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The Hawaii Environmental Literacy PlanEducational Standards Alignment

Educational Standard Sets analyzed include:

1. Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines for Learning 2. Na Honua Mauli Ola - Hawaii Guidelines for Culturally Healthy and Responsive

Learning Environments3. The Common Core State Standards4. The Hawaii Department of Education Content and Performance Standards and General

Learner Outcomes)

Completed October 23, 2011

by Sandy Webb,Science Educator and Science Learning Center Coordinator,

Mililani High School, Oahu

University of Phoenix Education Faculty, Hawaii Campus

Hawaii Environmental Education Alliance, Leadership Team Member

Contact email: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Table of Contents

Introduction and Quantification of the Hawaii Environmental Literacywith Educational Standards…………………………………………………………….............. pp. 4-6

Kindergarten Standards Alignment Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning………...p 7 Common Core State Standards………………………………………………. pp. 7-11 Hawaii Content and Performance Standards and Benchmarks……………pp. 11-14

First Grade Standards Alignment Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning………...p 15 Common Core State Standards………………………………………………. pp. 15-18 Hawaii Content and Performance Standards and Benchmarks……………pp. 18-22

Second Grade Standards Alignment Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning………...p 23 Common Core State Standards………………………………………………. pp. 23-25 Hawaii Content and Performance Standards and Benchmarks……………pp. 25-30

Third Grade Standards Alignment Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning………...p 31 Common Core State Standards………………………………………………. pp. 31-34 Hawaii Content and Performance Standards and Benchmarks……………pp. 35-39

Fourth Grade Standards Alignment Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning………...pp. 40-48 Common Core State Standards………………………………………………. pp. 48-52 Hawaii Content and Performance Standards and Benchmarks……………pp. 52-56

Fifth Grade Standards Alignment Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning………...p 57 Common Core State Standards………………………………………………. pp. 57-60 Hawaii Content and Performance Standards and Benchmarks……………pp. 60-64

Middle School Introduction and Quantification of Educational Standards Alignment…….. p 65

Sixth Grade Standards Alignment Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning………...p 66 Common Core State Standards………………………………………………. pp. 66-71 Hawaii Content and Performance Standards and Benchmarks……………pp. 72-75

Seventh Grade Standards Alignment Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning………...p 76 Common Core State Standards………………………………………………. pp. 76-81 Hawaii Content and Performance Standards and Benchmarks……………pp. 81-84

Eighth Grade Standards Alignment Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning………...pp. 85-94

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Common Core State Standards………………………………………………. pp. 94-99 Hawaii Content and Performance Standards and Benchmarks………..pp. 100-102

High School Introduction and Quantification of Educational Standards Alignment……….. p 103

Excellence in Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning………................……pp. 103-112 Common Core State Standards: College and Career Readiness………………………...pp. 113-114

Hawaii Department of Education General Learner Outcomes and Vision for High School Graduates…………………………………………………………….pp. 114

Hawaii Department of Education Senior Project Overview andGuidelines……………………………………………………………………………………….pp. 114-116

Grades 9-10 Standards Alignment Common Core State Standards…………………………………………….pp. 117-121 Hawaii Content and Performance Standards and Benchmarks…………pp. 122-126

Grades 11-12 Standards Alignment Common Core State Standards…………………………………………….pp. 127-130 Hawaii Content and Performance Standards and Benchmarks…………pp. 130-135

The Hawaii Environmental Literacy PlanEducational Standards Alignment

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Environmental Education provides an excellent means of helping students master a number of educational standards in several content areas. Further, environmental education is a subject that lends itself to the development of units of instruction that are interdisciplinary, place-based, hands-on and culturally responsive. Rather than being viewed as an “add on” to often over-burdened educators, environmental education can provide a lens through which students can be motivated to learn reading, math and science.

The following sets of educational standards were reviewed so that the Hawaii Environmental Literacy Plan would compliment goals already in use for educational excellence and innovation initiatives in Hawaii.1. Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines for Learning (K-12) (revised 2010) developed by the National Association for Environmental Education provides students, parents, educators, home schoolers, policy makers, and the public a set of common, voluntary guidelines for environmental education. The guidelines support state and local environmental education efforts by:

Setting expectations for performance and achievement in fourth, eighth, and twelfth grades; Suggesting a framework for effective and comprehensive environmental education

programs and curricula; Demonstrating how environmental education can be used to meet standards set by the

traditional disciplines and to give students opportunities to synthesize knowledge and experience across disciplines; and

Defining the aims of environmental education. Available online at http://www.naaee.org/programs-and-initiatives/guidelines-for-excellence/materials-guidelines/learner-guidelines

2. Na Honua Mauli Ola - Hawaii Guidelines for Culturally Healthy and Responsive Learning Environments. Developed by the Native Hawaiian Education Council in partnership with Ka Haka Ùla O Keèlikōlani College of Hawaiian Language, University of Hawaii, Hilo.

Guideline 4: He hoòulu i ke aloha hoònaàuao, mai ka lā hiki a ka lā kau, me kaìmi àna i ke kūlana poòkela o ka hana aò, alakaì a noònoò. Instill a desire for lifelong exploration of learning, teaching, leading and reflecting to pursue standards of quality and excellence.

Guideline 14: He Hoòlālā i nā hopena aò e ulu ai ka pilina mawaena o nā kānaka, nā hanauna, nā wahi, a me kekaiapuni. He mea ia e pili at ke kuanaìke o ke kanaka me kona wahi, me ka hoòmaopopo I ko ka poè o waho. Plan for mearningful learning outcomes that foster the relationship and interaction among people, time, space, places and natural elements around them to enhance one’s ability to maintain a “local” disposition with global understandings.

Guideline 16: He mālama i ka honua hoònaàuao holoòkoà a me ke kalapuni ma ke kākoò àna i ka hoònaàuao, i ke kuleana kahu, i ke ō o nā kumu waiwai, a i ka pilina ùhane. Engage in experiences which mālama the entire learning community and the environment to support learning and good practices of stewardship, resource sustainability and spirituality.

The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) has the complete set of guidelines online, at http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED479910.pdf

3. The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy. Available online at http://www.corestandards.org/ Currently, there exist standards in English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical

http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED479910.pdf

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Subjects and standards in Mathematics. Environmental Literacy can help students develop mastery in several of the Common Core State Standards

Grade K-5

# Anchor Stds/ Benchmarks In Reading 4/8

# Anchor Stds/ Benchmarks In Writing 4/10

# Anchor Stds/ Benchmarks for Speaking and Listening

2/6

# Anchor Stds/ Benchmarks for Language 2/4

Mathematics: Counting and Cardinality 3/7

Mathematics:Operations and Algebraic Thinking 1/2

Mathematics:Measurement and Data 2/3

Mathematics: Geometry 1/1

Grade 6 7 8

Common Core State Standards Language Arts

58 46 50

Common Core State Standards Mathematics

13 12 12

Grade Grades 9/10 Grades 11-12

Common Core State Standards Language Arts

41 41


36 (standards for math address grades 9-12)

Note: Details of CCSS alignment are in the following pages, organized by grade level- see Table of Contents4. The Hawaii Department of Education: Vision, General Learner Outcomes, Content and Performance StandardsOur vision of a Hawaii high school graduate is that all public school graduates will:

Realize their individual goals and aspirations; Possess the attitudes, knowledge and skills necessary to contribute positively and

compete in a global society; Exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship; and Pursue post-secondary education and/or careers without need for remediation.

The GLOs are the essential overarching goals for all grade levels -- from elementary through middle to high -- and all of the academic disciplines. Every content and performance standard

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should support the learner's progress towards these outcomes because they enable learners to lead full and productive lives.

Self-Directed Learner: The ability to be responsible for one's own learning Community Contributor: The understanding that it is essential for human beings to

work together Complex Thinker: The ability to be involved in complex thinking and problem solving Quality Producer: The ability to recognize and produce quality performance and

quality products Effective Communicator: the ability to communicate effectively Effective and Ethical User of Technology: the ability to use a variety of technology

effectively and ethically

Hawaii Content and Performance Standards Aligned to Environmental Literacy Grade K 1 2 3 4 5

# of Standards 27 26 31 32 33 31

# of Benchmarks 42 46 56 56 54 49

Grade 6 7 8

Hawaii Content and Performance Standards/Benchmarks

24/46 23/42 24/49

Grade Grades 9/10 Grades 11-12Hawaii Content and Performance Standards/Benchmarks

25/62 22/68*(2/12)

Specific Course Titles

(note: schools in Hawaii vary on the grades in which these courses are taught)

Physical Science BiologyEarth ScienceAlgebra ILanguage Arts 9 and 10Modern Hist. Hawaii/PIDUS History (Grade 10)Physical Education (9-12)Career and Technology

ChemistryEnvironmental ScienceAlgebra IILanguage Arts 11 and 12Social Studies 11-12 (elective courses vary/student and school)

*(Statistics – at some schools these standards are integrated into other math courses, at other schools this subject is offered as a separate math elective)

Kindergarten

EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: GUIDELINES FOR LEARNINGThe kindergarten through fourth grade years are a time of tremendous cognitive development. By third and fourth grades, learners have developed some basic skills that help them construct knowledge. Instructors in earlier grade levels should use these fourth grade guidelines as a target, extrapolating from this end goal appropriate activities and lessons for younger learners. In these

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early years of formal education, learners tend to be concrete thinkers with a natural curiosity about the world around them. Environmental education can build on these characteristics by focusing on observation and exploration of the environment—beginning close to home. Local solid waste and water issues easily fit these basic guidelines. Similarly, gardening and habitat improvement projects are especially appropriate for these young learners.COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDSStudents who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and LanguageThe descriptions that follow are not standards themselves but instead offer a portrait of students who meet the standards set out in this document. As students advance through the grades and master the standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language, they are able to exhibit with increasing fullness and regularity these capacities of the literate individual.Anchor standards for Reading Grades K-5Key Ideas and Details

1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

Craft and Structure4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

Anchor Standards for Writing Text types and purposes1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

Production and Distribution of Writing4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Range of Writing10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

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Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening Comprehension and Collaboration1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Anchor Standards for LanguageKnowledge of Language3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression

Standards for MathematicsIn Kindergarten, instructional time should focus on two critical areas: (1) representing, relating, and operating on whole numbers, initially with sets of objects; (2) describing shapes and space. More learning time in Kindergarten should be devoted to number than to other topics.(1) Students use numbers, including written numerals, to represent quantities and to solve quantitative problems, such as counting objects in a set; counting out a given number of objects; comparing sets or numerals; and modeling simple joining and separating situations with sets of objects, or eventually with equations such as 5 + 2 = 7 and 7 – 2 = 5. (Kindergarten students should see addition and subtraction equations, and student writing of equations in kindergarten is encouraged, but it is not required.)Students choose, combine, and apply effective strategies for answering quantitative questions, including quickly recognizing the cardinalities of small sets of objects, counting and producing sets of given sizes, counting the number of objects in combined sets, or counting the number of objects that remain in a set after some are taken away.(2) Students describe their physical world using geometric ideas (e.g., shape, orientation, spatial relations) and vocabulary. They identify, name, and describe basic two-dimensional shapes, such as squares, triangles, circles, rectangles, and hexagons, presented in a variety of ways (e.g., with different sizes and orientations), as well as three-dimensional shapes such as cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres. They use basic shapes and spatial reasoning to model objects in their environment and to construct more complex shapes.Counting and Cardinality Know number names and the count sequence.

1. Count to 100 by ones and by tens.2. Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of having to begin at 1).3. Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects).

Count to tell the number of objects.

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4. Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.

a. When counting objects, say the number names in the standard order, pairing each object with one and only one number name and each number name with one and only one object.b. Understand that the last number name said tells the number of objects counted. The number of objects is the same regardless of their arrangement or the order in which they were counted.c. Understand that each successive number name refers to a quantity that is one larger.

5. Count to answer “how many?” questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1–20, count out that many objects.

Compare numbers.6. Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.17. Compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals.

Operations and Algebraic Thinking Understand addition as putting together and adding to, and understand subtraction as taking apart and taking from.

2. Solve addition and subtraction word problems, and add and subtract within 10, e.g., by using objects or drawings to represent the problem.5. Fluently add and subtract within 5. Include groups with up to ten objects. Drawings need not show details, but should show the mathematics in the problem.

Measurement and Data Describe and compare measurable attributes.1. Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.2. Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has “more of”/“less of” the attribute, and describe he difference.

Classify objects and count the number of objects in each category.3. Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.3

Geometry Identify and describe shapes 1. Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.

General Mathematical Practices1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.4. Model with mathematics.5. Use appropriate tools strategically.6. Attend to precision.7. Look for and make use of structure.8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

HAWAII CONTENT AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDSScience:Standard 1: The Scientific Process: SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION: Discover, invent and investigate using the skills necessary to engage in the scientific process

Benchmark SC.K.1.1 Use the senses to make observations Benchmark SC.K.1.2 Ask questions about the world around them Benchmark SC.K.1.3 Collect data about living and non-living things

Standard 3: Life and Environmental Sciences: ORGANISMS AND THE ENVIRONMENT: Understand the unity, diversity, and interrelationships of organisms, including their relationship to cycles of matter and energy in the environment

Benchmark SC.K.3.1 Identify similarities and differences between plants and animalsStandard 4: Life and Environmental Sciences: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION IN ORGANISMS: Understand the structures and functions of living organisms and how organisms can be compared scientifically

Benchmark SC.K.4.1 Identify differences between living and non-living things

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Standard 5: Life and Environmental Sciences: DIVERSITY, GENETICS, AND EVOLUTION: Understand genetics and biological evolution and their impact on the unity and diversity of organisms

Benchmark SC.K.5.1 Identify ways in which some offspring are very much like their parents, although not exactly

Standard 8: Physical, Earth, and Space Sciences: EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE: Understand the Earth and its processes, the solar system, and the universe and its contents

Benchmark SC.K.8.1 Report and describe weather changes from day to day and over the seasons

Math:Standard 1: Numbers and Operations: NUMBER SENSE: Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems

Benchmark MA.K.1.1 Count and compare groups of objects up to 30 according to the number of objects in each group

Standard 2: Numbers and Operations: OPERATION SENSE: Understand the meaning of operations and how they relate to each other

Benchmark MA.K.2.1 Demonstrate addition as "putting together" or "combining sets" Benchmark MA.K.2.2 Demonstrate subtraction as "taking away," "separating sets," or

"counting back"

Standard 3: Numbers and Operations: COMPUTATION STRATEGIES: Use computational tools and strategies fluently and, when appropriate, use estimation

Benchmark MA.K.3.1 Use a variety of strategies (e.g., objects, fingers) to add and subtract single-digit whole numbers

Standard 4: Measurement: FLUENCY WITH MEASUREMENT: Understand attributes, units, and systems of units in measurement; and develop and use techniques, tools, and formulas for measuring

Benchmark MA.K.4.1 Compare and order objects according to length, weight, capacity, area, and volume

Standard 8: Geometry and Spatial Sense: REPRESENTATIONAL SYSTEMS: Select and use different representational systems, including coordinate geometry

Benchmark MA.K.8.1 Use positional words to describe an object's location (e.g., up, down, above, under, inside, outside)

Standard 9: Patterns, Functions, and Algebra: PATTERNS AND FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS: Understand various types of patterns and functional relationships

Benchmark MA.K.9.1 Demonstrate repeating patterns involving shapes, objects, sounds, and movements

Standard 11: Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability: FLUENCY WITH DATA: Pose questions and collect, organize, and represent data to answer those questions

Benchmark MA.K.11.1 Sort objects or people according to stated attributes

Language ArtsStandard 1: Reading: CONVENTIONS AND SKILLS: Use knowledge of the conventions of language and texts to construct meaning for a range of literary and informational texts for a variety of purposes

Benchmark LA.K.1.8 Uses words to describe location, size, color, shape, and concepts (e.g., same, different, fast, slow) in speaking situations.

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Standard 2: Reading: READING COMPREHENSION: Use reading strategies to construct meaning from a variety of texts

Benchmark LA.K.2.2 Retell information from familiar oral or printed text

Standard 4: Writing: CONVENTIONS AND SKILLS: Use the writing process and conventions of language and research to construct meaning and communicate effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences using a range of forms

Benchmark LA.K.4.1 Write for a variety of purposes related to daily class activities and own life

Benchmark LA.K.4.2 Describe familiar topics and convey thoughts, ideas, and basic information using pictures and phonetically spelled words

Standard 5: Writing: RHETORIC: Use rhetorical devices to craft writing appropriate to audience and purpose

Benchmark LA.K.5.1 Add detail to drawings and other products with simple descriptive words

Standard 6: Oral Communication: CONVENTIONS AND SKILLS: Apply knowledge of verbal and nonverbal language to communicate effectively in various situations: interpersonal, group, and public¾ for a variety of purposes

Benchmark LA.K.6.1 Express ideas through simple activities (e.g., creative movement, choral speaking, show and tell, rhymes, poems and songs)

Benchmark LA.K.6.3 Ask and respond appropriately to basic questions Benchmark LA.K.6.4 Follow simple oral directions, instructions, and explanations Benchmark LA.K.6.6 Use eye contact as a listening and speaking skill to focus attention on

the speaker or connect with listener(s)

Standard 7: Oral Communication: RHETORIC: Adapt messages appropriately to address audience, purpose, and situation

Benchmark LA.K.7.1 Use personal experiences as a topic when speaking Benchmark LA.K.7.2 Present events in chronological order

Social StudiesStandard 5: Political Science/Civics: PARTICIPATION AND CITIZENSHIP-Understand roles, rights (personal, economic, political), and responsibilities of American citizens and exercise them in civic action

Benchmark SS.K.5.1 Describe his or her rights and demonstrate responsibilities of self in classroom, school, and neighborhood settings

Benchmark SS.K.5.2 Demonstrate ways to improve the quality of life in own school or community

Standard 7: Geography: WORLD IN SPATIAL TERMS-Use geographic representations to organize, analyze, and present information on people, places, and environments and understand the nature and interaction of geographic regions and societies around the world

Benchmark SS.K.7.1 Identify location and physical characteristics represented on maps and globes (e.g., land, water, roads, cities)

Benchmark SS.K.7.2 Use terms to describe relative location (i.e., above/below, near/far, left/right, and cardinal directions)

Standard 8: Economics: RESOURCES, MARKETS, AND GOVERNMENT-Understand economic concepts and the characteristics of various economic systems

Benchmark SS.K.8.1 Explain people's basic needs and how they fulfill them

Physical EducationStandard 1: MOVEMENT FORMS: Use motor skills and movement patterns to perform a variety of physical activities

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Benchmark PE.K-2.1.1 Use basic locomotor skills in initial (immature) form alone, with a partner, and in small groups

Standard 2: COGNITIVE CONCEPTS: Understand movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities

Benchmark PE.K-2.2.1 Use basic movement concepts related to space, time, effort, and relationships (e.g., personal space, fast/slow, strong/light, under/over)

Benchmark PE.K-2.2.2 Identify basic rules for safe participation in physical activities\

Standard 3: ACTIVE LIFESTYLE: Participate regularly in physical activity

Benchmark PE.K-2.3.1 Participate regularly in physical activities Benchmark PE.K-2.3.2 Describe the social and emotional benefits of participating in

physical activitiesHealthStandard 1: CORE CONCEPTS: Understand concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention

Benchmark HE.K-2.1.2 Explain the benefits associated with exercise Benchmark HE.K-2.1.4 Describe barriers and situations that are safe, risky, or harmful to

self and others Benchmark HE.K-2.1.5 Describe how individuals can promote and protect their own health

Standard 7: ADVOCACY: Advocate for personal, family, and community health Benchmark HE.K-2.7.1 Describe ways to help others promote and protect their own health

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First GradeEXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: GUIDELINES FOR LEARNING The kindergarten through fourth grade years are a time of tremendous cognitive development. By third and fourth grades, learners have developed some basic skills that help them construct knowledge. Instructors in earlier grade levels should use these fourth grade guidelines as a target, extrapolating from this end goal appropriate activities and lessons for younger learners. In these early years of formal education, learners tend to be concrete thinkers with a natural curiosity about the world around them. Environmental education can build on these characteristics by focusing on observation and exploration of the environment—beginning close to home. Local solid waste and water issues easily fit these basic guidelines. Similarly, gardening and habitat improvement projects are especially appropriate for these young learners.COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDSStudents who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and LanguageThe descriptions that follow are not standards themselves but instead offer a portrait of students who meet the standards set out in this document. As students advance through the grades and master the standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language, they are able to exhibit with increasing fullness and regularity these capacities of the literate individual.Anchor standards for Reading Key Ideas and Details







Research to Build and Present Knowledge7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of

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each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.






Standards for MathematicsOverview: In Grade 1, instructional time should focus on four critical areas: (1) developing understanding of addition, subtraction, and strategies for addition and subtraction within 20; (2) developing understanding of whole number relationships and place value, including grouping in tens and ones; (3) developing understanding of linear measurement and measuring lengths as iterating length units; and (4) reasoning about attributes of, andcomposing and decomposing geometric shapes. (1) Students develop strategies for adding and subtracting whole numbers based on their prior work with small numbers. They use a variety of models, including discrete objects and length-based models (e.g., cubes connected to form lengths), to model add-to, take-from, put-together, take-apart, and compare situations to develop meaning for the operations of addition and subtraction, and to develop strategies to solve arithmetic problems with these operations. Students understand connections between counting and addition and subtraction (e.g., adding two is the same as counting on two). They use properties of addition to add whole numbers and to create and use increasingly sophisticated strategies based on these properties (e.g., “making tens”) to solve addition and subtraction problems within 20. By comparing a variety of solution strategies, children build their understanding of the relationship between addition and subtraction.(2) Students develop, discuss, and use efficient, accurate, and generalizable methods to add within 100 and subtract multiples of 10. They compare whole numbers (at least to 100) to develop understanding of and solve problems involving their relative

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sizes. They think of whole numbers between 10 and 100 in terms of tens and ones (especially recognizing the numbers 11 to 19 as composed of a ten and some ones). Through activities that build number sense, they understand the order of the counting numbers and their relative magnitudes.(3) Students develop an understanding of the meaning and processes of measurement, including underlying concepts such as iterating (the mental activity of building up the length of an object with equal-sized units) and the transitivity principle for indirect measurement.(4) Students compose and decompose plane or solid figures (e.g., put two triangles together to make a quadrilateral) and build understanding of part-whole relationships as well as the properties of the original andcomposite shapes. As they combine shapes, they recognize them from different perspectives and orientations, describe their geometric attributes, and determine how they are alike and different, to develop the backgroundfor measurement and for initial understandings of properties such as congruence and symmetry.Operations and Algebraic Thinking

• Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction.• Understand and apply properties of operations and the relationship between addition and subtraction.• Add and subtract within 20.• Work with addition and subtraction equations.

Number and Operations in Base Ten• Extend the counting sequence.• Understand place value.• Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract.

Measurement and Data• Measure lengths indirectly and by iterating length units.• Tell and write time.• Represent and interpret data.

Geometry• Reason with shapes and their attributes.



Benchmark SC.1.1.1 Collect, record, and organize data using simple tools, equipment, and techniques safely

Benchmark SC.1.1.2 Explain the results of an investigation to an audience using simple data organizers (e.g., charts, graphs, pictures)


Benchmark SC.1.3.1 Identify the requirements of plants and animals to survive (e.g., food, air, light, water)

Standard 4: Life and Environmental Sciences: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION IN ORGANISMS: Understand the structures and functions of living organisms and how organisms can be compared scientifically

Benchmark SC.1.4.1 Describe how living things have structures that help them to survive


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Benchmark SC.1.5.1 Identify ways in which the same kinds of plants and the same kinds of animals differ


Benchmark SC.1.8.1 The student: Describes the differences in the warmth of land, air, and water in the morning and afternoon or on cloudy and sunny days.

Math:Standard 1: Numbers and Operations: NUMBER SENSE: Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems

BENCHMARK MA.1.1.1: Count whole numbers up to 100 in a variety of ways


BENCHMARK MA.1.3.2: Use a variety of strategies to solve number problems involving addition and subtraction (e.g., comparing sets, counting on, counting backwards, doubles, doubles plus one)


BENCHMARK MA.1.4.1: Measure with multiple copies of standard (e.g., inch tiles, foot-long lengths of string) or non-standard (e.g., paper clips, pencils) units of the same size

BENCHMARK MA.1.4.4: Identify measurement tools that could be used to measure length, capacity, and weight


BENCHMARK MA.1.9.1: Extend, create, and describe repeating patternsStandard 11: Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability: FLUENCY WITH DATA: Pose questions and collect, organize, and represent data to answer those questions

BENCHMARK MA.1.11.1: Collect and organize information using concrete objects and pictures

Standard 12: Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability: STATISTICS: Interpret data using methods of exploratory data analysis

BENCHMARK MA.1.12.1: Interpret data using simple language (e.g., more, less, fewer, equal)


Benchmark LA.1.1.12 Use new grade-appropriate vocabulary introduced in stories and informational texts

Benchmark LA.1.1.13 Use previous experiences to understand words in textsStandard 2: Reading: READING COMPREHENSION: Use reading strategies to construct meaning from a variety of texts

Benchmark LA.1.2.3 Use previous experiences to understand topics and concepts in texts Benchmark LA.1.2.4 Restate important information or ideas from a variety of texts Benchmark LA.1.2.5 Ask and answer who, what, when, why, where, and how questions

about what is read


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Benchmark LA.1.4.1 Write in a variety of grade-appropriate formats for a variety of purposes and audiences, such as:• descriptions about familiar people, places, events, or experiences• non-fiction formats that explain or give basic information about familiar topics• reflections on learning


Benchmark LA.1.5.2 Add simple descriptions and details to develop a topic Benchmark LA.1.5.4 Use descriptive words when writing about people, places, things, or

events


Benchmark LA.1.6.2 Use appropriate social conventions (e.g., waiting one's turn, raising a hand, apologizing) in various large and small group situations

Benchmark LA.1.6.3 Give and follow one- to three-step oral directions Benchmark LA.1.6.4 Ask questions for clarification Benchmark LA.1.6.5 Use basic listening skills to focus attention on speaker and respond to

a message


Benchmark LA.1.7.1 Use personal examples and explanations to make ideas clearer in various speaking situations

Benchmark LA.1.7.2 Present ideas in a logical order or sequence that is easy to follow

Social StudiesStandard 1: Historical Understanding: CHANGE, CONTINUITY, AND CAUSALITY-Understand change and/or continuity and cause and/or effect in history

BENCHMARK SS.1.1.1: Distinguish temporal structures (i.e., beginning, middle, and end) in stories and historical narratives

BENCHMARK SS.1.2.1: Use a variety of primary sources (e.g., artifacts, letters, photographs) to gain an understanding of historical events

Standard 4: Political Science/Civics: GOVERNANCE, DEMOCRACY, AND INTERACTION-Understand the purpose and historical impact of political institutions, the principles and values of American constitutional democracy, and the similarities and differences in government across cultural perspectives

BENCHMARK SS.1.4.1: Explain the purpose of rules BENCHMARK SS.1.4.4: Explain shared democratic values, including equality, common

good, and individual rights

Standard 5: Political Science/Civics: PARTICIPATION AND CITIZENSHIP-Understand roles, rights (personal, economic, political), and responsibilities of American citizens and exercise them in civic action

BENCHMARK SS.1.5.1: Identify rights and responsibilities of community leaders

Standard 6: Cultural Anthropology: SYSTEMS, DYNAMICS, AND INQUIRY-Understand culture as a system of beliefs, knowledge, and practices shared by a group and understand how cultural systems change over time

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BENCHMARK SS.1.6.1: Describe ways in which own and other cultures express cultural beliefs and practices through stories and/or legends


BENCHMARK SS.1.7.1: Construct and use simple maps to represent physical and human characteristics of a community

Physical Education

Standard 1: MOVEMENT FORMS: Use motor skills and movement patterns to perform a variety of physical activities




Benchmark PE.K-2.2.2 Identify basic rules for safe participation in physical activities

Standard 3: ACTIVE LIFESTYLE: Participate regularly in physical activity Benchmark PE.K-2.3.1 Participate regularly in physical activities Benchmark PE.K-2.3.2 Describe the social and emotional benefits of participating in

physical activities

HealthStandard 1: CORE CONCEPTS: Understand concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention




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Second Grade

EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: GUIDELINES FOR LEARNING The kindergarten through fourth grade years are a time of tremendous cognitive development. By third and fourth grades, learners have developed some basic skills that help them construct knowledge. Instructors in earlier grade levels should use these fourth grade guidelines as a target, extrapolating from this end goal appropriate activities and lessons for younger learners. In these early years of formal education, learners tend to be concrete thinkers with a natural curiosity about the world around them. Environmental education can build on these characteristics by focusing on observation and exploration of the environment—beginning close to home. Local solid waste and water issues easily fit these basic guidelines. Similarly, gardening and habitat improvement projects are especially appropriate for these young learners.COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDSStudents who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and LanguageThe descriptions that follow are not standards themselves but instead offer a portrait of students who meet the standards set out in this document. As students advance through the grades and master the standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language, they are able to exhibit with increasing fullness and regularity these capacities of the literate individual.Anchor standards for Reading Key Ideas and Details



Integration of Knowledge and Ideas7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and

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sufficiency of the evidence.9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.









Vocabulary Acquisition and Use4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient reading,

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writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression

Standards for MathematicsOverview: In Grade 2, instructional time should focus on four critical areas: (1) extending understanding of base-ten notation; (2) building fluency with addition and subtraction; (3) using standard units of measure; and (4) describing and analyzing shapes.(1) Students extend their understanding of the base-ten system. This includes ideas of counting in fives, tens, and multiples of hundreds, tens, and ones, as well as number relationships involving these units, including comparing. Students understand multi-digit numbers (up to 1000) written in base-ten notation, recognizing that the digits in each place represent amounts of thousands, hundreds, tens, or ones (e.g., 853 is 8 hundreds + 5 tens + 3 ones).(2) Students use their understanding of addition to develop fluency with addition and subtraction within 100. They solve problems within 1000 by applying their understanding of models for addition and subtraction, and they develop, discuss, and use efficient, accurate, and generalizable methods to compute sums and differences of whole numbers in base-ten notation, using their understanding of place value and the properties of operations. They select and accurately apply methods that are appropriate for the context and the numbers involved to mentally calculate sums and differences for numbers with only tens or only hundreds.(3) Students recognize the need for standard units of measure (centimeter and inch) and they use rulers and other measurement tools with the understanding that linear measure involves an iteration of units. They recognize that the smaller the unit, the more iterations they need to cover a given length.(4) Students describe and analyze shapes by examining their sides and angles. Students investigate, describe, and reason about decomposing and combining shapes to make other shapes. Through building, drawing, and analyzing two- and three-dimensional shapes, students develop a foundation for understanding area, volume, congruence, similarity, and symmetry in later grades.

Specific GoalsOperations and algebraic thinking

represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction. add and subtract within 20. work with equal groups of objects to gain foundations for multiplication.

Number and operations in Base ten understand place value. use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract.

Measurement and data measure and estimate lengths in standard units. relate addition and subtraction to length. work with time and money represent and interpret data

Geometry reason with shapes and their attributes.


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BENCHMARK SC.2.1.1: Develop predictions based on observations BENCHMARK SC.2.1.2: Conduct a simple investigation using a systematic process

safely to test a predictionStandard 2: The Scientific Process: NATURE OF SCIENCE: Understand that science, technology, and society are interrelated

BENCHMARK SC.2.2.1: Describe changes that have occurred in society as a result of new technologies


BENCHMARK SC.2.3.1: Describe how animals depend on plants and animals


BENCHMARK SC.2.4.1: Explain how plants and animals go through life cycles


BENCHMARK SC.2.5.1: Identify distinct environments and the different kinds of organisms each environment supports


BENCHMARK SC.2.8.1: Identify different Earth materials and classify them by their physical properties

BENCHMARK SC.2.8.2: Identify the limited supply of natural resources and how they can be extended through conservation, reuse, and recycling

Math

Standard 1: Numbers and Operations: NUMBER SENSE: Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems

BENCHMARK MA.2.1.1: Represent whole numbers up to 1000 in flexible ways (e.g., relating, composing, and decomposing numbers), including the use of tens and hundreds as units

BENCHMARK MA.2.1.2: Compare whole numbers up to 1000 using words (e.g., greater than, less than, equal to)

BENCHMARK MA.2.1.3: Represent fractions with denominators no larger than ten using pictures, numbers, words, or models


BENCHMARK MA.2.2.1: Recognize situations involving addition and subtraction and represent the situation with a number sentence


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BENCHMARK MA.2.3.2: Use a variety of strategies to solve problems involving addition and subtraction of two-digit numbers

BENCHMARK MA.2.3.3: Estimate the solution of addition and subtraction problems


BENCHMARK MA.2.4.1: Measure length using inches, feet, and centimeters BENCHMARK MA.2.4.2: Identify appropriate units for measuring length, area, capacity,

and weight BENCHMARK MA.2.4.3: Estimate and measure temperature using standard units (e.g.,

Fahrenheit, Celsius) BENCHMARK MA.2.4.6: Identify objects or visual benchmarks that could be used in

place of standard units when estimating


BENCHMARK MA.2.8.1: Use cardinal directions that describe the location of an object or place (i.e., north, south, east, or west) on a coordinate map

Standard 10: Patterns, Functions, and Algebra: SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION: Use symbolic forms to represent, model, and analyze mathematical situations

BENCHMARK MA.2.10.1: Create a word/story problem for a given number sentenceStandard 11: Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability: FLUENCY WITH DATA: Pose questions and collect, organize, and represent data to answer those questions

BENCHMARK MA.2.11.1: Pose questions, collect data, and display the data using a graph (e.g., bar graphs, pictographs)


BENCHMARK MA.2.12.1: Interpret data displayed in a bar graph and describe how the important features of the data set are represented in a bar graph


Benchmark LA.2.1.3 Apply syllabication and knowledge of word structure to recognize two- and three-syllable words

Benchmark LA.2.1.8 Locate information in a variety of grade-appropriate resourcesStandard 2: Reading: READING COMPREHENSION: Use reading strategies to construct meaning from a variety of texts

Benchmark LA.2.2.1 Use title, table of contents, and chapter headings to locate information in informational texts

Benchmark LA.2.2.3 Use previous experience and prior knowledge to make connections with subjects and ideas encountered in texts


Benchmark LA.2.4.1 Write in a variety of grade-appropriate formats for a variety of purposes and audiences, such as:• brief narratives with logical sequencing and some detail• simple explanations of an event or circumstance

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Benchmark LA.2.5.1 Choose and maintain a focus in a single piece of writing Benchmark LA.2.5.2 Add details from personal experience to elaborate upon and amplify

ideas Benchmark LA.2.5.4 Use specific nouns and adjectives to describe people, places, things,

or events


Benchmark LA.2.6.1 Use oral language to obtain information, complete a task, and share ideas with others

Benchmark LA.2.6.2 Give an oral presentation to share information with peer Benchmark LA.2.6.4 Use appropriate social conventions in various large and small group

situations Benchmark LA.2.6.5 Give feedback to a speaker to promote mutual understanding


Benchmark LA.2.7.1 Add details and information to support ideas when speaking Benchmark LA.2.7.2 Organize ideas in a simple organization pattern or logical sequence

so listeners can understand them Benchmark LA.2.7.3 Use clear and specific vocabulary to convey the intended message

Social StudiesStandard 1: Historical Understanding: CHANGE, CONTINUITY, AND CAUSALITY-Understand change and/or continuity and cause and/or effect in history

Benchmark SS.2.1.1 Construct timelines to sequence events

Standard 3: History: HISTORICAL CONTENT- Understand sharing and caring for people and earth Benchmark SS.2.3.1 Describe ways in which specific government agencies are responsible

for environmental issues and concernsStandard 5: Political Science/Civics: PARTICIPATION AND CITIZENSHIP-Understand roles, rights (personal, economic, political), and responsibilities of American citizens and exercise them in civic action

Benchmark SS.2.5.1 Demonstrate own roles and responsibilities in caring for others and the environment


Benchmark SS.2.7.1 Identify and explain the human (man-made) and physical (natural) characteristics of a neighborhood or the community

Benchmark SS.2.7.2 Human and Physical Characteristics in Spatial Terms Benchmark SS.2.7.3 Describe a variety of the earth's natural resources (e.g., water,

forests, and oil) and ways in which people use them Benchmark SS.2.7.4 Analyze and demonstrate ways to protect and preserve the local

environmentStandard 8: Economics: RESOURCES, MARKETS, AND GOVERNMENT-Understand economic concepts and the characteristics of various economic systems

Benchmark SS.2.8.1 Explain scarcity and its effects on daily life Benchmark SS.2.8.2 Categorize resources as natural, capital, or huma

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Physical EducationStandard 1: MOVEMENT FORMS: Use motor skills and movement patterns to perform a variety of physical activities




Benchmark PE.K-2.2.2 Identify basic rules for safe participation in physical activities

Standard 3: ACTIVE LIFESTYLE: Participate regularly in physical activity Benchmark PE.K-2.3.1 Participate regularly in physical activities Benchmark PE.K-2.3.2 Describe the social and emotional benefits of participating in

physical activities

Career and TechnologyStandard 1: TECHNOLOGICAL DESIGN: Design, modify, and apply technology to effectively and efficiently solve problems

BENCHMARK CTE.2.1.1: Explain that people can design and make objects and systems to solve a problem or to improve the quality of life





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Third GradeEXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: GUIDELINES FOR LEARNINGThe kindergarten through fourth grade years are a time of tremendous cognitive development. By third and fourth grades, learners have developed some basic skills that help them construct knowledge. Instructors in earlier grade levels should use these fourth grade guidelines as a target, extrapolating from this end goal appropriate activities and lessons for younger learners. In these early years of formal education, learners tend to be concrete thinkers with a natural curiosity about the world around them. Environmental education can build on these characteristics by focusing on observation and exploration of the environment—beginning close to home. Local solid waste and water issues easily fit these basic guidelines. Similarly, gardening and habitat improvement projects are especially appropriate for these young learners.COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDSStudents who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and LanguageThe descriptions that follow are not standards themselves but instead offer a portrait of students who meet the standards set out in this document. As students advance through the grades and master the standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language, they are able to exhibit with increasing fullness and regularity these capacities of the literate individual.Anchor standards for Reading Key Ideas and Details







Research to Build and Present Knowledge7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of

27

each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.






Standards for MathematicsIn Grade 3, instructional time should focus on four critical areas: (1) developing understanding of multiplication and division and strategies for multiplication and division within 100; (2) developing understanding of fractions, especially unit fractions (fractions with numerator 1); (3) developing understanding of the structure of rectangular arrays and of area; and (4) describing and analyzing two-dimensional shapes.(1) Students develop an understanding of the meanings of multiplication and division of whole numbers through activities and problems involving equal-sized groups, arrays, and area models; multiplication is finding an unknown product, and division is finding an unknown factor in these situations. For equal-sized group situations, division can require finding the unknown number of groups or the unknown group size. Students use properties of operations to calculate products of whole numbers, using increasingly sophisticated strategies based on these properties to solve multiplication and division problems involving single-digit factors. By comparing a variety of solution strategies, students learn the relationship between multiplication and division.(2) Students develop an understanding of fractions, beginning with unit fractions. Students view fractions in general as being built out of unit fractions, and they use fractions along with visual fraction models to represent parts of a whole. Students understand that the size of a fractional part is relative to the size of the whole. For example, 1/2 of the paint in a small bucket could be less paint than 1/3 of the paint in a larger bucket, but 1/3 of a ribbon is longer than 1/5 of the same ribbon because when the ribbon is divided into 3 equal parts, the parts

28

are longer than when the ribbon is divided into 5 equal parts. Students are able to use fractions to represent numbers equal to, less than, and greater than one. They solve problems that involve comparing fractions by using visual fraction models and strategies based on noticing equal numerators or denominators.(3) Students recognize area as an attribute of two-dimensional regions. They measure the area of a shape by finding the total number of same size units of area required to cover the shape without gaps or overlaps, a square with sides of unit length being the standard unit for measuring area. Students understand that rectangular arrays can be decomposed into identical rows or into identical columns. By decomposing rectangles into rectangular arrays of squares, students connect area to multiplication, and justify using multiplication to determine the area of a rectangle.(4) Students describe, analyze, and compare properties of two dimensional shapes. They compare and classify shapes by their sides and angles, and connect these with definitions of shapes. Students also relate their fraction work to geometry by expressing the area of part of a shape as a unit fraction of the whole

Specific GoalsOperations and algebraic thinking

• represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division.• understand properties of multiplication and the relationship between multiplication and division.• multiply and divide within 100.• solve problems involving the four operations, and identify and explain patterns in arithmetic.

Number and operations in Base ten• use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic.

Number and operations—fractions• develop understanding of fractions as numbers.

Measurement and data• solve problems involving measurement and estimation of intervals of time, liquid volumes, and masses of objects.• represent and interpret data.• geometric measurement: understand concepts of area and relate area to multiplication and to addition.• geometric measurement: recognize perimeter as an attribute of plane figures and distinguish between linear and area measures.

Geometry• reason with shapes and their attributes.



BENCHMARK SC.3.1.1: Pose a question and develop a hypothesis based on observations

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BENCHMARK SC.3.1.2: Safely collect and analyze data to answer a question

Standard 2: The Scientific Process: NATURE OF SCIENCE: Understand that science, technology, and society are interrelated

BENCHMARK SC.3.2.1: Describe ways technologies in fields such as agriculture, information, manufacturing, or communication have influenced society


BENCHMARK SC.3.3.1: Describe how plants depend on animals


BENCHMARK SC.3.4.1: Compare distinct structures of living things that help them to survive


BENCHMARK SC.3.5.1: Describe the relationship between structure and function in organisms

Standard 6: Physical, Earth, and Space Sciences: NATURE OF MATTER AND ENERGY: Understand the nature of matter and energy, forms of energy (including waves) and energy transformations, and their significance in understanding the structure of the universe

BENCHMARK SC.3.6.1: Define energy and explain that the sun produces energy in the form of light and heat


BENCHMARK SC.3.8.1: Describe different Earth materials (e.g., rocks, minerals, sand, soil) and explain their formation and composition

MathStandard 1: Numbers and Operations: NUMBER SENSE: Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems

BENCHMARK MA.3.1.1: Represent place value from hundredths to ten-thousands flexibly BENCHMARK MA.3.1.2: Categorize and justify a number as being odd or even BENCHMARK MA.3.1.3: Compare and order fractions with denominators up to 12 (e.g.,

greater than, less than, equal)


BENCHMARK MA.3.3.2: Use a variety of strategies to solve problems involving addition and subtraction of two- and three-digit numbers

BENCHMARK MA.3.3.3: Estimate the results of whole-number computations


BENCHMARK MA.3.4.1: Describe the concept of area and volume and the appropriate units for each

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BENCHMARK MA.3.4.2: Measure area and volume using standard and non-standard units BENCHMARK MA.3.4.3: Measure length, capacity, and weight in U.S. customary and

metric units (e.g., pound, kilogram) BENCHMARK MA.3.4.4: Estimate and determine the elapsed time between two events or

times BENCHMARK MA.3.4.5: Select appropriate tools for measuring length, capacity, and

weight BENCHMARK MA.3.4.6: Estimate and measure perimeter and area of common shapes

and irregular (e.g., a house-shaped pentagon) shapesStandard 8: Geometry and Spatial Sense: REPRESENTATIONAL SYSTEMS: Select and use different representational systems, including coordinate geometry

BENCHMARK MA.3.8.1: Use coordinates to locate objects/locations on a gridStandard 9: Patterns, Functions, and Algebra: PATTERNS AND FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS: Understand various types of patterns and functional relationships

BENCHMARK MA.3.9.2: Use patterns to solve problem situations involving related quantities in which one quantity changes as the other changes


BENCHMARK MA.3.10.2: Identify situations involving change and describe the change numerically and verbally


BENCHMARK MA.3.11.1: Pose questions, collect data using surveys, and organize the data into tables and graphs

BENCHMARK MA.3.11.2: Organize and represent data in more than one way (e.g., tallies, chart, tables, bar graphs, line plots, line graphs)


BENCHMARK MA.3.12.1: Interpret data (e.g., tallies, chart, tables, bar graphs, line plots) and state what the representation shows about the set of data

Standard 13: Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability: DATA ANALYSIS: Develop and evaluate inferences, predictions, and arguments that are based on data

BENCHMARK MA.3.13.1: Answer questions based on data represented in graphsLanguage ArtsStandard 1: Reading: CONVENTIONS AND SKILLS: Use knowledge of the conventions of language and texts to construct meaning for a range of literary and informational texts for a variety of purposes

BENCHMARK LA.3.1.6: Locate information in a variety of grade-appropriate sources


BENCHMARK LA.3.2.3: Identify the main idea or problem and solution in a textStandard 4: Writing: CONVENTIONS AND SKILLS: Use the writing process and conventions of language and research to construct meaning and communicate effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences using a range of forms

BENCHMARK LA.3.4.1: Write in a variety of grade-appropriate formats for a variety of purposes and audiences, such as:• stories with a beginning, middle, and end and poems with sensory details• short reports on content area topics

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• pieces related to completing tasks• friendly letters• pieces to reflect on learning and to solve problems

BENCHMARK LA.3.4.7: Differentiate between own information and information from other sources


BENCHMARK LA.3.5.1: Add details, descriptions, and information from different sources to elaborate meaning

BENCHMARK LA.3.5.2: Organize information by introducing it, elaborating on it, and drawing a conclusion about it

BENCHMARK LA.3.5.4: Use specific verbs and adverbs to describe people, places, things, or events


BENCHMARK LA.3.6.1: Use oral language to obtain information, complete a task, and share ideas and personal opinions with others

BENCHMARK LA.3.6.1: Use oral language to obtain information, complete a task, and share ideas and personal opinions with others

BENCHMARK LA.3.6.4: Clarify spoken messages by restating, questioning, or elaborating


BENCHMARK LA.3.7.1: Add concrete details and specific facts to support and develop ideas when speaking

BENCHMARK LA.3.7.2: Group similar ideas around major points when speakingSocial StudiesStandard 2: Historical Understanding: INQUIRY, EMPATHY AND PERSPECTIVE- Use the tools and methods of inquiry, perspective, and empathy to explain historical events with multiple interpretations and judge the past on its own terms

BENCHMARK SS.3.2.1: Investigate the history of communities over time using level-appropriate primary sources (e.g., maps, photos, oral histories, letters, and newspapers)

BENCHMARK SS.3.2.2: Analyze varying perspectives of an experience or event based on the differing viewpoints of the teller, listener, and /or the participants

Standard 3: History: HISTORICAL CONTENT- Understand sharing and caring for people and earth BENCHMARK SS.3.3.1: Analyze issues and concerns of own community and those of a

similar community in the pastStandard 6: Cultural Anthropology: SYSTEMS, DYNAMICS, AND INQUIRY-Understand culture as a system of beliefs, knowledge, and practices shared by a group and understand how cultural systems change over time

BENCHMARK SS.3.6.1: Explain that different cultures have unique values, beliefs, and practices


BENCHMARK SS.3.7.1: Use geographic representations (e.g., maps, globes, graphs, charts, models) to organize and analyze geographic information

BENCHMARK SS.3.7.2: Compare the physical and human characteristics of different communities and regions

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BENCHMARK SS.3.7.3: Describe the physical and human characteristics that make different regions unique

BENCHMARK SS.3.7.4: Examine the ways in which people modify the physical environment and the effects of these changes


BENCHMARK SS.3.8.2: Explain that goods and resources are limited because there are not enough natural, human, and capital resources to satisfy everyone's wants

Physical Education


BENCHMARK PE.3-5.1.1: Use locomotor and non-locomotor skills in a mature (proper) form


BENCHMARK PE.3-5.2.2: Identify procedures for safe participation in physical activities

Standard 3: ACTIVE LIFESTYLE: Participate regularly in physical activity BENCHMARK PE.3-5.3.1: Participate regularly in physical activities that contribute to an

active lifestyle and bring personal enjoymentCareer and TechnologyStandard 2: CAREER PLANNING: Explore and understand educational and career options in order to develop and implement personal, educational, and career goals

BENCHMARK CTE.3.2.1: Describe how different careers may require different skills, knowledge, and attitudes


BENCHMARK HE.3-5.1.2: Describe the importance of physical activity and exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle

BENCHMARK HE.3-5.1.4: Describe how to assess situations that might be dangerous or risky and strategies to avoid such situations

BENCHMARK HE.3-5.1.9: Explain the consequences associated with exposure to environmental elements

Standard 5: Interpersonal Communication: Use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health

BENCHMARK HE.3-5.5.1: Use appropriate strategies for effective verbal and non-verbal communication in formal and informal settings

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Fourth Grade

EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: GUIDELINES FOR LEARNINGThe kindergarten through fourth grade years are a time of tremendous cognitive development. By third and fourth grades, learners have developed some basic skills that help them construct knowledge. Instructors in earlier grade levels should use these fourth grade guidelines as a target, extrapolating from this end goal appropriate activities and lessons for younger learners. In these early years of formal education, learners tend to be concrete thinkers with a natural curiosity about the world around them. Environmental education can build on these characteristics by focusing on observation and exploration of the environment—beginning close to home. Local solid waste and water issues easily fit these basic guidelines. Similarly, gardening and habitat improvement projects are especially appropriate for these young learners.Learners should be able to meet the guidelines included in this section by the end of fourth grade. (Note: these guidelines are aligned with national educational standards pre-dating the Common Core State Standards)

Strand 1— Questioning, Analysis and Interpretation Skills

A) Questioning—Learners are able to develop questions that help them learn about the environment and do simple investigations.

