Environmental Science
Units of Study
Anticipated
Number of
Class Periods
Unit 1: Introduction
to Environmental
Science
Approximately 5
weeks or 25
class periods
Biology
Standard(s)
Addressed
Standard 4.1.10.F
Materials
4.2.10.D
4.3.10.C
4.4.10.E
4.5.10.F
sours
Assessment
Anchors &
Eligible
Content
S11.A.1.1
S11.A.1.1.1
S11.A.1.1.2
S11.A.1.1.3
S11.A.1.1.4
S11.A.1.1.5
S11.A.1.2
S11.A.1.2.1
S11.A.1.3
S11.A.1.3.1
S11.A.1.3.2
S11.A.1.3.3
S11.A.1.3.4
S11.A.2.1
S11.A.2.1.1
S11.A.2.1.2
S11.A.2.1.3
S11.A.2.1.4
S11.A.2.1.5
S11.A.2.2
S11.A.2.2.1
S11.A.2.2.2
S11.A.3.1
S11.A.3.1.1
S11.A.3.1.2
S11.A.3.1.3
S11.A.3.1.4
S11.A.3.2
S11.A.3.2.1
S11.A.3.2.2
S11.A.3.2.3
S11.A.3.3
Key Vocabulary
Environmental
Science
Ecology
Agriculture
Agricultural
revolution
Industrial revolution
Natural resource
Renewable resource
Non-renewable
resource
Depletion
Pollution
Biodegradable
pollutants
Non-degradable
pollutants
Biodiversity
Law of supply and
demand
Developed countries
Developing countries
Ecological footprint
Sustainability
Observation
Hypothesis
Prediction
Experiment
Variable
Environmental Science
S11.A.3.3.1
S11.A.3.3.2
S11.A.3.3.3
S11.D.1.1
S11.D.1.1.3
Experimental group
Control group
Data
Correlation
Statistics
Mean
Distribution
Probability
Sample
Risk
Models
Conceptual model
Geosphere
Crust
Mantle
Core
Lithosphere
Asthenosphere
Tectonic plate
Erosion
Atmosphere
Troposphere
Stratosphere
Ozone
Radiation
Conduction
convection
Greenhouse effect
Water cycle
Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
Salinity
Fresh water
Environmental Science
Biosphere
Unit 2: Ecology
Approximately 8
weeks or 40
class periods
Standard 4.1.10.C
Evaluate the
efficiency of
energy flow
within a food
web.
Describe how
energy is
converted from
one form to
another as it
moves through
a food web
(photosynthetic
, geothermal).
Standard 4.1.10.E
Analyze how
humans
influence the
pattern of
natural changes
(e.g. primary /
secondary
succession and
desertification)
Ecosystem
Biotic factor
Abiotic factor
Organism
Species
Reference:
Population
3.1.10.A,
Community
3.1.B.A
Habitat
Natural selection
S11.B.1.1.1
Evolution
Explain how
Adaptation
structure
determines
Artificial selection
function at
Resistance
multiple levels of
Archaebacteria
organization
Eubacteria
(e.g., chemical,
cellular,
Fungus
anatomical).
Protist
Gymnosperm
S11.B.1.1.2
Angiosperm
Compare and
Invertebrate
contrast the
structural and
Vertebrate
functional
Photosynthesis
similarities and
Producer
differences
Consumer
among living
Decomposer
things (e.g.,
classify
Cellular respiration
organisms into
Food chain
classification
Food web
groups,
S11.B.1.1
Explain structure
and function at
multiple levels of
organization.
Environmental Science
in ecosystems
over time.
compare
systems).
S11.B.1.1.3
Compare and
contrast cellular
processes (e.g.,
photosynthesis
and respiration,
meiosis and
mitosis, protein
synthesis and
DNA
replication).
S11.B.2.1
Explain the
mechanisms of
the theory of
evolution.
Reference:
3.1.10.B,
3.1.10.C,
3.1.B.B,
3.1.B.C, 3.1.C.C
S11.B.2.1.1
Explain the
theory of
evolution by
interpreting data
from fossil
records,
similarities in
anatomy and
physiology, or
DNA studies
that are relevant
Trophic level
Carbon cycle
Nitrogen-fixing
Bacteria
Nitrogen cycle
Phosphorus cycle
Ecological succession
Primary succession
Secondary
succession
Pioneer species
Climax community
Biome
Climate
Latitude
Altitude
Tropical Rain Forest
Emergent Layer
Canopy
Epiphyte
Understory
Temperate Rain
Forest
Temperate
Deciduous Forest
Taiga
Savanna
Temperate Grassland
Chaparral
Desert
Tundra
Permafrost
Wetland
Plankton
Environmental Science
to the theory of
evolution.
S11.B.2.1.2
Explain the role
of mutations,
differential
reproduction,
and gene
recombination in
changing the
genetic makeup
of a population.
S11.B.2.1.3
Explain the role
of selective
breeding and
biotechnology in
changing the
genetic makeup
of a population.
S11.B.2.1.4
Explain why
natural selection
can act only on
inherited traits.
S11.B.3.1 Use
evidence or
examples to
explain the
characteristics
of and
interactions
within an
ecosystem.
Reference:
4.1.10.A,
Nekton
Benthos
Littoral zone
Benthic zone
Eutrophication
Estuary
Salt marsh
Mangrove swamp
Barrier island
Coral reef
Environmental Science
4.1.10.C,
4.2.10.A
S11.B.3.1.1
Explain the
significance of
diversity in
ecosystems.
S11.B.3.1.2
Explain the
biotic (i.e., plant,
animal, and
microbial
communities)
and abiotic (i.e.,
soil, air,
temperature,
and water)
components of
an ecosystem
and their
interaction.
S11.B.3.1.3
Describe how
living organisms
affect the
survival of one
another.
S11.B.3.1.4
Compare the
similarities and
differences in
the major
biomes (e.g.,
desert, tropical
rain forest,
temperate
Environmental Science
forest,
coniferous
forest, tundra)
and the
communities
that inhabit
them.
S11.B.3.1.5
Predict how
limiting factors
(e.g., physical,
biological,
chemical) can
affect
organisms.
Unit 3: Populations
Approximately 6
weeks or 30
class periods
Standard 4.1.10.A
Examine the
effects of
limiting factors
on population
dynamics.
Analyze
possible causes
of population
fluctuations.
Explain the
concept of
carrying
capacity in an
ecosystem.
Describe how
S11.B.3.2
Analyze patterns
of change in
natural or
human-made
systems over
time.
Reference:
4.1.10.B,
4.5.10.D,
4.2.10.C
S11.B.3.2.1 Use
evidence to
explain how
cyclical patterns
in population
Population
Density
Dispersion
Growth rate
Reproductive
potential
Exponential growth
Carrying capacity
Niche
Competition
Predation
Parasitism
Mutualism
Commensalism
Symbiosis
Demography
Environmental Science
organisms
become
classified as
threatened or
endangered.
Describe how
limiting factors
cause
organisms to
become extinct.
Standard 4.1.10.D
Research
practices that
impact
biodiversity in
specific
ecosystems.
Analyze the
relationship
between habitat
changes to plant
and animal
population
fluctuations.
Standard 4.5.10.A
Explain how
public policy
encourages or
discourages the
sustainable use
of natural
resources.
dynamics affect
natural systems.
S11.B.3.2.2
Explain
biological
diversity as an
indicator of a
healthy
environment.
S11.B.3.2.3
Explain how
natural
processes (e.g.,
seasonal
change,
catastrophic
events, habitat
alterations)
impact the
environment
over time
Survivorship
Fertility rate
Migration
Infrastructure
Urbanization
Biodiversity
Gene
Keystone species
Ecotourism
Endangered species
Threatened species
Exotic species
Poaching
Endemic species
Germplasm
Endangered species
act
Habitat conservation
plan
Environmental Science
Research laws
and polices that
address the
sustainable use
of natural
resources (e.g.,
solid and liquid
waste
management,
industry,
agriculture and
enterprise).
Units of Study
Unit 4: Water, Air,
and Land
Anticipated
Number of
Class Periods
Biology
Standard(s)
Addressed
Approximately 8
weeks or 40
class periods
Standard 4.1.10.B
Explain the
consequences
of interrupting
natural cycles.
Standard 4.2.10.A
Examine the
interactions
between abiotic
and biotic
factors within a
watershed.
Describe how
topography
Assessment
Anchors &
Eligible
Content
S11.D.1.3
Explain the
significance and
contribution of
water as a
resource to
living things and
the shaping of
the land.
Reference:
3.1.B.A,
4.2.10.A,
4.2.10.B,
4.2.10.C
S11.D.1.3.1
Explain the
multiple
Key Vocabulary
Surface water
River system
Watershed
Groundwater
Aquifer
Porosity
Permeability
Recharge zone
Potable
Pathogen
Dam
Reservoir
Desalination
Water pollution
Point-source
pollution
Environmental Science
influences the
flow of water in
a watershed.
Describe how
vegetation
affects water
runoff.
functions of
different water
systems in
relation to
landforms (e.g.,
buffer zones,
nurseries, food
production
areas, habitat,
water quality
control,
biological
indicators).
Standard 4.2.10.B
Examine how
human
interactions
impact
wetlands and
their
surrounding
environments.
Describe how
land use
decisions affect
wetlands
Explain
relationships
among physical
characteristics,
vegetation,
Investigate and
analyze the
effects of land
use on the quality
of water in a
S11.D.1.3.2
watershed.
Standard 4.2.10.C
Explain the
relationship
between water
quality and the
topography, and
flow as it relates
to water
systems.
S11.D.1.3.3
Explain factors
(e.g., nutrient
loading,
turbidity, rate of
deposition,
biological
diversity) that
affect water
quality and flow
through a water
system.
Nonpoint-source
pollution
Wastewater
Artificial
eutrophication
Thermal pollution
Biomagnification
Air pollution
Primary pollutant
Secondary pollutant
Smog
Temperature
inversion
Sick-building
syndrome
Asbestos
Decibel
Acid precipitation
pH
Acid shock
Climate
Latitude
El Nino
La Nina
Ozone Layer
Chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs)
Ozone hole
Polar stratospheric
clouds
Greenhouse gases
Global warming
Kyoto protocol
Urban
Environmental Science
diversity of life
in a freshwater
ecosystem.
Explain how
limiting factors
affect the
growth and
reproduction of
freshwater
organisms.
Standard 4.4.10.A
Explain the
relationships
between and
among the
components of
the food and
fiber system.
(i.e., production,
processing,
research and
development,
marketing,
distribution,
and
regulations.)
Materials &
Resources
Standard 4.4.10.B
Analyze the
effects of
S11.D.2.1
Analyze how the
transfer of
energy and
substances
between Earth's
atmosphere and
its surface
influences
regional or
global weather
or climate.
Reference:
3.3.10.A
S11.D.2.1.1
Describe how
changes in
concentration of
minor
components
Rural
Ecosystem services
Urbanization
Infrastructure
Urban sprawl
Heat island
Land-use planning
Geographic
Information system
Overgrazing
Deforestation
Reforestation
Wilderness
Environmental Science
agriculture on a
society’s
economy,
environment,
standard of
living, and
foreign trade.
Eligible
Content:
Standard 4.4.10.D
Evaluate the
use of
technologies to
increase plant
and animal
productivity.
Standard 4.5.10.B
Describe the
impact of
integrated pest
management
practices on the
environment.
Materials &
Resources
Standard 4.5.10.C
Analyze realworld data and
explain how
point and nonpoint source
pollution can be
detected and
eliminated.
• Compare
and contrast
2
2
Environmental Science
the
environmental
effects of
different
industrial
strategies.
Assessments
Standard 4.5.10.D
Evaluate
various
methods of
managing
waste as
related to
economic,
environmental
, and
technological
factors.
Eligible
Content:
dust, pollution)
in Earth's
atmosphere may
be linked to
climate change.
S11.D.2.1.2
Compare the
transmission,
reflection,
absorption, and
radiation
of solar energy
to and by
Earth’s surface
under different
environmental
conditions (e.g.,
major volcanic
eruptions,
greenhouse
effect, reduction
of ozone layer,
increased global
cloud cover).
S11.D.2.1.3
Explain weather
patterns and
seasonal
changes using
the
concepts of heat
and density.
S11.D.2.1.4
Analyze weather
maps and
weather data
Environmental Science
(e.g., air
masses, fronts,
temperature, air
pressure, wind
speed, wind
direction,
precipitation) to
predict regional
or global
weather events.
Unit 5:
Mineral and
Energy
Resources
Approximately 5
weeks or 25
class periods
Standard 4.3.10.A
Evaluate factors
affecting the
use of natural
resources.
• Evaluate
the effect of
consumer
demands on
the use of
natural
resources.
• Analyze
how
technologies
such as
modern
mining,
harvesting,
and
transportation
equipment
S11.B.3.3
Explain how
human-made
systems impact
the
management
and distribution
of natural
resources.
Reference:
4.1.10.E,
4.2.10.B,
4.3.10.A,
4.3.10.B,
4.5.10.B,
4.3.10.D
S11.B.3.3.1
Describe
different humanmade systems
and how they
use
renewable and
nonrenewable
Mineral
Subsurface mining
Surface mining
Smelting
Subsidence
Reclamation
Fossil fuel
Electric generator
Petroleum
Oil reserves
Nuclear energy
Nuclear fusion
Nuclear fission
Renewable energy
Passive solar
Active solar
Biomass
Hydroelectric
Geothermal
Alternative energy
Fuel cell
Energy conservation
Solid waste
Environmental Science
affect the use
of our natural
resources.
• Describe
how local and
state agencies
manage
natural
resources.
Standard 4.3.10.B
Analyze how
humans
manage and
distribute
natural
resources.
Describe the
use of a natural
resource with
an emphasis on
the
environmental
consequences
of extracting,
processing,
transporting,
using, and
disposing of it.
• Analyze
the impact of
technology on
the
management,
natural
resources (i.e.,
energy,
transportation,
distribution,
management,
and processing).
S11.B.3.3.2
Compare the
impact of
management
practices (e.g.,
production,
processing,
research,
development,
marketing,
distribution,
consumption,
by- products) in
meeting the
need for
commodities
locally and
globally.
S11.B.3.3.3
Explain the
environmental
benefits and
risks associated
with humanmade systems
(e.g., integrated
pest
management,
genetically
engineered
Biodegradable
Municipal solid
waste
Landfill
Leachate
Source reduction
Recycling
Compost
Hazardous waste
Deep-well injection
Surface
impoundment
Environmental Science
distribution,
and disposal of
natural
resources.
Standard 4.5.10.E
Describe the
impact of
occupational
exposure to
pollutants.
• Analyze
laws and
regulations
designed to
protect human
health.
• Analyze
efforts to
prevent,
control,
and/or reduce
pollution
through cost
and benefit
analysis and
risk
management.
organisms,
organic food
production).
S11.D.1.2
Analyze how
human-made
systems impact
the
management
and
distribution of
natural
resources.
Reference:
3.3.10.A,
4.3.10.A,
4.3.10.B,
4.3.10.D,
4.4.10.A,
4.4.10.C
S11.D.1.2.1
Evaluate factors
affecting
availability,
location,
extraction, and
use of natural
resources.
S11.D.1.2.2
Explain the
impact of
obtaining and
using natural
Environmental Science
resources for
the
production of
energy and
materials (e.g.,
resource
renewal, amount
of pollution,
deforestation).
Unit 6: Our Health
and Our Future
Approximately 4 Standard weeks or 30
4.5.10.E
class periods
Describe the
impact of
occupational
exposure to
pollutants.
• Analyze
laws and
regulations
designed to
protect human
health.
• Analyze
efforts to
prevent,
control,
and/or reduce
pollution
through cost
and benefit
analysis and
risk
management.
S11.B.2
Continuity of
Life
Toxicology
Dose
Epidemiology
Risk assessment
Particulates
Pathogen
Host
vector
Environmental Science
Standard 4.5.10.F
• Compare
and contrast
scientific
theories.
• Know that
both direct
and indirect
observations
are used by
scientists to
study the
natural world
and universe.
• Identify
questions and
concepts that
guide scientific
investigations.
• Formulate
and revise
explanations
and models
using logic and
evidence.
• Recognize
and analyze
alternative
explanations
and models.
2
2
Environmental Science
dust, pollution)
in Earth's
atmosphere may
be linked to
climate change.
S11.D.2.1.2
Compare the
transmission,
reflection,
absorption, and
radiation
of solar energy
to and by
Earth’s surface
under different
environmental
conditions (e.g.,
major volcanic
eruptions,
greenhouse
effect, reduction
of ozone layer,
increased global
cloud cover).
S11.D.2.1.3
Explain weather
patterns and
seasonal
changes using
the
concepts of heat
and density.
S11.D.2.1.4
Analyze weather
maps and
weather data
Environmental Science
(e.g., air
masses, fronts,
temperature, air
pressure, wind
speed, wind
direction,
precipitation) to
predict regional
or global
weather events.
Units of Study
Anticipated
Number of
Class Periods
Biology
Standard(s)
Addressed
Assessment
Anchors &
Eligible
Content
Key Vocabulary
Environmental Science
Units of Study
Anticipated
Number of
Class Periods
Biology
Standard(s)
Addressed
Assessment
Anchors &
Eligible
Content
Key Vocabulary
Environmental Science
Units of Study
Anticipated
Number of
Class Periods
Biology
Standard(s)
Addressed
Assessment
Anchors &
Eligible
Content
Key Vocabulary