Module: Changes to
Earth’s Environment
DCI: ESS3.C (A) Human activities have significantly altered the
biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the
extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have
different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things.
PE: MS-ESS3-3 Apply scientific principles to design a method for
monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
[Clarification
Statement: Examples of the design process include examining human environmental
impacts, assessing the kinds of solutions that are feasible, and designing and
evaluating solutions that could reduce that impact. Examples of human impacts
can include water usage (such as the withdrawal of water from streams and
aquifers or the construction of dams and levees), land usage (such as urban
development, agriculture, or the removal of wetlands), and pollution (such as
of the air, water, or land).]
- human activities have altered the biosphere significantly
- changes to the biosphere have damaged and destroyed natural habitats
- species have become extinct due to these changes
- changes to the Earth's environment can have different impacts to different living things
- these changes can be both positive and negative
We can't really have kids 'design' a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact. However, we can ask things like "the effectiveness of a method could be observed by...", or evaluating the impact of a design method. We can ask general questions about human impact, including how the effects might be negative or how they might be positive.
Possible Question Starters:
"The pie chart provides data on the sources and amounts of different pollutants entering the oceans.
"The pie chart provides data on the sources and amounts of different pollutants entering the oceans.
The greatest reduction in pollutants entering the oceans could be achieved by making which of the following changes?"
correct answer - reclaiming and treating sewage waste
incorrect answer - stricter regulations on transportation
We can ask questions about land use. If we say that one impact of raising crops for food is using land that would have been habitat for other plants and animals, then a table with land use for different crops could be provided. The table would have yields (bushels per acre?). Then we ask which would use the most land? The options would be things like 1 million bushels of wheat or 2 million bushels of corn, etc. so the kid has to do some math.
We can ask questions about land use. If we say that one impact of raising crops for food is using land that would have been habitat for other plants and animals, then a table with land use for different crops could be provided. The table would have yields (bushels per acre?). Then we ask which would use the most land? The options would be things like 1 million bushels of wheat or 2 million bushels of corn, etc. so the kid has to do some math.
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