Driving DUP Question:
How does human action affect the biodiversity of
an ecosystem?
ANCHORING ACTIVITY
Students will be placed in the role of a National Park Service Ranger in Yellowstone National Park. The overarching problem to be solved is how to balance and maintain the integrity of the park’s natural resources against human access and impact on the park. Students will build knowledge by examining the relationships between the park’s flora and fauna, food web, food energy pyramid, and impact of disasters. Students will engage in the epistemic practice of modeling to understand relationships and the effect of change on those relationships.
UNIT GOALS
Student will understand that no human activity is done in isolation without consequences. They need to understand the influences and impacts that mankind’s actions have on Earth’s biodiversity. Students need to be able to create and use appropriate models to make cause and effect predictions, and as a tool for analyzing the veracity of claims.
NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS(NGSS)
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
MS-LS2-5: Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services MS-ESS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment. MS-ESS3-4: Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems. MS-ETS1-1: Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions. MS-ETS1-2: Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. |
CALIFORNIA COMMON CORE STANDARDS
ELA/Literacy
RST.6-8.8: Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
RI.8.8: Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
Mathematics
MP.4: Model with mathematics.
6.RP.A.3: Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems.