of organisms relatively constant over long periods of time under stable conditions. If a modest biological or physical disturbance to an ecosystem occurs, it may return to its more or less original status (i.e., the ecosystem is resilient), as opposed to becoming a very different ecosystem. Extreme fluctuations in conditions or the size of any population, however, can challenge the functioning of ecosystems in terms of resources and habitat availability. (HS-LS2-2) LS4.C: Adaptation - Changes in the physical environment, whether naturally occurring or human induced, have thus contributed to the expansion of some species, the emergence of new distinct species as populations diverge under different conditions, and the decline and sometimes the extinction of some species. (HS-LS4-5) LS4.C: Adaptation - Species become extinct because they can no longer survive and reproduce in their altered environment. If members cannot adjust to change that is too fast or drastic, the opportunity for the species evolution is lost. (HS-LS4-5) Lesson Performance Tasks

9 Gathering Students obtain and evaluate information on what human activities are most seriously affecting the stability and changes that occur to our natural resources and biodiversity. Assessment: What should this look like in your classroom? Students will work in teams to discuss what they think are the major environmental issues. As a class, they will come up with the four main issues (overpopulation, ozone, habitat loss, climate change) and each group will brainstorm everything they know about their particular issue. Once the students have brainstormed, they will be allowed to research and find out additional current happenings and facts related to their current issue. Students will share their findings on a poster and in a class discussion. Reasoning Students will understand what causes loss of biodiversity and evaluate the solutions that are currently being utilized. Assessment: What should this look like in your classroom? Students will access scientifically relevant resources to construct an explanation of why this solution is acceptable or what changes need to be implemented so it is viable. Communicating Reasoning Student develop a cost-benefit analysis of the solution to the problem they have been assigned. Assessment: What should this look like in your classroom? Students are expected to use evidence-based arguments in order to effectively evaluate the solution with which they are presented.

10 Unit 2 Title: The Human Footprint Content Area: Science Course & Grade Level: Environmental Science 9-12 Summary and Rationale This unit examines the role of personal decisions on environmental issues. Students will be asked to explore how decisions about consumption and habits are made and how they influence issues of environmental concern. They will address the effect of their own personal decisions and those of other individuals on the eco-footprint of their community and society. They will compare and contrast the role of individuals and institutions. Students will develop an understanding of human population dynamics and the size of the human population. Total human impact on the environment is enormous when taking into account the size of the human population the additive effect of unavoidable human consumption and waste and the addition of discretionary use. This unit will see students explore and explain the most potentially impactful environmental issues that human impact is influencing and that pose challenges and opportunities currently and in the coming century. Standard HS-ESS3-1 HS-ESS3-3 HS-ESS3-4 HS-ESS3-6 Recommended Pacing 6 Weeks NGSS Standards/Performance Expectations Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity. [Clarification Statement: Examples of key natural resources include access to fresh water (such as rivers, lakes, and groundwater), regions of fertile soils such as river deltas, and high concentrations of minerals and fossil fuels. Examples of natural hazards can be from interior processes (such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes), surface processes (such as tsunamis, mass wasting and soil erosion), and severe weather (such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts). Examples of the results of changes in climate that can affect populations or drive mass migrations include changes to sea level, regional patterns of temperature and precipitation, and the types of crops and livestock that can be raised.] Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity. [Clarification Statement: Examples of factors that affect the management of natural resources include costs of resource extraction and waste management, per-capita consumption, and the development of new technologies. Examples of factors that affect human sustainability include agricultural efficiency, levels of conservation, and urban planning.] Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems. [Clarification Statement: Examples of data on the impacts of human activities could include the quantities and types of pollutants released, changes to biomass and species diversity, or areal changes in land surface use (such as for urban development, agriculture and livestock, or surface mining). Examples for limiting future impacts could range from local efforts (such as reducing, reusing, and recycling resources) to large scale geoengineering design solutions (such as altering global temperatures by making large changes to the atmosphere or ocean).] - In this unit this performance expectation focuses on an overview of impacts of human activities. Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems

11 HS-LS2-1 HS-ETS1-1 HS-ETS1-2 HS-ETS1-3 HS-ETS1-4 and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity. [Clarification Statement: Examples of Earth systems to be considered are the hydrosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, and/or biosphere. An example of the far-reaching impacts from a human activity is how an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide results in an increase in photosynthetic biomass on land and an increase in ocean acidification, with resulting impacts on sea organism health and marine populations.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include running computational representations but is limited to using the published results of scientific computational models.] - In this unit this performance expectation focuses on an overview of modeling human impacts on natural systems. Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on quantitative analysis and comparison of the relationships among interdependent factors including boundaries, resources, climate and competition. Examples of mathematical comparisons could include graphs, charts, histograms, and population changes gathered from simulations or historical data sets.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include deriving mathematical equations to make comparisons.] Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts. Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex realworld problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem. Instructional Focus Unit Enduring Understandings - Human decision making is driven by both logical and emotional considerations. Cost - benefit analysis with monetization is a common decision making model for those living in capitalist societies. - Understanding decision making models as they apply to environmental issues is critical to making informed environmental decision recommendations as a scientist. - Human activities have physical, chemical, and biological consequences for ecosystems; the magnitude of the impact depends in part on the sensitivity of the system to perturbation. Unit Essential Questions - To what extent can human behaviors impact our planet s life support system (environment)? - How do people make decisions? - What is the environmental impact of individual decisions and societal decisions? - How does the size of the human population influence the importance of decisions? - What are the most pressing environmental problems that are due to human impact? Content Statements ESS3: Earth and Human Activity ESS3.A: Natural Resources - Resource availability has guided the development of human society. (HS-ESS3-1). ESS3.B: Natural Hazards - Natural hazards and other geologic events have shaped the course of human history; [they] have significantly altered the sizes of human populations and have driven human migrations. (HS-ESS3-1) ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems - The sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources. (HS-

12 ESS3-3) ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems -Scientists and engineers can make major contributions by developing technologies that produce less pollution and waste and that preclude ecosystem degradation. (HS-ESS3-4) ESS3.D: Global Climate Change - Through computer simulations and other studies, important discoveries are still being made about how the ocean, the atmosphere, and the biosphere interact and are modified in response to human activities. (HS-ESS3-6) LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics LS2. A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems - Ecosystems have carrying capacities, which are limits to the numbers of organisms and populations they can support. These limits result from such factors as the availability of living and nonliving resources and from such challenges such as predation, competition, and disease. Organisms would have the capacity to produce populations of great size were it not for the fact that environments and resources are finite. This fundamental tension affects the abundance (number of individuals) of species in any given ecosystem. (HS-LS2-1) ETS1: Engineering Design ET S1.A.HS.1: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems - Criteria and constraints also include satisfying any requirements set by society, such as taking issues of risk mitigation into account, and they should be quantified to the extent possible and stated in such a way that one can tell if a given design meets them. (HS-ETS1-1) ET S1.A.HS.2: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems - Humanity faces major global challenges today, such as the need for supplies of clean water and food or for energy sources that minimize pollution, which can be addressed through engineering. These global challenges also may have manifestations in local communities. (HS-ETS1-1) ET S1.B.HS.1: Developing Possible Solutions - When evaluating solutions, it is important to take into account a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, and to consider social, cultural, and environmental impacts. (HS-ETS1-3) ET S1.B.HS.2: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems - Both physical models and computers can be used in various ways to aid in the engineering design process. Computers are useful for a variety of purposes, such as running simulations to test different ways of solving a problem or to see which one is most efficient or economical; and in making a persuasive presentation to a client about how a given design will meet his or her needs. (HS-ETS1-4) ET S1.C.HS.1: Optimizing the Design Solution - Criteria may need to be broken down into simpler ones that can be approached systematically, and decisions about the priority of certain criteria over others (trade-offs) may be needed. (HS-ETS1-2) Ability Objectives - SWBAT General for all Units: Ask questions and define problems Develop and use models Plan and carry out investigations Analyze and interpret data Use mathematics and computational thinking Construct explanations and design solutions Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information Specific for Unit 2:

13 Ecological Footprints and Decision Making Evaluate human demands on natural resources. Compare the ecological footprint of someone living in a developed versus a developing/third world country; describe the reasons why the footprint is different. Discuss needs and wants as they relate to ecological footprints. Discuss the Tragedy of the Commons as an example of individual decisions affecting group results and how this concept relates to environmental science. Relate ecosystem services to environmental commons and decisions made about private and public property. Use decision making models and processes including cost/benefit analysis and show ethical considerations fit into decision making. Develop an understanding of sustainability, and ways in which humans can reduce their impact on ecosystems and watersheds. Argue from evidence that urbanization is either a net positive or net negative for ecological footprints of individuals and populations. Major Issues in Environmental Science Use risk assessment to evaluate environmental issues, and set priorities for decision making Examine some of the most pressing environmental issues in relation to their prevalence and important in New Jersey. These to include: land use and loss/degradation of habitat, invasive species, wetland loss. Population Dynamics and Biodiversity Compare the population of people both regionally and globally to the population of threatened and endangered animals. Use principles of population dynamics to explain trends in human populations over historical time and make predictions into the future. Examine the challenges and opportunities for humans to positively influence natural systems in an effort to preserve biodiversity. Assess the benefits of biodiversity to ecosystem stability and human well being. Use principles such as those developed by McArthur and Wilson to predict species diversity, assess ecosystem health and inform decisions about wildlife preserve design. Sample Performance Tasks - Obtain and evaluate data on the rise and fall of various human societies. Use algebraic thinking to examine the data and predict how resource availability has guided the development of human society. (HS-ESS3-1) Analyze data and use mathematical models to make a claim that resource availability is a factor that affects the carrying capacity of an ecosystem. (HS-LS2-1) Use principles of population dynamics to evaluate the claim that the rate of change modeled over short and long periods of time indicates that the human population has reached the carrying capacity determined by the availability of living and nonliving resources. (HS-ESS3-3) Engage in argument from evidence on the efficacy of systems that are designed to reduce the

14 impacts of human activities on natural systems. (HS-ESS3-4) Use computer simulations, like an ecological footprint calculator, to explore the cause and effect relationships that exist when the ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere interact and how they are modified in response to human activities. (HS-ESS3-6) Resources Core Text: Environmental Science, Karen Arms, 2008, ISBN-13: Suggested Resources: Crashcourse - Population Ecology: The Texas Mosquito Mystery - 4WxbX Crashcourse - Human Population Growth - 4WxbX Gapminder: Don t Panic - The Facts About Population - Bozeman Science - ESS3C - Human Impacts on Earth Systems - Ecological Footprint Calculator Bozeman Science - Forestry and Rangelands

15 Performance Expectations Calculating and Analyzing your Eco Footprint HS-ETS1-1. Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants. Natural Phenomenon This unit will see students explore and explain the most potentially impactful environmental issues that are influenced by human activity. Total human impact on the environment is enormous when taking into account the size of the human population the additive effect of unavoidable human consumption and waste and the addition of discretionary use. Design Task/Solution Task: Students will be asked to explore how decisions about consumption and habits are made and how they influence issues of environmental concern. They will address the effect of their own personal decisions and those of other individuals on the eco-footprint of their community and society. They will compare and contrast the role of individuals and institutions.this culminates in the students evaluation of China s eco footprint compared to their own and to other societies. Solution: Students are expected to use evidence-based arguments in order to effectively evaluate the results of their analysis. Science and Engineering Standards ET S1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems - Humanity faces major global challenges today, such as the need for supplies of clean water and food or for energy sources that minimize pollution, which can be addressed through engineering. These global challenges also may have manifestations in local communities. (HS-ETS1-1) ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems - The sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources. (HS-ESS3-3) ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems -Scientists and engineers can make major contributions by developing technologies that produce less pollution and waste and that preclude ecosystem degradation. (HS-ESS3-4) ESS3.D: Global Climate Change - Through computer simulations and other studies, important discoveries are still being made about how the ocean, the atmosphere, and the biosphere interact and are modified in response to human activities. (HS-ESS3-6) LS2. A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems - Ecosystems have carrying capacities, which are limits to the numbers of organisms and populations they can support. These limits result from such factors as the availability of living and nonliving resources and from such challenges such as predation, competition, and disease. Organisms would have the capacity to produce populations of great size were it not for the fact that environments and resources are finite. This fundamental tension affects the abundance (number of individuals) of species in any given ecosystem. (HS-LS2-1) Lesson Performance Tasks Gathering Students obtain and evaluate information on the causes and effects of their eco footprint. Assessment: What should this look like in your classroom?

