Environmental Science
Curriculum guide

David City Public Schools

Environmental science is the study of our natural environment on a global level and the impact that humans have on it.

The learner will:

#1 Identify components of ecosystems and the interactions that take place within them.

#2 Describe how energy and matter flows through an ecosystem and the limits this puts on populations and diversity.

#3 Describe the importance of fresh water to ecosystems, its sources and common problems with its pollution.

#4 Describe how the growing human population impacts food production techniques, natural resources availability, land use, fuel uses, and ecosystem health.

#5 Identify causes of air pollution and their effects on environmental quality including global warming and ozone depletion.

#6 Describe the difference between weather and climate, what determines each, and how climate determines the ecosystem.

#7 Describe the importance of biodiversity and human impact on it.

#8 Recall that energy flows through ecosystems in one direction beginning with the sun and ending with consumers.

#9 Cite examples of organisms cooperating and competing in ecosystems.

#10 Recall that ecosystems need a constant input of energy in order to maintain their organization.

#11 Explain how the biodiversity of ecosystems is limited by the availability of matter and energy.

#12 Explain how global climate is determined by energy from the sun and is influenced by the shape and rotation of the earth.

#13 Recall that materials vital to life on earth cycle between organisms and the abiotic environment.

#14 Identify causes of population growth and decline.

#15 Explain how population change may impact on resource use and ecosystem health.

#16 Recall that the earth has renewable and nonrenewable resources.

#17 Explain how humans use natural resources to maintain and improve their existence.

#18 Explain how the positive and negative consequences of human intervention impact the ecosystem.