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GradeTopic Sub-topicNRLE Curriculum Connections Disciplinary Core Ideas
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5Earth ScienceHydrosphere and AtmosphereGreat Lakes, Lake Erie, rivers/sample site as part of the hydrosphere

Chat About It: Our field study site was part of the hydrosphere. How does our field study site fit into the water cycle?

Resource/Activity: Great Lakes Now: An Exploration of the Great Lakes: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/educational-resources/ 		ESS2.A: Earth Materials and Systems
Earth’s major systems are the geosphere (solid and molten rock, soil, and sediments), the hydrosphere (water and ice), the atmosphere (air), and the biosphere (living things, including humans). These systems interact in multiple ways to affect Earth’s surface materials and processes. The ocean supports a variety of ecosystems and organisms, shapes landforms, and influences climate. Winds and clouds in the atmosphere interact with the landforms to determine patterns of weather. (5-ESS2-1)
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5Earth and Space ScienceEarth's FreshwaterDistribution of freshwater: Great Lakes; freshwater is found in lakes, rivers, wetlands, and the atmosphere- including freshwater sampled during field study;

Resource/Activity: https://www.michiganseagrant.org/lessons/lessons/by-broad-concept/earth-science/water-quantity/

Resource/Activity: Great Lakes Now: An Exploration of the Great Lakes: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/educational-resources/

Reinstein Woods Program: Watershed Works 		ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
 Nearly all of Earth’s available water is in the ocean. Most fresh water is in glaciers or underground; only a tiny fraction is in streams, lakes, wetlands, and the atmosphere. (5ESS2-2)
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5Human Impacts on Earth's SystemsEarth's Natural ResourcesDrinkable water: Compare DITL data or schoolyard runoff data with NYS drinking water and freshwater standards

Chat About It: Do you think you could drink the water at our field study site? How do people use the water at our site? Is it safe to be used in that way? How do we know?

Resource/Activity: NYS Water Quality Standards: https://govt.westlaw.com/nycrr/Browse/Home/NewYork/NewYorkCodesRulesandRegulations?guid=I070d30d0b5a111dda0a4e17826ebc834&originationContext=documenttoc&transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)

Reinstein Woods Program: Watershed Works 		ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth’s resources and environments. (5-ESS3-1)
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5Human Impacts on Earth's SystemsEarth's Energy ResourcesHydroelectric energy: Niagara Falls and hydroelectric power in the NRLE watershed

Chat About It: What are the benefits of using the Niagara River for hydroelectricity? Is there an impact on plants and animals in the river? 		ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
 Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth’s resources and environments. (5-ESS3-1)
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5Human Impacts on Earth's SystemsHuman Activity and Earth's SystemsSources of pollution in the NRLE watershed- relate to water quality testing during field study, sample schoolyard runoff using Watershed STEM kits

Chat About It: How healthy is our watershed? How does our schoolyard runoff affect the health of our watershed? What are some sources of pollution we observed in our schoolyard or at our field study site? What other possible sources of pollution did we identify?

Resource/Activity: Field study data sheets and protocols: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xhC0lu0MZzTtzd64mSxBW1lUZqBBLYN_?usp=sharing		ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth’s resources and environments. (5-ESS3-1)
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5Life ScienceMatter and Energy in EcosystemsChat About It: How is a fish tank a system? How is Lake Erie similar to a fish tank? How is it different? PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life
The energy released [from] food was once energy from the sun that was captured by plants in the chemical process that forms plant matter (from air and water). (5-PS3-1)

LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms
 Food provides animals with the materials they need for body repair and growth and the energy they need to maintain body warmth and for motion. (secondary to 5-PS3-1)
 Plants acquire their material for growth chiefly from air and water. (5-LS1-1)

LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
 Matter cycles between the air and soil and among plants, animals, and microbes as these organisms live and die. Organisms obtain gases, and water, from the environment, and release waste matter (gas,liquid, or solid) back into the environment. (5-LS2-1)
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5Life Science EcosystemsFreshwater ecosystems, invasive species

Resource/Activity: Great Lakes Ecosystems | An Exploration of the Great Lakes: https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/914ff8fc-3b3a-45a5-a837-80eee939c934/great-lakes-ecosystems-the-geography-of-the-great-lakes/#.XVXqY5NKjyg		LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
The food of almost any kind of animal can be traced back to plants. Organisms are related in food webs in which some animals eat plants for food and other animals eat the animals that eat plants. Some organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms (both plants or plants’ parts and animals) and therefore operate as “decomposers.” Decomposition eventually restores (recycles) some materials back to the soil. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their particular needs are met. A healthy ecosystem is one in which multiple species of different types are each able to meet their needs in a relatively stable web of life. Newly introduced species can damage the balance of an ecosystem. (5-LS2-1)

LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
 Matter cycles between the air and soil and among plants, animals, and microbes as these organisms live and die. Organisms obtain gases, and water, from the environment, and release waste matter (gas, liquid, or solid) back into the environment. (5-LS2-1)
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5Life ScienceOrganisms Within EcosystemsResource/Activity: Lake Erie Food Web: https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/pubs/brochures/foodweb/LEfoodweb.pdfLS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms
 Food provides animals with the materials they need for body repair and growth and the energy they need to maintain body warmth and for motion. (secondary to 5-PS3-1)
 Plants acquire their material for growth chiefly from air and water. (5-LS1-1)

LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
 The food of almost any kind of animal can be traced back to plants. Organisms are related in food webs in which some animals eat plants for food and other animals eat the animals that eat plants. Some organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms (both plants or plants’ parts and animals) and therefore operate as “decomposers.” Decomposition eventually restores (recycles) some materials back to the soil. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their particular needs are met. A healthy ecosystem is one in which multiple species of different types are each able to meet their needs in a relatively stable web of life. Newly introduced species can damage the balance of an ecosystem. (5-LS2-1)
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5Life ScienceChange within EcosystemsInvasive species

Watershed Phenomenon: Algal blooms

Resource/Activity: Great Lakes Now: An Exploration of THREATS to the Great Lakes Lesson Plan Collection: Lesson 5 (Lake Invaders), Lesson 6 (The Bloomin' Algae Harming Lake Erie): https://www.greatlakesnow.org/educational-resources/		LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
The food of almost any kind of animal can be traced back to plants. Organisms are related in food webs in which some animals eat plants for food and other animals eat the animals that eat plants. Some organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms (both plants or plants’ parts and animals) and therefore operate as “decomposers.” Decomposition eventually restores (recycles) some materials back to the soil. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their particular needs are met. A healthy ecosystem is one in which multiple species of different types are each able to meet their needs in a relatively stable web of life. Newly introduced species can damage the balance of an ecosystem. (5-LS2-1)

LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
 Matter cycles between the air and soil and among plants, animals, and microbes as these organisms live and die. Organisms obtain gases, and water, from the environment, and release waste matter (gas, liquid, or solid) back into the environment. (5-LS2-1)
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5Life ScienceProtection of Earth's Resources and EnvironmentsGreen infrastructure

Chat About It: What solutions to water pollution do we see in our community?

Resource/Activity: RainCheck Buffalo: https://raincheckbuffalo.org/		ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
Human activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life have had major effects on the land, vegetation, streams, ocean, air, and even outer space. But individuals and communities are doing things to help protect Earth’s resources and environments. (5-ESS3-1)
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6Earth ScienceWeather in the AtmosphereResource/Activity: Great Lakes Regional Meteorology: https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/1284482e-2bfc-4dcb-8b11-38155fd5e4b8/great-lakes-regional-meteorology-the-geography-of-the-great-lakes/#.XVXqZJNKjygESS2.D: Weather and Climate
Weather and climate are influenced by interactions involving sunlight, the ocean, the atmosphere, ice, landforms, and living things. These interactions vary with latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography, all of which can affect oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns. (MS-ESS2-6)
 Because these patterns are so complex, weather can only be predicted probabilistically. (MS-ESS2-5)
 The ocean exerts a major influence on weather and climate by absorbing energy from the sun, releasing it over time, and globally redistributing it through ocean currents. (MS-ESS2-6)


ESS3.D: Global Climate Change
Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities. (MS-ESS3-5)
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6Earth ScienceSevere weather and floods Watershed Phenomenon: Lake Effect Snow

Chat About It: How would lake effect snow affect runoff? What pollutants may be found in snowmelt?

Resource/Activity: https://www.michiganseagrant.org/lessons/lessons/by-broad-concept/earth-science/lake-effect-snow/


Watershed Phenomenon: Seiches

Resource/Activity: https://www.michiganseagrant.org/lessons/lessons/earth-science/surges-and-seiches-2/		ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
Weather and climate are influenced by interactions involving sunlight, the ocean, the atmosphere, ice, landforms, and living things. These interactions vary with latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography, all of which can affect oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns. (MS-ESS2-6)
 Because these patterns are so complex, weather can only be predicted probabilistically. (MS-ESS2-5)
 The ocean exerts a major influence on weather and climate by absorbing energy from the sun, releasing it over time, and globally redistributing it through ocean currents. (MS-ESS2-6)


ESS3.D: Global Climate Change
Human activities, such as the release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels, are major factors in the current rise in Earth’s mean surface temperature (global warming). Reducing the level of climate change and reducing human vulnerability to whatever climate changes do occur depend on the understanding of climate science, engineering capabilities, and other kinds of knowledge, such as understanding of human behavior and on applying that knowledge wisely in decisions and activities. (MS-ESS3-5)

ESS3.B: Natural Hazards
 Mapping the history of natural hazards in a region, combined with an understanding of related geologic forces can help forecast the locations and likelihoods of future events. (MS-ESS3-2)
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6Earth ScienceEarth Systems: HydrosphereNiagara River/Lake Erie Watershed

Chat About It: Our field study site was part of the hydrosphere. How does our field study site fit into the water cycle?

Resource/Activity: Great Lakes Now: An Exploration of the Great Lakes: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/educational-resources/

Reinstein Woods Program: Watershed Works 		ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
Water’s movements—both on the land and underground—cause weathering and erosion, which change the land's surface features and create underground formations. (MS-ESS2-2)
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6Earth ScienceWater ErosionChat About It: How would erosion affect water transparency? Temperature? Dissolved oxygen? (See student predictions page and protocol pages for ideas)

Resource/Activity: Why is Niagara Falls Moving?: https://www.nsta.org/lesson-plan/why-niagara-falls-moving		ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
Water’s movements—both on the land and underground—cause weathering and erosion, which change the land's surface features and create underground formations. (MS-ESS2-2)
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6Earth ScienceGlacial and Wave Erosion Glacial Erosion: Formation of the Great Lakes

Chat About It: What role did glaciers play in the formation of our watershed?

Resource/Activity: An Exploration of the Great Lakes: All About Glaciers: https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/2ee2c7f8-46f4-439e-9c97-6a8b5309f9c2/all-about-glaciers-the-geography-of-the-great-lakes/#.XVXqaJNKjyg		ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth
The geologic time scale interpreted from rock strata provides a way to organize Earth’s history. Analyses of rock strata and the fossil record provide only relative dates, not an absolute scale. (MS-ESS14)
 Tectonic processes continually generate new ocean sea floor at ridges and destroy old sea floor at trenches. (HS.ESS1.C GBE) (secondary to MS-ESS2-3)
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6Life ScienceLiving things in the BiosphereWatershed Phenomenon: Algal blooms

Resource/Activity: The Bloomin’ Algae Harming Lake Erie: https://d2j02ha532z66v.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Lesson-06-Bloomin-Algae.pdf		LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity
 The collection of fossils and their placement in chronological order (e.g., through the location of the sedimentary layers in which they are found or through radioactive dating) is known as the fossil record. It documents the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of many life forms throughout the history of life on Earth. (MS-LS4-1)
 Anatomical similarities and differences between various organisms living today and between them and organisms in the fossil record, enable the reconstruction of evolutionary history and the inference of lines of evolutionary descent. (MS-LS4-2)
 Comparison of the embryological development of different species also reveals similarities that show relationships not evident in the fully-formed anatomy. (MS-LS4-3)


LS4.B: Natural Selection
(NYSED) Natural selection can lead to an increase in the frequency of some traits and the decrease in the frequency of other traits. (MS-LS4-4)


LS4.C: Adaptation
Adaptation by natural selection acting over generations is one important process by which species change over time in response to changes in environmental conditions. Traits that support successful survival and reproduction in the new environment become more common; those that do not become less common. Thus, the distribution of traits in a population changes. (MS-LS4-6)
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7Life ScienceEnergy Flow in EcosystemsResource/Activity: Lake Erie Food Web: https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/pubs/brochures/foodweb/LEfoodweb.pdfPS3.A: Definitions of Energy
 (NYSED) The term “heat” as used in everyday language refers both to thermal energy (the motion of particles within a substance) and the transfer of that thermal energy from one object to another. In science, heat is used only for this second meaning; it refers to the energy transferred due to the temperature difference between two objects. (secondary to MSPS1-4)
 (NYSED) Temperature is not a form of energy. Temperature is a measurement of the average kinetic energy of the particles in a sample ofmatter. (secondary to MS-PS1-4)

LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms
 Plants, algae (including phytoplankton), and many microorganisms use the energy from light to make sugars (food) from carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water through the process of photosynthesis, which also releases oxygen. These sugars can be used immediately or stored for growth or later use. (MS-LS1-6)
 Within individual organisms, food moves through a series of chemical reactions in which it is broken down and rearranged to form new molecules, to support growth, or to release energy. (MS-LS1-7)

LS2.B: Cycle of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
 Food webs are models that demonstrate how matter and energy is transferred between producers, consumers, and decomposers as the three groups interact within an ecosystem. Transfers of matter into and out of the physical environment occur at every level. Decomposers recycle nutrients from dead plant or animal matter back to the soil in terrestrial environments or to the water in aquatic environments. The atoms that make up the organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem. (MS-LS2-3)
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7Life ScienceCycles of MatterChat About It: Our field study site was part of the hydrosphere. How does our field study site fit into the water cycle?

Resource/Activity: Great Lakes Now: An Exploration of the Great Lakes: https://www.greatlakesnow.org/educational-resources/ 		ESS2.A: Earth’s Materials and Systems
All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among the planet’s systems. This energy is derived from the sun and Earth’s hot interior. The energy that flows and matter that cycles produce chemical and physical changes in Earth’s materials and living organisms. (MS-ESS2-1)

ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
 (NYSED) Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere via transpiration, evaporation, condensation, sublimation, deposition, precipitation, infiltration, and runoff. (MS-ESS2-4)
 (NYSED) Global movements of water and its changes in form are driven by sunlight and gravity. (MS-ESS2-4)
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7Life SciencesInteractions in Ecosystems/BiodiversityLake Erie food web; sea lampreys/invasive species

Resource/Activity: Great Lakes Now: An Exploration of THREATS to the Great Lakes Lesson Plan Collection: Lesson 5 (Lake Invaders), Lesson 6 (The Bloomin' Algae Harming Lake Erie): https://www.greatlakesnow.org/educational-resources/		LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors. (MS-LS2-1)
 In any ecosystem, organisms and populations with similar requirements for food, water, oxygen, or other resources may compete with each other for limited resources, access to which consequently constrains their growth and reproduction. (MS-LS21)
 Growth of organisms and population increases are limited by access to resources. (MS-LS2-1)

LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
 Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations. (MS-LS2-4)
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7Life SciencesEcosystem ServicesProtecting freshwater resources: reference water quality study, test schoolyard runoff, local restoration projectsESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
 (NYSED) Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere via transpiration, evaporation, condensation, sublimation, deposition, precipitation, infiltration, and runoff. (MS-ESS2-4)
 (NYSED) Global movements of water and its changes in form are driven by sunlight and gravity. (MS-ESS2-4)

ESS3.A: Natural Resources
Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes. (MS-ESS3-1)
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7Earth ScienceDistribution of Natural Resources Distribution of freshwater: Great Lakes; water use in our watershed

Resource/Activity: https://www.michiganseagrant.org/lessons/lessons/by-broad-concept/earth-science/water-quantity/		ESS3.A: Natural Resources
Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes. (MS-ESS3-1)
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7Earth ScienceHuman Impacts on the EnvironmentProtecting freshwater resources: reference water quality study, test schoolyard runoff, local restoration projects

