Naugatuck High School. Environmental Science Curriculum NHS School-Wide Rubrics noted on Draft

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1 Naugatuck High School Environmental Science Curriculum 2008 NHS School-Wide Rubrics noted on Draft

2 Environmental Science I. Course Description Environmental Science is an issues-based course which explores the fragile relationship between our species and our home, Earth. A rapidly growing world population has impacted our planet in many ways. This course explores many of the critical issues challenging us today. This course is offered at the college preparatory and general levels. Assessments noted within units: NHS School-Wide Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Rubric. NHS School-Wide Argumentative Writing Rubric. II. Scope and Sequence Topic I. People in the Global Ecosystem A. People and Their Needs B. A Portrait of the Earth C. Human Societies D. Sustainable Development II. Human Population A. History of Human Population B. Growth and Changing Needs C. Challenges of Overpopulation III. Feeding the World A. World Food Supply B. Sustainable Food Production IV. Energy Resources A. Organic Fuels and their Impact on the Environment a. Acid Rain b. Ozone Layer Depletion c. Climate Change V. Alternative Energy Resources A. Nuclear B. Solar C. Hydro D. Wind E. Hydrogen Technology VI. Toward a Sustainable Future Time 3 Weeks 3 Weeks 2 Weeks 4 Weeks 4 Weeks 2 Weeks

3 A. Conservation Unit 1 People in the Global Ecosystem Science Standards Connecticut State Content Standard Living organisms have the capability of producing populations of unlimited size, but the environment can support only a limited number of individuals from each species. Connecticut State Content Enrichment Standard Expected Performances D 43. Describe the factors that affect the carrying capacity of the environment. D 44. Explain how change in population density is affected by emigration, immigration, birth rate and death rate, and relate these factors to the exponential growth of human populations. D 45. Explain how technological advances have affected the size and growth rate of human populations throughout history. Ecology - Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. Changes in an ecosystem can result from changes in climate, human activity, introduction of nonnative species, or changes in population size. Enduring Understandings Essential Questions People need food, water and shelter to survive on this planet. The Earth is a single living organism that regulates itself to maintain life. Human societies have shifted from basic nomadic cultures to advanced industrial societies each placing unique demands on the global environment. What basic human needs are necessary for survival on this planet? How does the Earth regulate itself to maintain life? How has the shift in human societies impacted our way of thinking in regards to the future development of our planet? Sustainable development meets the current needs of society keeping in mind the needs of future generations. Knowledge and Skills

4 Students will know and be able to: Identify the needs of the human population. Describe Earth as a network of systems and connections. Diagnose and illustrate some of the pressures from human populations over time on the global environment. Evaluate the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development.

5 Unit 1 People in the Global Ecosystem Continued Tests Unit Test Students will provide a consistent, meaningful interpretation of the key issues/concepts through multiple choice and open-ended short answer questions. Optional Assessments: Students will write an essay comparing and contrasting a hunter-gatherer society to that of an industrial society. Students will address the following factors in the essay: family structure, health, socialization, well-being, technology and whether the hunter-gatherer society should be modernized. Students construct a poster or pamphlet comparing and contrasting the positive and negative impacts of technology on hunter-gatherer, agricultural and industrial societies. Resources: Textbook Relevant Periodicals Video National Geographic Baka - People of the Forest Instructional Strategies: Student Centered Group discussion, cooperative learning, project design, writing, and organizing. Teacher Centered Guided questioning, teacher directed discussion and lecture. Complex Text: Gaia article - higher level Gaia article - mid level Gaia article - lower level Text Dependent Questions: Solutions to Environmental Threats - biodiversity loss Solutions to Environmental Threats - nitrogen cycle

6 Unit 2 Human Population Science Standards Connecticut State Content Standard Living organisms have the capability of producing populations of unlimited size, but the environment can support only a limited number of individuals from each species. Connecticut State Content Enrichment Standard Expected Performances D 43. Describe the factors that affect the carrying capacity of the environment. D 44. Explain how change in population density is affected by emigration, immigration, birth rate and death rate, and relate these factors to the exponential growth of human populations. D 45. Explain how technological advances have affected the size and growth rate of human populations throughout history. Ecology - Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. Changes in an ecosystem can result from changes in climate, human activity, introduction of nonnative species, or changes in population size. Fluctuations in population size in an ecosystem are determined by the relative rates of birth, immigration, emigration and death. Enduring Understandings Essential Questions Human populations have grown exponentially with the development of technologies. The needs of a larger population place a greater demand on the Earth s natural resources. Technological advances can have both positive and detrimental consequences on the world population. How has technology impacted the human population growth rate? How have Earth s resources been impacted by an increasing population? Can technology solve world population problems? Knowledge and Skills Students will know and be able to: Explain trends in human population growth throughout history. Relate how changes in population growth have impacted the usage of Earth s natural resources.

7 Evaluate how technological advances affect population and society.

8 Unit 2 Human Population Continued Tests Unit Test Students will provide a consistent, meaningful interpretation of the key issues/concepts through multiple choice and open-ended short answer questions. Optional Assessments: Students will write an essay comparing two articles, and take a position on whether or not planet Earth is overpopulated. Students will be assessed using the NHS School-Wide Argumentative Writing Rubric. Resources: Textbook Relevant Periodicals Videos CNN People Bomb and The World in Balance Instructional Strategies: Student Centered Cooperative learning, writing, and organizing. Teacher Centered Guided questioning, teacher directed discussion and lecture. Text Dependent Questions: Ending the Myth of Overpopulation

9 Unit 3 Feeding the World Science Standards Expected Performances Connecticut State Content Standards Scientific Inquiry Scientific inquiry is a thoughtful and coordinated attempt to search out, describe, explain and predict natural phenomena. Scientific inquiry progresses through a continuous process of questioning, data collection, analysis and interpretation. Scientific inquiry requires the sharing of findings and ideas for critical review by colleagues and other scientists. Scientific Literacy Scientific literacy includes the ability to read, write, discuss and present coherent ideas about science. Scientific literacy also includes the ability to search for and assess the relevance and credibility of scientific information found in various print and electronic media. Scientific Numeracy Scientific numeracy includes the ability to use mathematical operations and procedures to calculate, analyze and present scientific data and ideas. D INQ. 1 Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigation. D INQ. 3 Formulate a testable hypothesis and demonstrate logical connections between the scientific concepts guiding the hypothesis and the design of the experiment. D INQ. 4 Design and conduct appropriate types of scientific investigations to answer different questions. D INQ. 5 Identify independent and dependent variables, including those that are kept constant and those used as controls. D INQ. 6 Use appropriate tools and techniques to make observations and gather data. D INQ. 7 Assess the reliability of the data that was generated in the investigation. D INQ. 8 Use mathematical operations to analyze and interpret data, and present relationships between variables in appropriate forms. D INQ. 9 Articulate conclusions and explanations based on research data, and assess results based on the design of the investigation. Connecticut State Content Enrichment Standard Ecology - Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between competing effects. At each link in a food web some energy is stored in newly made structures, but much energy is dissipated into the environment as heat.

10 Unit 3 Feeding the World Continued Enduring Understandings Food demands are being met through commercial production of foods using alternative methods that sustain our environment. The world food supply can currently meet the needs of the growing human population, however not all people have access to this food supply. Essential Questions How are the human food demands being met? Can the world food supply continue to meet the needs of a growing population? How can aquaculture increase the sustainability of our ocean resources? Growing seafood commercially can provide the opportunity for our marine resource populations to rebound from over harvesting. Knowledge and Skills: Students will know and be able to: Identify alternative methods of food production. Explain the effects of economics on the production of food. Predict how aquaculture can address the issues of over harvesting marine resources. Performance Assessment Performance Based Assessment Feeding the World. The purpose of the experiment is to determine how soil erosion and soil types effect crop production. Students design and conduct an experiment to test their hypothesis, record and interpret data and draw conclusions. All steps of the scientific method will be recorded in a written lab report and graded using the NHS School- Wide Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Rubric for 21st century learning expectation and the NHS science department rubric for the learner outcome standard in science. Test

11 Unit Test Students will provide a consistent, meaningful interpretation of the key issues/concepts through multiple choice and open-ended short answer questions. Optional Assessments: Resources: Textbook Relevant Periodicals Videos Will the World Starve? and The Coral Triangle Instructional Strategies: Student Centered Inquiry-based investigation, small group activity, cooperative learning, writing, and organizing. Teacher Centered Demonstrate, model, guided questioning, teacher directed discussion and lecture. Text Dependent Questions: Doin a Body Good Food Shortages and Vegetarianism The Labeling of GM Foods What s Happening to your Food?

