Science: Environmental Science
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Science: Environmental Science UNIT/Weeks Timeline/Topics Essential Questions Do the benefits of the agriculture and industrial revolution outweigh the negative impact they have had on the Introduction to Environmental Science environment? Is sustainability an achievable reality? Science and the Environment How do scientists determine decisions Tools of Environmental regarding our environment? Science What role do models and statistics play in The Dynamic Earth environmental science? 4 Scientific Methods What impacts our environment the most: Statistics and Models politics, economics or technology? Making Informed Decisions What impact do Earth's natural processes The Geosphere have on our environment? The Atmosphere How do Earth's natural processes and The Hydrosphere and human involvement interact to produce Biosphere global warming? How does the hydrosphere interact with the biosphere? Ecology How do the living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem interact? The Organization of Life How and why do organisms need to How Ecosystems Work adapt? Biomes Why is it important that organisms hold different niches within the environment? Aquatic Ecosystems How is energy cycled through the Energy Flow in Ecosystems biosphere? The Cycling of Materials How do key nutrients cycle through the How Ecosystems Flow 6 biosphere and what role do they play in What Is a Biome? it? Forest Biomes How do ecosystems change over time? Grassland, Desert and Tundra What determines where an organism can Biomes live? Freshwater Ecosystems What determines where an organism can Marine Ecosystems live? Could any life on Earth exist without oceans and estuaries? Populations Why do scientists study population Understanding Populations growth? The Human Population How does an organism's habitat Biodiversity determine its niche? 4 Studying Human Populations How do organisms interact in their Changing Population Trends environment? What Is Biodiversity? How do scientists study population Biodiversity at Work growth? The Future of Biodiversity How are population growth and sustainability related? What role should humans play in limiting population growth? What affects population growth? What roles should humans play in maintaining biodiversity? What causes threats on biodiversity and what can be done to prevent conserve it? What role should society play in conserving biodiversity? How do humans rely on natural water resources for survival? How do humans manipulate natural water resources to our advantage? How is water pollution classified? Water, Air, and Land How can humans reduce our impact on Water water pollution? Air How are the different Atmospheres and Climate types of air pollution Change created? Land How are the different types of air pollution Food and Agriculture affecting the Earth? What causes air pollution? How has the Air, Noise and Light Pollution production of acid rain Acid Precipitation 10 caused changes within Climate and Climate Change the environment? The Ozone Shield What determines Global Warming weather and climatic How We Use Land regions of the world? Urban Land Use Why is the ozone so Land Management and important to living Conservation organisms? Feeding The World What is the cause in Crops and Soil the changing climate? Animals and Agriculture Why is a temperature or climatic change important? How Are Different Types of Land Used? How Is Society Dealing with Land Usage? Why Is It Important to Understand How Land Is Used? Mining and Energy How are specific types of minerals 8 formed? Mining and Mineral Resources What are the many ways in which Nonrenewable Energy minerals are recovered from the Earth? Resources How has mining regulations created by Renewable Energy Resources the government helped in conserving the Waste environment? Energy Resources and Fossil How are fuels created, used and Fuels consumed within the United States? Nuclear Energy What is nuclear energy? Renewable Energy Today How does the use of nuclear energy Alternate Energy and compare to the use of fossil fuels? Conservation What are the several forms of renewable Solid Waste energy? Reducing Solid Waste How does renewable energy work within Hazardous Waste different types of nations? How can alternative energy resources be used? How has the original purpose of a landfill created environmental problems now? How can one as a person help in reducing waste products? What has recycling and composting done to waste production? Why is so important to identify hazardous waste and ensure its disposal? Health and Environment How has medical technology helped in the areas of pollution and human health? How have biological hazards caused a The Environment and Human spread in old and new diseases? Health How has international cooperation on the Economics, Policy and Future environment impacted economics? Pollution and Human Health How has the past contributed to the 6 Biological Hazards different forms of government dealing with Economics and International the environment? Cooperation How can individual and media presence Environmental Policies in the affect governmental policies. United States Who are some of the people who The Importance of the influenced environmental history? Individual How can we learn to better ourselves to produce a better environment? .