16 Students will work with a computer simulation to determine the size of their eco footprint. They will compare their eco footprint in the United States to those in other countries or different dietary requirements and discuss the outcomes. Students will then look at what steps they can take to reduce their eco footprint and why these steps are beneficial for the sustainability of planet Earth. Reasoning Students understand how lifestyle decisions impact eco footprints. Students propose solutions to reduce eco footprints. Assessment: What should this look like in your classroom? Student suggestions to reduce eco footprints show a clear understanding of how their lifestyle choices relate to the major global challenges humanity is facing today. Communicating Reasoning Based on the knowledge they acquired from analysis of their own footprints and supplied data, students will evaluate the eco footprint of China and report on the global impact. Assessment: What should this look like in your classroom? Students are expected to use evidence-based arguments in order to effectively evaluate the data with which they are presented.

17 Unit 3 Title: Agriculture, Soil, and Water Content Area: Science Course & Grade Level: Environmental Science 9-12 Summary and Rationale There is a fundamental disconnect for many people between the food they eat and the land on, or water in, which it is produced. In this unit students will study how food is grown, processed and supplied to the consumer. They will examine the role of different farming practices, government regulations and individual decisions on the human food chain. They should leave this unit with a much greater understanding of and appreciation for food production and how food influences, and is influenced by, other environmental issues. We will also use food and diet choices as a lense through which to examine soil and freshwater. Many members of the general public think of soil as either a permanent feature of the landscape or as easily replenished by purely biological processes such as composting. Students will learn in this unit about the content of soils and the processes and time spans required to form different types of soil and soil nutrients. Phosphorous and nitrogen cycling are both affected by and affect humans through their involvement in food production, sewage disposal and household and industrial chemical processes. Students will explore how these cycles work independent of humans and with their interaction. Fresh water is a renewable resource but one that is finite in supply. The current issues around the limits of energy availability could pale in comparison to the freshwater needs of a continually growing human population. The catch-phrase for dealing with hazardous materials during much of the twentieth century was dilution is the solution for pollution. Since that time it has been increasingly obvious that the fresh and saltwater parts of the planet are as vulnerable as, or more so than, the land and air. Standard HS-ESS2-5 HS-ESS3-1 Recommended Pacing 10 Weeks NGSS Standards/Performance Expectations Plan and conduct an investigation of the properties of water and its effects on Earth materials and surface processes. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on mechanical and chemical investigations with water and a variety of solid materials to provide the evidence for connections between the hydrologic cycle and system interactions commonly known as the rock cycle. Examples of mechanical investigations include stream transportation and deposition using a stream table, erosion using variations in soil moisture content, or frost wedging by the expansion of water as it freezes. Examples of chemical investigations include chemical weathering and recrystallization (by testing the solubility of different materials) or melt generation (by examining how water lowers the melting temperature of most solids).] Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity. [Clarification Statement: Examples of key natural resources include access to fresh water (such as rivers, lakes, and groundwater), regions of fertile soils such as river deltas, and high concentrations of minerals and fossil fuels. Examples of

