What is the NGSS & 3 Dimensional Science Learning and Why is it Important?

Science Practices  -  Disciplinary Core Ideas  -  Crosscutting Concepts

HS-ESS3-1: Global Impacts on Human Activity

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. (Cause and Effect)

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.

Boundary Statement:  none

HS-ESS3-2: Cost-Benefit Ratio Design Solutions

Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on cost-benefit ratios. (Engineering and Technology)

Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the conservation, recycling, and reuse of resources (such as minerals and metals) where possible, and on minimizing impacts where it is not. Examples include developing best practices for agricultural soil use, mining (for coal, tar sands, and oil shales), and pumping (for petroleum and natural gas). Science knowledge indicates what can happen in natural systems—not what should happen.

Boundary Statement:  none

HS-ESS3-3: Biodiversity, Natural Resources, and Human Sustainability

Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity. (Stability and Change)

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.

Boundary Statement:  Assessment for computational simulations is limited to using provided multi-parameter programs or constructing simplified spreadsheet calculations.

HS-ESS3-4: Reducing Human Impact Design Solutions

Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems. (Stability and Change)

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).

Boundary Statement:  none

HS-ESS3-6: Human Impacts on Earth Systems

Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity. (Systems and System Models)

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.

Boundary Statement:  Assessment does not include running computational representations but is limited to using the published results of scientific computational models.