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Grade 4 - 4-ESS3 Earth and Human Activity

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Grade 4 - 4-ESS3 Earth and Human Activity

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Disciplinary Core Ideas

ESS3.A: Natural Resources
• Energy and fuels that humans use are derived from natural sources, and their use affects the environment in multiple ways. Some resources are renewable over time, and others are not. (4-ESS3-1)

ESS3.B: Natural Hazards
• A variety of hazards result from natural processes (e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions). Humans cannot eliminate the hazards but can take steps to reduce their impacts. (4-ESS3-2) (Note: This Disciplinary Core Idea can also be found in 3.WC.)

ETS1.B: Designing Solutions to Engineering Problems
• Testing a solution involves investigating how well it performs under a range of likely conditions. (secondary to 4-ESS3-2)

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Use the Template and Resource Links to Fulfill NGSS

l. Goals:

  1. Understand that energy and fuels that humans use are derived from natural sources, and their use affects the environment in multiple ways. Some resources are renewable over time, and others are not.
  2. Understand that a variety of hazards result from natural processes (e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions). Humans cannot eliminate the hazards but can take steps to reduce their impacts.
  3. Understand that testing a solution involves investigating how well it performs under a range of likely conditions.

Essential Questions:

  1. How does the use of natural resources affect the environment?
  2. Which natural resources are renewable and which are not?
  3. What can we do to reduce the risks of natural hazards?

NGSS Note: Think, question, entertain ideas.

 

ll. Introductory Activities to Assess Prior Knowledge

A. Simple Activities - that assess students’ understanding of natural hazards that are created by natural processes.
Understanding snowstorms:
Name the Storm Matching Activity
Understanding the Effects of Rainstorms:
Erosion Activity

Simple Activities - that assess students’ understanding of different kinds of natural resources.

A. Brainstorming Session
Question:
What are some differemt kinds of natural resources and are they renewable?

  1. Break students up into groups of 304.
  2. Ask students to generate a list of differemt kinds of natural resources and if they are renewable.
  3. Discuss.

 

lll. New Knowledge - Text
Read about natural hazards that can result from natural processes.

Acid Rain

Coral Reefs in Peril

Deforestation

Desertification

Endangered Species - The Giant Panda

Global Warming and Climate Change

Habitat Loss

Over-Fishing Our Oceans

Pollution (Light)

Pollution (Noise)

Pollution (Ocean)

Wetlands - Their Important and Why

Too Much Trash

Read about natural hazards that can result from natural processes.
Storms - Thunderstorms

Hurricanes

Tornadoes

Winter Storms

Examples of Models (depicts the concept expressed in the reading):

Ask students to look at the models and explain how they illustrate the concepts in this unit.
Thunderstorm Model

Thunderstorm
Acid Rain Model
Climate change poster
Coral reef bleaching

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V. Summarize Knowledge - Enduring Understandings

  1. Energy and fuels that humans use are derived from natural sources, and their use affects the environment in multiple ways. Some resources are renewable over time, and others are not.
  2. A variety of hazards result from natural processes (e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions). Humans cannot eliminate the hazards but can take steps to reduce their impacts.
  3. Testing a solution involves investigating how well it performs under a range of likely conditions.

 

Vl. Next Generation of Science Standards (NGSS) - Grade 4

Disciplinary Core Ideas

 ESS3.A: Natural Resources
• Energy and fuels that humans use are derived from natural sources, and their use affects the environment in multiple ways. Some resources are renewable over time, and others are not. (4-ESS3-1)

ESS3.B: Natural Hazards
• A variety of hazards result from natural processes (e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions). Humans cannot eliminate the hazards but can take steps to reduce their impacts. (4-ESS3-2) (Note: This Disciplinary Core Idea can also be found in 3.WC.)

ETS1.B: Designing Solutions to Engineering Problems
• Testing a solution involves investigating how well it performs under a range of likely conditions. (secondary to 4-ESS3-2)

Science and Engineering Practices

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
Constructing explanations and designing solutions in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to the use of evidence in constructing explanations that specify variables that describe and predict phenomena and in designing multiple solutions to design problems.
• Generate and compare multiple solutions to a problem based on how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the design solution. (4-ESS3-2)

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information in 3–5 builds on K–2 experiences and progresses to evaluate the merit and accuracy of ideas and methods.
• Obtain and combine information from books and other reliable media to explain phenomena. (4-ESS3-1)

Crosscutting Concepts

Cause and Effect
• Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified and used to explain change. (4-ESS3-1)
• Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified, tested, and used to explain change. (4-ESS3-2)

Connections to Engineering, Technology and Applications of Science

Interdependence of Science, Engineering, and Technology
• Knowledge of relevant scientific concepts and research findings is important in engineering. (4-ESS3-1)

Influence of Engineering, Technology, and Science on Society and the Natural World
• Over time, people’s needs and wants change, as do their demands for new and improved technologies. (4-ESS3-1)
• Engineers improve existing technologies or develop new ones to increase their benefits, to decrease known risks, and to meet societal demands. (4-ESS3-2)

Performance Expectations

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

4-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment. .  [Clarification Statement: Examples of renewable energy resources could include wind energy, water behind dams, and sunlight; non-renewable energy resources are fossil fuels and fissile materials. Examples of environmental effects could include loss of habitat due to dams, loss of habitat due to surface mining, and air pollution from burning of fossil fuels.]

4-ESS3-2. Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.*  [Clarification Statement: Examples of solutions could include designing an earthquake resistant building and improving monitoring of volcanic activity.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.]

Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy
RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. (4-ESS3-2)
RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. (4-ESS3-2)
W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. (4-ESS3-1)
W.4.8  Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources. (4-ESS3-1)
W.4.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (4-ESS3-1)

Mathematics
MP.2    Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (4-ESS3-1),(4-ESS3-2)
MP.4    Model with mathematics. (4-ESS3-1),(4-ESS3-2)
4.OA.A.1  Interpret a multiplication equation as a comparison, e.g., interpret 35 = 5 × 7 as a statement that 35 is 5 times as many as 7 and 7 times as many as 5. Represent verbal statements of multiplicative comparisons as multiplication equations. (4-ESS3-1),(4-ESS3-2)

Connections to other DCIs in fourth grade:
4.EST1.C (4-ESS3-2)

Articulation of DCIs across grade-levels:
K.ETS1.A (4-ESS3-2); 2.ETS1.B (4-ESS3-2); 2.ETS1.C (4-ESS3-2); 5.ESS3.C (4-ESS3-1); MS.PS3.D (4-ESS3-1); MS.ESS2.A (4-ESS3-1),(4-ESS3-2); MS.ESS3.A (4-ESS3-1); MS.ESS3.B (4-ESS3-2); MS.ESS3.C (4-ESS3-1); MS.ESS3.D (4-ESS3-1); MS.ETS1.B (4-ESS3-2)

Grade 4 - 4-ESS3 Earth and Human Activity
Grade 4 - 4-ESS3 Earth and Human Activity

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