18 HS-ESS3-4 HS-ESS3-6 HS-LS2-4 HS-LS2-5 HS-LS2-6 HS-ETS1-1 HS-ETS1-2 HS-ETS1-3 natural hazards can be from interior processes (such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes), surface processes (such as tsunamis, mass wasting and soil erosion), and severe weather (such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts). Examples of the results of changes in climate that can affect populations or drive mass migrations include changes to sea level, regional patterns of temperature and precipitation, and the types of crops and livestock that can be raised.] Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems. [Clarification Statement: Examples of data on the impacts of human activities could include the quantities and types of pollutants released, changes to biomass and species diversity, or areal changes in land surface use (such as for urban development, agriculture and livestock, or surface mining). Examples for limiting future impacts could range from local efforts (such as reducing, reusing, and recycling resources) to large scale geoengineering design solutions (such as altering global temperatures by making large changes to the atmosphere or ocean).] - In this unit this performance expectation focuses on the impact of agricultural practices on soil and water. Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity. [Clarification Statement: Examples of Earth systems to be considered are the hydrosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, and/or biosphere. An example of the far-reaching impacts from a human activity is how an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide results in an increase in photosynthetic biomass on land and an increase in ocean acidification, with resulting impacts on sea organism health and marine populations.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include running computational representations but is limited to using the published results of scientific computational models.] - In this unit this performance expectation focuses on computational analysis of the impact of management practices on soil and water. Use mathematical representations to support claims for the cycling of matter and flow of energy among organisms in an ecosystem. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on using a mathematical model of stored energy in biomass to describe the transfer of energy from one trophic level to another and that matter and energy are conserved as matter cycles and energy flows through ecosystems. Emphasis is on atoms and molecules such as carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen being conserved as they move through an ecosystem.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to proportional reasoning to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy.] Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere. [Clarification Statement: Examples of models could include simulations and mathematical models.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the specific chemical steps of photosynthesis and respiration.] Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem. [Clarification Statement: Examples of changes in ecosystem conditions could include modest biological or physical changes, such as moderate hunting or a seasonal flood; and extreme changes, such as volcanic eruption or sea level rise.] Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

19 Instructional Focus Unit Enduring Understandings - All organisms transfer matter and convert energy from one form to another. Both matter and energy are necessary to build and maintain living systems. - The human impact on ecosystems of the planet is in large part due to the production of food. - Most food is produced in a way that is known as conventional agriculture. This type of food production (developed during the industrial revolution starting in the 19th century, the Green Revolution of the mid to late 20th century, and current changes brought about by genetic engineering) has greatly the stressed Earth s natural resources (such as arable soil and fresh water). - Agriculture is dependent on availability of arable soil, fresh water, and suitable climate. Different food are grown in areas that are best suited to their particular needs. - Animal based food (such as meat, dairy and fish) is much more ecologically demanding than plant based foods. - The consumption of highly processed food contributes significantly to the food demand of industrialized nations and has mostly adverse health impacts on people. - There are alternative methods of producing food and managing farmland that may play an important role in reducing the food footprint and water consumption/pollution of societies. - Water is a limited valuate resource on Earth. Water can be polluted, conserved, and treated. Unit Essential Questions - To what extent does understanding the flow of matter and energy through living systems affect personal and public policy decisions? - How is the food you eat produced? - Where and why are certain areas used for food production and others not? - What kinds of food take the most land and other resources to produce and why? What should one eat that meets nutritional needs and has the least environmental impact? - What are the best practices in food production that both produce large quantities and limit ecological damage? - What factors contribute to the view that our usable fresh water supply is in danger of running out? - How are parts of Earth (land, air, and water) related? Content Statements ESS2: Earth s Systems ESS2.E: The Roles of Water in Earth s Surface Processes - The abundance of liquid water on Earth s surface and its unique combination of physical and chemical properties are central to the planet s dynamics. These properties include water s exceptional capacity to absorb, store, and release large amounts of energy, transmit sunlight, expand upon freezing, dissolve and transport materials, and lower the viscosities and melting points of rocks. (HS-ESS2-5) ESS3: Earth and Human Activity ESS3.A: Natural Resources - Resource availability has guided the development of human society. (HS-ESS3-1) ESS3.B: Natural Hazards - Natural hazards and other geologic events have shaped the course of human history; [they] have significantly altered the sizes of human populations and have driven human migrations. (HS-ESS3-1) ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems - Scientists and engineers can make major contributions by developing technologies that produce less pollution and waste and that preclude ecosystem degradation. (HS-ESS3-4) ESS3.D: Global Climate Change - Through computer simulations and other studies, important discoveries are still being made about how the ocean, the atmosphere, and the biosphere interact and are modified in response to human activities. (HS-ESS3-6) LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

