Digital Unit Plan Template

Unit Title: Earth and Human Activity Name: Ross Erickson

Content Area: Earth Science Grade Level: 6th
CA Content Standard(s)/Common Core Standard(s):
Earth and Human Activity
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
K-ESS3- Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living
3. things in the local environment.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of human impact on the land could include
cutting trees to produce paper and using resources to produce bottles. Examples of solutions could include reusing
paper and recycling cans and bottles.]

MS-ESS3–5. Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
[Clarification Statement: Examples of factors include human activities (such as fossil fuel combustion, cement production, and agricultural activity)
and natural processes (such as changes in incoming solar radiation or volcanic activity). Examples of evidence can include tables, graphs, and maps of
global and regional temperatures, atmospheric levels of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, and the rates of human activities. Emphasis is on
the major role that human activities play in causing the rise in global temperatures.]

Big Ideas: How can we minimize human impact on the environment? Why are global temperatures rising over the past century?

Unit Summary:

Students will assess the impact of human activity on the environment throughout this unit. Students will gather data from the last century to investigate the rise
in global climate change. Students will state a claim whether climate change is primarily a natural occurrence or mostly prompted by human’s misuse of natural
resources using evidence. Students will go on to research specific human activities that are the greatest contributors to pollution and explore the causes and
effects. Students will compare alternative energy sources and share their own ideas of how humans can significantly reduce their impact in the immediate future,
with the goal of inspiring awareness and change in human behavior.

Assessment Plan:
Entry-Level: Students will brainstorm as a class Formative: Students will complete four Summative: Students will complete a multimedia
everything they already know about pollution and assignments. Lecture with guided notes, webercise, presentation from a list of topics they can choose
climate change. Students will test their knowledge graphic organizer, and a quiz. and complete a multiple choice final exam.
with Quizlet flashcards.

Lesson 1 (Teacher Lecture)

Student Learning Objective: Acceptable Evidence Lesson Activities:
Outline the ways humans (Assessments) Students will view a teacher lecture about the human impact on the environment. They will learn about
impact the environment Students will view a the different types of pollution and the effects of global warming. They will also begin to learn about
and explain 4 results of teacher lecture alternative solutions. This will be accompanied by guided notes that they will be required to fil out and
human impact on the presentation accompanied answer questions.
environment with guided notes
Lesson 2 (Webercise/ iPad Lesson)
Student Learning Objective: Acceptable Evidence: Lesson Activities:
Explain risk factors and Students will explore Webercise allows students to research different resources to learn and understand what risk factors are
cause/effect of global several engaging websites associated with climate change. Students will improve their knowledge and understanding of global
warming and climate to gather information to warming and climate change by researching the interactive websites provided.
change support their answers
Lesson 3 (Graphic Organizer)
Student Learning Objective: Acceptable Evidence: Lesson Activities:
Explain causes, effects, and Students must fill out a Students will create a cause, effect, and solution graphic organizer that shows their thought process and
strategies/solutions to graphic organizer and back content knowledge. It will consist of bubbles showing cause, effect and solutions of different types of
reduce the environmental their responses with factual pollution and the human activities causing these issues. Students will research solutions worldwide and
impact of humans on the evidence from resources to locally to help improve these issues.
environment. support their answers.

Unit Resources:
Digital Unit Plan: http://rossericksonscience.weebly.com
Quizlet Flashcards: https://quizlet.com/286350308/human-impact-on-earth-flash-cards/
Guided Notes/Webercise/Graphic Organizer:
https://climatekids.nasa.gov/menu/big-questions/
https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/whats-difference-between-global-warming-and-climate-change
https://scied.ucar.edu/longcontent/greenhouse-effect
https://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/science-and-impacts/science/ozone-hole-and-gw-faq.html#.WtzDl2bMxp9
https://www.climate.gov/news-features/featured-images/past-three-decades-warmest-record
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feVlzneZeew
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feVlzneZeew
https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climatechange/climate-change-facts-answers-common-questions_.html
https://climatekids.nasa.gov/trivia/
Useful Websites:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/climate-change/
https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
https://www.energy.gov/science-innovation/energy-sources/fossil
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/habitat/threats/urban
https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/climatechange_.html