12 Unit 4 Energy Resources Science Standards Expected Performances Connecticut State Content Standards Various sources of energy are used by humans and all have advantages and disadvantages. D. 8 Describe the availability, current uses and environmental issues related to the use of fossil and nuclear fuels to produce electricity The use of resources by human populations may affect the quality of the environment. D. 22 Explain how the release of sulfur dioxide (SO 2) into the atmosphere can form acid rain, and how acid rain affects water sources, organisms and human-made structures. D. 23 Explain how the accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO 2) in the atmosphere increases Earth s greenhouse effect and may cause climate changes. D. 24 Explain how the accumulation of mercury, phosphates and nitrates affects the quality of water and the organisms that live in rivers, lakes and oceans. D INQ s 1,3-9 Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and Numeracy Enduring Understandings Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources. Burning fossil fuels increases the amount of chemical compounds in the atmosphere. Essential Questions What is a fossil fuel and where do they come from? What is the relationship between the burning of fossil fuels and their impact on the environment? The burning of fossil fuels can alter the balance of the Earth s ecosystems. Knowledge and Skills

13 Students will know and be able to: Differentiate between renewable and nonrenewable resources. Identify the chemical compounds that are released into the atmosphere from burning of fossil fuels. Explain how the increase of chemical compounds in the atmosphere negatively impacts the Earth.

14 Unit 4 Energy Resources Continued Performance Based Assessments Performance Based Assessment Acid Rain. The purpose of the experiment is to determine how various soil types affect the ph of acid rain. Students design and conduct an experiment to test their hypothesis, record and interpret data and draw conclusions. All steps of the scientific method will be recorded in a written lab report and graded using the NHS School-Wide Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Rubric for 21st century learning expectation and the NHS science department rubric for the learner outcome standard in science. Tests Unit Test Students will provide a consistent, meaningful interpretation of the key issues/concepts through multiple choice and open-ended short answer questions. Optional Assessments: Students conduct research on climate change and present orally. Resources: Textbook Relevant Periodicals Videos Acid Rain, Ozone the Hole Story, and Inconvenient Truth. Instructional Strategies: Student Centered Inquiry-based investigation, jigsaw, cooperative learning, small group activity, writing, and organizing. Teacher Centered Demonstrate, model, guided questioning, teacher directed discussion and lecture. Text Dependent Questions: Solutions to Environmental Threats - climate change Solutions to Environmental Threats - ocean acidification Keystone Pipeline article

15 Unit 5 Alternative Energy Resources Science Standard Expected Performances Connecticut State Content Standard Various sources of energy are used by humans and all have advantages and disadvantages. D. 8 Describe the availability, current uses and environmental issues related to the use of fossil and nuclear fuels to produce electricity. D. 9 Describe the availability, current uses and environmental issues related to the use of hydrogen fuel cells, wind and solar energy to produce electricity. Enduring Understandings 1. Developing alternative energy will reduce our reliance on nonrenewable resources. 2. Using alternative energies will positively impact global health and increase the sustainability of the Earth s natural resources. Essential Questions What is alternative energy? 2. How can alternative energy sources reduce negative impacts on the global environment? Knowledge and Skills Students will know and be able to: Identify and describe alternative energy technologies. Relate how the use of alternative energy can reduce the need to use nonrenewable resources for energy production. Evaluate how alternative energy can positively impact global health. Tests Unit Test Students will provide a consistent, meaningful interpretation of the key issues/concepts through multiple choice and open-ended short answer questions.

16 Unit 5 Alternative Energy Resources Continued Optional Assessments: Students will research and design a homestead that does not use conventional energy sources. Resources: Textbook Relevant Periodicals Video Alternative Energy Instructional Strategies: Student Centered Cooperative learning, small group activity, writing, organizing, and paraphrasing. Teacher Centered Guided questioning, teacher directed discussion and lecture. Text Dependent Questions:

17 Unit 6 Toward a Sustainable Future Science Standard Expected Performances Connecticut State Content Standard Some materials can be recycled, but others accumulate in the environment and may affect the balance of the Earth systems. Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and Numeracy D. 26 Describe human efforts to reduce the consumption of raw materials and improve air and water quality. DINQ 10 Enduring Understandings 1. Conservation is a way of achieving sustainability. 2. Reduce, reuse and recycle can be incorporated into the modern lifestyle. 3. Individual wants are different from individual needs, and using less does not mean having less. Essential Questions 1. What does it mean to conserve resources? 2. What are some methods in which you can conserve energy and natural resources? 3. Can you use fewer resources and still meet your needs? Knowledge and Skills Students will know and be able to: Relate conservation practices and the sustainability of natural resources. Identify ways in which they can reduce, reuse and recycle in their everyday lives. Measure their personal impact on the global ecosystem. Tests

18 Unit Test Students will provide a consistent, meaningful interpretation of the key issues/concepts through multiple choice and open-ended short answer questions.

19 Unit 6 Toward a Sustainable Future Continued Optional Assessments: How can you design a model city? Students work in small groups to design a city. The city must be designed around several parameters than address sustainable practices. Resources: Textbook Instructional Strategies: Student Centered Cooperative learning, small group activity, writing, organizing, and paraphrasing. Teacher Centered Guided questioning, teacher directed discussion and lecture.