School Curriculum: Environmental Studies
This page is designed to enable parents to understand what their child should be learning, when they should be learning it, and what degree of mastery the child should have attained (at a median level) by a certain grade level. For Homeschoolers, we hope that this page will serve as a valuable asset in establishing a baseline curriculum. For parents whose children attend public or private schools (or for the inquisitive student) this page should give some guidance as to whether or not the school curriculum and methods are providing students with an adequate standard of education.
What is meant by "Environmental Studies," why is it important, and how is it approached ? Below is a description of the core discipline and its components, and the answers to why-how-when these components are taught. Environmental Studies components have median level goals to be attained by the end of Grade 2, by the end of Grade 4, by the end of Grade 6, by the end of Grade 8, and by the end of Grade 12.
This page
does not contain articles for education in this discipline.
For educational articles, go to: Environmental
Studies: A. Natural Systems and
Interactions, B. Human Interactions
and Impact
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STANDARD 5.10 (ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES) ALL STUDENTS WILL DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ENVIRONMENT AS A SYSTEM OF INTERDEPENDENT COMPONENTS AFFECTED BY HUMAN ACTIVITY AND NATURAL PHENOMENA. |
Descriptive Statement: Creating an awareness of the need to protect, conserve, and preserve natural resources is a goal of science education. This standard calls for students to develop knowledge of environmental issues, including management of natural resources, production and use of energy, waste management, and the interdependence of ecosystems.
Strands and Cumulative Progress Indicators
By the end of Grade 2, students will:
A. Natural Systems and Interactions
1. Associate organisms' basic needs with how they meet those needs within their surroundings.
B. Human Interactions and Impact
1. Identify various needs of humans that are supplied by the natural or constructed environment.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 4, students will:
A. Natural Systems and Interactions
1. Differentiate between natural resources that are renewable and those that are not.
B. Human Interactions and Impact
1. Explain how meeting human requirements affects the environment.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 6, students will:
A. Natural Systems and Interactions
1. Explain how organisms interact with other components of an ecosystem.
2. Describe the natural processes that occur over time in places where direct human impact is minimal.
B. Human Interactions and Impact
1. Describe the effect of human activities on various ecosystems.
2. Evaluate the impact of personal activities on the local environment.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8, students will:
A. Natural Systems and Interactions
1. Investigate the impact of catastrophic events such as forest fires, floods, and hurricanes on the environment of New Jersey.
B. Human Interactions and Impact
1. Compare and contrast practices that affect the use and management of natural resources.
Building upon knowledge and skills gained in preceding grades, by the end of Grade 12, students will:
A. Natural Systems and Interactions
1. Distinguish naturally occurring process from those believed to have been modified by human interaction or activity.
- climate change
- ozone production
- erosion and deposition
- threatened and endangered species
B. Human Interactions and Impact
1. Assess the impact of human activities on the cycling of matter and the flow of energy through ecosystems.
2. Use scientific, economic, and other data to assess environmental risks and benefits associated with societal activity.
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