Environmental Science Course: Grades 9-10 // Objectives & Web Resources

Environmental Science Course: Grades 9-10

Course Outline, Content Standards & Web Resources

1. Environmental Science.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS. Students shall be awarded _____ credit for successful completion of this course. Suggested prerequisite: _______
school science. This course is recommended for students in Grades 1________.

INTRODUCTION. Environmental Science is the body of knowledge that contains what humans have learned about how to live on planet earth in a way that sustains society and promotes our existence in the future. Environment refers to the earth, and more specifically the places we inhabit. Emphasis is on understanding that the earth is one interconnected system with dynamic ecological processes which are maintained by energy conversions. Science refers to a process of learning and understanding the earth, based on investigation; close observation, hypothesis, collecting data, research and analysis of information. Environmental science is aimed at helping us understand the impact humans have had on the environment, solving problems and developing actions that will achieve sustainable systems.

COURSE PREVIEW. The course begins with an overview of Environmental Science as a course of study. Students study a variety of topics that include: abotic and biotic factors in habitats; ecosystems and biomes; interrelationships among resources and an environmental system; sources and flow of energy though an earth systems; relationships between carrying capacity and changes in populations and ecosystems; and changes in environments. They will analyze the development of culture and society, and look at how population growth has impacted the environment. Students will explore renewable and nonrenewable resources and their distribution, use and degradation. They will analyze pollution and the effects on environmental quality and look at actions which will help to achieve a more acceptable way to deal with wastes.

Throughout the Environmental Science course, students will conduct field and laboratory investigations, use scientific methods during investigations, and make informed decisions using critical thinking and scientific problem solving.

Laboratory and Field Investigation for Environmental Science

The goal of the laboratory and field investigation component of the Environmental Science course is to complement the classroom portion by allowing students to learn about their environment through first hand observation of Saltbrush, riparian woodland, meadow, riparian, marsh, dry wash and cliff-cliffside habitats that surround the Lewis Center for Earth Science, Mojave River Campus. Experiences both in the laboratory and in the field wil provide students with important opportunities to test concepts and principles that are introduced in the classroom, explore specific problems with a depth not easily achieved otherwise, and gain an awareness of the importance of confounding variables that exist in the "real world". In these experiences students can employ alternative learning styles to reinforce fundamental concepts and principles. Because all students have a stake in the future of their environment, it is the Centers desire that such activities will motivate students to study environmental science in greater depth.

Laboratory and field investigation activities in the course will be diverse. As examples, students can acquire skills in specific techniques and procedures (such as collecting and analyzing water samples), conduct a long-term study of some local system or environmental problem (such as the changing water quality of the Mojave River), analyze a real data set (such as 50 years of mean temperature and rainfall data for the Victor Valley), and visit a local public facility (the Victorille water-treatment plant, Mojave River fish hatchery [CDFG]).

Critical Elements of Lab/Field Investigation Activities. Although there will be a great diversity in the laboratory and field activities that will be employed in the Environmental Science course, each lab/field investigation will include the following elements:

Activities that reinforce one or more major scientific concepts found in the course outline.
Activities that allow students to have direct experience with an organism or system in their environment.
Activities that involve observation of phenomena or systems, the collection and analysis of data and/or other information, and the communication of observations and/or results.

The relative magnitudes of these elements may vary from activity to activity. As a whole, however, each of the course's laboratory and field investigation components will attempt to encompass all of these elements.

Challenging Students Abilities. Each laboratory and field investigation use in the Environmental Science course will attempt to challenge every student's ability to:

critically observe environmental systems
develop and conduct well-designed experiments
utilize appropriate techniques and instrumentation
analyze and interpret data, including appropriate statistical and graphical presentations
think analytically and apply concepts to the solution of environmental problems
make conclusions and evaluate their quality and validity
propose further questions for study
communicate accurately and meaningfully about observations and conclusions

Science is a way of learning about the natural world. Students should know how science has built a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models, and also should know that science may not answer all questions.

A system is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact. Students should understand a whole in terms of its components and how thesecomponents relate to each other and to the whole. All systems have basic properties that can be described in terms of space, time, energy, and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems and can be observed and measured as patterns. These patterns help to predict what will happen next and can change over time.

Investigations are used to learn about the natural world. Students should understand that certain types of questions can be answered by investigations, and that methods, models, and conclusions built from these investigations change as new observations are made. Models of objects and events are tools for understanding the natural world and can show how systems work. They have limitations and based on new discoveries are constantly being modified to more closely reflect the natural world.

COURSE OVERVIEW

I. Science, the Environment, and Ecology:

What are they?

II. Scientific Analysis:

How is it to be accomplished?

III. Earth's Systems:

Fundamental Principles and Concepts,
Abiotic Interdependence
Flows & Cycles

IV. Living Landscape:

Life's Dynamic Nature,
Organisms,
Biological Diversity &
Biotic Components

V. Ecosystems:

Structure,
Function &
Dynamics of Balance

VI. Ecological Relationships:

Biotic Interdependence,
Ecological Address,
Trophic Levels,
Chains, Webs,
Flows & Cycles

VII. Humans and Development:

Development of Culture & Society
Effects of Human Populations on the Environment

VIII. Resources, Energy and Pollution:

Renewability,
Wants, Needs, & Effects,
Management

IX. Problem Management

Environment and Society,
Trade-Offs and Decision Making

X. Extended Project(s):

Environment and Society

A. Environmental Ethics
B. Economics & Environment
C. Politics & Government

Choices for the Future
A. Conservation
B. Preservation
C. Remediation
D. Sustainability

2061 Science Benchmarks Relating to Environmental Science [1]

The concept of an ecosystem should bring coherence to the complex array of relationships among organisms and environments that students have encountered. Students' growing understanding of systems in general can suggest and reinforce characteristics of ecosystems-interdependence of parts, feedback, oscillation, inputs, and outputs. Stability and change in ecosystems can be considered in terms of variables such as population size, number and kinds of species, and productivity.

By the end of the 12th grade, students should know that

Ecosystems can be reasonably stable over hundreds or thousands of years. As any population of organisms grows, it is held in check by one or more environmental factors: depletion of food or nesting sites, increased loss to increased numbers of predators, or parasites. If a disaster such as flood or fire occurs, the damaged ecosystem is likely to recover in stages that eventually result in a system similar to the original one.
Like many complex systems, ecosystems tend to have cyclic fluctuations around a state of rough equilibrium. In the long run, however, ecosystems always change when climate changes or when one or more new species appear as a result of migration or local evolution.

Now students have a sufficient grasp of atoms and molecules to link the conservation of matter with the flow of energy in living systems. Energy can be accounted for by thinking of it as being stored in molecular configurations constituted during photosynthesis and released during oxidation. Although there is no need to account for all the energy, students should observe heat generated by consumers and decomposers. Discussions of ecosystems can both contribute to and be reinforced by students' understanding of the systems concept in general. The difficulty of predicting the consequences of human tinkering with ecosystems can be illustrated with examples such as the ill-considered fire-prevention efforts in national forests.

This level is also a time to ask what this knowledge of the flow of matter and energy through living systems suggests for human beings. Issues such as the use of fossil fuels and the recycling of matter and energy are important enough to pay considerable attention to in high school.

By the end of the 12th grade, students should know that

At times, environmental conditions are such that plants and marine organisms grow faster than decomposers can recycle them back to the environment. Layers of energy-rich organic material have been gradually turned into great coal beds and oil pools by the pressure of the overlying earth. By burning these fossil fuels, people are passing most of the stored energy back into the environment as heat and releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide.
The amount of life any environment can support is limited by the available energy, water, oxygen, and minerals, and by the ability of ecosystems to recycle the residue of dead organic materials. Human activities and technology can change the flow and reduce the fertility of the land.
The chemical elements that make up the molecules of living things pass through food webs and are combined and recombined in different ways. At each link in a food web, some energy is stored in newly made structures but much is dissipated into the environment as heat. Continual input of energy from sunlight keeps the process going.

Students should have opportunities-in seminars, projects, readings, and experiments-to reflect on the value of thinking in terms of systems and to apply the concept in diverse situations. They should often discuss what properties of a system are the same as the properties of its parts and what properties arise from interactions of its parts or from the sheer number of parts. They should learn to see feedback as a standard aspect of systems. The definitions of negative and positive feedback may be too subtle, but students can understand that feedback may oppose changes that do occur (and lead to stability), or may encourage more change (and so drive the system toward one extreme or another). Eventually, they can see how some delay in feedback can produce cycles in a system's behavior.

By the end of the 12th grade, students should know that

A system usually has some properties that are different from those of its parts, but appear because of the interaction of those parts.
Understanding how things work and designing solutions to problems of almost any kind can be facilitated by systems analysis. In defining a system, it is important to specify its boundaries and subsystems, indicate its relation to other systems, and identify what its input and its output are expected to be.
The successful operation of a designed system usually involves feedback. The feedback of output from some parts of a system to input of other parts can be used to encourage what is going on in a system, discourage it, or reduce its discrepancy from some desired value. The stability of a system can be greater when it includes appropriate feedback mechanisms.
Even in some very simple systems, it may not always be possible to predict accurately the result of changing some part or connection.

The daily newspaper and news weeklies provide good raw material for stimulating fruitful discussions on economic and political models. Trade negotiations, worker migration, balance of payments, productivity, and the like are the focus of much international tension. In analyzing these matters, students should try to understand what is going on rather than judge what is desirable.

By the end of the 12th grade, students should know that

The wealth of a country depends partly on the effort and skills of its workers, its natural resources, and the capital and technology available to it.
It also depends on the balance between how much its products are sought by other nations and how much of other nations' products it seeks. Even if a country could produce everything it needs for itself, it would still benefit from trade with other countries.
Because of increasing international trade, the domestic products of any country may be made up in part by parts made in other countries. The international trade picture is often complicated by political motivations taking priority over economic ones.
Migration across borders, temporary and permanent, legal and illegal, plays a major role in the availability and distribution of labor in many nations. It can bring both economic benefits and political problems.
The growing interdependence of world social, economic, and ecological systems does not always bring greater worldwide stability and often increases the costs of conflict.

[1] 2061 Science Benchmarks can be found at <http://www.project2061.org/tools/benchol/bolframe.html>

Science,
the Environment, and Ecology:

What are they?

ACADEMIC CONTENT
STANDARDS [2]

Fundamental concepts and
principles that underlie these standards and this unit of study
include [3]:

NATURE OF SCIENTIFIC
KNOWLEDGE

Science distinguishes itself
from other ways of knowing and from other bodies of knowledge
through the use of empirical standards, logical arguments, and
skepticism, as scientists strive for the best possible explanations
about the natural world.

Scientific explanations
must meet certain criteria. First and foremost, they must be
consistent with experimental and observational evidence about
nature, and must make accurate predictions, when appropriate,
about systems being studied. They should also be logical, respect
the rules of evidence, be open to criticism, report methods and
procedures, and make knowledge public. Explanations on how the
natural world changes based on myths, personal beliefs, religious
values, mystical inspiration, superstition, or authority may
be personally useful and socially relevant, but they are not
scientific.

Because all scientific ideas
depend on experimental and observational confirmation, all scientific
knowledge is, in principle, subject to change as new evidence
becomes available. The core ideas of science such as the conservation
of energy or the laws of motion have been subjected to a wide
variety of confirmations and are therefore unlikely to change
in the areas in which they have been tested. In areas where data
or understanding are incomplete, such as the details of human
evolution or questions surrounding global warming, new data may
well lead to changes in current ideas or resolve current conflicts.
In situations where information is still fragmentary, it is normal
for scientific ideas to be incomplete, but this is also where
the opportunity for making advances may be greatest.

SCIENCE AS A HUMAN
ENDEAVOR

Individuals and teams have
contributed and will continue to contribute to the scientific
enterprise. Doing science or engineering can be as simple as
an individual conducting field studies or as complex as hundreds
of people working on a major scientific question or technological
problem. Pursuing science as a career or as a hobby can be both
fascinating and intellectually rewarding.

Scientists have ethical
traditions. Scientists value peer review, truthful reporting
about the methods and outcomes of investigations, and making
public the results of work. Violations of such norms do occur,
but scientists responsible for such violations are censured by
their peers.

Scientists are influenced
by societal, cultural, and personal beliefs and ways of viewing
the world. Science is not separate from society but rather science
is a part of society.

[2] The above list of "Academic
Content Standards" are cited from the California Science
Academic Content Standards

@ < http://www.csun.edu/~hcbio027/k12standards/science.html
>

[3] The above list of "Fundamental
concepts and principles" are cited in the National
Science Education Content Standards

@ <http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/6e.html>

OBJECTIVES

WEB RESOURCES

Science and Science Education - The Hood Consulting Group International:
examines what science is and is not, the methods of science,
the importance of math in science, the disciplines of science,
and the national trends in science education.

Science - National Solar Observatory at Sacramento
Peak: explains what the discipline of science is and the importance
of hypotheses, theories, laws, and models.

Ecology, Biodiversity, and the Environment
Search Engine - Rice
University: allows users to locate information related to endangered
species, habitats, pollution, and specific environmental issues.

General Ecology - Odyssey Expeditions: examines the transfer
of energy, the biogeochemical cycles, and the role of organisms
within an ecosystem.

Ecological Systems Analysis - B. Woodmansee, Colorado State
University: online course which provides information on the components
of an ecosystem, the factors which control ecosystem processes,
and how organisms interact within populations and communities.

Ecosystems University of the Western Cape, South Africa:
online lecture outlines examines abiotic and biotic ecosystem
components, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and conservation
and pollution.

Global Climate Lecture Notes - University of Michigan: lecture
notes cover the "Concept of the Ecosystem", the "Tropical
Rainforest", and "Biogeochemistry".

Ecosystems, Biomes, and Watersheds: Definitions
and Use - M. L. Corn,
Committee for the National Institute for the Environment: a paper
which defines an ecosystem and the differences between ecosystems,
biomes, and waterhsheds and the pros and cons of using these
three organizational terms for land and resource management purposes.

Ecology - Andrews University lecture notes address
terrestrial, freshwater, and marine biomes.

Scientific
Analysis:

How is it to be accomplished?

Application of the Scientific Method,

Scientific Reasoning

Making Measurements,

Making Sense

ACADEMIC CONTENT
STANDARDS

Chemistry, Physics, Biology/Life
Science, Earth Science, General Science, 9-12 .1.a-n [ Investigation
and Experimentation] 1. Scientific progress is made by asking
meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As
a basis for understanding this concept, and to address the content
the other four strands, students should develop their own questions
and perform investigations.

Fundamental concepts and
principles that underlies this standard and this unit of study
include:

IDENTIFY QUESTIONS AND
CONCEPTS THAT GUIDE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. Students should formulate a testable
hypothesis and demonstrate the logical connections between the
scientific concepts guiding a hypothesis and the design of an
experiment. They should demonstrate appropriate procedures, a
knowledge base, and conceptual understanding of scientific investigations.

DESIGN AND CONDUCT SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS. Designing
and conducting a scientific investigation requires introduction
to the major concepts in the area being investigated, proper
equipment, safety precautions, assistance with methodological
problems, recommendations for use of technologies, clarification
of ideas that guide the inquiry, and scientific knowledge obtained
from sources other than the actual investigation. The investigation
may also require student clarification of the question, method,
controls, and variables; student organization and display of
data; student revision of methods and explanations; and a public
presentation of the results with a critical response from peers.
Regardless of the scientific investigation performed, students
must use evidence, apply logic, and construct an argument for
their proposed explanations.

USE TECHNOLOGY AND MATHEMATICS TO IMPROVE INVESTIGATIONS AND
COMMUNICATIONS. A variety of technologies, such as hand tools,
measuring instruments, and calculators, should be an integral
component of scientific investigations. The use of computers
for the collection, analysis, and display of data is also a part
of this standard. Mathematics plays an essential role in all
aspects of an inquiry. For example, measurement is used for posing
questions, formulas are used for developing explanations, and
charts and graphs are used for communicating results.

FORMULATE AND REVISE SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATIONS AND MODELS USING
LOGIC AND EVIDENCE. Student inquiries should culminate in
formulating an explanation or model. Models should be physical,
conceptual, and mathematical. In the process of answering the
questions, the students should engage in discussions and arguments
that result in the revision of their explanations. These discussions
should be based on scientific knowledge, the use of logic, and
evidence from their investigation.

RECOGNIZE AND ANALYZE ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS AND MODELS.
This aspect of the standard emphasizes the critical abilities
of analyzing an argument by reviewing current scientific understanding,
weighing the evidence, and examining the logic so as to decide
which explanations and models are best. In other words, although
there may be several plausible explanations, they do not all
have equal weight. Students should be able to use scientific
criteria to find the preferred explanations.

COMMUNICATE AND DEFEND A SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENT. Students
in school science programs should develop the abilities associated
with accurate and effective communication. These include writing
and following procedures, expressing concepts, reviewing information,
summarizing data, using language appropriately, developing diagrams
and charts, explaining statistical analysis, speaking clearly
and logically, constructing a reasoned argument, and responding
appropriately to critical comments

OBJECTIVES

A. Observing the Natural
World and Developing Hypotheses

B. Collecting Data

1. observation
2. controlled experiments

C. Modeling

D. Critical Interpretation
of Data

WEB RESOURCES

On Being A Scientist: Responsible
Conduct In Research
- National Academy of Sciences: the report describes the research
ethics and responsibilities young scientists need to be aware
of and internalize. The values in science, the treatment of experimental
data, publication and openness, the allocation of credit, authorship
practices, and error, negligence, and misconduct in science are
all addressed. The document can also be viewed at Strathclyde
University and The
Robert Gordon University.

Introduction to the Scientific Method - F. Wolfs, University of Rochester:
covers four steps for the scientific method, testing hypotheses,
mistakes in applying the scientific method, models, theories,
and laws. Information pertaining to graphs and their usefulness
is available at Graphs.
Science
and Science Education - The Hood Consulting Group International:
examines what science is and is not, the methods of science,
the importance of math in science, the disciplines of science,
and the national trends in science education.

Science - National Solar Observatory at Sacramento
Peak: explains what the discipline of science is and the importance
of hypotheses, theories, laws, and models.

Research Design and Analysis - Monash University: lecture materials
address the purpose of research, variables, measurement, sources
of error, experimental design, frequency distributions, central
tendency, sampling, statistical analysis, and hypothesis testing.

Scientific Investigation - Western Michigan University: introduces
basic concepts of scientific investigation and data presentation.

In Search Of . . . . Real Science - Access Excellence, Genentech:
discusses the importance of hypotheses to scientific investigation
and provides insight into helping students formulate hypotheses
to effectively guide their work. Links to Writing
Hypotheses: a student lesson.

Scientific Investigation - Western Michigan University: explains
what a control is and examines the use of a graphs
to report data.

On Scientific Method - Percy Bridgman: provides a working definition
of the scientific method.

Experimental Science Projects: An
Intermediate Level Guide
- David Morano, Mankato State University: provides a guide for
performing a scientific investigation and links to a sample science
project.

The GLOBE Program - NOAA/ Forecast Systems Laboratory,
Boulder, Colorado: provides information about the GLOBE Program,
a network of students, teachers, and scientists working together
learn more about the environment. Teachers and students obtain
environmental data which is used by scientists to contruct models.
Students then receive feedback from the scientists.

High School
Lessons and Experiments
- Rohm and Haas Company: provides lesson plans and experiments
in HTML or PDF format for topics in biology, environmental science,
chemistry, physical science, and physics. The chemistry labs
cover biodegradability, a comparison of liquids, chromatography,
pollution, oxidation, adhesion, and esters.

Science
and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement - Illinois Institute of Technology:
provides lab activities to help students understand concepts
in biology and includes an environmental science section.

Scientific Method - The Big "Ahah" laboratory activity prompts students
to apply the scientific method to collect data and generate a
laboratory procedure.

Computational Science Textbook - Sandia National Laboratory: the
Tables
of Units section addresses the importance of defining physical
quantities and provides the standard SI units of measure, the
meaning of negative exponents, the commonly used science and
engineering units, the commonly used metric prefixes, and a table
of SI units and their English equivalent.

The Dimensional
Analysis appendix provides examples to illustrate how to
manipulate units of measure.

The Math
Notes appendix covers matrices, functions and their graphs
(including linear, quadratic, reciprocal, exponential, and sine
functions), and curve fitting.

Constants, Units, and Uncertainty - National Institute of Standards
and Technology: provides the SI units and prefixes for both fundamental
and derived quantities, and includes a section on units outside
the SI system. Rules and style conventions for publication of
material are also discussed.

Introduction to Graphs - Syracuse University: online tutorial
which addresses the visual display of information. Graphing,
equations and graphs of straight lines, and linear and nonlinear
relationships are examined. Practice problems and review tests
are provided, as are the answers. A glossary of terms is also
provided.

K-12 Statistics Education - Office for Mathematics, Science,
and Technology Education at University of Illinois: includes
lessons and data sets to help students construct and draw inferences
from charts, tables, and graphs; use curve-fitting to predict
trends; understand central tendency, variability, and correlation;
understand sampling and its role in statistical claims; and design
a statistical experiment to study a problem and communicate the
outcomes.

The Knowledge Base - W. Trochim, Cornell University:
an online research methods textbook which explains: what research
is; sampling; measurement; survey research; internal validity;
experimental design; and data analysis.

Empiricist - Nebraska Wesleyan University: an online
journal which invites students to submit the results of their
research. The journal features articles written by high school
science students.

One article, Facing
the Unknown Together, addresses creativity and research,
the personal benefits from research, the transition to research
in college, and professional survival following graduation. Much
of the journal features are under construction.

The Critical Thinking Center - Sonoma State University: the "Primary
and Secondary Education" link provides teacher resources
designed to help teachers implement critical thinking in their
instruction.

An Activity to Introduce Critical
Thinking - Brad Williamson:
provides an activity which will test the skepticism of your students.

Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues
in Science - Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory: provides modules designed to stimulate
discussions on issues in which science plays a major role. Topics
available for examination include: Basic and Applied Research;
Breast Cancer Screening; Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution; and
Personal Privacy and Medical Databases.

Ethics in Science - Henry H. Bauer, Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University: an essay that explores the interaction
between science and society and the consequences of misconduct
in science.

Bad Science - D. Garrison: provides examples in which
people jump to conclusions and do not rely upon facts to make
logical decisions.

Snapshots of Medicine and Health - The National Institutes of Health:
provides information on: the

People Doing Science, were students can learn about various
occupations in the field of science; and

Research In The News, were students can learn about advances
in medicine and science.

The
Why Files - University
of Wisconsin: explains the scientific concepts and principles
related to headline news stories. The Why File categories include:
biology, environmental science, health science, physical science,
social science, sports science, and technology.

Steps to Career/Life Planning Success - University of Waterloo: this online
manual is designed to help individuals plan and manage their
own career. Users are guided through a series of steps, including
a self-assessment and occupational research, as they explore
a career choice or attempt to obtain employment.

Occupational Outlook Handbook - Bureau of Labor Statistics: index
of occupations from A through Z. Click on the occupation in which
you have an interest and receive information describing the nature
of the work, the working conditions, the job outlook, earnings,
and related occupations.

Environmental Careers Resource Guide - Environmental Protection Agency:
provides information, in the form of fact sheets, about environmental
careers in a number of fields, such as communications, law enforcement,
engineering, finance, information technology, and science.

The Canadian Environmental Careers
Resource Manual -
Environmental Careers Organization: resource manual presents
information on career options and the range of careers in the
environmental sciences. Career counselors and professionals in
the field provide insights into careers in the environmental
sciences.

Access
Excellence - Genentech:
specifically devoted to enhancing education within the biological
sciences.

The Career Center provides job descriptions, interviews with
professionals in the field, and links to colleges and universities
with biotechnology programs.

Careers in Science allows students to explore the job
market, salary schedules, and job requirements for a career in
the sciences.

Issues
and Ethics allows
students to evaluate the impact of biotechnology research, particularly
the Human Genome Project and genetic engineering, on scientific
thought and society.

A Guide to Career Opportunities in
Ecology and Environmental Studies
- University of Louisville: provides information pertaining to
careers for people with a degree in environmental studies.

Careers with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
provides information on the mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and positions within the organization.

Careers in Natural and Physical Sciences - America's Career InfoNet: a database
of links to various career resources. Astronomy, biology and
microbiology, chemistry, ecology and environment, forensic science,
genetics, geology, marine sciences and oceanography, meteorology,
and physics are all included.

Science Careers
- D. Schmidel, BioChemNet: provides information regarding preparation
for a science career, occupational outlooks in biology and chemistry
related fields, and a database of employment opportunities.

4000 Years of Women in Science - University of Alabama: provides
biographical information on some of the women who have made significant
contributions to the discipline of science. The biographies are
organized by field of study. The list does not include women
who have lived in the 1900's.

Earth's
Systems:

Fundamental Principles
and Concepts,

Abiotic Interdependence

Flows & Cycle

ACADEMIC CONTENT
STANDARDS

6.1.c-g 4 [Plate Tectonics
and Earth's Structure] Plate tectonics explains important
features of the Earth's surface and major geologic events.

6.2 a-d [Shaping the Earth's
Surface] Topography is reshaped by weathering of rock and
soil and by the transportation and deposition of sediment

6.3. a-d [Heat (Thermal
Energy) ] Heat moves in a predictable flow from warmer objects
to cooler objects until all objects are at the same temperature.

6.4.a-b, d-e [Energy in
the Earth System] Many phenomena on the Earth's surface are
affected by the transfer of energy through radiation and convection
currents.

6.6. a-c [Resources]
Sources of energy and materials differ in amounts, distribution,
usefulness, and the time required for their formation.

7.6. a [Physical Principles
in Living Systems (Physical Science)] Physical principles
underlie biological structures and functions.

8.3.a-f [Structure of
Matter] Elements have distinct properties and atomic structure.
All matter is comprised of one or more of over 100 elements.

8.5.a-e [Reactions]
Chemical reactions are processes in which atoms are rearranged
into different combinations of molecules.

8.8.a, c-d [Density and
Buoyancy] All objects experience a buoyant force when immersed
in a fluid.

Physics 9-12.3. a, c-e [Heat
and Thermodynamics] Energy cannot be created or destroyed
although in many processes energy is transferred to the environment
as heat.

Chemistry 9-12.2. a [Chemical
Bonds] Biological, chemical, and physical properties of matter
result from the ability of atoms to form bonds based on electrostatic
forces between electrons and protons, and between atoms and molecules

Chemistry 9-12.3. a [Conservation
of Matter and Stoichiometry] The conservation of atoms in
chemical reactions leads to the principle of conservation of
matter and the ability to calculate the mass of products and
reactants.

Chemistry 9-12.3. a-b [Gases
and their Properties] The Kinetic Molecular theory describes
the motion of atoms and molecules and explains the properties
of gases.

Chemistry 9-12.5. a-d [Acids
and Bases] Acids, bases, and salts are three classes of compounds
that form ions in water solutions.

Chemistry 9-12.6. a-c [Solutions]
Solutions are homogeneous mixtures of two or more substances.

Chemistry 9-12.7. a-b [Chemical
Thermodynamics] Energy is exchanged or transformed in all
chemical reactions and physical changes of matter.

Chemistry 9-12.11. b-e [
Nuclear Processes] Nuclear processes are those in which
an atomic nucleus changes, including radioactive decay of naturally
occurring and man-made isotopes, nuclear fission, and nuclear
fusion.

Earth Science 9-12.4. a-d
[Energy in the Earth System] Energy enters the Earth system
primarily as solar radiation and eventually escapes as heat.

Earth Science 9-12.5. a-g
[Energy in the Earth System] Heating of Earth's surface
and atmosphere by the sun drives convection within the atmosphere
and oceans, producing winds and ocean currents.

Earth Science 9-12.6. a-d
[Energy in the Earth System] Climate is the long term
average of a region's weather and depends on many factors.

Earth Science 9-12.7. a-d
[Biogeochemical cycles] Each element on Earth moves among
reservoirs in the solid Earth, oceans, atmosphere, and organisms
as part of biogeochemical cycles.

Earth Science 9-12.8. a-c
[Structure and Composition of the Atmosphere] Life has
changed Earth's atmosphere and changes in the atmosphere affect
conditions for life.

Earth Science 9-12.8. a-c
[California Geology] The geology of California underlies
the state's wealth of natural resources as well as its natural
hazards.

Fundamental concepts and
principles that underlie these standards and this unit of study
include:

ENERGY IN THE EARTH SYSTEM

Earth systems have internal
and external sources of energy, both of which create heat. The
sun is the major external source of energy. Two primary sources
of internal energy are the decay of radioactive isotopes and
the gravitational energy from the earth's original formation.

The outward transfer of
earth's internal heat drives convection circulation in the mantle
that propels the plates comprising earth's surface across the
face of the globe.

Heating of earth's surface
and atmosphere by the sun drives convection within the atmosphere
and oceans, producing winds and ocean currents.

Global climate is determined
by energy transfer from the sun at and near the earth's surface.
This energy transfer is influenced by dynamic processes such
as cloud cover and the earth's rotation, and static conditions
such as the position of mountain ranges and oceans.

GEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

The earth is a system containing
essentially a fixed amount of each stable chemical atom or element.
Each element can exist in several different chemical reservoirs.
Each element on earth moves among reservoirs in the solid earth,
oceans, atmosphere, and organisms as part of geochemical cycles.

Movement of matter between
reservoirs is driven by the earth's internal and external sources
of energy. These movements are often accompanied by a change
in the physical and chemical properties of the matter. Carbon,
for example, occurs in carbonate rocks such as limestone, in
the atmosphere as carbon dioxide gas, in water as dissolved carbon
dioxide, and in all organisms as complex molecules that control
the chemistry of life.

THE ORIGIN AND
EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH SYSTEM

The sun, the earth, and
the rest of the solar system formed from a nebular cloud of dust
and gas 4.6 billion years ago. The early earth was very different
from the planet we live on today.

Geologic time can be estimated
by observing rock sequences and using fossils to correlate the
sequences at various locations. Current methods include using
the known decay rates of radioactive isotopes present in rocks
to measure the time since the rock was formed.

Interactions among the solid
earth, the oceans, the atmosphere, and organisms have resulted
in the ongoing evolution of the earth system. We can observe
some changes such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on a
human time scale, but many processes such as mountain building
and plate movements take place over hundreds of millions of years.

Evidence for one-celled
forms of life--the bacteria--extends back more than 3.5 billion
years. The evolution of life caused dramatic changes in the composition
of the earth's atmosphere, which did not originally contain oxygen.

THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION
OF THE UNIVERSE

The origin of the universe
remains one of the greatest questions in science. The "big
bang" theory places the origin between 10 and 20 billion
years ago, when the universe began in a hot dense state; according
to this theory, the universe has been expanding ever since.

Early in the history of
the universe, matter, primarily the light atoms hydrogen and
helium, clumped together by gravitational attraction to form
countless trillions of stars. Billions of galaxies, each of which
is a gravitationally bound cluster of billions of stars, now
form most of the visible mass in the universe.

Stars produce energy from
nuclear reactions, primarily the fusion of hydrogen to form helium.
These and other processes in stars have led to the formation
of all the other elements.

