If you are looking for an IB MYP Class that will engage your students and make them think orthogonally about serious world issues, this is your curriculum. In this unit, I draw from Native American sources, local scientific sources, and the trades in order to help students understand the connections of Earth Science to every day life. We tackle subjects like origin stories from a multicultural perspective and the limitations of science. We delve into the idiosyncrasies of mining and the global impact of this industry. We get into the politics of water and in particular, we address the problems with groundwater. We also get into the pros and cons of fossil fuels and the global issues surrounding this. We take a turn into human paleontology and take a tour through the Cenozoic and discuss how the environment shapes culture. Lastly, we discuss just how much homo sapiens can actually control nature. On a personal note, this is the most interesting and engaging class that I have ever taught. Every unit has had students sitting on the edge of their seats wondering what will come next. If you incorporate the suggested books into this class, this will easily pass muster as a college level class. All of the assessments, both formative and summative are included in this unit. Every assessment has task specific rubrics that help guide students to higher achievement. Every unit is backwards designed with NGSS content standards woven into the material.

Total Pages

Answer Key

N/A

Teaching Duration

1 Year

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Standards

to see state-specific standards (only available in the US).

NGSSHS-ESS1-6

Apply scientific reasoning and evidence from ancient Earth materials, meteorites, and other planetary surfaces to construct an account of Earth’s formation and early history. Emphasis is on using available evidence within the solar system to reconstruct the early history of Earth, which formed along with the rest of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. Examples of evidence include the absolute ages of ancient materials (obtained by radiometric dating of meteorites, moon rocks, and Earth’s oldest minerals), the sizes and compositions of solar system objects, and the impact cratering record of planetary surfaces.

NGSSHS-ESS2-1

Develop a model to illustrate how Earth’s internal and surface processes operate at different spatial and temporal scales to form continental and ocean-floor features. Emphasis is on how the appearance of land features (such as mountains, valleys, and plateaus) and sea-floor features (such as trenches, ridges, and seamounts) are a result of both constructive forces (such as volcanism, tectonic uplift, and orogeny) and destructive mechanisms (such as weathering, mass wasting, and coastal erosion). Assessment does not include memorization of the details of the formation of specific geographic features of Earth’s surface.

NGSSHS-ESS3-2

Evaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on cost-benefit ratios. Emphasis is on the conservation, recycling, and reuse of resources (such as minerals and metals) where possible, and on minimizing impacts where it is not. Examples include developing best practices for agricultural soil use, mining (for coal, tar sands, and oil shales), and pumping (for petroleum and natural gas). Science knowledge indicates what can happen in natural systems—not what should happen.

NGSSHS-ESS1-5

Evaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust and the theory of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks. Emphasis is on the ability of plate tectonics to explain the ages of crustal rocks. Examples include evidence of the ages oceanic crust increasing with distance from mid-ocean ridges (a result of plate spreading) and the ages of North American continental crust decreasing with distance away from a central ancient core of the continental plate (a result of past plate interactions).

NGSSHS-ESS3-1

Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity. Examples of key natural resources include access to fresh water (such as rivers, lakes, and groundwater), regions of fertile soils such as river deltas, and high concentrations of minerals and fossil fuels. Examples of natural hazards can be from interior processes (such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes), surface processes (such as tsunamis, mass wasting and soil erosion), and severe weather (such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts). Examples of the results of changes in climate that can affect populations or drive mass migrations include changes to sea level, regional patterns of temperature and precipitation, and the types of crops and livestock that can be raised.

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Kula Makala

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