Michigan Technological University – GK12 Global Watershed
Earth System Science (ESS) Analysis Lesson 4.1
Earth System Science
(ESS) Analysis:
Investigating Events as
‘Human Impacts’
Subject/ target grade: Earth Science (8th Grade)
Duration: 1-2 class periods
Setting: Classroom
Materials and Equipment Needed:
Per class
Multiple colored chalk or dry-erase markers
Per student
Earth Systems Science Lesson 4 handouts
Markers or colored pencils
White or colored paper 8 x 11.5
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1) Define ‘human impacts’ as interactions with,
connections to, and changes on Earth systems.
2) Identify ‘human impacts’ as among all Earth
systems and identify specific ‘human impacts’
among all Earth systems.
3) Create an ESS concept map that analyzes one
‘human impact’ as an ‘event’.
4) Identify and label all 10 interactions as cause-andeffect connections by using the guiding questions
and keywords to generate detailed and thorough
descriptions (from Lesson 3) using complete
sentences on the concept map.
5) Distinguish and label ‘cause’ and ‘effect’ on
specific interactions on the concept map.
6) Illustrate their human impacts as cause-and-effect.
connection understandings through 2 image
drawings and label each as natural or humancaused, subtle or sudden, short- or long-term, and
positive or negative.
Michigan Content Expectations:
E2.1B Analyze the interactions between the major
systems (geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere)
that make up the Earth.
E2.1C Explain, using specific examples, how a change in
one system affects other Earth systems.
E2.4B Explain how the impact of human activities on the
environment can be understood through the analysis of
interactions between the four Earth systems.
Lesson Overview
In this lesson, students will explore where
humans fit into Earth systems and where
humans are in Earth System Science (ESS)
analysis. Students will explore ‘human impacts’
as ‘events’ and ‘human impacts’ as interactions
with, connections to, and changes to Earth
systems. Using their prior knowledge of
‘human impacts’ and ESS analysis, students will
engage in an activity that identifies multiple
‘human impacts’, Earth system features, and the
consequences of and solutions to human
impacts. This lesson will use the complete ESS
model investigating events as ‘Human Impacts’
in the following three ways: 1) by focusing on
‘human impacts’ as changes to Earth systems; 2)
by using the guiding questions and keywords to
generate 10 cause-and-effect descriptions; and
3) by distinguishing between ‘cause’ or ‘effect’
connections and identifying them as natural or
human-caused, subtle or sudden, short- or longterm, and positive or negative. They will then
complete an ESS ‘human impacts’ concept map
that will illustrate their accomplishment of the
Learning Objectives.
Lesson Core
The Guiding Question:
Where are humans in Earth System Science
(ESS)?
Background Information for Teachers:
Important Terms:
• Earth System Science (ESS) analysis and
model
• Events
• Human Impacts
Michigan Technological University – GK12 Global Watershed
Expected Prior Knowledge for Students:
E2.1A Explain why the Earth is essentially a
closed system in terms of matter.
E2.1 Earth Systems Overview
The Earth is a system consisting of four major
interacting components: geosphere (crust,
mantle, and core), atmosphere (air), hydrosphere
(water), and biosphere (the living part of Earth).
Physical, chemical, and biological processes act
within and among the four components on a
wide range of time scales to continuously
change Earth’s crust, oceans, atmosphere, and
living organisms. Earth elements move within
and between the lithosphere, atmosphere,
hydrosphere, and biosphere as part of
geochemical cycles
Procedures:
1. Set the stage – Engage students in a
geologic time exercise that shows how little
time ‘Human Impacts’ have been possible
but how significant ‘Human Impacts’ have
been on Earth systems
2. Explore ‘Human Impacts’ – Using student
prior knowledge, the teacher will explore
what students know about multiple ‘Human
Impacts’ in the context of impacts, Earth
systems, and cause-and-effect (as
consequences & solutions)
3. Reveal Earth system connections within
‘Human Impacts’ – Using their completed
Human Impacts Activity Handout, students
will show multiple connections between
‘Human Impacts’ and Earth systems,
identify ‘Events’, and distinguish CAUSEand-EFFECT
4. Apply ‘Human Impacts’ and Earth
System Science (ESS) understandings –
Students will complete an ESS analysis
model using an ‘Event’ from the Human
Impacts Activity Handout
Engage:
The teacher will begin by having a timeline
drawn across the chalk/white board (as long as
the whiteboard length allows) in front of the
classroom that represents geologic time scale of
the Earth (4.57 billion years); include labeled
tics for each of following times from right to
Earth System Science (ESS) Analysis Lesson 4.2
left: 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5. (Do not
write 4.57 billion years.) It should look
something like this:
/___/___/___/___/___/___/___/___/___/
4.5 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0
Ask students:
What has been drawn?
Does it remind them of anything?
Soon after, what do you think this line
measures?
The teacher will tell students that the line
represents ‘geologic time of the Earth’
(according to theory!), write on whiteboard
“4.57 billion years”, and explain that each tic
represents ‘billions of years ago’.
Ask students: Ask for 3-4 student volunteers to
come write a tic (all in different colors) that
represents when humans arrived on the timeline
(arrived on Earth). Keep their marks up on the
timeline during the following exercise.
The teacher begins on the left side of the
timeline to mark specific events on the timeline.
Ask students what they think the tic represents
before you label each tic with the following
events (add additional events if desired):
/ 4.4 Ga: Moon forms
/ 3.9 Ga: Oceans begin to form
/ 4.0 Ga: Continents begin to form (Ask students
where one of the oldest chunks of
continental crust is – Canada’s
greenstone belt.)
/ 3.6 Ga : First microscopic life
/ 3.5 Ga: Photosynthesis begins
/ 2.3 Ga: Atmosphere becomes oxygen rich
/ 2.2 Ga: Ozone has formed in stratosphere (Ask
students the importance of the ozone
layer – UV protection for Earth’s
surface.)
/ 450 Ma: First land plants
/ 230-65 Ma: Dinosaurs live
/ 30 Ma: Himalayas formation begins
/ 2 Ma: First humans
Michigan Technological University – GK12 Global Watershed
Ga = gigaannum, a unit of time equal to 109
years; Billions of years ago. Ma = Millions of
years ago.
Explain to the students that the following
activity will be based on the final tic: Human
Impacts. We will conduct an investigation on
what they know about ‘Human Impacts’ and
then, create a concept map about the interactions
that human impacts have on Earth systems.
Building on prior knowledge:
The teacher will draw the shapes and headers
across the chalk/white board from the Human
Impacts Activity Handout and then, pass out the
Student Copy to students.
The teacher will ask students to fill in the names
of the four Earth systems and leave space
between the labels (as shown in Teacher Copy).
The teacher will also write the names of the four
Earth systems on the chalk/white board.
Ask students to write in each Earth system’s
primary characteristic beside each system
(gaseous, living, liquid, and solid) and ask
students to write at least one example beside
each system (examples: air, animal, river, and
rock).
The teacher will ask students:
Where are humans in these Earth
systems? Where would you draw an
image of a human on an ESS concept
map? Why there?
What is a ‘Human Impact’?
Can you give me an example of a
‘Human Impact’?
Which systems do humans impact?
Was that Human Impact positive or
negative?
In what way did that human impact
change the system?
Ask students to explain their reasoning. Tell
students that a ‘Human Impact’ is an interaction,
a connection, and/or a change to one or more
Earth systems.
Earth System Science (ESS) Analysis Lesson 4.3
Pre-teaching:
The teacher will explain that over the course of
the last 2 million years, humans have impacted,
interacted with, connected to, and changed all
the Earth systems in several ways, some of
which students have already named.
The teacher will explain each category’s
meaning. Further explanation will be included
during the activity.
Human impacts must be an ‘action’.
What specific actions have an impact on
(change) the Earth?
Earth systems, their characteristics, and
examples are listed but we will add more
examples during the activity.
Human-Earth consequences are the
result of the impact/action.
And Solutions include who, what, how
humans do to address the consequences.
Explore:
In this exploration activity, the teacher and
students will use their ‘Human Impacts Activity
Handout’ to document the ‘Human Impact’
discussion.
Begin collection and documentation from left to
right. Complete each category before moving
onto the next. As students raise their hands to
participate, the teacher will write some and ask
participating students to write some of their
contributions up on the chalk/white board.
(There are multiple contributions and
opportunities for participation that the teacher
can share the responsibility for documenting on
the chalk/white board.) All students will write
all contributions on their Activity Handout.
The teacher can use some of the following
questions to generate student participation. As
the activity gets going, less and less questions
are required. Feel free to provide students with
an example or two from the Teacher Copy to get
the discussion going.
‘Human Impacts’: Remind students that this
category requires specific ‘action’.
Michigan Technological University – GK12 Global Watershed
What types of human activities have had
an impact on Earth?
Think about what the Earth may have
been like before humans. In what ways
has specific landscapes changed? How?
Be sure to include infrastructure on land,
water, and below land. What do people
build to control water? What do people
put below the land?
Be sure to inquire about the additional
form of agriculture besides just plants.
Why else do we need agriculture? What
do we get from agriculture besides just
fruits and vegetables? (meat, milk, etc.)
What resource does agriculture require
the most? Where is all the water coming
from?
Inquire about energy uses. You may
want to begin with the home. How is
your home warmed?
How many of you have a once a week
chore that requires you to take something
to the curb?
Have you ever read the label on
dishsoap? What does it say and why?
How many people live on Earth? In
comparison to the past? How can this be
an impact?
The teacher will recognize which
‘Impacts’ may not have local concern
and be able to strengthen that knowledge
at a later time. For example, students
(from 3 class periods) in the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan on Lake Superior
did not identify ‘overuse of water’
without sufficient prompts.
‘Earth systems’: Ask students to provide
additional examples that are included in each
Earth system. Make sure students name
“humans” or “people” in the biosphere.
‘Consequences’: Using specific examples under
‘Human Impacts’, ask students:
How did “example” change Earth or a
specific Earth system or example? (How
did waste change rivers?)
If any local issues are presently in the
news or if the region is known for a
Earth System Science (ESS) Analysis Lesson 4.4
specific consequence(s), inquire about
these issues in ways that use the local
places/issue/ or reasons.
‘Solutions’: Tell students that you, the teacher,
see “Education” as a solution to many of the
consequences listed. Write “Education” under
‘Solutions’. Using specific examples under
‘Human Impacts’ or ‘Consequences’, ask
students:
Who is responsible for solving these
problems?
What do they do?
How do they do it?
Have you heard of any local issues or
projects?
What do they tell you to do on Earth
Day?
What do you do to be a part of the
solution?
Explain:
The teacher will show an example of ESS
‘analysis’ by choosing one impact and label it as
an ‘Event’. Then draw arrows to the earth
system(s) it affects, draw arrows to the
consequences, and follow again, to draw arrows
to solutions. Instruct students to do their own
ESS analysis by identifying impacts as ‘Events’
on their Activity Handout and draw arrows
between the Events, systems, consequences, and
solutions; remind them that all we have
documented must be connected to another. The
teacher will walk around the classroom and
encourage student work.
During ESS analysis, all Activity Handouts
should be a mass of arrows between all activity
documented from student participation. With
individual students, follow a few arrows through
and ask questions based on any missed
connections you think need to be added. Or ask
students to show and explain to you how one
impact is connected through to solutions.
Elaboration:
The teacher will show an example of labeling
‘cause’ and ‘effect’. Using the ‘event’ example
above, the teacher will circle and label a few
Michigan Technological University – GK12 Global Watershed
items connected through arrows as ‘cause’ or
‘effect’. Instruct students to identify two causes
and two effects in their activity handout, circle,
and label each. Ask a few students to share their
cause and effect labels and explanations. Use
the following questions to help guide students to
identify cause-and-effect:
1. How may each of the earth's four spheres
(hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, and
biosphere) have caused the event to occur?
(The answers to this question are the system
event impacts.)
2. What are the effects of the event on each of
the earth's four spheres (hydrosphere,
atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere)? (The
answers to this question are the event
system impacts.)
Evaluate: Apply ‘Earth System Science’ (ESS)
cause-and-effect understandings
OPTION 1: (As a one-day in class and
homework assignment) Using ‘Lesson 4
Evaluation Handout’ (titled: Earth System
Science Human Impacts Concept Map), students
(individually or in pairs) will be evaluated on
their creation of an ESS model concept map
applying ‘Human Impacts’ as ‘Events’ and
Earth systems and cause-and-effect
relationships. ESS concept maps will illustrate
their understanding of Human Impacts and
cause-and-effect connections by bringing all 10
interactions together in the ESS model; using
the guiding questions and keywords to generate
cause-and-effect descriptions & images; and by
distinguishing between ‘cause’ or ‘effect’
connections.
OPTION 2: (As a two-day in class and
homework assignment) Using ‘Lesson 4 Test
Evaluation Handout’ (titled: Earth System
Science Event analysis), students (individually
or in pairs) will be evaluated on researching
their event, their creation of an ESS model
applying all ESS Unit concepts, and their
understanding through writing an essay. ESS
event research, model creation, and essay
writing will illustrate a holistic understanding of
Earth System Science (ESS) Analysis Lesson 4.5
Earth System Science as it applies to a real
world example of a Human Impact based on
student interest. There is a larger focus on
students being able to show what they know and
understand through creative modeling and
creative writing in this option.
The teacher will go through the directions as
outlined in the handout and provide one
example of each step up on the chalk/white
board (or an overhead slide of the handout).
Ask for questions before students work together
on their own in pairs.
Lesson Closure:
The teacher will propose the following question
(from the Handout 4) and facilitate discussion:
Where are humans in Earth System
Science (ESS) analysis? Why is it
important to describe human impacts
through the interactions of the four Earth
systems?
Anticipated student misconceptions,
problems & challenges:
See “Anticipated student
misconceptions, problems & challenges”
in Lessons 1 through 3. These will be
ongoing.
A major factor that we did not anticipate
was the (lack of) student effort given to
the writing portion of each evaluation
handout. Each lesson has been edited to
reflect an equal focus to writing about
what they know as the focus on visually
modeling what they know. This was
accomplished through gradual higher
point values as well as more thoughtful,
detailed, and specific expectations from
each writing portion (English writing
expectations such as “in paragraph form”
and Science content such as “provide 2
or more examples…”).