Human impacts on earth's systems

The performance expectations in Topic 7: Human Impacts on Earth’s Systems help students formulate answers to these questions:

How have Earth’s systems affected human populations and human activities?

How do human activities impact Earth’s systems?

Students examine the complex interdependence between humans and their environment by simulating specific relationships between natural resources, natural hazards, climate, biodiversity, and the sustainability of human populations. Students analyze geoscience models to highlight the interactions between Earth’s various systems, forecast future rates of global or regional climate change, and predict the resulting impacts on the environment. Students utilize science and engineering practices to evaluate and refine solutions that reduce human impacts on natural systems, manage natural resources, protect biodiversity, and maintain healthy ecosystems.

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

• ESS3-1: 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

• ESS3-2: Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on cost-benefit ratios

• ESS3-3: Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity

• ESS3-4: Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems

• ESS3-6: Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity

• ETS1-1: Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants

• ETS1-4: Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem