Unit | Timeframe | Big Ideas (Statements or Essential Questions) | Major Learning Experiences from Unit |
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1: The Living World - Ecosystems | September | How does energy change forms? How old is the water that you drink? Develop a foundational understanding of biomes Describe how relationships between organisms are affected by environmental conditions Calculate the decrease of energy as it passes through ecosystems Explain the transfer of energy through ecosystems
| Biome speed dating Predator-prey lab
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2: The Living World - Biodiversity | October | Can an invasive species be considered a native species if it occupies a place for a long time? Describe and explain the environmental concepts and processes of biodiversity Articulate the differences among species, genetic, and habitat diversity; between keystone and indicator species; and between ecosystem services and ecological services
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3: Populations | October | How do changes in habitats influence changes in species over time? How is educational opportunity for women connected to human population changes? Predict patterns and trends by analyzing population growth, age structure diagrams, and survivorship curves Application of the rule of 70
| Mark and recapture lab Bubble survivorship lab Cemetery lab
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4: Earth Systems and Resources | November | How does energy from the sun influence the weather? How can earthquakes be predicted? Identify and describe environmental processes displayed visually Explain the meaning of a diagram or infographic to explain the consequences of a change in an environmental process
| Convection model Coriolis effect lab Soil quality lab
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5: Land and Water Use | December | How does your use of natural resources impact the world? Why are sustainable practices difficult to implement? Identify environmental problems such as pollution, depletion of the ozone layer, global climate change Describe and propose viable solutions for environmental problems Describe the development process for legislation enacted to mitigate environmental problems and the effects of the legislation on the various stakeholders Evaluate a proposed solution to an environmental problem and/ or the legislation that addresses it and then describe benefits and drawbacks to proposed solutions
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6: Energy Resources and Consumption | January | Why are fossil fuels the most widely used energy resources if they are nonrenewable? Identify where natural energy resources occur (e.g., coal, crude oil, ores) on a global map Describe other forms of energy and differentiate between nonrenewable and renewable forms of energy
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7: Atmospheric Pollution | February | Where does air pollution go once it is airborne? Propose solutions to combat the effects of air pollution on human health Use data or evidence to support proposed solutions Understand the implications of environmental legislation, know how environmental policies are applied and what the outcomes are in a variety of contexts Explain why those outcomes occurred and how the policy affected the outcomes
| Air pollution lab Acid rain lab
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8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution | February - March | How does pollution impact your health? How can you decrease your waste? Understand the implications of environmental legislation Explain why the above outcomes occurred and how the policy affected the outcomes Evaluate environmental problems with data
| LD50 lab Water quality lab
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9: Global Change | March - April | Why are laws created to protect endangered species? How can local human activities have a global impact? Describe and explain global changes in the environment, the causes of these changes, and their consequences
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10: Additional Exploration | May - June | | Solar oven lab Owl pellet lab Scientific inquiry
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