Future Earth

Describe how the methods people utilize to obtain and use water in their homes and communities can affect water supply and quality.

Compare the impact of individual decisions on natural systems. For example: Choosing paper or plastic bags impacts landfills as well as ocean life cycles.

Recognize that there is no perfect design and that new technologies have consequences that may increase some risks and decrease others. For example: Seat belts and airbags.

Understand that prior expectations can create bias when conducting scientific investigations. For example: Students often continue to think that air is not matter, even though they have contrary evidence from investigations.

Describe ways that human activities can change the populations and communities in an ecosystem.

Understand that scientific knowledge is always changing as new technologies and information enhance observations and analysis of data. For example: Analyze how new telescopes have provided new information about the universe.

Use maps, satellite images and other data sets to describe patterns and make predictions about local and global systems in Earth science contexts. For example: Use data or satellite images to identify locations of earthquakes and volcanoes, ocean surface temperatures, or weather patterns.

Describe how the composition and structure of the Earth's atmosphere affects energy absorption, climate, and the distribution of particulates and gases. For example: Certain gases contribute to the greenhouse effect.

Understand that scientists conduct investigations for a variety of reasons, including: to discover new aspects of the natural world, to explain observed phenomena, to test the conclusions of prior investigations, or to test the predictions of current theories.

Provide examples of how diverse cultures, including natives from all of the Americas, have contributed scientific and mathematical ideas and technological inventions. For example: Native American understanding of ecology; Lisa Meitner's contribution to understanding radioactivity; Tesla's ideas and inventions relating to electricity; Watson, Crick and Franklin's discovery of the structure of DNA; or how George Washington Carver's ideas changed land use.

Describe how scientific investigations and engineering processes require multi-disciplinary contributions and efforts. For example: Nanotechnology, climate change, agriculture, or biotechnology.

Describe the trade-offs involved when technological developments impact the way we use energy, natural resources, or synthetic materials. For example: Fluorescent light bulbs use less energy than incandescent lights, but contain toxic mercury.

Analyze the benefits, costs, risks and tradeoffs associated with natural hazards, including the selection of land use and engineering mitigation. For example: Determining land use in floodplains and areas prone to landslides.

Describe the social, economic and ecological risks and benefits of changing a natural ecosystem as a result of human activity. For example: Changing the temperature or composition of water, air or soil; altering the populations and communities, developing artificial ecosystems; or changing the use of land or water.