MS - ESS3.A - Human Dependence on Natural Resources - ASSIGNED (CLF 2/5/2014)

Module: Human Dependence on Natural Resources

DCI: ESS3.A (0) Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources, Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes.

PE: MS-ESS3-1 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence of how the uneven distributions of Earth’s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.

[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on how these resources are limited and typically non-renewable, and how their distributions are significantly changing as a result of removal by humans. Examples of uneven distributions of resources as a result of past processes include but are not limited to petroleum (locations of the burial of organic marine sediments and subsequent geologic traps), metal ores (locations of past volcanic and hydrothermal activity associated with subduction zones), and soil (locations of active weathering and/or deposition of rock).]

The ideas in this standard are: 

- Humans depend on the earth's land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for resources

- The resources we depend on the earth for are minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources

- many resources are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes

- the resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes

So, it's helpful that the emphasis is on the fact that the resources are limited, and that the distribution of resources changes as a result of human activity.  The processes which are responsible for the uneven distribution of resources can include the list provided in the clarification statement. 

We can squeeze 1-2 questions out of the DCI - what it means for a resource to be non-renewable, ways in which we depend on the earth for resources, etc.  It's important to note though, that we should not expect students to have a concrete list in mind of which resources are renewable/non-renewable, or even a list of resources that we get from the earth.  The focus will have to be on the distribution of resources, and how the distribution provides evidence of geologic processes.  Also - the fact that human removal of resources is changing their distribution far more than any geologic process ever could.  This is the only PE aligned to this DCI - so we will need to try to equally cover all aspects of both. 

Possible Questions:
We could have simple questions, at least a couple.
"People try to conserve some resources, like fossil fuels, because they are not replaceable. Why can't these resources be replaced?" 
* processes that make them take long time
- they most be transported long distances
?

"People move into and begin living in an area that previously had no human activity. What will most likely be the change to the amount of water?
*less available to other living things
- more evenly distribute 


We could have a table of four areas where sedimentary rock layers are exposed and list features of the environment that produced the rock layers.
Vegetation at time when sediments formed (high or low)
Rate of sedimentation (Rapid or slow)
How long ago sediments formed (a few thousand or millions of years)

We tell kids that coal forms in locations where lots of vegetation gets buried quickly then altered by heat and pressure over millions of years. Then we ask which location is most likely to have coal and only one meets the criteria.

We could do some map questions also. If ore forms in locations that have X, where on this map would Y be found.