Chat About It: How healthy is our watershed? How does our schoolyard runoff affect the health of our watershed? What are some sources of pollution we observed in our schoolyard or at our field study site? What other possible sources of pollution did we identify?
Resource/Activity: Field study data sheets and protocols: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xhC0lu0MZzTtzd64mSxBW1lUZqBBLYN_?usp=sharing

Chat About It: What solutions to water pollution do we see in our community?
Resource/Activity: RainCheck Buffalo: https://raincheckbuffalo.org/		LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
 Changes in biodiversity can influence humans’ resources, such as food, energy, and medicines, as well as ecosystem services that humans rely on—for example, water purification and recycling. (secondary to MS-LS2-5)
 (NYSED) Humans impact biodiversity both positively and negatively.
(secondary to MS-LS2-5)

ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions
There are systematic processes for evaluating solutions with respect to how well they meet the criteria and constraints of a problem. (secondary to MS-LS2-5)

ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
 Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things. (MS-ESS3-3)
 Typically as human populations and per-capita consumption of natural resources increase, so do the negative impacts on Earth unless the activities and technologies involved are engineered otherwise. (MSESS3-3),(MS-ESS3-4)
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8Physical ScienceAcids and BasesRelate to water pH during field studyPS1.B: Chemical Reactions
 (NYSED) Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different particles, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants. (MS-PS1-3) (Note: This Disciplinary Core Idea is also addressed by MS-PS1-2 and MS-PS1-5.)
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Earth ScienceScientific MethodMaking observations, inference/predictionsWater quality predictions page prior to field study, visual assessment during field study

Resource/Activity: Field study data sheets and protocols: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xhC0lu0MZzTtzd64mSxBW1lUZqBBLYN_?usp=sharing
PS2.A: Forces and Motion
Newton’s second law accurately predicts changes in the motion of macroscopic objects. (HS-PS2-1)
 Momentum is defined for a particular frame of reference; it is the mass times the velocity of the object. (HS-PS2-2)
 If a system interacts with objects outside itself, the total momentum of the system can change; however, any such change is balanced by changes in the momentum of objects outside the system. (HS-PS2-2),(HS-PS2-3)

PS2.B: Types of Interactions
Newton’s law of universal gravitation and Coulomb’s law provide the mathematical models to describe and predict the effects of gravitational and electrostatic forces between distant objects. (HS-PS2-4)
 Forces at a distance are explained by fields (gravitational, electric, and magnetic) permeating space that can transfer energy through space. Magnets or electric currents cause magnetic fields; electric charges or changing magnetic fields cause electric fields. (HS-PS24),(HS-PS2-5)
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Earth ScienceMeteorology WeatherWatershed Phenomenon: Lake Effect Snow

Chat About It: How would lake effect snow affect runoff? What pollutants may be found in snowmelt?

Resource/Activity: https://www.michiganseagrant.org/lessons/lessons/by-broad-concept/earth-science/lake-effect-snow/		ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
The foundation for Earth’s global climate systems is the electromagnetic radiation from the sun, as well as its reflection, absorption, storage, and redistribution among the atmosphere, ocean, and land systems, and this energy’s re-radiation into space. (HS-ESS2-2)
 Gradual atmospheric changes were due to plants and other organisms that captured carbon dioxide and released oxygen. (HS-ESS2-6),(HS-ESS2-7)
 Changes in the atmosphere due to human activity have increased carbon dioxide concentrations and thus affect climate. (HS-ESS2-6)

ESS3.D: Global Climate Change
Though the magnitudes of human impacts are greater than they have ever been, so too are human abilities to model, predict, and manage current and future impacts. (HS-ESS3-5)
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Earth ScienceWater Cycle and ClimatePermeability and impermeability Relate to runoff and water qualityESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
The abundance of liquid water on Earth’s surface and its unique combination of physical and chemical properties are central to the planet’s dynamics. These properties include water’s exceptional capacity to absorb, store, and release large amounts of energy, transmit sunlight, expand upon freezing, dissolve and transport materials, and lower the viscosities and melting points of rocks. (HS-ESS2-5)

ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
The foundation for Earth’s global climate systems is the electromagnetic radiation from the sun, as well as its reflection, absorption, storage, and redistribution among the atmosphere, ocean, and land systems, and this energy’s re-radiation into space. (HS-ESS2-2)
 Gradual atmospheric changes were due to plants and other organisms that captured carbon dioxide and released oxygen. (HS-ESS2-6),(HS-ESS2-7)
 Changes in the atmosphere due to human activity have increased carbon dioxide concentrations and thus affect climate. (HS-ESS2-6)
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Earth ScienceWeathering, erosion, and depositionErosionGlacial Erosion: Formation of the Great Lakes
Water and Erosion: Relate to turbidity, dissolved oxygen, temperature

Watershed Phenomenon: Niagara Falls is moving
Resource/Activity: Why is Niagara Falls Moving?: https://www.nsta.org/lesson-plan/why-niagara-falls-moving		ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth
Continental rocks, which can be older than 4 billion years, are generally much older than the rocks of the ocean floor, which are less than 200 million years old. (HS-ESS1-5)
 Although active geologic processes, such as plate tectonics and erosion, have destroyed or altered most of the very early rock record on Earth, other objects in the solar system, such as lunar rocks, asteroids, and meteorites, have changed little over billions of years. Studying these objects can provide information about Earth’s formation and early history. (HS-ESS1-6)
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Living EnvironmentIntroduction to BiologyScientific Process Water quality predictions page prior to field study, visual assessment during field study

Resource/Activity: Field study data sheets and protocols: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xhC0lu0MZzTtzd64mSxBW1lUZqBBLYN_?usp=sharing
LS1.A: Structure and Function
Systems of specialized cells within organisms help them perform the essential functions of life. (HS-LS1-1)
 All cells contain genetic information in the form of DNA molecules. Genes are regions in the DNA that contain the instructions that code for the formation of proteins, which carry out most of the work of cells. (HS-LS1-1) (Note: This Disciplinary Core Idea is also addressed by HS-LS3-1.)
 Multicellular organisms have a hierarchical structural organization, in which any one system is made up of numerous parts and is itself a component of the next level. (HS-LS1-2)
 Feedback mechanisms maintain a living system’s internal conditions within certain limits and mediate behaviors, allowing it to remain alive and functional even as external conditions change within some range. Feedback mechanisms can encourage (through positive feedback) or discourage (negative feedback) what is going on inside the living system. (HS-LS1-3)
 (NYSED) Disease is a failure of homeostasis. Organisms have a variety of mechanisms to prevent and combat disease. Technological advances including vaccinations and antibiotics have contributed to the prevention and treatment of disease. (HS-LS1-2),(HS-LS1-3)
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Living EnvironmentEcology Photosynthesis, nutrient cyclingDissolved oxygen, nitrate measurements, Algae/algal blooms

Resource/Activity: Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen: https://www.caryinstitute.org/eco-inquiry/teaching-materials/hudson-river-ecology/ecosystems-action-cycling-matter-energy-5

Resource/Activity: Nitrogen in Ecosystems: https://www.caryinstitute.org/eco-inquiry/teaching-materials/hudson-river-ecology/ecosystems-action-cycling-matter-energy-3

Resource/Activity: Eutrophication Lesson: https://www.caryinstitute.org/eco-inquiry/teaching-materials/hudson-river-ecology/ecosystems-action-cycling-matter-energy-1

Resource: Conservationist Magazine: Harmful Algal Blooms: https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/0818consmag4web.pdf

Resource: How Does Nitrogen Affect Harmful Algal Blooms? https://www.glc.org/wp-content/uploads/HABS-Role-of-Nitrogen-20170912.pdf		LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms
The process of photosynthesis converts light energy to stored chemical energy by converting carbon dioxide plus water into sugars plus released oxygen. (HS-LS1-5)
 As matter and energy flow through different organizational levels of living systems, chemical elements are recombined in different ways to form different products. As a result of these chemical reactions, energy is transferred from one system of interacting molecules to another. (HS-LS1-6),(HS-LS1-7)
 (NYSED) Sugar molecules contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Their hydrocarbon backbones combine with other elements to make amino acids and other carbon-based molecules that can be assembled into larger molecules, such as proteins or DNA. (HS-LS1-6)
 (NYSED) Cellular respiration is a chemical process in which the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are broken and new compounds are formed. In this process ATP is produced, which is used to carry out life processes. (HS-LS1-7)

LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration (including anaerobic processes) provide most of the energy for life processes. (HSLS2-3)
 Plants or algae form the lowest level of the food web. At each link upward in a food web, only a small fraction of the matter consumed at the lower level is transferred upward, to produce growth and release energy in cellular respiration at the higher level. Given this inefficiency, there are generally fewer organisms at higher levels of a food web. The chemical elements that make up the molecules of organisms pass through food webs and into and out of the atmosphere and soil, and they are combined and recombined in different ways. At each link in an ecosystem, matter and energy are conserved. (HS-LS2-4)
 (NYSED) When matter is cycled through organisms and ecosystems, some of the matter reacts to release energy for life functions, some is stored in newly made structures, and some is eliminated as waste. (HS-LS2-4)  (NYSED) Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are important components of the carbon cycle, in which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere through chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes. (HS-LS2-5 PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes
 The main way that solar energy is captured and stored on Earth is through the complex chemical process known as photosynthesis. (secondary to HS-LS2-5)
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Living EnvironmentEcology Water cycleWatersheds
Reinstein Woods Program: Watershed Works 		ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface Processes
The abundance of liquid water on Earth’s surface and its unique combination of physical and chemical properties are central to the planet’s dynamics. These properties include water’s exceptional capacity to absorb, store, and release large amounts of energy, transmit sunlight, expand upon freezing, dissolve and transport materials, and lower the viscosities and melting points of rocks. (HS-ESS2-5)
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Living EnvironmentHuman Impacts on the Environment PollutionHow does water pollution affect the watershed?
Reinstein Woods Program: Watershed Works 		LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
Biodiversity is increased by the formation of new species (speciation) and decreased by the loss of species (extinction). (secondary toHS-LS2-7)
 Humans depend on the living world for the resources and other benefits provided by biodiversity. But human activity is also having adverse impacts on biodiversity through overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change. Thus sustaining biodiversity so that ecosystem functioning and productivity are maintained is essential to supporting and enhancing life on Earth. Sustaining biodiversity also aids humanity by preserving landscapes of recreational or inspirational value. (secondary to HS-LS2-7)

ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
 The sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources. (HS-ESS3-3)
 Scientists and engineers can make major contributions by developing technologies that produce less pollution and waste and that preclude ecosystem degradation. (HS-ESS3-4)

ESS3.D: Global Climate Change
 Through computer simulations and other studies, important discoveries are still being made about how the ocean, the atmosphere, and the biosphere interact and are modified in response to human activities. (HS-ESS3-6)
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Living EnvironmentHuman Impacts on the Environment PollutionBiodiversity and ecosystem restoration Local ecosystem restoration efforts

Resource/Activity: Stormwater Solutions Curriculum: https://fergusonfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Stormwater-Solutions.pdf

Reinstein Woods Program/Marterials: Watershed Game (available to borrow): https://seagrant.umn.edu/watershed-game

Chat About It: What solutions to water pollution do we see in our community?
Resource/Activity: RainCheck Buffalo: https://raincheckbuffalo.org/		LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
A complex set of interactions within an ecosystem can keep its numbers and types of organisms relatively constant over long periods of time under stable conditions. If a modest biological or physical disturbance to an ecosystem occurs, it may return to its more or less original status (i.e., the ecosystem is resilient), as opposed to becoming a very different ecosystem. Extreme fluctuations in conditions or the size of any population, however, can challenge the functioning of ecosystems in terms of resources and habitat availability. (HS-LS2-2),(HS-LS2-6)
 Moreover, anthropogenic changes (induced by human activity) in the environment—including habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, overexploitation, and climate change—can disrupt an ecosystem and threaten the survival of some species. (HS-LS2-7)

LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
 Biodiversity is increased by the formation of new species (speciation) and decreased by the loss of species (extinction). (secondary toHS-LS2-7)
 Humans depend on the living world for the resources and other benefits provided by biodiversity. But human activity is also having adverse impacts on biodiversity through overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change. Thus sustaining biodiversity so that ecosystem functioning and productivity are maintained is essential to supporting and enhancing life on Earth. Sustaining biodiversity also aids humanity by preserving landscapes of recreational or inspirational value. (secondary to HS-LS2-7)
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