Unit 8: Human Impact

Students will know how to:
-Describe how human activities impact Earth’s systems
-Identify sources and effects of pollution in air, water, and land
-Explain how greenhouse gases contribute to global warming and climate change
-Analyze data to understand causes and consequences of climate change
-Evaluate strategies to reduce or adapt to environmental problems
-Design solutions or propose approaches to protect the environment
-Use evidence from data, models, and research to explain human impact

Core Topics:
-How human activities affect the environment
-Pollution: air, water, and land
-Greenhouse gases and their effects
-Global warming and climate change
-Strategies to reduce or adapt to environmental problems

NGSS Performance Expectations:
HS-ESS3-1 – Evaluate the use of natural resources and the effects of human activities on Earth systems.
HS-ESS3-3 – Design and evaluate solutions to reduce human impacts on the environment.
HS-ESS3-4 – Analyze data to understand the causes and consequences of climate change.
HS-ESS3-5 – Use climate models to make predictions about future environmental conditions.

Essential Questions students will be able to answer:
-How do human activities affect the environment?
-What are the main sources and effects of pollution in air, water, and land?
-How do greenhouse gases contribute to climate change?
-What evidence shows that global warming is occurring?
-How can humans reduce or adapt to environmental problems?
-How can data and models help us create solutions to protect Earth’s systems?

Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs):
-Designing Solutions
-Argument from Evidence
-Analyzing and Interpreting Data
-Constructing Explanations

Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs):
-Cause and Effect
-Stability and Change
-Systems and System Models
-Energy and Matter

Demonstration of Learning / Suggested Activities:

-Unit Test
-Quizzes
-Carbon footprint analysis
-Climate mitigation proposal
-Pollution modeling lab (acid rain, runoff, etc.)
-Analyze environmental data to construct evidence-based arguments
-Design solutions to reduce human impact on Earth systems