Environmental Science 2005 Benchmarks

Environmental Science - 2005

Strand		Content Knowledge and skills	Benchmarks
Interdependence of Organisms and Biological Change.
Understand the Interdependence of organisms		Know that atoms and molecules cycle among the living and nonliving components of the biosphere	Ø Diagram the Nitrogen, or Carbon, or Oxygen cycle
		Trace energy flows through ecosystems in one direction, from photosynthetic organisms to herbivores to carnivores and decomposers.	Ø Diagram a food chain using a local ecosystem as the model.
		Know that organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems	Ø Explain how eliminating a part of a food chain can affect the rest of the chain. Ø Explain what possible affects the elimination might have.
		Know that living organisms have the capacity to produce populations of infinite size, but environments and resources are finite.	Ø List the limiting factors for a population in a closed environment
		Know that human beings live within the world’s ecosystems. Increasingly, they modify ecosystems as a result of population growth, technology, and consumption.	Ø Conduct or continue an extended investigation of a local environment affected by human actions.
Personal and Social Perspectives
Understand common environmental quality issues, both natural and human induced		Identify issues including but not limited to: - Water Quality; - Air quality; - Hazardous Waste - Forest Health	Ø Create a presentation for a younger audience expressing the importance of water conservation and protection. Ø Design an experiment that tests the relationship between indoor plants and air pollution clean up. Ø Create a forest management plan for a section of forest.
Understand the causes and effects of population changes		Understand the impact of population change on natural resources and community infrastructure.	Ø Describe how urban sprawl has affected a local area and create a plan to deal with the issue.
		Understand the impact of technological development and the growth of human population on the living and nonliving environment	Ø Describe technological advances that have allowed human population to grow so rapidly in the last 100 years. Ø Predict the affect on the world if the human population continues to grow at the current rate.
Understand the importance of natural resources and the need to manage and conserve them		Understand the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources	Ø Develop a list of the renewable and nonrenewable resources that are required to build a modern piece of technology.
		Understand the difference between preservation and conservation.	Ø Compare and contrast the roles of agencies charged with the preservation of natural resources as opposed to conservation and use.
		Understand the role and effect of management of natural resources.	Ø Interview a natural resource/conservation professional about their duties dealing with management and its affect.
Understand the different uses of technology in science and how they affect our standard of living		Identify examples of technologies used in scientific fields including but not limited to; - weather forecasting; - environmental cleanup; - Advances in medicine; - Communications; - The space program	Ø Use environmental measuring technology to measure and monitor an aspect of the local environment. Ø Identify a local environmental problem and research ways technology could improve it or how technology has improved it.
Concepts of Scientific Inquiry
Understand scientific inquiry and develop critical thinking skills		Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations.	Ø Create your own lab procedures for industry style labs
		Design and conduct scientific investigations.	Ø Plan and conduct scientific investigations using proper safety procedures.
		Use technology and mathematics to improve investigations and communication.	Ø Use a database to display results of an experiment. Ø Use graphing calculators and data probes to graph real time pH and temperature calculations.
		Formulate and revise scientific explanations and models using logic and evidence.	Ø Given the results of an experiment list possible sources of error. Ø Create a model to demonstrate the results of a lab.
		Communicate and defend a scientific argument.	Ø Write conclusion to a lab defending your results to the head of a company.
		Know the differences among observations, hypotheses, and theories	Ø Define observation, hypothesis, and theory. Ø Using an essay written by a scientist, interact with concepts of the scientific method.
Unifying Concepts of Science
Understand concepts and processes of evidence, models, and explanation.	Know that observations and data are evidence on which to base scientific explanations		Ø Conduct scientific investigations using proper safety procedures.
	Use models to explain how things work		Ø Given a model of an ecosystem, explain its parts and how they interact. Ø Create a working ecosystem and explain it’s basic components
	Develop scientific explanations based on scientific knowledge, logic, and analysis.		Ø Analyze the results of an experiment, create a conclusion Ø Open ended essay question on worksheets or tests Ø
Understand constancy, change, and measurement	Recognize that change occurs in and among systems and change can be measured.		Ø Measure the pH and temperature change in a water environment over time.
	Measure in both the metric and SAE system.		Ø Measure in metric and English during a lab.
Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems
Understand the relationship between matter, energy, and organization to trace matter as it cycles and energy as it flows through living systems and between living systems and the environment		Know that the distribution and abundance of organisms and populations in ecosystems are limited by the availability of matter and energy.	Ø Compare and contrast the species diversity in a tropical rain forest to the diversity in a temperate forest environment
		Trace how matter cycles and energy flows through different levels of organization of living systems cells, organs, organisms, communities, and between living systems and the physical environment	Ø Read and critique “Our Stolen Future” or “Silent Spring”
Technology
Understand the relationship between science and technology and develop the abilities of technological design and application		Recognize that science and technology are pursued for different purposes and that scientific inquiry is driven by a desire to understand the natural world and technological design is driven by the need to meet human needs and solve human problems.	Ø On a test describe the difference between science and technology
		Know that critical thinking, creativity, imagination, and a good knowledge base are all required in the work of science and engineering.	Ø Demonstrate these skills through labs, presentations, and/or projects.
		Use available technology to assist in solving problems.	Ø Use computer software to develop reports to communicate scientific information.
History of Science
Understand the significance of major scientific milestones		Understand the contributions of notable scientists.	Ø Type a paper on the day in the life of a well known scientist
Interdisciplinary Concepts
Understand that interpersonal relationships are important in scientific endeavors		Know the importance of working in interdisciplinary teams to solve scientific problems.	Ø Compete in a science fair or science competition Ø Work in cooperative lab groups to solve a problem or answer a question
Understand technical communication		Read for information	Ø Throughout the school year read the science textbook to obtain information Ø Read one non-fiction book outside of class that has do with a science subject
		Write and articulate scientific information	Ø Through labs and presentations, communicate results or information.

6/2002

Benchmarks

Interdependence of Organisms and Biological Change.

Know that living organisms have the capacity to produce populations of infinite size, but environments and resources are finite.

Ø List the limiting factors for a population in a closed environment

Know that human beings live within the world’s ecosystems. Increasingly, they modify ecosystems as a result of population growth, technology, and consumption.

Ø Conduct or continue an extended investigation of a local environment affected by human actions.

Personal and Social Perspectives

Understand the importance of natural resources and the need to manage and conserve them

Understand the difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources

Ø Develop a list of the renewable and nonrenewable resources that are required to build a modern piece of technology.

Understand the difference between preservation and conservation.

Ø Compare and contrast the roles of agencies charged with the preservation of natural resources as opposed to conservation and use.

Understand the role and effect of management of natural resources.

Ø Interview a natural resource/conservation professional about their duties dealing with management and its affect.

Understand the different uses of technology in science and how they affect our standard of living

Identify examples of technologies used in scientific fields including but not limited to;

Ø Use environmental measuring technology to measure and monitor an aspect of the local environment.

Concepts of Scientific Inquiry

Unifying Concepts of Science

Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems

Know that the distribution and abundance of organisms and populations in ecosystems are limited by the availability of matter and energy.

Ø Compare and contrast the species diversity in a tropical rain forest to the diversity in a temperate forest environment

Trace how matter cycles and energy flows through different levels of organization of living systems cells, organs, organisms, communities, and between living systems and the physical environment

Ø Read and critique “Our Stolen Future” or “Silent Spring”

Technology

History of Science

Interdisciplinary Concepts