PLANNED COURSE OUTLINE
Title: Environmental Science – General Academic Grade: 9
I. Course Description:
This course examines environmental issues associated with man’s activities on the biosphere. Content of the course includes ecosystem structure, components, cycles, and processes of ecosystems, living things in the ecosystem, how ecosystems work, types of ecosystems, interactions of water and water systems, watersheds and wetlands, renewable and nonrenewable resources, environmental health issues, and population growth and human interaction. The major difference between this course and the level 2 course is the special emphasis on student accommodations for learning needs and modifications of the learning environment. Class requirements include practical labs, class work, tests, quizzes, and environmental decision making models.
II. Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Science and Technology
Watersheds and Wetlands 4.1.10.
Benchmark 4.1.10.A. Describe changes that occur from a stream’s origin to its final outflow.
Benchmark 4.1.10.B. Explain the relationship among landforms, vegetation and the amount and speed of water.
Benchmark 4.1.10.C. Describe the physical characteristics of a stream and
determine the types of organisms found in aquatic environments.
Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources 4.2.10.
Benchmark 4.2.10.A. Explain that renewable and nonrenewable resources supply
energy and materials.
Benchmark 4.2.10.B. Evaluate factors affecting availability of natural resources.
Environmental Health 4.3.10.
Benchmark 4.3.10.A. Describe environmental health issues.
Benchmark 4.3.10.B. Explain how multiple variables determine the effects of
pollution on environmental health, natural processes and human practices.
Benchmark 4.3.10.C. Explain biological diversity as an indicator of a healthy
environment.
Ecosystems and their Interactions 4.6.10.
Benchmark 4.6.10.A. Explain the biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem
and their interaction.
Benchmark 4.6.10.B. Explain how cycles affect to balance in an ecosystem.
Benchmark 4.6.10.C. Analyze how ecosystems change over time.
Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species 4.7.10.
Benchmark 4.7.10.A. Explain the significance of diversity in ecosystems.
Benchmark 4.7.10.B. Explain how structure, function and behavior of plants and
animals affect their ability to survive.
Benchmark 4.7.10.C. Identify and explain why adaptations can lead to
specialization.
Humans and the Environment 4.8.10.
Benchmark 4.8.10.A. Analyze how society’s needs relate to the sustainability of
natural resources.
Benchmark 4.8.10 B. Analyze the relationship between the use of natural
resources and sustaining our society.
Benchmark 4.8.10.C. Analyze how human activities may cause changes in an
ecosystem.
Benchmark 4.8.10.D. Explain how the concept of supply and demand affects the
environment.
Environmental Laws and Regulations 4.9.10.
Benchmark 4.9.10.A. Explain why environmental laws and regulations are
developed and enacted.
III. Life Roles:
x Collaborative Performer x Effective Communicator
x Problem Solver x Responsible Citizen
x Self-directed Learning
V. Courseware:
Textbook(s) - Arms, Karen. 1996. Environmental Science. Austin:Texas: Holt,
Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
Arms, Karen. 1996. Environmental Science: Laboratory Manual. Austin:Texas:
Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.
Other - Videodiscovery Laserdisc Series “Environmental Forum Issues”
VI. Assessment Procedures:
a. tests
b. journal writing - ecolog
c. chapter section review questions ; chapter review questions
d. portfolio activities
e. field activities
f. class discussion
g. critical thinking questions
h. laboratory experiments and reports
i. environmental Forum reports
VII. Course Sequence: (List essential topics/units in sequence and time allotments.)
UNIT DURATION
1. Environmental Science: A Global Perspective 7 days
Understanding Our Environment
• Solving Environmental Problems
• What are the Main Environmental Problems?
• The Root of Environmental Problems
• Case Study: Lake Washington
Using Science to Solve Environmental Problems
• What is science?
Making Environmental Decisions
• An Environmental Decision-Making Model
• How to use the Model
• A Hypothetical Situation
• Investigation: An Onion Conundrum
• Making A Difference: Chicken of the Trees
2. Living Things in the Ecosystem 8 days
Ecosystems: Everything Is Connected
•What is an Ecosystem ?
• Niche and Habitat
How Species Interact With Each Other
• Predation
• Competition
• Parasitism
• Mutualism
• Commensalism
Adapting to the Environment
• Evolution by Natural Selection
• Coevolution
• Extinction
Investigation: Showdown on the Prairie
Making A Difference: Butterfly Ecologist
3. How Ecosystems Work 9 days
Energy Flow
• Life Depends on the Sun
• Who Eats What
• Respiration
• Energy Transfer: Food Chains, Food Webs, and
Trophic Levels
Cycling of Materials
• The Water Cycle
• The Carbon Cycle
• The Nitrogen Cycle
How Ecosystems Change
•Succession
• Case Study: Fires in Yellowstone
Investigation : What’s An Ecosystem?
Points of View: Where Should the Wolves Roam?