20 LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems - Plants or algae form the lowest level of the food web. At each link upward in a food web, only a small fraction of the matter consumed at the lower level is transferred upward, to produce growth and release energy in cellular respiration at the higher level. Given this inefficiency, there are generally fewer organisms at higher levels of a food web. Some matter reacts to release energy for life functions, some matter is stored in newly made structures, and much is discarded. The chemical elements that make up the molecules of organisms pass through food webs and into and out of the atmosphere and soil, and they are combined and recombined in different ways. At each link in an ecosystem, matter and energy are conserved. (HS-LS2-4) LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems - Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are important components of the carbon cycle, in which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, atmosphere, oceans, and geosphere through chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes. (HS-LS2-5) LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience - A complex set of interactions within an ecosystem can keep its numbers and types of organisms relatively constant over long periods of time under stable conditions. If a modest biological or physical disturbance to an ecosystem occurs, it may return to its more or less original status (i.e., the ecosystem is resilient), as opposed to becoming a very different ecosystem. Extreme fluctuations in conditions or the size of any population, however, can challenge the functioning of ecosystems in terms of resources and habitat availability. (HS-LS2-6) ETS1: Engineering Design ET S1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems - Criteria and constraints also include satisfying any requirements set by society, such as taking issues of risk mitigation into account, and they should be quantified to the extent possible and stated in such a way that one can tell if a given design meets them. (HS-ETS1-1) ET S1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems - Humanity faces major global challenges today, such as the need for supplies of clean water and food or for energy sources that minimize pollution, which can be addressed through engineering. These global challenges also may have manifestations in local communities. (HS-ETS1-1) ET S1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution - Criteria may need to be broken down into simpler ones that can be approached systematically, and decisions about the priority of certain criteria over others (trade-offs) may be needed. (HS-ETS1-2) ET S1.B: Developing Possible Solutions - When evaluating solutions, it is important to take into account a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, and to consider social, cultural, and environmental impacts. (HS-ETS1-3) Ability Objectives - SWBAT General for all Units: Ask questions and define problems Develop and use models Plan and carry out investigations Analyze and interpret data Use mathematics and computational thinking Construct explanations and design solutions Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information Specific for Unit 3:

21 Agricultural Practices and Diet Choices Explain how loss of energy causes a pyramid of biomass and a pyramid of numbers and relate this to the increase in the eco-footprint of a predominantly animal based versus a plant based diet. Examine plant growth and explain where the components of the plant come from (air, water, soil). Describe conventional agricultural methods of growing crops and producing animal products for human consumption. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of the green revolution. Increased yield per acre Higher input of commercial fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides Loss of subsistence farming Debate the advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering (pesticide and herbicide resistance). Compare conventional and alternative methods of pest and weed control. Contrast how soil fertility is maintained in conventional and organic farming. Examine how a healthy diet can be constructed using different combinations of plant and animal based foods. Compare soil and climate challenges and advantages for farming in different areas of the world. Soil Contrast soil formation in different climate and biome systems in terms of chemical, biological and physical weathering of parent material. Explain how soil plays a role in secondary succession. Compare primary to secondary succession. Discuss the organisms that are most active in primary succession. Describe the long-term and short-term phosphorous cycles and discuss how humans affect and are affected by these cycles. Describe the nitrogen cycle and include the key roles of nitrogen fixing bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, legumes, and lightning. Design a best practice set of features for preventing soil erosion and degradation on a model farm. Water Explore the physical factors and processes that contribute to cycling of water (focus on transpiration and groundwater movement). Examine data from an ecosystem or region to explore changes in a water cycle caused by different land use patterns. Compare the challenges of obtaining fresh water for human use in different climatic regions,(focusing on irrigation and drainage). Use scientific tools and techniques to evaluate the health of a local aquatic system. Infer from data the human impact on local water quality. Describe how the pyramid of energy results in biomagnification. Examine the danger of persistent organic pollutants in comparison to excess nutrient pollution. Sample Performance Tasks - Plan and conduct an investigation that explores the various physical and chemical properties of water that are central to the planet s dynamics, and surface processes and explain how water s

22 structure relates to its function. (HS-ESS2-5) Develop a model that illustrates the flow of matter that occurs during the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere. (HS-LS2-5) Compare and evaluate competing arguments weighing the advantages and disadvantages of genetic engineering (pesticide and herbicide resistance) as a component of the system designed to produce food as a way to address humanity's major global challenges of food availability. (HS- ESS3-4) Resources Core Text: Environmental Science, Karen Arms, 2008, ISBN-13: Suggested Resources: USDA Economic Research Service- Irrigation and Water Use Bozeman Science - Water Resources kqsgm&index=5 World Wildlife Fund - Environmental impacts of farming Bozeman Science - Agriculture National Geographic - The Next Green Revolution Bozman Sciecne - Soil and Soil Dynamics Bozeman Science - Energy Flow in Ecosystems kqsgm&index=8 Ecological Succession: Change is Good - Crash Course Ecology #6 Ecosystem Ecology: Links in the Chain - Crash Course Ecology #7 Crash Course: World History - the Agricultural Revolution Bozeman Science - Biogeochemical Cycling Film: King Corn

23 Sustainable Farming Performance Expectations HS-ETS1-1. Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants. Natural Phenomenon There is a fundamental disconnect for many people between the food they eat and the land on, or water in, which it is produced. Students will examine the role of different farming practices, government regulations and individual decisions on the human food chain. They will develop a much greater understanding of and appreciation for food production and how food influences, and is influenced by, other environmental issues. Design Task/Solution Task: Design a farm that would sustain you for a year. Solution: A model of a farm somewhere in the world that realistically can provide the inhabitants with all resources including food, shelter, water, electricity, and any other desired and/or necessary amenities. Science and Engineering Standards ET S1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems - Humanity faces major global challenges today, such as the need for supplies of clean water and food or for energy sources that minimize pollution, which can be addressed through engineering. These global challenges also may have manifestations in local communities. (HS-ETS1-1) ET S1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution - Criteria may need to be broken down into simpler ones that can be approached systematically, and decisions about the priority of certain criteria over others (trade-offs) may be needed. (HS-ETS1-2) ESS3.A: Natural Resources - Resource availability has guided the development of human society. (HS- ESS3-1) ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems - Scientists and engineers can make major contributions by developing technologies that produce less pollution and waste and that preclude ecosystem degradation. (HS-ESS3-4) ESS3.D: Global Climate Change - Through computer simulations and other studies, important discoveries are still being made about how the ocean, the atmosphere, and the biosphere interact and are modified in response to human activities. (HS-ESS3-6) Lesson Performance Tasks Gathering Students obtain and evaluate information on global farming practices and resources availability to produce a self-sustaining farm. Assessment: What should this look like in your classroom? Students will be able to produce research that supports developing a farm in their chosen location. Reasoning Students will be able to analyze and evaluate their research and adjust their model as needed to reflect the feasibility of their design. Assessment: What should this look like in your classroom?

24 Student discussion of their farm will demonstrate a clear understanding of the strengths and limitations of their choices as they relate to the major global challenges humanity is facing today. Communicating Reasoning Students produce a scale model of their proposed farm. Assessment: What should this look like in your classroom? Sample of scale model that is expected of students.