Energy and the Environment – Semester 2
Unit 6: Earth’s Environmental Systems (Chapter 3)
o 3.1 Matter and the Environment – I can describe which properties of matter are most important to
environmental systems.
 I can differentiate among an atom, an element, a molecule, and a compound.
 I can discuss how various macromolecules are essential to life.
 I can identify some unusual properties of water.
o 3.2 Systems in Environmental Sci – I can identify the types of systems that play roles in environmental science.
 I can describe two major ways that Earth’s systems interact.
 I can define Earth’s geosphere, lithosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere.
o 3.3 Earth’s Sphere’s – I can describe the characteristics of Earth’s geosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and
hydrosphere.
 I can describe the parts of Earth’s geosphere.
 I can describe Earth’s biosphere and atmosphere.
 I can discuss the water cycle.
o 3.4 Biogeochemical Cycles – I can describe how nutrients cycle through the environment.
 I can explain how the law of conservation of matter applies to the behavior of nutrients in the
environment.
 I can describe the carbon cycle.
 I can describe the events of the phosphorus cycle
 I can explain the importance of bacteria to the nitrogen cycle.
Unit 7: Population Ecology (Chapter 4)
o 4.1 I can explain how ecologists organize and study life
 Describe the different levels of organization studied by ecologists.
 Explain the difference between biotic and abiotic factors.
 Discuss how an organism’s habitat relates to its survival.
o 4.2 I can explain important characteristics of populations.
 Explain the usefulness of tracking population size.
 Define population density.
 Describe the three ways populations can be distributed.
 Explain what age structure diagrams tell you about a population.
o 4.3 I can explain factors determine whether, and how, a population’s size changes.
 Describe the factors that influence a population’s growth rate.
 Explain exponential growth and logistic growth.
 Explain how limiting factors and biotic potential affect population growth.
Unit 8: Evolution and Ecology (Chapter 5)
o 5.1 I can explain the role the environment plays in an organism’s survival and reproduction.
 Describe the four primary mechanisms of biological evolution.
 Describe how speciation and extinction affect the diversity of life on Earth.
o 5.2 I can describe how species interact in nature.
 Discuss the factors that influence an organism’s niche
 Compare and contrast predation, parasitism, and herbivory.
 Describe mutualism and commensalism.
o 5.3 I can describe how energy and nutrients move through communities.
 Explain the difference between a producer and a consumer.
 Explain the effect of inefficient energy transfer on community structure.
 Describe how feeding relationships can have both direct and indirect effects on community members.
o 5.4 I can explain how communities respond to a disturbance.
 Describe what happens to a community after a disturbance.
 Explain the conditions necessary for a species to become invasive.
Unit 9: Biodiversity and Conservation (Chapter 7)
o 7.1 I can define biodiversity.
 Differentiate the components of biodiversity.
 Explain two ways in which biodiversity varies across groups or geography.
 Describe the economic benefits of biodiversity.
o 7.2 I can explain why global biodiversity is decreasing.
 Describe how biodiversity is monitored and explain current biodiversity trends.
 List the major causes of biodiversity loss.
o 7.3 I can explain how we can protect and preserve biodiversity.
 Explain legal actions nations can take to protect biodiversity
 Explain the goal of Species Survival Plans.
 Describe three strategies for managing whole ecosystems and habitats.
Unit 10: Human Population (Chapter 8)
o 8.1 I can explain why we study human populations.
 Describe how technological advances have contributed to human population growth.
 Explain recent trends in population growth.
 Identify characteristics of human populations that are studied by demographers.
o 8.2 I can explain how the human population’s growth rate change in the future.
 Describe total fertility rates and replacement fertility.
 Explain how the age structure and sex ratio of a population define its potential for growth.
 Describe the demographic transition.
 Discuss social factors that affect population growth.
o 8.3 I can define the factors that influence the impact a population has on its environment.
 Describe how humans impact their environments.
 Discuss the negative and positive impacts of technology.
Environmental Health (Chapter 9)
o 9.1 An Overview of Environmental Hazards
o 9.2 Biological and Social Hazards
o 9.3 Toxic substances in the Environment
o 9.4 Natural Disasters
Urbanization (Chapter 10)
o 10.1 I can describe how we use the land we live
on.
o 10.2 Sprawl
o 10.3 Sustainable Cities
Forestry and Resource Management (Chapter 11)
o 11.1 Resource Management
o 11.2 Forests and their Resources
o 11.3 Forest Management
Soil and Agriculture (Chapter 12)
o 12.1 Soil
o 12.2 Soil Degradation and Conservation
o 12.3 Agriculture
o 12.4 Food Production
Mineral Resources and Mining (Chapter 13)
o 13.1 Minerals and Rocks
o 13.2 Mining
o 13.3 Forest Management
Water Resources (Chapter 14)
o 14.1 Earth: the water planet
o 14.2 Uses of Fresh Water
o 14.3 Water Pollution
The Atmosphere (Chapter 15)
o 15.1 Earth’s Atmosphere
o 15.2 Pollution of the Atmosphere
o 15.3 Controlling the Air Pollution
Waste Management (Chapter 19)
o 19.1 Municipal and Industrial Waste
o 19.2 Minimizing Solid Waste
o 19.3 Hazardous Waste
Economics and Environmental Policy (Chapter 2)
o 2.1 Economics
o 2.2 US Environmental Policy
o
2.3 International Environmental Policy and
Approaches