OBJECTIVES

A. Students will investigate
the universe and Earth's place in that system.

1. Relate cycles of the Earth,
moon, and sun to Earth systems.

Diagram and explain the
relationship of tides to the gravitational effects of the moon
and sun.

Diagram the cause of seasons
and differences in day length.

Explain how changes in the
sun's radiation affect Earth systems (e.g., human life, telecommunications,
atmosphere).

2. Evaluate space exploration.

Determine how data gathered
by space instruments has expanded our knowledge of Earth.

B. Students will understand
the flow of energy into and out of Earth systems.

1. Compare and contrast internal
and external sources of energy.

Identify internal sources
of energy (e.g., radioactive decay, gravitational energy).

Identify external sources
of energy (e.g., solar energy, gravitational energy).

Relate the sources of energy
to the Earth systems it effects (e.g., sun to plant growth, sun
to weather, geological energy to diastrophism, gravitational
to tides).

2. Analyze the transfer of
energy within Earth systems.

Make energy measurements
using basic energy units

Identify energy sources,
their sinks, and possible conversions.

Research and diagram the
absorption and reflection of sunlight.

Model the greenhouse effect
and explain its role on Earth's climate.

Design, conduct, and report
on an energy related experiment.

Explain the law of conservation
of energy.

Evaluate perspectives on
an energy related issue.

C. Students will analyze
the relationship between the sun's energy, the atmosphere, and
Earth.

1. Analyze the influence
of the sun's energy on the atmosphere.

Research and report on how
the sun's energy affects global weather systems (e.g., ocean
temperature, angle of suns rays, pollution).

Design and perform an experiment
to measure solar energy.

Evaluate an experiment performed
to measure solar energy.

2. Using appropriate technology,
analyze local atmospheric systems.

Using tools of meteorology,
collect, graph, interpret, and analyze current weather data.

Using weather instruments,
predict the weather on a daily basis and compare to media forecasts.

Using data, generalize local
weather patterns (e.g., lake effect storms, canyon winds, dry
summers)

D. Students will determine
the importance of water to Earth systems.

1. Relate the properties
of water to Earth systems.

Explain the role of suspension,
evaporation, condensation, freezing, and surface tension of water
in Earth systems.

Explain the role of the
chemical properties of water (e.g., water as a solvent of minerals
and gases) on Earth systems.

Using instruments of hydrologists,
gather data and report on water systems (e.g., groundwater, streams,
lakes, oceans).

2. Relate the importance
of water resources to Earth systems (e.g., life processes, geologic
processes, and others such as recreation and aesthetics).

Research and report on the
availability and distribution of water locally and globally.

Explain the significance
of the water cycle to weather and climatic conditions.

Justify various plans to
conserve water systems (e.g., estuaries, groundwater, lakes,
rivers, wetlands).

3. Analyze the physical and
biological dynamics of the oceans.

Identify and explain the
physical dynamics of the oceans (e.g., wave action, ocean currents,
El Niño, tides, tsunami).

Determine how physical properties
of oceans (e.g., salinity, tides) affect organisms.

Model energy flow in ocean
ecosystems.

Explore careers related
to the oceans.

E. Students will analyze
Earth's geologic processes.

1. Summarize the systemic
movement of Earth's crust over geologic time.

Compare and contrast Earth's
crust, mantle, and core (e.g., temperature, density, composition).

Graph or diagram the physical
processes involved in recycling Earth materials (e.g., convection
within the Earth, plate movement, erosion, deposition).

2. Examine the effects of
geologic processes on the surface of Earth.

Compare and contrast weathering,
erosion, and deposition in different climates (e.g., basalt flows
in California with basalt flows in Hawaii).

Relate processes (e.g.,
mountain building, earthquakes, erosion) and time to change geologic
features locally and globally.

3. Distinguish between theory,
law, evidence, fact, and superstition.

Identify assumptions (e.g., uniformitarianism, superposition,
radioactive decay) underlying the theory of plate tectonics.

Trace the development of
the theory of plate tectonics.

Identify two conflicting
scientific ideas related to plate tectonics.

F. Students will analyze
relationships between Earth's crust and other Earth systems.

1. Analyze how geologic processes
affect other Earth systems.

Identify examples of geologic
activities that affect other Earth systems (e.g., earthquakes
and people, volcanoes and climate, sedimentation and pond succession).

Predict probable sites for
future earthquake activity in California.

Explain the role of geologic
processes in the rock cycle and the cycling of matter cycles
(water, carbon, major nutrients, trace elements).

WEB RESOURCES

World Builders - A truly great web site where students build
their own world and in the process learn central information
from all of the sciences with particular information on the biological
sciences. The site is arranged in a series of lessons. For each
lesson activities are laid out and supporting web sites listed.
This web site contains games, activities, a section on biomes,
and examples of planets constructed by other school classes.

Global Climate Lecture Notes - University of Michigan: lecture
notes cover the "Concept of the Ecosystem", the "Tropical
Rainforest", and "Biogeochemistry".

New Jersey Networking Infrastructure
Project. This site
has a number of projects and lesson plans for students that emphasis
the use of real time data from the internet to solve a variety
of scientific problems (plate
tectonics, ocean
currents, weather prediction).

Access Excellence - Genentech: Students manipulate environmental
factors in a microenvironment in Biological
Succession in a Microecosystem and explore the interaction
between biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem in Studying
a Piece of an Ecosystem.

Compendium of Environmental Statistics - Environmental Protection Agency:
provides tables and graphs of data collected through 1994 of
factors related to human activities and natural phenomenon that
change the environment. Data is also provided on the biological,
chemical, and physical conditions of environments. Specific actions
taken to prevent or minimize the environmental impact of identified
pressures is also provided.

Ecology, Biodiversity, and the Environment
Search Engine - Rice
University: allows users to locate information related to endangered
species, habitats, pollution, and specific environmental issues.

Living
Landscape:

Life's Dynamic Nature,

Organisms,

Biological Diversity &

Biotic Components

ACADEMIC CONTENT
STANDARDS

7.1a-d [Cell Biology]
All living organisms are composed of cells, from just one to
many trillions, whose details usually are visible only through
a microscope.

7.2.e [Genetics] A
typical cell of any organism contains genetic instructions that
specify its traits. Those traits may be modified by environmental
influences.

7.3.d-e [Evolution]
Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed
through gradual processes over many generations.

7.4. a-c, f-g [Earth and
Life History (Earth Science)] Evidence from rocks allows
us to understand the evolution of life on Earth.

8.6. a-c [Chemistry of
Living Systems (Life Science)] Principles of chemistry underlie
the functioning of biological systems.

Biology/Life Science 9-12.1.
f [Cell Biology] Fundamental life processes of plants
and animals depend on a variety of chemical reactions that are
carried out in specialized areas of the organism's cells.

Biology/Life Science 9-12.7. a, d [Evolution] The frequency
of an allele in a gene pool of a population depends on many factors,
and may be stable or unstable over time

Fundamental concepts and
principles that underlie these standards and this unit of study
include:

THE CELL

Cells have particular structures
that underlie their functions. Every cell is surrounded by a
membrane that separates it from the outside world. Inside the
cell is a concentrated mixture of thousands of different molecules
which form a variety of specialized structures that carry out
such cell functions as energy production, transport of molecules,
waste disposal, synthesis of new molecules, and the storage of
genetic material.

Most cell functions involve
chemical reactions. Food molecules taken into cells react to
provide the chemical constituents needed to synthesize other
molecules. Both breakdown and synthesis are made possible by
a large set of protein catalysts, called enzymes. The breakdown
of some of the food molecules enables the cell to store energy
in specific chemicals that are used to carry out the many functions
of the cell.

Cells store and use information
to guide their functions. The genetic information stored in DNA
is used to direct the synthesis of the thousands of proteins
that each cell requires.

Cell functions are regulated.
Regulation occurs both through changes in the activity of the
functions performed by proteins and through the selective expression
of individual genes. This regulation allows cells to respond
to their environment and to control and coordinate cell growth
and division.

Plant cells contain chloroplasts,
the site of photosynthesis. Plants and many microorganisms use
solar energy to combine molecules of carbon dioxide and water
into complex, energy rich organic compounds and release oxygen
to the environment. This process of photosynthesis provides a
vital connection between the sun and the energy needs of living
systems.

Cells can differentiate,
and complex multicellular organisms are formed as a highly organized
arrangement of differentiated cells. In the development of these
multicellular organisms, the progeny from a single cell form
an embryo in which the cells multiply and differentiate to form
the many specialized cells, tissues and organs that comprise
the final organism. This differentiation is regulated through
the expression of different genes.

THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF
HEREDITY

In all organisms, the instructions
for specifying the characteristics of the organism are carried
in DNA, a large polymer formed from subunits of four kinds (A,
G, C, and T). The chemical and structural properties of DNA explain
how the genetic information that underlies heredity is both encoded
in genes (as a string of molecular "letters") and replicated
(by a templating mechanism). Each DNA molecule in a cell forms
a single chromosome. [See Content Standard B (grades 9-12)]

Most of the cells in a human
contain two copies of each of 22 different chromosomes. In addition,
there is a pair of chromosomes that determines sex: a female
contains two X chromosomes and a male contains one X and one
Y chromosome. Transmission of genetic information to offspring
occurs through egg and sperm cells that contain only one representative
from each chromosome pair. An egg and a sperm unite to form a
new individual. The fact that the human body is formed from cells
that contain two copies of each chromosome--and therefore two
copies of each gene--explains many features of human heredity,
such as how variations that are hidden in one generation can
be expressed in the next.

Changes in DNA (mutations)
occur spontaneously at low rates. Some of these changes make
no difference to the organism, whereas others can change cells
and organisms. Only mutations in germ cells can create the variation
that changes an organism's offspring.

BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION

Species evolve over time.
Evolution is the consequence of the interactions of (1) the potential
for a species to increase its numbers, (2) the genetic variability
of offspring due to mutation and recombination of genes, (3)
a finite supply of the resources required for life, and (4) the
ensuing selection by the environment of those offspring better
able to survive and leave offspring.

The great diversity of organisms
is the result of more than 3.5 billion years of evolution that
has filled every available niche with life forms.

Natural selection and its
evolutionary consequences provide a scientific explanation for
the fossil record of ancient life forms, as well as for the striking
molecular similarities observed among the diverse species of
living organisms.

The millions of different
species of plants, animals, and microorganisms that live on earth
today are related by descent from common ancestors.

Biological classifications
are based on how organisms are related. Organisms are classified
into a hierarchy of groups and subgroups based on similarities
which reflect their evolutionary relationships. Species is the
most fundamental unit of classification.

THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF
ORGANISMS

The atoms and molecules
on the earth cycle among the living and nonliving components
of the biosphere.

Energy flows through ecosystems
in one direction, from photosynthetic organisms to herbivores
to carnivores and decomposers.

Organisms both cooperate
and compete in ecosystems. The interrelationships and interdependencies
of these organisms may generate ecosystems that are stable for
hundreds or thousands of years.

Living organisms have the
capacity to produce populations of infinite size, but environments
and resources are finite. This fundamental tension has profound
effects on the interactions between organisms.

Human beings live within
the world's ecosystems. Increasingly, humans modify ecosystems
as a result of population growth, technology, and consumption.
Human destruction of habitats through direct harvesting, pollution,
atmospheric changes, and other factors is threatening current
global stability, and if not addressed, ecosystems will be irreversibly
affected.

MATTER, ENERGY, AND ORGANIZATION
IN LIVING SYSTEMS

All matter tends toward
more disorganized states. Living systems require a continuous
input of energy to maintain their chemical and physical organizations.
With death, and the cessation of energy input, living systems
rapidly disintegrate. [See Unifying Concepts and Processes]

The energy for life primarily
derives from the sun. Plants capture energy by absorbing light
and using it to form strong (covalent) chemical bonds between
the atoms of carbon-containing (organic) molecules. These molecules
can be used to assemble larger molecules with biological activity
(including proteins, DNA, sugars, and fats). In addition, the
energy stored in bonds between the atoms (chemical energy) can
be used as sources of energy for life processes.

The chemical bonds of food
molecules contain energy. Energy is released when the bonds of
food molecules are broken and new compounds with lower energy
bonds are formed. Cells usually store this energy temporarily
in phosphate bonds of a small high-energy compound called ATP.

The complexity and organization
of organisms accommodates the need for obtaining, transforming,
transporting, releasing, and eliminating the matter and energy
used to sustain the organism.

The distribution and abundance
of organisms and populations in ecosystems are limited by the
availability of matter and energy and the ability of the ecosystem
to recycle materials.

As matter and energy flows
through different levels of organization of living systems--cells,
organs, organisms, communities--and between living systems and
the physical environment, chemical elements are recombined in
different ways. Each recombination results in storage and dissipation
of energy into the environment as heat. Matter and energy are
conserved in each change.

THE BEHAVIOR OF ORGANISMS

Multicellular animals have
nervous systems that generate behavior. Nervous systems are formed
from specialized cells that conduct signals rapidly through the
long cell extensions that make up nerves. The nerve cells communicate
with each other by secreting specific excitatory and inhibitory
molecules. In sense organs, specialized cells detect light, sound,
and specific chemicals and enable animals to monitor what is
going on in the world around them.

Organisms have behavioral
responses to internal changes and to external stimuli. Responses
to external stimuli can result from interactions with the organism's
own species and others, as well as environmental changes; these
responses either can be innate or learned. The broad patterns
of behavior exhibited by animals have evolved to ensure reproductive
success. Animals often live in unpredictable environments, and
so their behavior must be flexible enough to deal with uncertainty
and change. Plants also respond to stimuli.

Like other aspects of an
organism's biology, behaviors have evolved through natural selection.
Behaviors often have an adaptive logic when viewed in terms of
evolutionary principles.

OBJECTIVES

A. Students will understand
concepts of biological diversity.

1. Classify organisms using
a key.

Organize different species
into groups.

Develop several different
classification schemes.

Compare and contrast characteristics
of organisms within a family or genus.

Use a dichotomous key and
appropriate instruments to identify organisms.

2. Relate the functions and
structures of organisms to biological diversity.

Compare and contrast how
organisms obtain food and derive energy from it; protect themselves
against injury (e.g., immune system, integument); provide internal
coordination (e.g., hormones, nervous system); provide internal
transportation (e.g., open circulatory system, closed circulatory
system, number of heart chambers); eliminate wastes (e.g., solid,
liquid, gas); support themselves (e.g., water buoyancy, xylem,
phloem, skeleton); and reproduce.

Analyze the adaptive advantages
of organisms, methods for meeting biological needs (e.g., internal
skeleton vs. external skeleton, internal fertilization vs. external
fertilization, egg laying vs. live birth).

Trace a characteristic of
life (e.g., reproduction, digestion, circulation) through a representative
member of each kingdom.

3. Relate biodiversity to
extinction.

Explain the importance of
biodiversity in an ecosystem.

Research technologies used
to prevent extinction (e.g., wildlife management, zoos, seed
banks).

Research and analyze a perspective
on a current issue involving diversity and/or extinction.

B. Students will understand
the processes of evolution.

1. Summarize how natural
selection provides a mechanism for evolution.

Summarize the process of
natural selection.

Identify characteristics
that may influence survival and reproduction (e.g., pollination,
protective coloring, seed dispersal).

Predict how a change in
the environment can alter the survival value of some inherited
characteristics.

Justify the argument that
populations rather than individuals evolve.

Simulate the role of chance
in evolution (e.g., probability activities).

2. Describe the roles of
mutation and chance in evolution.

Describe the link between
changes in DNA and the appearance of new traits (e.g., recombination,
mutation, environmental influence).

Predict how a change in
a structural trait influences chances for survival.

Hypothesize why some traits
with no apparent survival or reproductive advantage persist in
a population.

WEB RESOURCES

Biodiversity in Texas' Waters: Many
Diverse Aquatic Ecosystems Support a Vibrant Fishery - Texas Water Savers magazine: explores
freshwater monitoring, water quality standards, fish species,
and benthic invertebrates within Texas aquatic ecosystems.

GCRIO Unit One: International Environmental
Treaties for Conserving Biological Diversity - U. S. Global Change Research Information
Office: addresses biological diversity and the need for international
efforts to conserve the Earth's biodiversity and focuses on the
importance of environmental treaties as tools for preserving
the Earth's biodiversity.

Biodiversity: An Overview - The Latin American Alliance: explains what
biodiversity is, how biodiversity is maintained or changed over
time, and the importance of conserving biodiversity.

Marine Biological Diversity: Some
Important Issues, Opportunities and Critical Research Needs - C. Butman and J. Carlton: provides
information on changes in biodiversity as a consequence of human
activity, intraspecific genetic diversity, species diversity,
and ecosystem diversity. Specific examples are provided to illustrate
and support the concepts.

Ecology, Biodiversity, and the Environment
Search Engine - Rice
University: allows users to locate information related to endangered
species, habitats, pollution, and specific environmental issues.

National
Wetlands Inventory
- U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service: provides data and other
information describing the location, quantity, and ecological
importance of U. S. wetlands. The Ecology
Section provides regional and national lists of plant species
found in wetlands. The wetland and deepwater classification classification
system is explained in Classification
of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States.

The 1997 Species Report Card: The
State of U.S. Plants and Animals
- The Nature Conservancy: examines the status of plants and animals
within the environment, and identifies which species are in greatest
need of help to ensure their survival. Selected
Nature Conservancy Scientific Data Sets provides downloadable
lists of taxonomic and conservation.

Ecology, Biodiversity, and the Environment
Search Engine - Rice
University: allows users to locate information related to endangered
species, habitats, pollution, and specific environmental issues.

Ecosystems:

Structure & Function,

Dynamics of Balance

ACADEMIC CONTENT
STANDARDS

6.5. a-e [Ecology (Life
Science)] Organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients
among themselves and with the environment.

Biology/Life Science 9-12.6.
a-g [Ecology] Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between
competing effects.

Fundamental concepts and
principles that underlie these standards and this unit of study
include:

THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF
ORGANISMS

The atoms and molecules
on the earth cycle among the living and nonliving components
of the biosphere.

Energy flows through ecosystems
in one direction, from photosynthetic organisms to herbivores
to carnivores and decomposers.

Organisms both cooperate
and compete in ecosystems. The interrelationships and interdependencies
of these organisms may generate ecosystems that are stable for
hundreds or thousands of years.

MATTER, ENERGY, AND ORGANIZATION
IN LIVING SYSTEMS

The complexity and organization
of organisms accommodates the need for obtaining, transforming,
transporting, releasing, and eliminating the matter and energy
used to sustain the organism.

The distribution and abundance
of organisms and populations in ecosystems are limited by the
availability of matter and energy and the ability of the ecosystem
to recycle materials.

OBJECTIVES

A. Ecology: Students
will analyze characteristics of ecosystems.

1. Investigate an ecosystem
using the tools of an ecologist.

Measure abiotic factors
in an ecosystem (e.g., area, pH, temperature, water) in metric
units.

Identify, quantify, and
graph biotic factors in an ecosystem (e.g., species counts, species
diversity).

Relate abiotic and biotic
factors in an ecosystem.

Construct a model of an
ecosystem, identify its components, and state the limitations
of the model.

2. Predict how changes in
one part of an ecosystem affect the system.

Describe symbiotic relationships
within an ecosystem.

Identify the factors that limit a populations growth (e.g., temperature,
soil type, competition, increased predation,waste accumulation).

Hypothesize the interrelationship
of one variable in an ecosystem to others (e.g., plant and soil
characteristics, temperature). Analyze and report results.

Design and conduct an experiment
to measure the inter-relationship of ecosystem components. Analyze,
graph, and report results.

Describe the pattern of
events in succession.

Relate natural selection
to changes in an ecosystem.

INCORPORATE THESE IDEAS:

2. populations and communities: exponential
growth, carrying capacity

3. ecosystems and change: biomass, energy transfer, succession]

WEB RESOURCES

Biomes of the World - University of Puget Sound: explains
how biomes are identified in terms of climate, soil, vegetation,
diversity, plant and animal adaptations, and human effects.

Biomes of the World - College of the Siskiyous: the
home page illustrates the location of specific biomes on a map
of the globe. A brief description of each biome is provided,
as are links to related information.

How the Earth Works - Pima County Community College:
lecture notes address the biotic components of the Earth, the
levels of organization in the biosphere, energy flow in ecosystems,
and the recycling of matter in the ecosystem.

Environmental Biology - Ecosystems - D. McShaffrey, Marietta College:
lecture notes briefly address energy flow through an ecosystem,
food chains and webs, and the biogeochemical cycles.

General Ecology - Odyssey Expeditions: examines the transfer
of energy, the biogeochemical cycles, and the role of organisms
within an ecosystem.

Ecological Systems Analysis - B. Woodmansee, Colorado State
University: online course addresses carbon cycles, energy flow,
and nutrient cycles within the environment.

Access
Excellence Collection
- Genentech: several activities within the Access Excellence
Collection pertain to habitats, ecosystems, and biomes. The Ecology
and Biome Unit integrates the concepts of biomes, community
interactions, and human activities. In the Biodiversity
Survey, students develop and test hypotheses regarding the
influence of human activity on the environment. The release of
toxic substances into the environment is examined in Pesticides
and Eggshell Thinning. And the introduction of non-native
species into the environment is examined in Here
Today, Gone Tomorrow...?

Global Climate Lecture Notes - University of Michigan: lecture
notes cover the "Concept of the Ecosystem", the "Tropical
Rainforest", and "Biogeochemistry".

Biomes of the World - University of Puget Sound: explains
how biomes are identified in terms of climate, soil, vegetation,
diversity, plant and animal adaptations, and human effects.

The Biotic Components of Ecosystems - B. Woodmansee, Colorado State
University: this section of the Ecological Systems Analysis online
course examines population sampling and the means of describing
population structrure through the use of age structure diagrams
and mortality tables (to name a few). Population growth, coexistence,
competition, predation, and other population interactions are
also examined.

Ecology, Biodiversity, and the Environment
Search Engine - Rice
University: allows users to locate information related to endangered
species, habitats, pollution, and specific environmental issues.

Ecological
Relationships:

Biotic Interdependence,

Ecological Address,

Trophic levels,

Chains, Webs,

Flows & Cycles

ACADEMIC CONTENT
STANDARDS

6.5. a-e [Ecology (Life
Science)] Organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients
among themselves and with the environment.

Biology/Life Science 9-12.6.
a-g [Ecology] Stability in an ecosystem is a balance between
competing effects.

Fundamental concepts
and principles that underlie these standards and this unit of
study include:

THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF
ORGANISMS

The atoms and molecules
on the earth cycle among the living and nonliving components
of the biosphere.

Energy flows through ecosystems
in one direction, from photosynthetic organisms to herbivores
to carnivores and decomposers.

Organisms both cooperate
and compete in ecosystems. The interrelationships and interdependencies
of these organisms may generate ecosystems that are stable for
hundreds or thousands of years.

MATTER, ENERGY, AND ORGANIZATION
IN LIVING SYSTEMS

The complexity and organization
of organisms accommodates the need for obtaining, transforming,
transporting, releasing, and eliminating the matter and energy
used to sustain the organism.

The distribution and abundance
of organisms and populations in ecosystems are limited by the
availability of matter and energy and the ability of the ecosystem
to recycle materials.

OBJECTIVES

A. Ecology: Students
will investigate the interdependence of organisms with each other
and with their environment.

1. Analyze ecological relationships
within the context of matter cycles and energy flows.

Determine components of
a food chain and describe their interactions.

Diagram a food chain in
the cycle of matter (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus).

Describe the energy flow
in a food chain using an energy pyramid.

Identify the role of producers,
consumers, and decomposers in matter cycles.

Relate photosynthesis and
respiration to the cycle of matter and flow of energy.

Model the flow of a carbon
atom through the atmosphere, oceans, Earth's interior, and organisms.

B. Students will investigate
biological systems and summarize relationships between systems.

1. Analyze the functioning
of a biological system.

Identify biotic and abiotic
factors in a system.

Relate the effects of organisms
on the environment and the effects of the environment on organisms.

Compare and contrast various
relationships of organisms in a system.

2. Determine how systems
relate within the biosphere.

Identify interactions between
systems (e.g., water cycle and populations, ocean currents and
agriculture).

Graph and describe patterns
of population fluctuations over time.

Explain how natural forces
affect biological systems.

WEB RESOURCES

Environmental Biology - Ecosystems - D. McShaffrey, Marietta College:
lecture notes briefly address energy flow through an ecosystem,
food chains and webs, and the biogeochemical cycles.

General Ecology - Odyssey Expeditions: examines the transfer
of energy, the biogeochemical cycles, and the role of organisms
within an ecosystem.

Global Climate Lecture Notes - University of Michigan: lecture
notes for the "Flow of Energy" cover primary production
and the higher trophic levels.

Trophic Levels - Macquarie University: provides a brief definition
of the types of autotrophs and heterotrophs found in a trophic
level.

Access
Excellence Collection
- Genentech: population dynamics is examined in Life
Beyond the Fifty Yard Line; An
Interdisciplinary Deer and Human Population Study; Down,
Dung, and Dirty; and The
Predator-Prey Relationship.

Simulation Server - Theoretical Ecology Information
Outlet: three simulations, one each for predator and prey, competition,
and plant pollination, allow the user to adjust the parameters
and view the results.

Global Change Lecture Notes - University of Michigan: lecture
notes address ecological communities, competition, and predator-prey
relationships.

Wildlife Habitats and Management - University of Minnesota: lecture
notes examine factors, such as predation, parasites, and disease,
which influence population size.

Speciation, Phylogeny, and Taxonomy - California Institute of Technology:
explains how succession and species evolution lead to the establishment
of a climax community. Taxonomy is introduced as a means of identifying
species.

Quantitative Population Ecology - Virginia Tech: lecture notes address
the components of populations, population density, statistical
analysis of population dynamics, and factors, such as competition,
predation, and pathogens, which influence population size.

Biodiversity: An Overview - The Latin American Alliance: explains what
biodiversity is, how biodiversity is maintained or changed over
time, and the importance of conserving biodiversity.

Ecology, Biodiversity, and the Environment
Search Engine - Rice
University: allows users to locate information related to endangered
species, habitats, pollution, and specific environmental issues.

Humans
and Development:

Development of culture
and society

Effects of human populations on the environment

ACADEMIC CONTENT
STANDARDS

National Standards
Targeted:

Geography 14 Understands how human actions modify
the physical environment.

GESP: National Geography Standards, p. 132 (Explicitly
stated)

Level IV: High School (Grades 9-12)

Understands how the concepts
of synergy, feedback loops, carrying capacity and thresholds
relate to the limitations of the physical environment to absorb
the impacts of human activity (e.g., levee construction on a
flood plain, logging in an old-growth forest, construction of
golf courses in arid areas)

Understands the role of humans
in decreasing the diversity of flora and fauna in a region (e.g.,
the impact of acid rain on rivers and forests in southern Ontario,
the effects of toxic dumping on ocean ecosystems, the effects
of overfishing along the coast of northeastern North America
or the Philippine archipelago)

Understands the global impacts
of human changes in the physical environment (e.g., increases
in runoff and sediment, tropical soil degradation, habitat destruction,
air pollution; alterations in the hydrologic cycle; increases
in world temperatures; groundwater reduction)

Knows how people's changing
attitudes toward the environment have led to landscape changes
(e.g., pressure to replace farmlands with wetlands in flood plain
areas, interest in preserving wilderness areas, support for the
concept of historic preservation)

Geography 15 Understands how physical systems
affect human systems

GESP: National Geography Standards, p. 134 (Explicitly
stated)

Level IV: High School

(Grades 9-12)

Knows changes in the physical
environment that have reduced the capacity of the environment
to support human activity (e.g., the drought-plagued Sahel, the
depleted rain forests of central Africa, the Great Plains Dust
Bowl, the impact of the economic exploitation of Siberia's resources
on a fragile sub-Arctic environment)

Knows how humans overcome
"limits to growth" imposed by physical systems (e.g.,
technology, human adaptation)

Knows conditions and locations
that place limits on plant growth and therefore on the expansion
of human settlement (e.g., soils with limited nutrients, high
salt content, shallow depth; extremely cold, arid or humid tropical
climates; mountainous and coastal environments)

Understands how people who
live in naturally hazardous regions adapt to their environments
(e.g., the use of sea walls to protect coastal areas subject
to severe storms, the use of earthquake-resistant construction
techniques in different regions within the Ring of Fire)

Knows factors that affect
people's attitudes, perceptions, and responses toward natural
hazards (e.g., religious beliefs, socioeconomic status, previous
experiences)

Fundamental concepts and
principles that underlie these standards and this unit of study
include:

POPULATION GROWTH

Populations grow or decline
through the combined effects of births and deaths, and through
emigration and immigration. Populations can increase through
linear or exponential growth, with effects on resource use and
environmental pollution.

Various factors influence
birth rates and fertility rates, such as average levels of affluence
and education, importance of children in the labor force, education
and employment of women, infant mortality rates, costs of raising
children, availability and reliability of birth control methods,
and religious beliefs and cultural norms that influence personal
decisions about family size.

Populations can reach limits
to growth. Carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals
that can be supported in a given environment. The limitation
is not the availability of space, but the number of people in
relation to resources and the capacity of earth systems to support
human beings. Changes in technology can cause significant changes,
either positive or negative, in carrying capacity.

OBJECTIVES

1. Analyze the influence
of humans in an ecosystem.

Infer from data the impact
of human population growth in an ecosystem.

Predict the long-range environmental
impacts of specific practices and policies.

Predict the long-term social
impacts of specific practices and policies.

Construct a personal plan
for resource conservation.

Evaluate how technology
can create and mitigate damage to the environment.

Collect information on local,
national, and/or global practices that affect ecosystems and
evaluate the scientific accuracy

of the collected information.
Present a position on the basis of this information.

2. Analyze the effects of
human activities on matter cycles and energy flow.

Predict the effect of human
activities on the carbon cycle (e.g., burning fossil fuels, eliminating
rain forests).

Relate fossil fuel use and
the use of alternate energy sources to matter cycles and energy
flows.

Analyze and assess personal
choices in relation to matter cycles and energy flow.

Observe and document the
impact of people on a natural cycle, interpret the results, and
predict long-term effects.

Formulate an opinion and
defend it on an issue regarding human impacts on a natural cycle
(e.g., fossil fuels, fertilizers, recycling).

WEB RESOURCES

Redwood National and State Parks - The National Park Service: describes
the National Park Service plan for protecting and controlling
the plant species within the national parks, including the management
and control of harmful, exotic plant species.

The Lower Rio Grande Ecosystem Initiative - Biological Resources Division
of the U. S. Geological Survey: provides information about the
programs examining the biotic resources and terrestrial habitats
along the Rio Grande river. Environmental issues related to water
conservation and demographics are also addressed.

Wildlife Habitats and Management - University of Minnesota: lecture
notes examine environmental factors and human disturbances of
environments.

USGS Fact Sheets - U. S. Geological Survey: listed
by environmental theme, includes studies of physical, chemical,
and biological processes within environments, and the environmental
impact of human activity.Population
Basics - University of Michigan: provides information on
the determination of population size, variations in population
size, simple models of population dynamics, and limiting factors
which control population size.

Revisiting
Carrying Capacity: Area-Based Indicators of Sustainability - W. Rees, The University of British
Columbia: this article examines the relationship between the
Earth's natural resources and the anticipated use of these resources
as the human population grows.

Impact of Population Growth on Food Supplies
and Environment -
D. Pimentel, X. Huang, A. Cordova, and M. Pimenel: a paper which
examines the influence of human population growth on food production
and the malnourishment observed within the human population.

Population, Sustainability, and Earth's
Carrying Capacity
- G. Daily and P. Ehrlich: a paper which explores population
size, human lifestyles, and the Earth's ability to support future
generations.

U. S. GLOBEC Report Series - Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics:
provides access to research reports which address the impact
of global climate change on the abundance and production of ocean
animals.

Living Landscapes - Okanagan University College: provides
information on the different types of pesticides and pesticide
contamination of water resources, the atmosphere, and wildlife.
Also provides information on alternatives to pesticide use.

People vs. Pests - Academy for the Advancement of
Science and Technology: provides information on problems caused
by pests, various pesticides, and dealing with pests without
the use of pesticides.

America's Least Wanted: Alien Species
Invasions of U.S. Ecosystems
- The Nature Conservancy: explores the impact of alien species
on ecosystems and provides information on twelve known invaders,
such as the zebra mussel, the flathead catfish, the rosy wolfsnail,
and the brown tree snake.

Ocean Planet - Smithsonian Institution: this portion of
the Ocean Planet exhibit describes the method of introduction
and the effect of introducing alien species into aquatic environments.
The Roulette
Wheel provides a list of all the alien species addressed
in the exhibit.

Nonindigenous Aquatic Species - United States Geological Survey:
the site serves as a repository for biogeographic accounts of
nonindigenous aquatic species, primarily in North America. Also
contains information related to the introduction of nonidigenous
vertabrate, invertebrate, and plant species, as well as diseases
and parasites.

The Aliens Among Us - Greg Ruiz, Ph.D.: this article
in the Newsletter of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
discusses the invasion of alien species in estuaries and discusses
research in Chesapeake Bay to explore the relationship between
alien species invasion and community processes.

Australia's National Centre for Research
on Introduced Marine Pests
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation:
describes Austrialian attempts to identify the means of introduction
of alien species in aquatic environments and the efforts to control
the spread of alien species and reduce the reduce the environmental
and economic impact of these organisms.

How Are We Losing It? - Our Environment magazine: describes how
human activity has threatened the biodiversity of the Hawaiian
Islands.

Biological Conservation - P. Bryant, University of California,
Irvine: lecture notes address evolution and the history of biodiversity,
natural resources and biodiversity, alteration of aquatic and
terrestrial habitats on biodiversity, and the impact of pollution
and human population growth on biodiversity.

Ecology, Biodiversity, and the Environment
Search Engine - Rice
University: allows users to locate information related to endangered
species, habitats, pollution, and specific environmental issues.

Resources,
Energy and Pollution:

Renewability,

Wants, Needs, and Effects,

Waste Management

ACADEMIC CONTENT
STANDARDS

Geography 16 Understands the changes that occur
in the meaning, use, distribution and importance of resources.
GESP: National Geography Standards, p. 136 (Explicitly stated)
5

Level IV: High School

(Grades 9-12)

Understands the relationships
between resources and exploration, colonization, and settlement
of different regions of the world (e.g., the development of mercantilism
and imperialism and the consequent settlement of Latin America
and other regions of the world by the Spanish and Portuguese;
the abundance of fur, fish, timber, and gold in Siberia, Alaska,
and California and the settlement of these areas by the Russians)

Understands programs and
positions related to the use of resources on a local to global
scale (e.g., community regulations for water usage during drought
periods; local recycling programs for glass, metal, plastic,
and paper products; different points of view regarding uses of
the Malaysian rain forests)

Understands the impact of
policy decisions regarding the use of resources in different
regions of the world (e.g., the long-term impact on the economy
of Nauru when its phosphate reserves are exhausted, the economic
and social problems related to the over cutting of pine forests
in Nova Scotia, the impact of petroleum consumption in the United
States and Japan)

Fundamental concepts and
principles that underlie these standards and this unit of study
include:

NATURAL RESOURCES

Human populations use resources
in the environment in order to maintain and improve their existence.
Natural resources have been and will continue to be used to maintain
human populations.

The earth does not have
infinite resources; increasing human consumption places severe
stress on the natural processes that renew some resources, and
it depletes those resources that cannot be renewed.

Humans use many natural
systems as resources. Natural systems have the capacity to reuse
waste, but that capacity is limited. Natural systems can change
to an extent that exceeds the limits of organisms to adapt naturally
or humans to adapt technologically.

NATURAL AND HUMAN-INDUCED
HAZARDS

Normal adjustments of earth
may be hazardous for humans. Humans live at the interface between
the atmosphere driven by solar energy and the upper mantle where
convection creates changes in the earth's solid crust. As societies
have grown, become stable, and come to value aspects of the environment,
vulnerability to natural processes of change has increased.

Human activities can enhance
potential for hazards. Acquisition of resources, urban growth,
and waste disposal can accelerate rates of natural change.

Some hazards, such as earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, and severe weather, are rapid and spectacular.
But there are slow and progressive changes that also result in
problems for individuals and societies. For example, change in
stream channel position, erosion of bridge foundations, sedimentation
in lakes and harbors, coastal erosions, and continuing erosion
and wasting of soil and landscapes can all negatively affect
society.

Natural and human-induced
hazards present the need for humans to assess potential danger
and risk. Many changes in the environment designed by humans
bring benefits to society, as well as cause risks. Students should
understand the costs and trade-offs of various hazards--ranging
from those with minor risk to a few people to major catastrophes
with major risk to many people. The scale of events and the accuracy
with which scientists and engineers can (and cannot) predict
events are important considerations.

OBJECTIVES

A. Relate global and local
geologic resources to the biosphere.

Explain the formation of
geologic resources (e.g., fossil fuels, mineral deposits).

Research and analyze an
issue related to the use of geologic resources (e.g., formation
rate vs. depletion rate of fossil fuels, mining in California,
automobile pollution, coal burning power plants).

Evaluate conclusions drawn
from data on nuclear energy.

B. Identify global changes
and their consequences .

Research first-order effects
of the

a. atmosphere: CO2, CH4, stratospheric O3

b. oceans: surface temperatures, currents, sea level

c. biota: habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity, introduced
exotics

Understand higher-order
Interactions

a. CO2 - photosynthesis

b. ocean currents - climate and biological communities

c. ultraviolet light - cell damage

C. Students will analyze
the relationships between the atmosphere and biological systems.

1. Determine the consequences
of atmospheric alteration to biological systems.

Identify atmospheric changes
caused by living things throughout time (e.g., production of
free oxygen, nitrogen cycle, microclimates, methane from organisms
such as cattle, termites, and microorganisms).

Collect and analyze data
that relates to an atmospheric issue (e.g., ozone depletion,
global warming, acid rain, automobile emissions).

Research and report how
atmospheric alteration has influenced lifestyles in California.

2. Devise a plan to improve
local air quality.
3. Predict and illustrate
future physical and biological changes on Earth based on current
atmospheric trends.

Interpret data on atmospheric
conditions.

Relate the effects of an
existing plan designed to improve air quality (e.g., automobile
emission tests, Clean Air Act, telecommuting) to future physical
and biological changes on Earth.

WEB RESOURCES

Thermodynamics and the Sustainability of Food
Production - J. Hanson:
an essay which discusses the sustainability of agriculture in
terms of energy and entropy. Contains embedded links to supporting
resources and information.

The Good News About DDT - University of California, Santa
Cruz: an article which describes the dangers of chemical pesticides
and highlighting the impact of DDT on California sea lions and
farming.

Problem
Management:

Environment and Society,

Trade-Offs and Decision Making

A. Economic Forces

B. Cultural and Aesthetic Considerations

C. Environmental Ethics

D. Environmental Laws and Regulations

(International, National, and Regional)

ACADEMIC CONTENT
STANDARDS

Geography 16 Understands the changes that occur
in the meaning, use, distribution and importance of resources.
GESP: National Geography Standards, p. 136 (Explicitly stated)
9

Level IV: High School

(Grades 9-12)

Knows issues related to
the reuse and recycling of resources (e.g., changing relocation
strategies of industries seeking access to recyclable material,
such as paper factories, container and can companies, glass,
plastic, and bottle manufacturers; issues involved with the movement,
handling, processing, and storing of toxic and hazardous waste
materials; fully enforced vs. consistently neglected approaches
to resource management)

Fundamental concepts and
principles that underlie these standards and this unit of study
include:

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
IN LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND GLOBAL CHALLENGES

Science and technology are
essential social enterprises, but alone they can only indicate
what can happen, not what should happen. The latter involves
human decisions about the use of knowledge.

Understanding basic concepts
and principles of science and technology should precede active
debate about the economics, policies, politics, and ethics of
various science- and technology-related challenges. However,
understanding science alone will not resolve local, national,
or global challenges.

Progress in science and
technology can be affected by social issues and challenges. Funding
priorities for specific health problems serve as examples of
ways that social issues influence science and technology.

Individuals and society
must decide on proposals involving new research and the introduction
of new technologies into society. Decisions involve assessment
of alternatives, risks, costs, and benefits and consideration
of who benefits and who suffers, who pays and gains, and what
the risks are and who bears them. Students should understand
the appropriateness and value of basic questions--"What
can happen?"--"What are the odds?"--and "How
do scientists and engineers know what will happen?"

Humans have a major effect
on other species. For example, the influence of humans on other
organisms occurs through land use--which decreases space available
to other species--and pollution--which changes the chemical composition
of air, soil, and water.

OBJECTIVES

Evaluate the influence of
people on the biosphere.

Identify positive and negative
impacts of human activities on the biosphere.

Research and analyze an
issue related to the use of biological resources (e.g., logging,
fishing).

Design and implement a plan
to positively affect the biosphere.

Design and propose the implementation
of a plan for local soil conservation (e.g., composting, windbreaks).

Investigate and discuss
career opportunities that have a direct impact on the environment.

WEB RESOURCES

Biodiversity: An Overview - The Latin American Alliance: explains what
biodiversity is, how biodiversity is maintained or changed over
time, and the importance of conserving biodiversity.

Ecology, Biodiversity, and the Environment
Search Engine - Rice
University: allows users to locate information related to endangered
species, habitats, pollution, and specific environmental issues.

Wildlife Habitats and Management - University of Minnesota: lecture
notes examine environmental factors and human disturbances of
environments.

