Embedded Files
Grade(s): 9-11
Length: two semesters
Credit: 1 (0.5 life science credit and 0.5 physical science credit)
Prerequisites: Teacher recommendation
Course Overview:
Course Overview:
Students in this course explore systems and the ways in which human systems affect and are affected by environmental systems. Students approach environmental issues by understanding ecological components and human perspectives. Students address bias and misunderstandings to develop their own opinions about environmental issues. This course focuses on climate change, natural resources, pollution, and energy, and uses all fields of sciences to help students form educated opinions and solutions based on evidence about current and future environmental problems facing society.
Semester one (1A) fulfills the Life Science graduation requirement and semester (1B) two fulfills the Physical Science requirement.
Adopted Textbook:
Adopted Textbook:
To be determined*
(Used to develop this curriculum: Environmental Science. National Geographic, 2022)
*Principles of Environmental Science (McGraw Hill) was adopted by the School Board in June 2024.
Units
Units
(Recommended Order)
Semester 1 (1A):
Semester 1 (1A):
Introduction to Environmental Science
Ecology
Biodiversity
Human Populations
Semester 2 (1B):
Semester 2 (1B):
Systems in Environmental Science
Climate Science
Natural Resources
Pollution and Waste Management
Concepts of Energy
Unit 1: Introduction to Environmental Science
Unit 1: Introduction to Environmental Science
Suggested Pacing: 4-5 weeks
Textbook Chapters/Lessons: Chapters 1 an 18
Key Objectives:
Key Objectives:
Explain What Science Is & the focus of Environmental Science
Describe The Process Of Science
Describe the major roles of the scientific community the process of science
Describe the recent trends human population and resource consumption
Explain the relationship between economics and the environment
Describe ways that economics are working towards sustainability
Explain the purpose of environmental policy
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Oasis Earth: Planet in Peril (free textbook)
Standards List: GLEs: S.A.1-, Asking Questions and Defining Problems, Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information, LS2.A:Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
Unit 2: Ecology
Unit 2: Ecology
Suggested Pacing: 4-5 weeks
Textbook Chapters/Lessons:
Key Objectives:
Key Objectives:
Describe the different levels of organization studied by ecologists
Explain the difference between biotic and abiotic factors
Explain how limiting factors and biotic potential affect population growth
Compare and contrast predation, parasitism,and herbivory
Describe mutualism and commensalism
Explain the difference between a producer and a consumer
Explain what a biogeochemical cycle is and recognize that nutrients cycle through the environment endlessly
Summarize the roles of producers and consumers in carbon cycle Including chemical formulas for photosynthesis and cellular respiration
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Case Study: Caribou Conservation Conundrum
Case Study: Mystery in Alaska
Case Study: The Moose, The Wolf, and the Fir Tree
Standards List: GLEs: S.A.1-, Developing and Using Models, Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Analyzing and Interpreting Data, LS2.A:Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, LS2.B:Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems, LS2.C:Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning and Resilience
Unit 3: Biodiversity
Unit 3: Biodiversity
Suggested Pacing: 4-5 weeks
Textbook Chapters/Lessons: Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8
Key Objectives:
Key Objectives:
Explain how biomes are characterized
Describe how net primary production varies among biomes
Describe the four primary mechanisms of biological evolution
Describe how speciation and extinction affect the diversity life on Earth
Differentiate the components of biodiversity
Explain two ways in which biodiversity varies across groups or geography
Describe how biodiversity is monitored and explain current biodiversity trends
List the major causes of biodiversity loss
Explain legal actions nations can take to protect biodiversity
Explain the conditions necessary for a species to become invasive
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Suggested Activities & Resources:
HHMI Biointeractive Biome Viewer
HHMI Biointeractive short film “From Ants to Grizzlies: A General Rule for Saving Biodiversity”
HHMI Biointeractive: “Mystery of the Missing Tusks”
Case Study: Complexity in Conservation
ESRI Geoinquiries
Standards List: GLEs: S.A.1-, Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions, Engaging in Argument from Evidence, LS4.B: Natural Selection, LS4.C: Adaptation, LS4.D:Biodiversity and Humans, ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems, ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
Unit 4: Human Populations
Unit 4: Human Populations
Suggested Pacing: 4-5 weeks
Textbook Chapters/Lessons:
Key Objectives:
Key Objectives:
Describe how technological advances have contributed to human population growth.
Explain recent trends in population growth.
Describe total fertility rates and replacement fertility.
Explain how the age structure and sex ratio of a population define its potential for growth.
Identify characteristics of human population that are studied by demographers.
Describe the demographic transition.
Discuss social factors that affect population.
List the types of environmental health hazards.
Describe how humans impact their environments.
Compare and contrast epidemiology and toxicology.
Discuss risk assessment.
Describe how infectious diseases spread.
Explain why emerging diseases are important to monitor and control.
Differentiate between social hazards that are lifestyle choices and those that cannot controlled.
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Suggested Activities & Resources:
ESRI Geoinquiries
Standards List:
GLEs: S.A.1-, Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking, Constructing Explanation and Designing Solutions, LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning and Resilience, ESS3.A: Natural Resources
Unit 5: Physical Systems in Environmental Science
Unit 5: Physical Systems in Environmental Science
Suggested Pacing: 4-5 weeks
Textbook Chapters/Lessons: Chapter 3
Key Objectives:
Key Objectives:
State the definition of an environmental system and give examples.
Explain that the geosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere are defined according to their functions Earth's systems.
Explain the importance of the cycling of nutrients, both macro and micro to all life on Earth.
Identify the layers of the atmosphere in the correct order.
Explain how the ozone layer protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
Connect plate tectonics to environmental science concepts such as biogeochemical cycles, volcanoes and air pollution, geothermal energy, earthquakes, and risk assessment.
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Selected chapters and data-based activities from the “Earth Exploration Toolbook”
HHMI Biointeractive: “Understanding Global Change” Interactive
Standards List: GLEs: S.A.1-, Developing and Using Models, Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking, LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems, LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning and Resilience, ESS2.A: Earth’s Materials and Systems, ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large Scale System Interactions
Unit 6: Climate Science
Unit 6: Climate Science
Suggested Pacing: 4-5 weeks
Textbook Chapters/Lessons:
Key Objectives:
Key Objectives:
Distinguish between weather and climate and list the factors that affect them.
Use conduction, convection, and radiation to explain how heat is transferred in the environment.
Explain the reason for the seasons.
Identify greenhouse gasses and their sources.
Explain how scientists study changes in climate.
Describe the evidence indicating that global warming has been caused largely by the increase in greenhouse in the atmosphere.
Describe how global climate change is affecting aspects of human life such farming,forestry, the economy, livingspace, health, and biodiversity.
List ways of reducing the production of greenhouse gasses and explain why this is important.
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Selected chapters and data-based activities from the “Earth Exploration Toolbook”
HHMI BioInteractive lesson: “Trends in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide”
PBS Lab: “Seasons on Earth”
Earth Labs: “Greenhouse Gas Lab”
Data Nuggets lab on tree ring analysis: “A Window Into a Tree’s World”
SPRINTT Climate Change Curriculum
Project Learning Tree Unit: “Southeastern Forests and Climate Change”
Documentary Film Cosmos Episode 12: “The World Set Free”
Standards List: GLEs: S.A.1- Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Asking Questions and Defining Problems, Analyzing and Interpreting Data, ESS2.D: Weather and Climate, ESS3.D: Global Climate Change
Unit 7: Natural Resources
Unit 7: Natural Resources
Suggested Pacing: 3 weeks
Textbook Chapters/Lessons: Chapters 11, 12, and 13
Key Objectives:
Key Objectives:
Explain why agricultural lands can lose productivity over time as nutrients are consumed and what are current soil conservation methods.
Describe human practices that may lead to soil erosion and techniques that can mitigate it.
Describe the most common methods of mining and their environmental consequences.
Describe how different minerals are formed and are cycled through the Earth.
Identify mineral resources available in Alaska and how their mining affects humans and the environment, including mining regulations.
Identify how water is used in society and how water use affects ecosystems.(agricultural, industrial, residential, recreational).
Explain what a watershed is and give an example local to Fairbanks.
Identify the distribution of water on Earth. (surface, groundwater, icecaps, ocean).
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Selected chapters and data-based activities from the “Earth Exploration Toolbook”
Alaska Resource Education Curriculum: “The Story of Alaska’s Mineral and Energy Resources”
Project Wet Activities - see website to access guides and resources
Documentary Film: The Last Mountain
Case Study: The Poopin Composting
CaseStudy: “The Wealth of Water”
Standards List: GLEs: S.A.1- Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions, ESS3.A: Natural Resources, ESS2.E: Biogeology, ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
Unit 8: Pollution and Waste Management
Unit 8: Pollution and Waste Management
Suggested Pacing: 3 weeks
Textbook Chapters/Lessons: Chapters 9, 10, 16, and 17
Key Objectives:
Key Objectives:
Describe different types of water pollution, its sources and treatment.
Describe different types of air pollution caused by human activity and natural processes, its sources and treatment.
List different ways environmental policies have reduced pollution in the US and globally.
Describe the conventional methods of waste disposal; landfills, incinerators and recycling.
Discuss the importance of waste reduction and what we as consumers can do about it (the 3 R's reduce, reuse, recycle).
Discuss hazardous waste, identify common everyday items that are hazardous waste and associated problems with its disposal. (e-waste, cfl’s, batteries etc.).
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Selected chapters and data-based activities from the “Earth Exploration Toolbook”
Air Actions Curriculum (background reading, labs, video labs on air quality)
Standards List: GLEs: S.A.1- Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions, ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes, ESS3.A: Natural Resources, ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
Unit 9: Concepts of Energy
Unit 9: Concepts of Energy
Suggested Pacing: 3 weeks
Textbook Chapters/Lessons: Chapter 2
Key Objectives:
Key Objectives:
Describe the different forms of energy and how they can be harnessed for human use.
Describe how although energy cannot be created or destroyed it can be converted to less useful forms such as thermal energy in the environment.
Make connections between types of renewable and nonrenewable energy and the sun as the initial source energy.
Identify the pros and cons of using fossil fuels and other nonrenewable sources of energy.
Describe types of fossil fuels used, how they have formed, and are extracted.
Describe alternative energy resources and how they may be harnessed and used.
Identify the pros and cons of using different renewable resources (solar, wind, hydro, geothermal).
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Suggested Activities & Resources:
Email Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP) at education@realaska.org to request a guest speaker to lead an energy activity using Kill-A-Watt Meters
“Renewable Energy Atlas of Alaska” - information about renewable energy resources in Alaska
Documentary Movie: Who Killed the Electric Car
National Energy Education Development (NEED) project curriculum guides
Case Study: “A Green Light for CFLs?”
Standards List: GLEs: S.A.1- Engaging in Argument from Evidence, Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information, PS3.A: Definitions of Energy, PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer, ESS3.A: Natural Resources, ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems, ESS3.D: Global Climate Change
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