Human Impact & The Environment

By: Mrs. Coffman

Essential Question:

How do changes in Earth’s systems impact our communities and what can we do about it?

The Story Of Water

Set up your notebook →

Wonder

Notice

Porterville, CA

Share Your Ideas

Imagine yourself living in one of these communities:

• How might you feel if your town ran out of water? How would it change your daily life?
• How might you feel if your town flooded and you had to leave your home?

Water Across the United States

Each marker on the map corresponds to a place that reported a drought or flood in the last few years.

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Identify the Headlines Activity:

1. Individually read the headlines assigned to your group.�
2. Discuss and group similar headlines together. (It may be helpful to highlight similar words.)�
3. Add a label for the patterns you are seeing and record on a sticky note.

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Identify the Headlines Activity:

Add your patterns you recorded on your sticky notes to the T-Chart here.

Similarities & Differences:

What is similar and different between the drought-related headlines and flood-related headlines?

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How Can We Explain the New Normal?

How can increased temperatures lead to both droughts AND floods?

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What is causing the temperatures to increase?

Warmer temperatures

Floods

Droughts

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Turn & Talk - Answer These Questions

What things (components) might we include to explain how a drought or flood happens?

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Warmer temperatures

Floods

Droughts

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How can water move from place to place? What are some processes we might want to include in our models?

What is causing the temperatures to increase?

Comparing Models

As a Class:

Now let’s develop a whole-group record of what we agree on and what we have competing ideas about.

• What do we all seem to agree on?
• What do we disagree on?
• What are some new ideas that we may want to consider?

Class Model

How can increased temperatures lead to both droughts AND floods?

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What is causing the temperatures to increase?

Warmer temperatures

Floods

Droughts

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Sticky Note Storm

Look Back at:

• Noticings and wonderings from stories and headlines
• Your initial model
• The initial class model

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Warmer temperatures

Floods

Droughts

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• Generate questions about both parts of our model.

Then write one question per sticky note.

Write in marker—big and bold.

Put your initials on the back in pencil.

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Driving Question Protocol

• The 1st student reads their question aloud to the class, and then posts it on the Driving Question Board (DQB).
• Students who are listening should raise their hands if they have a question that relates to the question that was just read aloud.
• The 1st student selects the next student whose hand is raised.
• The 2nd student reads their question, says why or how it relates, and then posts it near the question it most relates to on the DQB.
• The student selects the next student. We will continue until everyone has at least one question on the DQB.

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Driving Question Board (DQB)

Take out your sticky notes with questions. Bring those with you to our Scientists Circle, along with your science notebook.

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Lesson Question:

What would we normally expect for CA & MS and how do we know it’s really changing?

Data & Information We Need

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Data and Information We Need

What kinds of investigations could we do and/or what additional sources of data might we need to figure out the answers to our questions?

• Be prepared to share with the whole class.

Where is Water on Earth?

On Your Own

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Record all the places on Earth that you think FRESHWATER can be found.

• What areas on the ground can you find water?
• What areas in the air can you find water?
• What areas below the ground can you find water?

Where water is found on Earth:

What is Happening in Our Community?

• What is normal for us?
• Who would we know that something is not normal? What would we expect to see?

Data:

Why:

Data We Need and Why

What kind of data would we want to look at and why?

Predictions About the Data

As a Class:

What would you expect to see in the data if these events are normal or not normal for us?

Data:

Why:

Data We Need and Why

Predictions:

About the Data Challenge

As a Class:

In your notebook, identify & define:

• Total Annual Precipitation (all sites)
• Average Annual Temperature
• Palmer Drought Severity Index

About the Data Challenge

When looking at long term data record on each graph:

1. “What I see” statements (WIS):
1. What direction is the data line?
2. Can you see the data going up overal or down overall?
3. Is there a pattern in the data?
2. “What it means” statements (WIM):
• What does the direction of the data line mean?
• Is the variable increasing, decreasing or staying the same?
• What does the pattern mean?

Long-Term Data Temperature

Long-Term Data Precipitation

Long-Term Data PDSI

About the Data Challenge

With a Partner:

In your notebook use your WIS & WIM statements to:

• Generalize across all three data sets
• Is there a pattern or a trend?

• Be prepared to share with the whole class.

Temp

Precipitation

Long-Term Data

PDSI

WIS

WIM

All Three

About the Data Challenge

With Your Group:

In your notebook, write a MINIMUM of 2 WIS & WIM statements about each short-term data set in our county.

• Be prepared to share with the whole class.

Temp

Precipitation

Short-Term Data

PDSI

WIS

WIM

Short-Term Data Temperature

Short-Term Data Precipitation

Short-Term Data PDSI

About the Data Challenge

With a Partner:

In your notebook use your WIS & WIM statements to:

• Generalize across all three data sets
• Is there a pattern or a trend?

• Be prepared to share with the whole class.

Temp

Precipitation

Short-Term Data

PDSI

WIS

WIM

All Three

Progress Tracker

What did we figure out during this investigation & how did it help us understand the problem better?

• Draw a line below your last entry
• What question were we trying to figure out?
• Record your findings and how you learned it.

Question

Progress Tracker

What I figured out

Lesson Question:

Are rising temperatures affecting anything else in Earth’s water system?

Expand Our Case Site

• Access your assigned location.
• Read the paragraph and watch the video about the location.
• Divide the data sets among your group.
• Be prepared to give the class a sneak peek of your location.

Case sites:

• East Porterville, CA
• Vicksburg, MS
• Navajo Nation
• Boston, MA
• Yakima, WA
• Windom, MN

Expand Our Case Site

As A Group:

Complete PART 1 of the challenge. Look at:

• The map
• The video
• The short paragraph
• The graphs provided (4-5)

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Take notes as you learn information about your case study.

• Be prepared to share with the whole class.

Expand Our Case Site

On Your Own:

Complete PART 2 & 3 of the challenge. You will get 10 minutes to:

• Analyze your data using WIS and WIM statements
• Summarize short-term changes & long-term trends by writing captions to your data.

For ONE graph.

As A Group:

To complete PART 3, you will get 10 minutes to share your captions while the rest of the team jots down notes & questions they have.

Expand Our Case Site

As A Group:

You will complete PART 4 by answering the questions in the table provided.

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Prepare to communicate your findings to the class in a 2 MINUTE presentation on your case study.

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Pointers to think about:

• What graphs do we reference?
• What WIS and WIM statements should we use?
• What is the most important data to connect to our claim?

• Be prepared to share with the whole class.

What Do We Notice

• What do we already know about rising temperatures and how they can affect Earth’s water system?

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• How could the same change in temperature cause wet places and dry places? What would we need to do?

Other Water Systems Challenge

Is a small rise in temperature affecting other components of the water system, and if so, how?

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On Your Own:

Read about your component of the water system and fill out the “Obtaining Information” Checklist.

As A Group:

After completing your notes:

• Compare notes with others
• Add new information to your checklist
• Write a summary conclusion about your component.

• Be prepared to share with the whole class.

Snowpack

Glacial and Land Ice

Groundwater

Sea Levels

Steam Flow

Overall Amount

Time of Year

Progress Tracker

What did we figure out during this investigation & how did it help us understand the problem better?

• Draw a line below your last entry
• What question were we trying to figure out?
• Record your findings and how you learned it.

Question

Progress Tracker

What I figured out

Initial Model Update - Cause & Effect

Lets change our initial model to a cause-effect model.

Floods

Droughts

Warmer temperatures

Floods

Droughts

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Lesson Question:

Are there any changes in the air that could be related to rising temperatures?

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Navigate - Partner Talk

• What did we figure out is happening to the temperature?

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• Where in Earth’s Water System Model are the increases in temperature happening

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• What do we already know about what makes up air?

Record your answers in your notebook.

• Prepare to share!

Atmosphere Makeup

• Compare with your initial ideas.

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• What do you notice is similar or different from what you were thinking?

Atmosphere Makeup

• What does the unit “parts per million” mean as a measure of gases in the air?

Gas Concentration Over Time Challenge

Let's put our understanding to the test. Complete a graph analysis with your understanding of ppm.

1. Annotate the graphs with your noticings and wonderings. Share.

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• Calculate the percent change for each gas over time.

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• Draw initial conclusions from the data.

Calculate % Change Example

Nitrogen

Oxygen

Carbon Dioxide

Methane

Change in Gas Concentration

Write one question per sticky note.

Write in marker—big and bold.

Put your initials on the back in pencil.

What new questions can we add to the DQB that this data raises for you?

Lesson Question:

Are the changes in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere part of normal cycles that Earth goes through?

Partner Turn & Talk

• What ideas do you already have about what happens when things warm up?

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• Could any of those ideas be useful for explaining how the atmosphere is warming up and whether the gases have anything to do with that?

• Prepare to share!

Let’s Wiggle - Pt. 1 Model

Set up your notebook →

Atom Name

Model

Model Observation

Interactive Observation

As A Group:

1. Watch for the way the molecule and the atoms in the molecule move.

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2. Record your observations in your notebook under model observation.

Let’s Wiggle - Pt. 2 Interactive

Let’s Wiggle - Pt. 2 Interactive

Atom Name

Model

Model Observation

Interactive Observation

As A Group:

1. Watch for the way the molecule and the atoms in the molecule move in the interactive.

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2. Record your observations in your notebook under interactive observation.

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/molecules-and-light/latest/molecules-and-light_en.html?openSciEd

Let’s Wiggle - Pt. 2 Interactive

Atom Name

Model

Model Observation

Interactive Observation

As A Group:

Use the following questions:

• What do you notice about the movement of the molecules and the atoms in the molecule?
• What happens to the energy next?
• Where does the energy go?

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/molecules-and-light/latest/molecules-and-light_en.html?openSciEd

• Prepare to share!

Gases That Vibrate Partner Challenge

• Take turns reading the paragraphs.
• Pause after each paragraph to summarize the main idea.
• Highlight things you may want to include in your model.
• Go to your Class Updated Model & update it using what you’ve learned from the reading.

• Prepare to share!

Model Update - Cause & Effect

Lets change our model to add what we’ve learned so far.

Floods

Droughts

Are changes in carbon dioxide and methane related to or causing temperatures to increase?

Progress Tracker Update

• You may use words or sketches (or both!) to answer the lesson question.
• Use the model ideas you have written down to model how GHGs warm the atmosphere.
• Then explain how increasing GHGs are making us warmer. You can do this in words, sketches, or you may want to add words to your initial model of how GHGs warm the atmosphere.

Question

Progress Tracker

What I figured out

Are changes in carbon dioxide and methane related to or causing temperatures to increase?

Lesson Question:

What is happening in the world to cause the sharp rise in CO2?

Progress Tracker Update

Summarize what we know about this graph.

Question

Progress Tracker

What I figured out

Are changes in carbon dioxide and methane related to or causing temperatures to increase?

Correlation between CO2 & Population

Zoom In:

• When did the rise start?
• What does the data show after that point?
• What do we know about this time period? What was happening in the world?

Where is the CO2 Coming From?

Let’s watch a visualization of when and where CO₂ started to rise during this time.

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Think about:

• Where is it coming from?
• Why there?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lJ2uZSRfHI

Humans & Fossil Fuels

How long have people been using fossil fuels?

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Why have they been going up so fast since the 1800s and especially since 1950?

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Let’s Write an Equation

If we had to write a formula to say how these things seem to be related, what might we do?

Per-Capita - meaning “per person” describing how much of something a person uses daily or yearly.

Navigate - Turn & Talk

• How is it that this dead plant and animal matter from so long ago can become an energy source for us?

• What is in the fossil fuels that we use for energy?

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• And what is the connection between fossil fuels and CO₂ in the atmosphere?

Graph Analysis Quiz

On Canvas complete the “Graph Analysis Quiz”. You will be referring to 2 different graphs on this quiz.

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Refer to your notes about previous graph analysis activities to better succeed at this quiz.

Fossil Fuels - a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.

Burning Fossil Fuels

(reactants) (products)

Fossil Fuel + Oxygen (O₂) ? ? ?

Question: Is burning fossil fuel causing a rise in CO₂ in our atmosphere?

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Think back to our marshmallow demonstration.

Burning Fossil Fuels - Fuel Card Sort

(reactants) (products)

Fossil Fuel + Oxygen (O₂) CO₂ + H₂O

?????

Examining the Fuel Molecules

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1. How are these molecules similar?
2. How are they different?

Fuel Card Sort

Similarities

Differences

Progress Tracker Update

• You may use words or sketches (or both!) to answer the lesson question.
• What is happening in the world to cause a sharp rise in CO2

Question

Progress Tracker

What I figured out

Driving Question Board (DQB)

Work with your group to ask new questions about fossil fuels.

How do fossil fuels…

Why… Where…

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Write one question per sticky note.

Write in marker--big and bold.

Put your initials on the back in pencil.

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The Three Fuels Reading

On Your Own:

Read about a fossil fuel. Annotate the reading using the strategies we discussed.

With Your Group:

• Share what you read about with your group.
• Compare what you figured out across the different fuels.
• Review the questions we’re trying to answer. What new information helps us answer those questions?

Oil Production

Highlights:

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Natural Gas Production

Highlights:

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Coal Production

Highlights:

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Fossil Fuel Illustrations

As we examine the illustrations:

• What might we look for or pay attention to in order to answer our questions?
• How do we want to annotate them using strategies we’ve used in the past?
• What things did we notice to help us answer our questions?

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Other Earth Resources

With Your Partner:

Answer the following questions:

1. What other Earth resources do we depend on?
2. Are they located in some places and not others? Why do we think that?
3. Which of these new resources do we think are renewable or nonrenewable, and why?
4. How could we go about investigating these other resources?
5. What information or data would we need?

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Lesson Question:

What do we know about CO2 (carbon dioxide)?

With Your Partner:

Answer the following questions:

1. What things do you know about that give off CO2?
2. What things do you know about that take in CO2?

Carbon System Model

System models show important system parts and how the parts interact.

Examine the carbon system model. Think about:

• What parts of this model seem familiar to us?
• Where do you notice different molecules that have carbon in them?
• Where do you see carbon moving between places?
• What parts of this model are new or different from what we’ve talked about?

• Click the picture for a digital link.

Carbon System Model

Modify the System

• Pick a new color to represent “changes humans make for energy needs.” Color the key.

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• Change the model to show
• new parts if you want to add any
• processes that humans do that move carbon into or out of the atmosphere
• processes that humans do that move carbon from underground.

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Noticings: Rates of Carbon Movement

Below are estimates of how many gigatons (1 billion tons) of CO₂ are given off or taken in each year.

Class Discussion

• What do you notice about the rates of the natural processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration?

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• What do you notice about the rates of processes putting CO₂ into the atmosphere compared to the process taking CO₂ out of the atmosphere?

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• What is the difference between CO₂ going into and out of the atmosphere?

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Note Summary

Look at the rates on our carbon system model.

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Using these numbers, explain what is causing a buildup of CO₂ in the atmosphere.

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Include the rates in your response to help you make comparisons

Lesson Question:

How are changes to Earth’s carbon system impacting Earth’s water system?

Update Models

• Complete your diagram boxes with your group. Start with the “fossil fuel use” box and work your way over to the “increases in temperatures” box. Explain how each box is connected in your groups.
• Discuss how each box is supported by a model idea(s).

Fossil Fuel Use

Air temps are rising

• Prepare to share & update with class

CO2 Emissions Today

• What do you notice about the range—highs and lows?
• What do you notice about the overall trends?
• How does the most recent average compare to our class average?

Impact of Solutions on Earth’s Systems

Where are on our Earth’s Systems Model would we see the impact of or our solutions?

Companies Making a Difference

With Your Partner:

Are there any companies that you know of that try to make a difference in Climate Change?

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What do you think those companies are doing to achieve that goal?

Companies Making a Difference

On Your Own:

Pick a company that you are interested in listed OR one that you know of.

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Write some options on how you will present the information required for the project in a “Think Outside the Box” way.

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Begin your outreach efforts!

• Prepare to share your projects!

Evaluate our DQB

On Your Own:

Compare your notes about which questions you think we’ve answered on our DQB.

Symbols:

• We did not answer this question or any parts of it yet: O or ?
• Our class answered some parts of this question, or I think I could answer some parts of this question: ✓
• Our class answered this question, or using the ideas we have developed, I could now answer this question: ✓✓

Pick three questions and write an answer to them.

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FINAL Progress Tracker Update

Write the big question we’ve been working on in the left column:

• How do changes in Earth’s system impact our communities and what can we do about it?

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• What have you figured out about this question?

Question

Progress Tracker

What I figured out

Tweet Blizzard

On a piece of scrap paper, write a tweet with your own hashtags. The tweet may share:

• a big idea you learned in this unit or school year that will always be with you,
• a challenge you faced in this unit or school year that you overcame, or
• a rewarding thing about this unit or school year that you want to share.

2. Crumple up the paper into a “snowball.”

3. When everyone is ready, toss the snowball in the air.

4. Pick up a new snowball and be prepared to share.

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