People vs. Pests - Academy for the Advancement of
Science and Technology: provides information on problems caused
by pests, various pesticides, and dealing with pests without
the use of pesticides.

The Good News About DDT - University of California, Santa
Cruz: an article which describes the dangers of chemical pesticides
and highlighting the impact of DDT on California sea lions and
farming.

How Are We Losing It? - Our Environment magazine: describes how
human activity has threatened the biodiversity of the Hawaiian
Islands.

World
Resources Institute:
provides information and articles on biodiversity, climate change,
forests, sustainable agriculture, world resources, and environmental
education. The Biodiversity link provides information on natural
resources and biodiversity, genetic diversity, ecosystems and
habitats, threats to biodiversity, and global biodiversity strategy.A Primer
on Environmental Citizenship - Environment Canada: the components
of the biosphere, humans and their environment, and factors that
influence the condition of the biosphere are examined in a question
and answer format intended to promote environmental literacy.

Resource Development and Wildlife:
Impact and Mitigation of Human Activities - University of Alberta: relates the importance
of human activity, industrial development, and agriculture on
the environment and wildlife. Links to relevant resources are
provided. The primary focus is on Canada, but fires, logging,
drilling for oil and gas, mining, development of public lands,
and the use of pesticides are examples of topics addressed at
this site and generalizable to the sites in the U. S.

Eco-Village - Thinkquest: provides information
on pollution and the environment. Users can walk along a stream
and learn about water pollution, walk in the forest and see the
impact of human activity on the environment, visit a tree house
to learn about energy, or go to the city and learn about recycling
and mass transit.

Global Warming Web Site - Environmental Protection Agency:
provides information on the science of global warming, the impact
of global warming, and policies and programs intended to address
global warming.

Earth on Fire - NASA Classroom of the Future: a module which
explores the link between industrial and agricultural practices
and Earth's changing climate. The carbon cycle, greenhouse gases,
remote sensing activities, and solutions are examined. A second
module, UV
Menace examines the contributions of atmospheric chemistry
and physics, developing countries, and the illegal trade in CFS's
to the ozone depletion problem. Another module, Tropical
Poison, explores the survival of the Amazon Rain Forest.

Crossing a Climate Threshold - University of California, Santa
Cruz: examines past climatic events, including past warming trends
and increases in carbon dioxide and methane concentrations, as
predictors of future consequences of climate changes.

Water Vapor in the Climate System - American Geophysical Union: article
which examines the role water vapor plays within the climate
system. Topics include: the climatology of atmospheric water
vapor, the mean distribution of water vapor, water vapor variations
and trends, and issues in water vapor research.

Keeping Our Cool: Does the Ocean
Dampen the Greenhouse Effect?
- American Geophysical Union: article which examines the role
of the ocean as a carbon dioxide source and/or sink and the role
the oceans could play in the reduction of atmospheric carbon
dioxide.

Acid Rain
- Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario: examines the causes
of acid rain, the formation of acid rain in the atmosphere, the
effect of acid rain on terrestrial and aquatic environments,
and means of reducing emissions.

Effects of Acid Rain - University of Toronto: provides
information on the effects of acid rain on terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystems and manmade structures.

Estuary-Net Project - National Estuarine Research Reserve:
addresses water quality issues arising in coastal areas. Curriculum
activities and information on estuaries and water quality monitoring
is also provided.

Ozone Home Page
- Environmental Protection Agency: contains links to information
detailing the environmental indicators of ozone depletion, the
benefits of banning CFC's, the environmental and health effects
of ozone depletion, and the difference between stratospheric
and tropospheric ozone. Links to images detailing the ozone depletion
problem are also present.

Toxic Tones? - University of California, Santa Cruz: explores
noise pollution within the ocean and its impact on marine life.

Critical Ecoregions Program - Sierra Club: describes the strategies
to restore and/or preserve the environmental health of 21 identified
"ecoregions" in the U. S. and Canada. Also addresses
the protection of endangered species and their habitats.

National
Institute for Global Environmental Change - University of California, Davis: provides
news and information and access to research publications detailing
the impact of global environmental change on specific environments,
climate, water resources, aquatic populations, and other environmental
variables.

Environmental and Societal Impacts Group - National Center for Atmospheric
Research: the research group explores the consequences of human
activity on the environment. Information on climate change and
its impact on water resources and fisheries and rates and processes
of environmental change is provided.

WWF
Global Network -
World Wide Fund for Nature: provides information on environmental
issues related to the biosphere, climate change, oceans, and
forests. Publications and fact sheets provides information on
climate, forests, water, species, and sustainability.

The Vital Link Between Land and Water:
The Importance of Uplands for Protecting Wetland Functions - A. Taylor, P. Sprott, and F. Mazzotti:
examines the influence of activities on land surrounding wetlands,
such as development for residential and agricultural use, on
the wetlands themselves.

The Maquiladora Industry and Environmental
Degradation in the United States-Mexican Borderlands - E. Williams, University of Arizona:
this report examines the issues associated with environmental
degradation attributed to the maquiladora industry in cities
along the U. S.-Mexico border. The role of politics is emphasized.

Habitat Restoration Information Center - Stanley Environmental Education
Services: provides a restoration library containing bibliographies,
databases, and publications; information on government agencies
and funding; restoration education materials containing curriculum
materials and activity guides; and information on environmental
law.

The Habitat Restoration Group: provides information on ecological
restoration, land reclamation, and habitat restoration programs.

Nature and The Environment - Texas Parks and Wildlife: Texas
Wildscapes provides information on the backyard habitat program,
the design of a wildscape, and Texas Wildscape courses available
in the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, and San Antonio areas. Information
concerning wetland conservation in Texas is also provided. Enjoying
Nature identifies places to observe wildlife and provides
activities for use in the home or at school.

Endangered Species - Texas Waternet Hot Topic: examines
endangered species in Texas and their protection.

Planet Earth and the New Geosciences - V. Schmidt and W. Harbert, University
of Pittsburgh: Unit 16, The
Impact of Man, covers environmental problems involving air
and water pollution, the ozone depletion problem, desertification,
drought, the destruction of tropical rain forests, human population
and consumption of resources, and nuclear disasters.

Troubled Waters: Protecting Our Aquatic
Heritage - The Nature
Conservancy: identifies threats to aquatic and wetland species,
explains why these species are important, and examines how these
species can be protected.

Environmental
Impacts on Endangered Animals
- Thinkquest: allows the user to access information on endangered
animals, specifically those animals found in California and Texas.

Restore
America's Estuaries:
provides information about estuaries, the loss of estuary habitats,
major threats to estuary habitats, and efforts to restore the
environmental health of estuaries.

Sustain Healthy Coasts - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
explains the NOAA's role in the protection, restoration, and
conservation of coastal communities and habitats.

GAIA
Forest Conservation Archives
- Ecological Enterprises: provides information on efforts to
conserve forest and rainforest resources and environments.

Biological Conservation - P. Bryant, University of California,
Irvine: lecture notes address conservation practices and legislation
designed to protect habitats and species.

Biological Control Virtual Information
Center - Okanagan
University College: explains the advantages of using one organism
to control the population of a second organism in a process called
Integrated Pest Management.

Access
Excellence Collection
- Genentech: environmental change is explored in several activities,
such as Campus
Habitat Improvement Plan, Designing
a Tropical Reserve System, Studying
a Piece of an Ecosystem, and Oil
Spill in a Test Tube.

Destruction of Land Fertility - Union of International Associations:
soil mismanagement, destruction of agricultural land, deforestation,
and other factors are examined as factors contributing to the
destruction of land fertility.

Watershed Home Page - Environmental Protection Agency: this page
links to pages which describe the EPA programs related to watershed
preservation and management. Of particular interest may be the
EPA's
Watershed Management Program, which provides information
on watershed protection and restoration programs; the Index
of Watershed Indicators, which compiles information concerning
aquatic resouces in the U. S; and Surf
Your Watershed, which allows users to locate a watershed
using a map, words, or place. Users can also travel upstream
or downstream from the watershed, and view information describing
environmental indicators and environmental protection efforts,
as well as information detailing water usage from the watershed.

Collect and See the Microbial Community
That Fixes Iron and Manganese in the Natural Environment - J. Watson: describes, with both
text and images, the collection and examination of bacteria for
the purpose of investigating water chemistry.

Alternative Energy Sources - University of Oregon: this online
course offers information on solar energy, wind energy, water
energy, geothermal, biomass, energy storage and photovoltaic
cells, and energy storage systems.

Access
Excellence Collection
- Genentech: Waste management and recycling is addressed in Ecology
of the Dump and Waste
Management. Water quality issues are examined in Subsurface
Contamination of Groundwater, Water
Taste Test, and Who
Dirtied the Water/Clean Water: Is It Drinkable?. Teachers
whose students participate in a water sampling project involving
a Texas river may also be interested in Establishing
a Baseline Ecology of a Creek Ecosystem.

Ecology, Biodiversity, and the Environment
Search Engine - Rice
University: allows users to locate information related to endangered
species, habitats, pollution, and specific environmental issues.

Extended
Project(s):

Environment and Society

Environmental Ethics

Economics and the Environment

Politics and Government

Choices for the
Future:

Conservation

Preservation

Remediation

Sustainability

ACADEMIC CONTENT
STANDARDS

6.7.a-h, 7.7. a-e, 8.9.
a-g 9-12.1. a-n [ Investigation and Experimentation] Scientific progress is made by asking
meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As
a basis for understanding this concept, and to address the content
the other three strands (Earth, Physical and Life) and , students
should develop their own questions and perform investigations.

National Standards Targeted:

Geography 16 Understands the changes that occur
in the meaning, use, distribution and importance of resources.
GESP: National Geography Standards, p. 136 (Explicitly stated)
9

Level IV: High School

(Grades 9-12)

OBJECTIVES

Evaluate the influence of
people on the biosphere.

Identify positive and negative
impacts of human activities on the biosphere.

Research and analyze an
issue related to the use of biological resources (e.g., logging,
fishing).

Design and implement a plan
to positively affect the biosphere.

Design and propose the implementation
of a plan for local soil conservation (e.g., composting, windbreaks).

Investigate and discuss
career opportunities that have a direct impact on the environment.

WEB RESOURCES

Ecology, Biodiversity, and the Environment
Search Engine - Rice
University: allows users to locate information related to endangered
species, habitats, pollution, and specific environmental issues.

ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARDS

Fundamental concepts and principles that underlie these standards and this unit of study include:

OBJECTIVES

A.

1.

2.

B.

1.

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