PLANNED COURSE STATEMENT – Year 3 Environmental Systems
Woodburn School District
Course Title
Environmental Systems
Content Area(s)
Science
COUNSELING OFFICE
Please Check “Yes” or “No”
Diploma Requirement(s)
met through course
Science
NCAA Approved
YES
NO
Terms Offered
All Terms
OUS Credit
YES
NO
Credit Type
Amount of
Year Long
1.0
Credit
Please Check “Yes” or “No”
AP/IB Credits
YES
NO
Targeted Intervention Class
Proposed NCES Code(s)
and Name(s)
YES
Language of Instruction
Spanish and English
SIS Course Number
Grade Level(s)
11th Grade
Licensure
Requirement
NO
X
NCES Code
DISTRICT OFFICE
Prepared by (teacher/school): AIS Science Department
Chemistry
Date Submitted: ________________
Principal Approval:_______________________________________________________________ Date: _________________________
District Curriculum Office Approval:_________________________________________________ Date: ________________________
District Human Resources Approval: _________________________________________________ Date: ________________________
PHASE 1
 Brief Course Catalogue Description and any Pre-requisites if applicable:
Course Description for Environmental Systems:
This is a year-long course in which students investigate the living things on earth along with how
they interact with earth systems. Topics examined will be the transfer of matter and energy
between living things and their ecosystems, evolution, biodiversity, climate and climate change,
human resources,and sustainability.
Prerequisite Courses  1 semester of Earth and Space
 1 semester of Biology
 1 semester of Chemistry
 1 semester of Physics

State Essential Skills
None
Updated April, 2013

Course Standards
Common Core Literacy Standards
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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.1 Textual
Evidence
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.2 Central
Ideas
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.3
Multistep procedures
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.4
Determine meaning of key terms and
symbols
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.5 Analyze
structure and relationship of concepts
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.6 Author’s
purpose
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.7
Translate technical information to
visuals (model)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.8
Supporting evidence and reasoning
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.9 Compare
and contrast
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.10 Read
grade level text
NGSS Standards
ESS2.A Earth materials and systems (feedback)
ESS2.A Earth Materials and Systems (geological
and biological changes can lead to global climate
change)
ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s Surface
Processes
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate: how water affects
local climate
ESS2.E: Biogeology
ESS3.A: Natural Resources
ESS3.B: Natural Hazards
ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
ESS3.D: Global Climate Change
ETS1.B. Developing Possible Solutions
LS1.C Organization for matter and energy flow
in organisms
LS2.A Interdependent relationships in
ecosystems
LS2.B Cycles of matter and energy transfer in
ecosystems
LS2.C Ecosystem dynamics, functioning, and
resilience
LS2.D Social interactions and group behavior
LS4.A Interdependent relationships in
ecosystems
LS4.B Natural selection
LS4.C Adaptation
LS4.D Biodiversity and humans
PS3.D Energy in chemical processes and
everyday life
Proposed Instructional Materials: (primary texts and printed materials)
TBD
PHASE 2 (Complete after initial approval)
After District Curriculum Department approval, attach Annual Work Plan and then file. Annual work plan must be
attached before filing.
Scope and Sequence: Year 3-Environmental Systems
Updated April, 2013
UNIT TITLE
UNIT DESCRIPTION
Unit Standards (DCIs)
Ecosystems
Components
Students will understand that when left to natural processes,
ecosystems will function and develop in predictable ways that
reflect the biotic and abiotic factors that are unique to their
location. Students will use models to predict the effect of
change in a biotic or abiotic factor on an ecosystem.
LS2.C Ecosystem dynamics,
functioning, and resilience
LS2.A Interdependent
relationships in ecosystems
Energy
In this unit, students will learn that the energy from the sun is
captured and converted into chemical energy sources that can
be used by plants or consumers for their own life
processes. Students will also understand that any given system
is comprised of interacting cycles. Students will be able to
models to represent cycles (nitrogen, carbon, etc.)
PS3.D Energy in chemical
processes and everyday life
LS2.B Cycles of matter and
energy transfer in ecosystems
LS1.C Organization for matter
and energy flow in organisms
 ESS2.A Earth materials
and systems (feedback)
Earth Systems:
Earth’s surface
processes
Students will explore how dynamic feedback loops contribute to
the earth’s changing surface including erosion, glaciation,
carbon cycling and the roles of water in these processes, as well
as coevolution between the earth’s surface and the life that
exists on it.
ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in
Earth’s Surface Processes
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate:
how water affects local climate
ESS2.E: Biogeology
Atmosphere,
Weather and
Climate
Global climate and weather patterns are influenced by the
reflection, absorption, storage, and distribution of incoming
solar energy along with the circulation of atmospheric
gases. The transfer of this light and Variations in materials,
biotic and abiotic factors, and human activities impact
atmospheric composition and consequently the distribution of
energy. The geologic record can provide evidence that climate
has changed over time. Currently, most scientists agree that
the climate change we are experiencing is caused imbalances in
the carbon cycle due to the combustion of carbon (coal, oil,
wood.)
ESS2.A: Earth Materials and
Systems (geological and
biological changes can lead to
global climate change)
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
ESS3.D: Global Climate Change
The characteristics of every ecosystem are determined by the
geology and climate of the region. If disturbed by any process
natural or man-made, this system will return to a
predetermined state after an extended period of time if no
other disturbances occur.
LS2.C Ecosystem dynamics,
functioning, and resilience
LS2.A Interdependent
relationships in ecosystems
ESS3.D Global climate change
ESS2.E Biogeology
ESS2.A Earth materials and
systems
Ecosystems
Dynamics
Many of the elements that make up matter have a geologic
foundation. These materials are critical for many of the
processes of living things and cycle through various food chains
and food webs.
Students will also be able to use food webs to model how
energy is lost as it is transferred up the trophic levels, and the
consequences for community structure.
Evolution &
Biodiversity
Updated April, 2013
Changes in the physical environment have contributed to the
expansion of some species, the emergence of new species and
the decline or extinction of some species. Human activities can
have adverse impacts on biodiversity.
LS2.D Social interactions and
group behavior
LS4.B Natural selection
LS4.D Biodiversity and humans
LS4.A Interdependent
relationships in ecosystems
LS4.C Adaptation
ESS2.E Biogeology
Human
Sustainability
Updated April, 2013
In this unit students will learn how resources, natural hazards
and geologic events guide human society and how human
society affects resources.Students will investigate ecological
problems and propose and test possible solutions.
ESS3.A: Natural Resources
ESS3.B: Natural Hazards
ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth
Systems
ETS1.B. Developing Possible
Solutions
ESS3.D: Global Climate Change
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate