B: Human Impact on the Environment

B.2: investigate air, soil, and water quality in natural and disturbed environments, using appropriate technology;

B.2.1: use appropriate terminology relating to the environmental impact of human activity, including, but not limited to: carbon footprint, carbon neutral, biodegradable, biodiversity, carrying capacity, sustainability, and invasive and native species

Food Chain
Rabbit Population by Season

B.2.3: plan and conduct an inquiry, using appropriate technology, to compare water quality in natural and disturbed environments (e.g., compare the pH, ion content, temperature, dissolved oxygen content, hardness, turbidity, biological oxygen demand [BOD], and/or fecal coliform of tap water, water from a pond or stream, and water from a drainage ditch)

Pond Ecosystem

B.3: demonstrate an understanding of some of the ways in which human activities affect the environment and how the impact of those activities is measured and monitored.

B.3.1: identify the basic components of soil, water, and air, and describe some of the effects of human activity on soil, water, and air quality (e.g., the effects of industrial or vehicle emissions on air quality; of chemical spills on soil quality; of chlorination on water quality)

Pond Ecosystem
Water Pollution

B.3.5: explain the effects of human activity on an aquatic or terrestrial ecosystem (e.g., the impact of fertilizer run-off, acid precipitation, or an oil spill on an aquatic ecosystem)

Forest Ecosystem
Pond Ecosystem

C: Human Health and the Environment

C.3: demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which environmental factors can affect human health and how their impact can be reduced.

C.3.1: describe common environmental factors, including pollution and environmental contaminants (e.g., air, noise, soil, and water pollution; UV rays; heat; heavy metals; workplace chemicals; pathogens), and explain how they can affect human health

Water Pollution

D: Energy Conservation

D.2: investigate various methods of conserving energy and improving energy efficiency;

D.2.1: use appropriate terminology related to energy conservation and consumption, including, but not limited to: conventional source, alternative source, efficiency, watt, kilowatt-hour [kWh], joule, BTU, gas meter, electric meter, thermostat, and EnerGuide

Household Energy Usage

D.2.2: determine the energy consumption of their household over a given time period by reading and interpreting gas and/or electric meters, calculate the cost of consumption (e.g., the number of kWh × cost per kWh, cubic meters of gas × cost per cubic meter), and suggest ways in which the household could conserve energy

Household Energy Usage

D.3: demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles of energy production, with reference to both renewable and non-renewable sources, and of various methods of energy conservation.

D.3.2: compare and contrast renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, using criteria such as availability, cost, and environmental impact (e.g., compare a fossil fuel and geothermal energy, using a graphic organizer)

Energy Conversions

E: Natural Resource Science and Management

E.2: investigate methods scientists use to classify and monitor natural resources, and conduct investigations using those methods;

E.2.4: conduct an inventory of a local environment (e.g., a field, a pond), using appropriate techniques and methods (e.g., plant tallies, tags, keys), and display the results graphically

Estimating Population Size

E.3: demonstrate an understanding of the sustainable use of resources and its relationship to the biodiversity and sustainability of ecosystems.

E.3.4: explain how a variety of sampling techniques (e.g., quadrant sampling, catch-and-release, core sampling to measure tree rings, counting annuli in scales to measure the age of fish) are used to gather information about natural resources

Estimating Population Size