4. A Review of the Types of Ecosystems 8 days
Forests
• Tropical Rain Forests
• Temperate Rain Forests
• Temperate Deciduous Forests
• Taiga
• Case Study : Saving Costa Rican Biomes
Grasslands, Deserts, and Tundra
• Tropical Savannas
• Temperate Grasslands: Prairies, Steppes, Pampas
• Deserts
• Tundra
Freshwater Ecosystems
• Lakes and Ponds
• Wetlands and Watersheds
• Rivers
Marine Ecosystems
• Estuaries
• Coral Reefs
• The Ocean
• Polar Ecosystems
Investigation: Identify Your Local Biome
Points of View: The Future of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
5. Water 8 days
Our Water Resources
• Surface Water
• Groundwater
• Case Study: The Ogallala Aquifer
Freshwater Pollution
• Point Pollution
• Nonpoint pollution
• Wastewater treatment
• Pathogens
• Eutrophication
• Thermal Pollution
• Cleaning Up Water Pollution
• Bottled Water
• Case Study : The Fight Over Pigeon River
Ocean Pollution
• How Pollutants Get Into the Ocean
• Preventing Ocean Pollution
Investigation: How Safe is Our Groundwater ?
Making A Difference: High School Chemist
STS Science Forum: Chemical in Drinking Water
Water Testing Investigations
6. Air 5 days
What Causes Air Pollution ?
• Vehicle Air Pollution
• Industrial Air Pollution
• Thermal Inversions
• Smog
Effects on Human Health
• Chronic Bronchitis and Asthma
• Emphysema and Lung Cancer
• Radon Gas / Asbestos Indoor Air Pollution
• Case Study : Air Pollution in Poland
Acid Precipitation
• Effect on Ecosystems
Investigation: How Does Acid Precipitation Affect Plants ?
Points of View: Are Electric Cars a Cure for Air Pollution ?
7. Atmosphere and Climate 5 days
The Atmosphere
• How Photosynthesis Changed the Atmosphere
• The Five Layers of the Atmosphere
Climate
• What Determines Climate?
Greenhouse Earth
• The Greenhouse Effect
• Where is the Extra Carbon Dioxide Coming From?
• Greenhouse Gases and the Earth’s Temperature
• Case Study: Computer Models of Earth’s Climate
The Ozone Shield
• Ozone Eaters : CFCs
• The Ozone Hole
• Controlling CFCs
Investigation: Global Warming in a Jar
Making a Difference : Ozone Scientist
STS Forum - The Impact of Fossil Fuels on the Greenhouse Effect
8. Land 4 days
The City
• Urban - Rural Connections
• Suburban Sprawl - Urbanization
• Land-Use Planning
• Mass Transit
• Inner-City Renovation
• Open Spaces
How We Use Land
• Deforestation - Reforestation
• Mining
Public Land In the United States
• Managing Public Lands
• Wilderness Areas
• Case Study: Public Lands for the Asking
Investigation: Mining for Peanuts
Making a Difference: Big City Farmer
9. Biodiversity 9 days
Biodiversity At Work
• What is biodiversity ?
• Are Humans Causing Extinction
• Saving Species
• Case Study: Whooping Cranes
Public Policy
• The Endangered Species Act
• Worldwide Efforts to Prevent Extinctions
• Case Study : The Small Darters and the Dam
The Future of Biodiversity
• Saving Individual Species
Investigation: Backyard Diversity
Points of View: Owl vs. Loggers
10. Energy 9 days
Fossil Fuels to Electricity
• Renewable and nonrenewable resources
Nuclear Energy
• How Nuclear Energy Works
• Advantages of Nuclear Energy
• Safety Concerns
• Nuclear Fusion
A Sustainable Energy Future
• Energy Conservation
• Energy for the Future
• Solar Energy
• Wind Energy
• Hydroelectricity
• Geothermal Energy
• Biomass
• Liquid Fuels
• Hydrogen
• Case Study : A Super-Efficient Structure
Investigation: Solar Design
Making A Difference: Environmental Activist
STS Forum: Nuclear Waste Disposal
11. Waste 8 days
Solid Waste: The Throwaway Society
• All Wastes are not Equal
• What We Throw Away
• Landfills versus Incerators
Solid Waste: Options for the Future
• Producing Less Wastes
• Recycling
• Changing the Materials We Use
• Case Study : Paper or Plastic
Hazardous Waste
• Laws Governing Hazardous Waste Disposal
• How can we manage Hazardous Wastes ?
• Hazardous Wastes at Home
• Case Study: Love Canal: A Toxic Nightmare
Investigation: Does Fast Food Have to be Wasteful ?
Points of View: Should Nuclear Waste be Stored at Yucca Mountain ?
12. Population Growth 5 days
How Populations Change In Size
• How Fast Can a Population Grow ?
• What Limits Population Growth ?
• Case Study: Overshooting the Carrying Capacity
A Growing Human Population
• From Hunting to Gathering
• The Population Continues to Grow
• The Demographic Transition
• A Demographically Divided World
• Case Study: The Stories Behind Statistics
Problems of Overpopulation
• A Shortage of Fuelwood
• Water That Kills
• The Urban Crisis
• Social Unrest
• Environmental Refuges
• Solving the Problems of Overpopulation
Investigation : What Causes a Population Explosion ?
Points of View : Should Population Growth Be Limited ?