Env.1: Environmental Systems

Env.1.1: Understand and explain that ecosystems have cyclic fluctuations, such as seasonal changes or changes in population, as a result of migration, birth, and mortality.

Food Chain

Env.1.2: Understand and explain that human beings are part of Earth’s ecosystems and give examples of how human activities can, deliberately or inadvertently, alter ecosystems.

Coral Reefs 1 - Abiotic Factors
Coral Reefs 2 - Biotic Factors
Pond Ecosystem

Env.1.3: Recognize and describe the difference between systems in equilibrium and systems in disequilibrium. Describe how steady state is achieved through negative and positive feedback loops.

Diffusion
Equilibrium and Concentration
Equilibrium and Pressure
Human Homeostasis
Paramecium Homeostasis

Env.1.4: Diagram the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and water and describe the human impacts on each.

Carbon Cycle
Cell Energy Cycle

Env.2: Flow of Matter and Energy

Env.2.2: Identify the different forms of energy and understand that energy may be converted from one form to another, but cannot be created or destroyed.

Air Track
Energy Conversion in a System
Energy of a Pendulum
Inclined Plane - Sliding Objects
Roller Coaster Physics

Env.2.3: Recognize and explain that the amount of life any environment can support is limited by the available energy, water, oxygen, nutrients and minerals, and by the ability of ecosystems to recycle organic materials from the remains of dead organisms.

Food Chain
Rabbit Population by Season

Env.3: Natural Disasters

Env.3.1: Identify and describe geomorphic processes controlled by tectonics (i.e. volcanic activity, uplift, and shaping of landforms).

Plate Tectonics

Env.3.3: Read and describe a weather map in terms of pressure systems, fronts, and changing weather patterns.

Weather Maps - Metric

Env.3.4: Identify natural Earth hazards, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, and identify the regions in which they occur as well as the short-term and long-term effects on the environment and on people.

Coral Reefs 1 - Abiotic Factors
Plate Tectonics

Env.5: Biodiversity

Env.5.2: Explain how the great diversity of species increases the chance that at least some living organisms will survive in the event of major global changes.

Coral Reefs 1 - Abiotic Factors
Natural Selection
Rainfall and Bird Beaks - Metric

Env.5.5: Identify the indirect and direct threats to biodiversity (e.g. habitat loss and destruction, invasion by exotic species, commercial over fishing and hunting, pollution, climate change, and bioaccumulation and biomagnification of toxins).

Coral Reefs 1 - Abiotic Factors
Coral Reefs 2 - Biotic Factors

Env.5.6: Identify and explain the three levels of biodiversity: genetic, species, and ecosystem.

Coral Reefs 1 - Abiotic Factors
Coral Reefs 2 - Biotic Factors

Env.6: Population

Env.6.4: Explain how the carrying capacity of an ecosystem may change as availability of resources changes.

Food Chain
Rabbit Population by Season

Env.7: Pollution

Env.7.3: Identify evidence, consequences, and prevention for climate change produced by anthropogenic sources.

Coral Reefs 1 - Abiotic Factors
Coral Reefs 2 - Biotic Factors

Env.7.5: Compare and contrast the effects of environmental stressors (i.e. herbicides, pesticides) on plants and animals. Give examples of secondary effects on other environmental components.

Coral Reefs 1 - Abiotic Factors
Coral Reefs 2 - Biotic Factors
Pond Ecosystem

Env.8: Natural and Anthropogenic Resource Cycles

Env.8.3: Recognize and explain that in evolutionary change, the present arises from the materials of the past and in ways that can be explained, such as the formation of soil from rocks and dead organic matter.

Carbon Cycle
Cell Energy Cycle