Our Watershed, Our World

Story Line:

Human habitation and settlement has caused significant impacts on the natural environment. With increased population and continual development, ecosystems around the world have been changing at an alarming rate. Many of these impacts can be seen throughout Maryland and Montgomery County including our local watersheds. In this unit, students will learn that by studying their school communities, we can assess the environmental impact our development patterns have had on our local ecosystem and aquatic habitats. Students learn techniques to assess the areas around their school to see what specific impacts their communities have on Montgomery County, the state of Maryland, and the Chesapeake Bay.

Unit Driving Question(s):

What is a watershed? How do our actions and choices impact the watershed? How do we monitor the health of the local watershed? How is biodiversity an indicator or watershed health? What are the different spheres of Earth? What is a limiting factor and how can it impact an ecosystem? What do organisms depend on and compete for in an ecosystem? How do organisms interact with the living and nonliving environments to obtain matter and energy?

Performance Expectations:

MS-ESS3-3, MS-LS2-1

Unit Anchoring Phenomena

Many environmental changes can be observed in and around the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Students will explore how humans impact the water quality and environment around them and determine what actions they can take in order to lessen this impact.

Atmospheric Phenomenon

Story Line:

The atmosphere is a complex system of variables that are ever changing both daily (weather) and long-term (climate).  Students will learn about the different variables responsible for the weather and climate of our planet and the factors that lead to changes both short term and long term. 

Unit Driving Question(s):

How do the properties and movements of water shape Earth’s surface and affect its systems? Within a natural or designed system, how does the transfer of energy drive the motion and/or cycling of the air and water?  What regulates weather and climate?  How do humans change the planet?

Performance Expectations:

MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ESS2-4, MS-ESS2-5, MS-ESS2-6, MS-ESS3-5

Unit Anchoring Phenomena

The atmosphere is a complex system of variables that are ever changing both daily (weather) and long-term (climate).  Students will learn about the different variables responsible for the weather and climate of our planet and the factors that lead to changes both short term and long term. 

Dynamic Earth

Unit Storyline:

All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among the planet’s systems. From earthquakes and volcanoes to weathering and erosion, These interactions have shaped Earth’s history and will determine its future. Students will learn concepts that enable them to evaluate the potential causes and effects of geologic hazards, mitigate their effects on the human population, and their potential effect on the Earth or on the natural cycle of climate change seen throughout Earth's history.

Unit Driving Question(s):

How and why is Earth constantly changing? How do Earth’s major systems interact? How do the properties and movements of water shape Earth’s surface and affect its systems? How do people reconstruct and date events in Earth’s planetary history? Why do the continents move, and what causes earthquakes and volcanoes? How do natural hazards affect individuals and societies? How do humans depend on Earth’s resources?

Performance Expectations:

MS-ESS2-1, MS-ESS2-2, MS-ESS2-3, MS-ESS3-1, MS-ESS3-2

Unit Anchoring Phenomena

Students will view the effects of geological hazards, evaluate the potential causes, and generate a plan to mitigate their effects on the human population. Students will learn concepts throughout the quarter to help support their evaluation and assessment of such hazards.

Earth’s Geologic Past

Unit Storyline:

The Earth's Geologic Past unit, students will examine how people figure out that the Earth and life on Earth have changed over time. Students will learn how geologists divide Earth’s long history and use geologic principles to interpret relative age in layered rocks. Students will also learn about the techniques used to determine the absolute ages of rocks and fossils.

Unit Driving Questions:

How do people figure out that the Earth and life on Earth have changed through time? How do geologists divide Earth’s long history? How can certain geologic principles be used to interpret relative age in layered rocks? How are different techniques used to determine the absolute ages of rocks?

Performance Expectations:

MS-ESS1-4, MS-ESS2-2, MS-ESS2-3, MS-ESS3-3, MS-ESS3-4, MS-LS4-1.

Unit Anchoring Phenomenon:

Earth’s surface changes over time and dramatic changes in flora and fauna as well as climate.

Human Impacts on the Environment

Unit Storyline:

Students will discover that natural resources are used by living things in a variety of ways, but how much and in what ways we use those resources affects the footprint of our planet. Students will learn that our use of fossil fuels has consequences on the environment. Students will investigate how human activity and use of resources impacts the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere and consider alternative solutions for the products we make and the resources we use. They will model a solution to a variety of environmental problems created from natural resource use.

Unit Driving Question(s):

What are natural resources and why are they important to mankind? What are renewable and nonrenewable resources and how do they differ? How do humans depend on Earth’s resources? How does the unequal distribution of resources affect society as a whole? How can we use our resources in a more responsible way? What sustainable practices can be employed to conserve our resources for the future? How do humans change the Earth's lands, oceans, and atmosphere?

Performance Expectations:

MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ESS3-1, MS-ESS3-3,  MS-ESS3-4, MS-PS1-2

Unit Anchoring Phenomena

Earth is a system of systems: atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. Human use of planet resources affects each of these spheres bringing changes at an accelerated speed.

Cellular Structure and Processes

Unit Driving Question(s):

How do the structures of organisms enable life’s functions? How do organisms grow and develop? How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow? How do food and fuel provide energy? If energy is conserved, why do people say it is produced or used?

Performance Expectations:

MS-LS1-1, MS-LS1-2, MS-LS1-4, MS-LS1-5, MS-LS1-6, MS-LS1-7

Unit Project/RFP

Hydroponics and Food Deserts: Students will research a process for growing plants without the use of soil called hydroponics. Students will investigate a variety of different systems and growing mediums for raising plants and will analyze such variables as growth rate and food production to determine a solution for the increasing number of food deserts present in our communities and the world as a whole.

Matter and Energy Flow in Organism

Unit Driving Question(s):

How do the structures of organisms enable life’s functions? How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow? How do the systems of the human body function and perform basic life processes? How do body systems work together as a cohesive unit to make life possible?

Performance Expectations:

MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2, MS-ETS1-3, MS-LS1-3, MS-LS1-7, MS-LS1-8

Unit Project/RFP

Body Systems Investigation: The human body is made up of many interacting systems that work together to allow us to perform life’s functions. In this Investigation, you will design and conduct an experiment to explain how different systems of the body collaborate to perform a task. In Investigation Parts I and II, students will conduct planned investigations on the human body. In Investigation Part III students will design and conduct an investigation to illustrate how systems of the body interact.

Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Unit Driving Question(s):

How do organisms grow and develop? How do organisms reproduce, (sexually or asexually) and transfer their genetic information to their offspring? What characteristic behaviors do animals perform that increase the odds of reproduction? How are the characteristics of one generation related to the previous generation? How does genetic variation among organisms affect survival and reproduction? Why do individuals of the same species vary in how they look, function, and behave?

Performance Expectations:

MS-ETS1-1, MS-LS1-4, MS-LS3-1, MS-LS3-2, MS-LS4-5

Unit Project/RFP

Genetic Counseling: Students develop resources and informational materials to be used in doctor offices. These materials will be used by genetic counselors in their meetings with clients. The materials will need to meet specific criteria in order to be effectively used by doctors and genetic counselors.

Evolutionary Biology

Unit Driving Question(s):

How do people reconstruct and date events in Earth’s planetary history? What evidence shows that different species are related? How do Earth’s major systems interact? How does genetic variation among organisms affect survival and reproduction?

Performance Expectations:

MS-ESS1-4, MS-ESS2-2, MS-LS4-2, MS-LS4-3, MS-LS4-4, MS-LS4-5, MS-LS4-6, MS-ETS1-1, MS-ETS1-2

Unit Anchoring Phenomena

Evolutionary Change: The population of tuskless elephants is on the rise in heavily poached areas of Africa. In some parks, 10-20% of elephants born are with no or shortened tusks due to poaching of large tusked males before reaching sexual maturity. With fewer large tusked males present, evolutionary changes related to tusk growth are occurring at a more rapid rate. Students will explore how environmental stressors can be the driver of evolutionary change and debate how these genetic variations affect survival.

Ecosystems Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Unit Driving Question(s):

How do organisms interact with the living and nonliving environments to obtain matter and energy? What happens to ecosystems when the environment changes? How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem? What happens to ecosystems when the environment changes?

Performance Expectations:

MS-LS2-1, MS-LS2-2, MS-LS2-3, MS-LS2-4, MS-LS2-5

Unit Project/RFP

Students will model the flow of matter and energy in an ecosystem including: the boundaries of the ecosystem, energy roles of organisms, abiotic parts of the ecosystem, energy transfer in the ecosystem, cycling of matter, connections to atoms, and energy. The goal is to create a model of a healthy ecosystem that can be used as a reference to understand how humans can bring ecosystems out of balance.