Objectives
Essential Standard:
EEn.2.7 Explain how the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere individually and collectively affect the biosphere.
EEn.2.8 Evaluate human behaviors in terms of how likely they are to ensure the ability to live sustainably on Earth.
Clarifying objective:
EEn.2.7.1 Explain how abiotic and biotic factors interact to create the various biomes in North Carolina.
EEn.2.7.2 Explain why biodiversity is important to the biosphere.
EEn.2.7.3 Explain how human activities impact the biosphere.
EEn.2.7.1
• Explain how biotic and abiotic factors determine biome classification (temperature, rainfall, altitude, type of plant, latitude, type of animals).
• Compare impacts of biotic and abiotic factors on biodiversity.
• Match landforms and soils (and their change over time) to biomes
EEn.2.7.2
• Define the biosphere as all life on Earth.
• Explain biodiversity as including genetic variation within populations and variation of populations within ecosystems that makeup the biosphere.
• Infer the relationship between environmental conditions and plants and animals that makeup live within various biomes that comprise the biosphere.
• Explain the global impact of loss of biodiversity.
EEn.2.7.3
• Explain effects of human population growth, habitat alteration, introduction of invasive species, pollution and overharvesting on various plant and animal species in NC.
• Explain effects of invasive nonnative species (plant or animal) on an NC ecosystem.
• Summarize ways to mitigate human impact on the biosphere.
EEn.2.8.2
• Critique the advantages and disadvantages of traditional agriculture/aquaculture techniques and compare with sustainable agriculture/aquaculture techniques. Include the economics and environmental impacts in this comparison.
• Judge potential impact of sustainable techniques on environmental quality (include magnitude, duration, frequency).
EEn.2.8.3
• Explain carrying capacity.
• Infer limiting factors to human population growth.
• Summarize the impacts of a growing population on the natural resources in North Carolina
EEn.2.8.4
• Explain how ecological footprints exist at the personal level and extend to larger scales.
• Evaluate personal choices in terms of impacts on availability of natural resources and environmental quality; relate this to ecological footprints on various scales.
• Evaluate the impact of implementing change that adheres to the “reduce, reuse, recycle” philosophy (e.g. through case studies, data collection/analysis, model development, etc.).
Essential Standard:
EEn.2.7 Explain how the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere individually and collectively affect the biosphere.
EEn.2.8 Evaluate human behaviors in terms of how likely they are to ensure the ability to live sustainably on Earth.
Clarifying objective:
EEn.2.7.1 Explain how abiotic and biotic factors interact to create the various biomes in North Carolina.
EEn.2.7.2 Explain why biodiversity is important to the biosphere.
EEn.2.7.3 Explain how human activities impact the biosphere.
EEn.2.7.1
• Explain how biotic and abiotic factors determine biome classification (temperature, rainfall, altitude, type of plant, latitude, type of animals).
• Compare impacts of biotic and abiotic factors on biodiversity.
• Match landforms and soils (and their change over time) to biomes
EEn.2.7.2
• Define the biosphere as all life on Earth.
• Explain biodiversity as including genetic variation within populations and variation of populations within ecosystems that makeup the biosphere.
• Infer the relationship between environmental conditions and plants and animals that makeup live within various biomes that comprise the biosphere.
• Explain the global impact of loss of biodiversity.
EEn.2.7.3
• Explain effects of human population growth, habitat alteration, introduction of invasive species, pollution and overharvesting on various plant and animal species in NC.
• Explain effects of invasive nonnative species (plant or animal) on an NC ecosystem.
• Summarize ways to mitigate human impact on the biosphere.
EEn.2.8.2
• Critique the advantages and disadvantages of traditional agriculture/aquaculture techniques and compare with sustainable agriculture/aquaculture techniques. Include the economics and environmental impacts in this comparison.
• Judge potential impact of sustainable techniques on environmental quality (include magnitude, duration, frequency).
EEn.2.8.3
• Explain carrying capacity.
• Infer limiting factors to human population growth.
• Summarize the impacts of a growing population on the natural resources in North Carolina
EEn.2.8.4
• Explain how ecological footprints exist at the personal level and extend to larger scales.
• Evaluate personal choices in terms of impacts on availability of natural resources and environmental quality; relate this to ecological footprints on various scales.
• Evaluate the impact of implementing change that adheres to the “reduce, reuse, recycle” philosophy (e.g. through case studies, data collection/analysis, model development, etc.).
Essential Questions
1. How many people can the world sustain?
2. How can we reduce the amount of waste we produce? 3. Should population growth be addressed? If so, how? 4. What ecosystem services does biodiversity provide? 5. How do humans affect biodiversity? 6. What is an invasive species, and how does it affect biodiversity? 7. How do the foods we eat impact the environment? |
Criteria for Success: "I will"
Draw a concept map showing the connections between growing population, limiting factors, and related environmental impacts.
Compare and contrast strategies for reducing solid waste. Debate arguments for and against population control. Identify benefits that come from preserving biodiversity. Rank anthropogenic threats to biodiversity. Design a public service announcement that helps people identify a local invasive species, and help them to understand why and how it should be removed. Compare and contrast industrial and sustainable farming. Identify ways to reduce your ecologic footprint when choosing what to eat. |
Writing Prompts
1. Describe
your favorite meal. Discuss two changes
you could make to that meal that would decrease the environmental impact of its
production.
2. Take one of the following positions and develop an argument based off of your research and class work; defend your position to your classmates using evidence from what was learned in class. Position A: Biodiversity is more important that the resources we gain through mining and deforestation. Position B: The resources gained through mining and deforestation are more important than the possible impacts to biodiversity. |
Essential Vocabulary
Sustainability Ecology Ecological Footprint Carbon Footprint Foot Chain Food Web Ecosystem Photosynthesis Agriculture Aquiculture Pesticide Fertilizer fish hatchery till plow crop rotation strip cropping genetically modified crop organic inorganic harvest carrying capacity limiting factor population community ecosystem biosphere urbanization urban sprawl biotic factor abiotic factor habitat alteration biome invasive species genetic variation over-harvesting non-native |
|