Next Generation Science Standards
Selected are a list of Next Generation Science Standards that are aligned with this unit for high school, but this unit can also be adjusted to fit middle school environmental science and health curriculum. The core information in this unit is focused on climate change, which fits in well with the HS-ESS strand. Classroom activities and suggested labs are included at the end of this unit that are suitable for a general science, chemistry, or environmental science class.
The medical applications of this unit are suitable for any anatomy and physiology or human health course when prevented as a case study or a running thread to interweave throughout the body systems. Some sample activities are included for this unit for a medical or biology related course.
HS-LS2-7 Ecosystems: Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
HS-ESS2-2 Earth’s Systems: Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth’s surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.
HS-ESS2-4 Earth’s Systems: Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate.
HS-ESS2-6 Earth’s Systems: Develop a quantitative model to describe the cycling of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.
HS-ESS3-5 Earth and Human Activity: Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.
Connecticut Common Core Standards for English
This curriculum can also be used to address Connecticut common core state standards for English. These common core standards may be different for teachers in other states, but the practices can easily be aligned and transferred.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.2: Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text's explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.3: Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks, attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.8: Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions in a science or technical text, verifying the data when possible and corroborating or challenging conclusions with other sources of information.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.9: Synthesize information from a range of sources (e.g., texts, experiments, simulations) into a coherent understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving conflicting information when possible.