HS - ESS3.A (B) - Energy and Mineral Resources - ASSIGNED (AuMy 4/30/2014)

Module: Energy and Mineral Resources

DCI: ESS3.A (B) All forms of energy production and other resource extraction have associated economic, social, environmental, and geopolitical costs and risks as well as benefits. New technologies and social regulations can change the balance of these factors.

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

[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.]

The ideas here are: 

- the production of energy is associated with environmental, social, economic, and geopolitical costs. 

- the extraction of other resources are associated with those same costs. 

- in addition to the risks discussed, there are also benefits

- technology and regulations can change the balance of the risk/benefit factors. 

We did something similar to this in middle school - here's an example question...

Some factories that burn coal produce smoke with harmful chemicals, such as sulfur. Scrubbers are devices that are attached to the smokestacks to reduce the amount of sulfur put into the atmosphere. To evaluate the effectiveness of these devices, what data would need to be collected

This particular question does a fair job at addressing the PE, because students are evaluating a design solution for managing a mineral resource.  The thing it fails at, is comparing competing design solutions.  So, we can use this as a start, but we have to add more information.  The students need to be looking for a solution that provides the best benefit vs. risk (including the cost).  We can't make up any data, so we might have to do quite a bit of research in finding out how companies make these decisions. 

We need to also think about comparing forms of energy here, because various types of energy production do different amounts of damage. 

Question Ideas: 

- Maybe we could simplify this into an easy to read table: 

The source of this diagram is here: http://www.nzdl.org/gsdlmod?e=d-00000-00---off-0hdl--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-help---00-0-1-00-0-0-11-1-1utfZz-8-00&cl=CL1.16&d=HASHbdde2fe3749493c1a0de2d.4.3&gc=1

We can ask, based on the information in the table, which of the following soil conservation practices would best fit a situation in which X, Y, and Z were high priorities?

- Which of the following provides the best solution to decreasing the impact from the damages done by the practice of metal mining? (recycling?)

HS - ESS3.A (A) - Human Activity and Natural Resources - ASSIGNED (KG 4/30/2014)

Module: Human Activity and Natural Resources

DCI: ESS3.A (A) Resource availability has guided the development of human society.

PE: HS-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.

[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.]

The ideas here are: 

- the availability of resources has played a role in the development of human society 

Ok... interesting.  So, we are supposed to look for evidence to show how natural resources have influenced human activity.  For this particular batch, it is safe to also include the the idea of how climate change has influenced society, but there is a separate batch dedicated to natural hazards - so we can leave that out. 

The types of evidence we might look to might be availability of freshwater, regions of fertile soil, concentration of minerals and fossil fuels.  It might be hard to find good data on this, but we can for sure look to changes in human society (moving closer to water, to warmer temperatures, etc.) and connect those changes back to a natural resource.  

Here are some websites I found: 

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/society.html

http://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/global-change-an-overview-13255365

Ideas for questions: 

-talk about loss of fertile soil due to erosion or some other factor, which of the following effects to humans could be expected? (humans move to another region?)

- list past human societies (mayans, egyptians, etc.), provide some data about each (location, date, activities, language) "based on the information, which of the following conclusions can be drawn about the development of human civilizations?" and we get to the idea that civilizations sprang up around available resources?? I don't know how we do that, but it could be cool. 

- as human populations continue to grow, which of the following can be expected? decrease in available resources? 

HS - PS3.A (B and C) - Macro and Microscopic Views of Energy - ASSIGNED (RC 4/30/2014)

Module: Macro and Microscopic Views of Energy

DCI: PS3.A (B) At the macroscopic scale, energy manifest itself in multiple ways, such as in motion, sound, light, and thermal energy.

DCI: PS3.A (C) These relationships are better understood at the microscopic scale, at which all of the different manifestations of energy can be modeled as a combination of energy associated with the motion of particles and energy associated with the configuration (relative position of the particles). In some cases the relative position energy can be thought of as stored in fields (which mediate interactions between particles). This last concept includes radiation, a phenomenon in which energy stored in fields moves across space.

PE: HS-PS3-2 Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as a combination of energy associated with the motions of particles (objects) and energy associated with the relative positions of particles (objects).

[Clarification Statement: Examples of phenomena at the macroscopic scale could include the conversion of kinetic energy to thermal energy, the energy stored due to position of an object above the earth, and the energy stored between two electrically-charged plates. Examples of models could include diagrams, drawings, descriptions, and computer simulations.]

PE: HS-PS3-3 Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.

 [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on both qualitative and quantitative evaluations of devices. Examples of devices could include Rube Goldberg devices, wind turbines, solar cells, solar ovens, and generators. Examples of constraints could include use of renewable energy forms and efficiency.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment for quantitative evaluations is limited to total output for a given input. Assessment is limited to devices constructed with materials provided to students.]

The ideas here are: 

- energy can manifest itself in a variety of ways (motion, sound, light, and thermal)

- this is, however, a macroscopic view of energy

- energy is better understood at a microscopic view

- energy, really, is dependent on the motion and arrangements of particles of matter

- sometimes, this energy can be thought of as stored in fields which cause particles to interact

- this last interaction is called radiation, by which the energy stored in fields moves across space

PS3-2 is a PE that was also included in our batch "defining energy".  Some of those concepts though, are still applicable.  We can look at total energy as the sum of the energy of its parts. One idea, when the thermal energy of an object increases, which of the following describes the behavior of the particles of matter within that object? 

It will be difficult to address PS3-3, but we can ask questions about the efficiency of a device based on data. 

Possible Questions: 

-Which of the following represents a macroscopic view of energy?

- As the thermal energy of an object increases, which of the following best describes the behavior of the particles within that object? 

- Students are trying to build a device that will prevent the flow of thermal energy.  (We describe a device, or perhaps we provide a picture.) They record they record the following data. Based on this information, which of the following changes should be made to the device?

HS - LS4.D - Human Impacts on Biodiversity - ASSIGNED (CLF 4/30/2013)

Module: Human Impacts on Biodiversity

DCI: LS4.D Humans depend on the living world for the resources and other benefits provided by biodiversity. But human activity is also having adverse impacts on biodiversity through overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change. Thus sustaining biodiversity so that ecosystem functioning and productivity are maintained is essential to supporting and enhancing life on Earth. Sustaining biodiversity also aids humanity by preserving landscapes of recreational or inspirational value.

PE: HS-LS4-6 Create or revise a simulation to test a solution to mitigate adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity

[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on designing solutions for a proposed problem related to threatened or endangered species, or to genetic variation of organisms for multiple species.]

The ideas here are: 

-humans depend on the living world for resources and other benefits

- biodiversity provides humans benefits and resources

- human activity adversely effects biodiversity 

- some of the human activities which effect biodiversity are overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change

- sustaining biodiversity is essential to supporting life on earth

- there are also recreational and inspirational values to preserving biodiversity 

It will be very difficult to get to this PE.  We may have to stick to content from the DCI.  If we are to address it, it will be by having students evaluate the likelihood that a proposed solution will do its job to mitigate the loss of biodiversity. 

Possible Questions:

-which of the following human activities is most likely responsible for the destruction of rainforest habitat? 

- which of the following human activities provides the best solution for improving the health of an ecosystem? 

- in which of the following ways do humans depend on the biodiversity of living things? 

HS - ESS2 - Co-evolution of earth's surface and life FINAL (CJT 4-30-14)

Module: The Co-Evolution of Earth’s Surface and Life

DCI: ESS2.E The many dynamic and delicate feedbacks between the biosphere and other Earth systems cause a continual co-evolution of Earth’s surface and the life that exists on it.

PE: HS-ESS2-7 Construct an argument based on evidence about the simultaneous co-evolution of Earth’s systems and life on Earth.

[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the dynamic causes, effects, and feedbacks between the biosphere and Earth’s other systems, whereby geoscience factors control the evolution of life, which in turn continuously alters Earth’s surface. Examples of include how photosynthetic life altered the atmosphere through the production of oxygen, which in turn increased weathering rates and allowed for the evolution of animal life; how microbial life on land increased the formation of soil, which in turn allowed for the evolution of land plants; or how the evolution of corals created reefs that altered patterns of erosion and deposition along coastlines and provided habitats for the evolution of new life forms.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of how the biosphere interacts with all of Earth’s other systems.]

The content associated with this standard is as follows.

- There are many feedbacks between the biosphere and other Earth systems.

- Because of the feedbacks, the evolution of live and changes to the surface of the Earth are interrelated.

- Students need to be able to use evidence to support the claims above.

EXAMPLES:

 - photosynthesis changed the atmosphere of the Earth

 - changes in the atmosphere altered weathering

 - microbes made soil

 - soil allowed plants to live on land

 - coral reefs alter coastline erosion

HS - LS4.C (D) - Environmental Influences on Adaptation - ASSIGNED (AM 4/28/2014)

DCI: LS4.C (D) Changes in the physical environment, whether naturally occurring or human induced, have thus contributed to the expansion of some species, the emergence of new distinct species as populations diverge under different conditions, and the decline - and sometimes the extinction - of some species.

PE: HS-LS4-6 Create or revise a simulation to test a solution to mitigate adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity.

[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on designing solutions for a proposed problem related to threatened or endangered species, or to genetic variation of organisms for multiple species.]

The ideas are: 

- changes to the physical environment can be naturally occurring or human induced

- changes to the environment can result in the expansion of some species

- changes to the environment can result in the emergence of new, distinct species

- changes to the environment can result in the decline of some species

- changes to the environment can result in the extinction of some species

We will probably need to pull more from the DCI on this batch, as it will be very difficult to have students create or revise a simulation.  We can, though, describe a solution that was designed to mitigate loss of biodiversity, and ask students what kind of data to collect to assess the merits of that solution, or we can provide data about four separate solutions and ask which was best. 

Possible Question Ideas

-describe a change to the environment, which of the following is likely to occur

- I pulled this from a middle school batch on biodiversity.  This won't work exactly as previously written, but may provide an idea. 

The chart below lists data on four different projects designed to restore a wetlands habitat destroyed by human activity and a recent hurricane. Project Anticipated cost (millions of dollars) % of Wildlife to Benefit Community Support 1 13 - 16 15 - 25 High 2 25 - 30 50 - 75 Moderate 3 12 - 17 70 - 80 High 4 18 - 25 75 - 80 Low The project that will be chosen will have to be low in cost, benefit the greatest number of species, and be popular with the local citizens whose taxes will sponsor it. Based on the data and the criteria given, which project will be chosen?

Here's another one from a middle school batch... 

Human activity can destroy coral reefs. Because so many organisms depend on the coral, this can have a negative effect on the ecosystem in shallow ocean waters. Which of the following solutions will most likely offer the best way for humans to repair the damage and improve the health of this ecosystem?

HS - ESS2.D (C) - Rising Carbon Dioxide Concentrations - ASSIGNED (KG 4/28/2014)

Module: Rising Carbon Dioxide Concentrations

DCI: ESS2.D (C) Changes in the atmosphere due to human activity have increased carbon dioxide concentrations and thus affect climate.

PE: HS-ESS2-4 Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate.

[Clarification Statement: Examples of the causes of climate change differ by timescale, over 1-10 years: large volcanic eruption, ocean circulation; 10-100s of years: changes in human activity, ocean circulation, solar output; 10-100s of thousands of years: changes to Earth's orbit and the orientation of its axis; and 10-100s of millions of years: long-term changes in atmospheric composition.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment of the results of changes in climate is limited to changes in surface temperatures, precipitation patterns, glacial ice volumes, sea levels, and biosphere distribution.]

PE: HS-ESS2-6 Develop a quantitative model to describe the cycling of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.

[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on modeling biogeochemical cycles that include the cycling of carbon through the ocean, atmosphere, soil, and biosphere (including humans), providing the foundation for living organisms.]

The ideas are: 

- human activity has increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

- increased carbon dioxide concentration affects climate

The first PE will be fairly easy to address.  Students should be making the connection between increased CO2 concentration and a disruption in the flow of energy between Earth's systems.  The 'model' can be a conceptual model by which students are describing how a change in one system affects the properties of another system.  We should make every effort to relate these changes to human activity though, because that is specified in the DCI. 

The second PE may be more difficult, but we should focus on the distribution of carbon in the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere and look to how human activity has altered that distribution. 

Possible Questions: 

Global climate changes are related to increased human activity in which of the following ways?

A decrease in the volume of glacial ice indicates which of the following?