Academic Standards for Environment and Ecology
4.1. Watersheds and Wetlands
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4.1.4. Grade 4 |
4.1.7. Grade 7 |
4.1.10. Grade 10 |
4.1.12. Grade 12 |
Pennsylvania’s public schools shall teach, challenge and support every student to realize his or her maximum potential and to acquire the and skills needed to…
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A. Identify various types of water
environments. · Identify the lotic system
(e.g., creeks, rivers, streams) · Identify the lentic system (e.g.,
ponds, lakes, swamps) B. Explain the difference between moving and
still water · Explain why water moves or
does not move · Identify types of
precipitation C. Identify living things found in water
environments. · Identify fish, insects and
amphibians that are found in fresh water · Identify plants found in
fresh water D. Identify a wetland and the plants and
animals found there. · Identify different kinds of
wetlands · Identify plants and animals
found in wetlands · Explain wetlands as
habitats for plants and animals E. Recognize the impact of watersheds and
wetlands on animals and plants. · Explain the role of
watersheds in everyday life · Identify the role of
watersheds and wetlands for plants and animals |
A. Explain the role of the water cycle within
a watershed · Explain the water cycle · Explain the water cycle as
it relates to a watershed B. Understand the role of the watershed. · Identify and explain what
determines the boundaries of a watershed · Explain how water enters a
watershed · Explain factors that affect
water quality and flow though a watershed C. Explain the effects of water on the life
of organisms in a watershed. · Explain how water is
necessary for all life · Explain how the physical components
of aquatic systems influence the organisms that live there in terms of size,
shape and physical adaptations · Describe the life cycle of
organisms that depend on water · Identify organisms that
have aquatic stages of life and describe those stages D. Explain and describe characteristics of a
wetland. · Identify specific
characteristics of wetland plants and soils · Recognize the common types
of plants and animals · Describe different types of
wetlands · Describe the different
functions of a wetland E. Describe the impact of watersheds and
wetlands on people. · Explain the impact of
watersheds and wetlands in flood control, wildlife habitats and pollution
abatement · Explain the influence of
flooding on wetlands |
A. Describe changes that occur from a
stream’s origin to its final outflow. · Identify Pennsylvania’s
major watersheds and their related river systems · Describe changes by tracing
a specific river’s origin back to its headwaters including its major
tributaries B. Explain the relationship among landforms,
vegetation and the amount and speed of water. · Analyze a stream’s physical
characteristics · Describe how topography
influences streams · Explain the influence of
mountains on precipitation · Explain how vegetation
affects storm water runoff · Delineate the boundaries of
a watershed · Describe factors that
affect the quality of groundwater · Explain how the speed of
water and vegetation cover relates to erosion C. Describe the physical characteristics of a
stream and determine the types of organisms found in aquatic environments. · Describe and explain the
physical factors that affect a stream and the organisms living there · Identify terrestrial and
aquatic organisms that live in a watershed · Categorize aquatic
organisms found in a watershed continuum from headwater to mouth (e.g.,
shredder, predator, decomposer) · Identify the types of
organisms that would live in a stream based on the stream’s physical
characteristics · Explain the habitat needs
of specific aquatic organisms D. Describe the multiple functions of
wetlands. · Describe wetlands in terms
of their effects (e.g., habitat, flood, buffer zones, prevention areas,
nurseries, food production areas) · Explain how a wetland
influences water quality, wildlife and water retention · Analyze wetlands through their
indicators (e.g., soils, plants, hydrology) E. Identify and describe natural and human
events on watersheds and wetlands. · Describe how natural events
affect a watershed (e.g., drought, floods) · Identify the effects of humans
and human events on watersheds |
A. Categorize stream order in a watershed. · Explain the concept of
stream order · Identify the order of
watercourses within a major river’s watershed B. Explain the relationships that exist
within watersheds in the United States. · Understand that various
ecosystems may be contained in a watershed · Examine and describe the
ecosystems contained within a specific watershed · Identify and describe the
major watersheds in the United States C. Analyze the parameters of a watershed. · Interpret physical,
chemical and biological data as a means of assessing the environment quality
of a watershed · Apply appropriate
techniques in the analysis of a watershed (e.g., water quality, biological
diversity, erosion, sedimentation) D. Analyze the complex and diverse ecosystems
of wetlands · Explain the functions of
habitat, nutrient production, migration stopover and groundwater recharge as
it relates to wetlands · Explain the dynamics of a wetland
ecosystem · Describe and analyze
different types of wetlands E. Evaluate the trade-offs, costs and
benefits of conserving watersheds, and wetlands. · Evaluate the effects of
natural events on watershed and wetlands · Evaluate the effects of
human activities on watersheds and wetlands |
Proposed Academic Standards for Environment and Ecology
4.2. Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
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4.2.4. Grade 4 |
4.2.7. Grade 7 |
4.2.10. Grade 10 |
4.2.12. Grade 12 |
Pennsylvania’s public schools shall teach, challenge and support every student to realize his or her maximum potential and to acquire the and skills needed to…
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A. Identify needs of people. · Identify plants, animals,
water, air, minerals and fossil fuels as natural resources · Explain air, water and
nutrient cycles · Identify how the
environment provides for the needs of people B. Identify products derived from natural
resources. · Name products made from
trees · Identify by-products of
plants and animals · Identify the sources of
manmade products (e.g., plastics, metal, aluminum, fabrics, paper, cardboard) C. Know that some natural resources have
limited life spans. · Identify renewable and nonrenewable
resources used in the local community · Identify various means of
conserving natural resources · Know that natural resources
have varying life spans D. Identify by-products and their use of
natural resources. · Understand the waste stream · Identify those items that
can be recycled and those that cannot · Identify use of reusable
products · Identify the use of
compost, landfills and incinerators |
A. Know that raw materials come from natural
resources. · Identify resources used to provide
humans with energy, food, housing and water · Explain how plants and
animals may be classified as natural resources · Compare means of growing or
acquiring food · Identify fiber and other
raw materials used in clothing and shelter production · Identify types of minerals
and fossil fuels used by humans B. Examine the renewability of the resources. · Identify renewable
resources and describe their uses · Identify nonrenewable
resources and describe their uses · Compare finished products
to their original raw material · Identify the waste derived
from the use of renewable and nonrenewable resources · Determine how consumption
may impact the availability of resources · Compare the time spans of
renewability for fossil fuels and alternative fuels C. Explain natural resource distribution. · Distinguish between readily
available and less accessible resources · Identify the locations of
different concentrations of fossil fuels and mineral resources · Analyze the effects of management
practices on air, land and water in forestry, agriculture, fisheries,
wildlife, mining and food and fiber production that is unique to different
climates D. Describe the role of recycling and waste
management. · Identify materials that can
be recycled in the community · Explain the process of
closing the loop in recycling · Compare the decomposition
rates of different organic materials · Describe methods that could
be used to reuse materials for new products · Evaluate the costs and
benefits of disposable products |
A. Explain that renewable and nonrenewable
resources supply energy and materials. · Identify alternative
sources of energy · Identify and compare fuels
used in industrial and agricultural societies · Compare and contrast the cycles
of various natural resources · Explain food and fiber as
renewable resources B. Evaluate factors affecting availability of
natural resources. · Describe natural
occurrences that may affect the natural resources · Analyze technologies that
affect the use of our natural resources · Evaluate the effect of
consumer desires on various natural resources C. Analyze how man-made systems have impacted
the management and distribution of natural resources. · Explain the complete cycle
of a natural resource, from extraction to disposal, detailing its uses and
effects on the environment · Analyze energy uses and
energy conservation in different regions · Examine conservation
practices in different countries · Analyze the costs and benefits
of different man-made systems and how they use renewable and nonrenewable
natural resources · Analyze the impact of
information systems on management and distribution of natural resources D. Explain different management alternatives
involved in recycling and solid waste management. · Analyze the manufacturing
process (before, during and after) with consideration for resource recovery · Compare various methods
dealing with solid waste (e.g., incineration, compost, land application) · Differentiate between
pre/post-consumer and raw materials · Illustrate how one natural
resource can be managed through reduction, recycling, reuse or use |
A. Analyze the use of renewable and
nonrenewable resources. · Explain the effects on the
environment and sustainability through the use of nonrenewable resources · Evaluate the advantages and
disadvantages of reusing our natural resources B. Analyze factors affecting the availability
of renewable and nonrenewable resources. · Evaluate the use of natural
resources and offer approaches for using them while diminishing waste · Compare the economics of
different areas based on the availability and accessibility of the natural
resources C. Analyze factors that influence the
availability of natural resources. · Compare the use of natural
resources in different countries · Determine how delivery
systems influence the availability of resources at the local, regional and
national level. D. Evaluate solid waste management practices. · Examine and explain the
path of a recyclable material from collection to waste, reuse or recycling
identifying the market forces · Understand current
regulations concerning recycling and solid waste · Research new technologies
in the use, reuse or recycling of materials |
Proposed Academic Standards for Environment and Ecology
4.3. Environmental Health
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4.3.4. Grade 4 |
4.3.7. Grade 7 |
4.3.10. Grade 10 |
4.3.12. Grade 12 |
Pennsylvania’s public schools shall teach, challenge and support every student to realize his or her maximum potential and to acquire the and skills needed to…
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A. Know that plants, animals and humans are
dependent on air and water. · Know that all living things
need air and water to survive · Describe potentially
dangerous pest controls used in the home · Identify things that cause
sickness when put into the air, water or soil · Identify different areas
where health can be affected by air, water or land pollution · Identify actions that can
prevent or reduce waste pollution B. Identify how human actions affect
environmental health. · Identify pollutants · Identify sources of
pollution · Identify litter and its
effect on the environment · Describe how people can
reduce pollution C. Understand that the elements of natural
systems are interdependent. · Identify some of the
organisms that live together in an ecosystem · Understand that the
components of a system all play a part in a healthy natural system. · Identify the effects of a
healthy environment on the ecosystem. |
A. Identify environmental health issues. · Identify various examples
of long-term pollution and explain their effects on environmental health · Identify diseases that have
been associated with poor environmental quality · Describe different types of
pest controls and their effects on the environment · Identify alternative
products that can be used in life to reduce pollution B. Describe how human actions affect the
health of the environment. · Identify land use practices
and their relation to environmental health · Explain how natural
disasters affect environmental health · Identify residential and
industrial sources of pollution and their effects on environmental health · Explain the difference
between point and nonpoint source pollution · Explain how nonpoint source
pollution can affect the water supply and air quality · |