Identify questions they are likely to be able to answer by combining their own observations and investigations of the environment with existing information.

Pose questions based on experiences in their own community and local environment as well as from other sources, such as journalistic reports about the environment.

Generate ideas and questions about objects, organisms, events, places, and relationships in the environment.

B) Designing investigations—Learners are able to design simple investigations. Predict possible answers to their own questions, developing and discussing simple

alternative hypotheses. Design ways of answering questions based on systematic observations. For example,

devise a way to learn about the life cycle of a caterpillar or the means of transportation that children take to and from their school.

Design simple experiments to answer questions and test ideas they have about the environment.

C) Collecting information—Learners are able to locate and collect information about the environment and environmental topics.

Observe and record characteristics, differences, and change in objects, organisms, events, places, and relationships in the environment.

Find, assess, select, and use resources such as atlases, data bases, charts, tables, graphs, and maps.

Use basic field skills, such as observing, interviewing and measuring, to collect information.

Use tools such as rulers, thermometers, watches, scales, magnifiers, and microscopes to make observations and measurements.

Use computers, calculators and other devices to conduct investigations and manipulate information.

D) Evaluating accuracy and reliability—Learners understand the need to use reliable information to answer their questions. They are familiar with some basic factors to consider in judging the merits of information.

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Provide specific examples of information they believe to be factual, fictitious, or of questionable merit and explain their reasoning.

Identify some factors that might influence the credibility of a specific source of information, for example, who created it, how old it is, and what kind of arguments or evidence are used.

E) Organizing information—Learners are able to describe data and organize information to search for relationships and patterns concerning the environment and environmental topics.

Summarize observations and describe data Construct, read, and interpret maps, graphs, tables, diagrams, and other displays of

data. Identify patterns in events, designs, organisms, and sets of numbers. Describe mathematical relationships and use those relationships as a way of organizing

data. For example, chart the relationship between plant growth and different amounts of water or sunlight.

F) Working with models and simulations—Learners understand that relationships, patterns, and processes can be represented by models.

Interpret information and situations by noting associations and similarities, and recognizing patterns, trends, relationships, and sequences.

Give examples of models or simulations and how they can be used to learn about what they represent. Identify ways in which a model differs from what it represents.

Use a number of types of models such as geometric figures, graphs, and maps to summarize observations of the environment.

G) Drawing conclusions and developing explanations—Learners can develop simple explanations that address their questions about the environment.

Summarize information, compare findings, and use basic mathematics to analyze data. Identify information that is not relevant to a proposed explanation and explain their

reasoning. Use models and examples to explain their thinking. List strengths and weaknesses of the explanations they propose.

Strand 2— Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems

Strand 2.1—The Earth as a Physical System

A) Processes that shape the Earth—Learners are able to identify changes and differences in the physical environment.

Identify some of the forces that cause erosion within their own region, pointing out factors such as freezing and thawing, wind, waves, and gravity.

Identify some distinctive landforms within their region and, using maps and images, in other areas of the world. For example, understand that the ocean is a single, interconnected body of water.

Differentiate among climates, considering factors such as precipitation, temperature, and resident plants and animals and how they form the different biomes. Understand that the ocean is a major influence on weather and climate no matter where you live.

Observe and record seasonal differences. For example, draw a series of pictures or compile photographs that illustrate differences such as day length, migration of specific bird species, and when specific tree species lose their leaves.

B) Changes in matter—Learners are able to identify basic characteristics of and changes in

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matter. Describe objects in terms of the materials they are made of and their observable

properties. For example, describe buildings constructed with different materials and discuss why these materials may have been selected based on such properties as rigidity, ability to reflect or gather heat, and transparency.

Identify the effects of factors such as heating, cooling, and moisture on the properties of materials and how quickly change happens. For example, describe the change of water from solid to liquid to gas in the environment.

Describe the basic elements of the hydrologic cycle (including the role of the ocean) and geologic processes (including weathering, erosion, and deposition). Locate examples of these in the local environment.

C) Energy—While they may have little understanding of formal concepts associated with energy, learners are familiar with the basic behavior of some different forms of energy.

Identify different forms of energy including radiant light, geothermal, electrical, and magnetic energy. Identify examples of these different forms in their homes, school, community, and natural environment.

Explain some of the ways in which heat, light, or electricity are produced, travel, stored and used. Use examples such as the sun, power generation, batteries, and so forth.

Strand 2.2—The Living Environment

A) Organisms, populations, and communities—Learners understand basic similarities and differences among a wide variety of living organisms. They understand the concept of habitat.

Identify similarities and differences among living organisms ranging from single-celled organisms they can observe under microscopes to plants and animals they encounter through direct observation, videos, books, or other media.

Classify or group organisms using categories such as how animals bear their young, anatomical features, or habitats. Compare organisms that live in the ocean to those that live on land.

Describe the basic needs of all living things and explain how organisms meet their needs in different types of environments such as deserts, lakes, ocean, or forests, and across different climates.

B) Heredity and evolution—Learners understand that plants and animals have different characteristics and that many of the characteristics are inherited.

Identify some basic traits of plants and animals. Give examples of how those traits may vary among individuals of the same species.

Identify some similarities among offspring and parents as being inherited and others as resulting from the organism's interactions with its environment.

Compare fossil life forms and living organisms to identify similarities and differences between organisms that lived long ago and those alive today.

C) Systems and connections—Learners understand basic ways in which organisms are related to their environments and to other organisms.

Describe ways in which an organism's behavior patterns are related to its environment. Identify examples of environmental change and discuss how these changes may be helpful or harmful to particular organisms.

Identify ways in which organisms (including humans) cause changes in their own environments. Create a skit that shows how these changes may help or harm both the organisms that caused the change and other organisms.

Identify ways in which organisms are interdependent. For example, some animals eat plants, some fish depend on other fish to keep them free of parasites, earthworms keep

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soil loose and fertile, which makes it easy for plants to grow.

D) Flow of matter and energy—Learners know that living things need some source of energy to live and grow.

Explain how most living organisms depend on the sun as the source of their life energy. Give examples that illustrate the understanding that animals ultimately depend on plants for this energy and that plants depend on the sun. Use this idea to trace the energy in the food they eat for lunch back to the sun.

Describe how matter can be recycled, sometimes in a changed form from the original material. Use examples from their own experience, such as fleece jackets made from recycled soda bottles or envelopes made from recycled telephone books. Or make their own recycled paper and explain how the use of matter differs between making recycled paper and new (or "virgin") paper.

Explain the process of life, growth, death, and decay of living organisms as a form of recycling. For example, use a compost pile to study recycling of organic materials.

Strand 2.3—Humans and Their Societies

A) Individuals and groups—Learners understand that people act as individuals and as group members and that groups can influence individual actions.

Give examples of influences on individual behavior, particularly behavior that affects the environment. For example, discuss why a person might choose to dispose of household garbage, candy wrappers, or toxic products in certain ways. Consider influences such as financial costs, convenience, laws, and the opinions of friends and family members.

Identify some of the many groups that a person can belong to at the same time. Describe some tensions that a person might feel as a result of belonging to different groups. Discuss why students might belong to school or after- school clubs (such as environmental clubs or scouting troops). Consider personal benefits (such as fun and learning) as well as good things the clubs do for the whole school or community.

B) Culture—Learners understand that experiences and places may be interpreted differently by people with different cultural backgrounds, at different times, or with other frames of reference.

Describe their favorite place or their own community from a variety of perspectives, including their own.

Role-play the reactions of different people to a place or historical event—especially one with local significance.

Compare how people live in different climates and how different cultures meet basic human needs. For example, prepare a visual display that compares how people support themselves in different climates and discuss how those livelihoods can both affect the environment and depend on the environment.

C) Political and economic systems—Learners understand that government and economic systems exist because people living together in groups need ways to do things such as provide for needs and wants, maintain order, and manage conflict.

Discuss what might happen if there were no laws to protect the environment in their area. Consider possible positive and negative effects on plants and animals, specific natural areas, landowners, specific businesses, water users, and others.

List jobs in their community that are linked to processing natural resources. Identify clusters of related businesses and interview employees or owners to determine why those economic activities are located in their community.

Identify elements of infrastructure (e.g. communications and transportation systems) in their community. For example, create a map or a skit showing how information, people, and goods move from place to place. Include information about who is responsible for,

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or who pays for, this infrastructure (e.g., the government, private business, individuals).

D) Global connections—Learners understand how people are connected at many levels—including the global level—by actions and common responsibilities that concern the environment.

Identify ways in which individual needs and wants are related to environmental concerns such as energy use, conservation and environmental protection.

Describe how trade connects people around the world and enables them to have things they might not be able or willing to produce themselves. For example, create a map that shows where a learner's food, clothing and household items are produced, where the raw materials come from, products that are traded into and out from their region, and so forth.

Identify possible environmental concerns that might come up in other regions or countries as a result of producing or shipping products that learners use regularly.

Discuss how television, computers, and other forms of communication connect people around the world.

E) Change and conflict—Learners recognize that change is a normal part of individual and societal life. They understand that conflict is rooted in different points of view.

Identify aspects of family and community life that have remained constant over generations, as well as aspects that have changed. For example, interview family or community members and develop a visual display about their findings.

Give examples of rules related to the environment at home, in school, or elsewhere that have changed and others that have stayed the same.

Identify some basic ways in which individuals, groups, and institutions such as schools resolve conflict concerning the environment. For example, develop and perform short skits about different ways of solving a school problem such as littering on the playground or in hallways.

Strand 2.4—Environment and Society

A) Human/environment interactions—Learners understand that people depend on, change, and are affected by the environment.

Identify ways in which people depend on the environment. For example, create an artistic representation of how the environment provides food, water, air, recreation, minerals, and other resources.

Identify ways in which human actions change the environment. For example, list changes that activities such as building houses or stores with parking lots, farming, or damming rivers have caused within their community or region.

Describe how the environment affects human activities in their community or region. For example, describe the effects of weather and climate, the likelihood of earthquakes or flooding, soil and mineral types, or the presence of water on where people live, how they make a living, how they recreate, and so forth.

B) Places—Learners understand that places differ in their physical and human characteristics. Identify and describe places in their region that they or others think are important. For

example, draw pictures, create a video, or take photographs that illustrate what people find unique or important about regional landmarks, downtown areas, parks, farms, wilderness areas, and so forth.

Discuss how humans create places that reflect their ideas, needs, and wants, as well as the physical environment. Illustrate with examples of places within their experience such as playgrounds, parks, classrooms, and homes.

Compare their neighborhood or town with another nearby place, or compare their

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favorite park with another park they know. List characteristics that make one place different from another.

C) Resources—Learners understand the basic concepts of resource and resource distribution. Explain what a natural resource is and give examples. Distinguish among resources that are renewable and nonrenewable, and resources

(like running water or wind) that are available only in certain places at certain times. Identify ways they use resources in their daily lives. Locate sources of various resources on a map. For example, trace the origins of the

local water supply or map the region's natural resources. Link patterns of human settlement and other activity with the presence of specific

resources such as mineral deposits, rivers, or fertile farming areas. Research the origins of their own community and explain the role of resource availability on how the community developed.

D) Technology—Learners understand that technology is an integral part of human existence and culture.

Describe technologies as tools and ways of doing things that humans have invented. Give examples of technologies that affect their lives in areas such as transportation, communications, and entertainment.

Interview family members or community members to trace technological changes that have taken place over the last three generations.

Identify drawbacks and benefits of specific technologies. Consider the fact that technologies can benefit some humans and other organisms while harming others.

Identify important technological systems such as agriculture, transportation, and manufacturing.

E) Environmental issues—Learners are familiar with some local environmental issues and understand that people in other places experience environmental issues as well.

Discuss some local environmental issues by identifying some changes or proposals that people disagree about. Describe or role-play how different people feel about these changes and proposals.

Discuss how people in other places with similar conditions might react or perceive the situation in similar ways.

Strand 3— Skills for Understanding and Addressing Environmental Issues

Strand 3.1—–Skills for Analyzing and Investigating Environmental Issues

A) Identifying and investigating issues—Learners are able to identify and investigate issues in their local environments and communities.

Identify and describe a current or historical environmental issue in their community. Use primary and secondary sources of information to explore the dilemma confronting

people in a current or historical situation that involves the environment. Apply ideas of past, present, and future to local environmental issues. For example,

describe what has changed, is changing, and could change or discuss how long the issue has existed.

Identify people and groups that are involved. · Identify some of the decisions and actions related to

the issue.

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B) Sorting out the consequences of issues—As learners come to understand that environmental and social phenomena are linked, they are able to explore the consequences of issues.

Observe and speculate about social, economic, and environmental effects of environmental changes and conditions, and proposed solutions to issues. For example, describe short-term and long-term effects of existing uses of land or another resource in the home, community, and region.

Discuss how an environmental issue affects different individuals and groups.

C) Identifying and evaluating alternative solutions and courses of action—Learners understand there are many approaches to resolving issues.

Identify proposed solutions to an issue and discuss arguments for and against them. Explain why various strategies may be effective in different situations, and that each

proposed strategy is likely to have a different effect on society and the environment. Illustrate with examples from a specific issue.

Describe some of the different levels at which action can be taken—for example by individuals, families, school classes, different levels of government, or businesses. Identify ways that these groups might take action on a specific issue.

Propose alternative approaches to problems.

D) Working with flexibility, creativity, and openness—Learners understand the importance of sharing ideas and hearing other points of view.

Engage in critique and discussion as part of the process of inquiry. Explain why these processes are important.

Hear and respect different perspectives and communicate with people whose lives, cultures, and viewpoints are different from their own.

Identify ideas and interpretations that differ from theirs. Ask questions about different perspectives and discuss their strong points and drawbacks.

Strand 3.2—Decision-Making and Citizenship Skills

A) Forming and evaluating personal views—Learners are able to examine and express their own views on environmental issues.

Identify and express their own ideas about environmental issues and alternative ways to address them.

Test their views against what they know and believe, remaining open to new information and ideas.

Identify unanswered questions. Identify, clarify, and express their own beliefs and values regarding the environment.

B) Evaluating the need for citizen action—Learners are able to think critically about whether they believe action is needed in particular situations and whether they believe they should be involved.

Discuss whether citizens should take action on a particular environmental issue. Consider findings from their issue investigations such as causes of the problem and promising strategies for addressing it.

Identify types of citizen action appropriate for a specific issue. Discuss whether and how they think they would like to be involved. Identify reasons for

and against taking specific kinds of action.

C) Planning and taking action—By participating in issues of their choosing—mostly close to home—they learn the basics of individual and collective action.

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Develop action plans they can carry out individually, in small groups, or as a class. Include clear reasons and goals for action. Consider the results of their environmental issue investigation and their assessment of the need for action.

Set realistic goals for action and measures of success consistent with learners' abilities. Decide whether their plan should be implemented immediately or at another time,

changed, or abandoned; and carry through with action when appropriate.

D) Evaluating the results of actions—Learners understand that civic actions have consequences.

Describe the apparent effects of their own actions and actions taken by other individuals and groups.

Discuss some of the reasons why identifying the effects of actions may be difficult. Consider, for example, the time required to see effects, the influences of others' actions, and other changes in the situation.

Strand 4— Personal and Civic Responsibility

A) Understanding societal values and principles—Learners can identify fundamental principles of U.S. society and explain their importance in the context of environmental issues.

Identify examples of beliefs that many U.S. citizens hold in common, such as the importance of individual property rights, the right to pursue happiness, the public or common good, and the well-being of future generations. Create a skit that explores why people might decide to act on environmental issues, considering possible connections with these basic beliefs.

Discuss how their own beliefs about the environment, environmental issues, and society compare to these general, societal beliefs.

Recognize tensions that occur when basic values and beliefs differ. Illustrate with examples from local environmental issues.

B) Recognizing citizens' rights and responsibilities—Learners understand the basic rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Identify examples of the personal, political, and economic rights of U.S. citizens. Identify examples of the responsibilities of citizenship. Discuss rights and responsibilities in the context of local environmental issues.

C) Recognizing efficacy—Learners possess a realistic self- confidence in their effectiveness as citizens.

Describe ways in which individuals and groups act within their community to protect the environment. Identify cases where citizen action has had an effect on an environmental decision or action.

Identify ways in which they have made a difference through their own actions. Give examples from situations over which learners have some control (for example, in the classroom, at home, or in the community) and that are appropriate to their level of understanding.

D) Accepting personal responsibility—Learners understand that they have responsibility for the effects of their actions.

Identify and describe some of the effects that they and the groups they belong to (e.g., family or school class) have on the environment and on humans and other living beings.

Discuss the notion of responsibility and identify some of their personal responsibilities.

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COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDSStudents who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and Language

The descriptions that follow are not standards themselves but instead offer a portrait of students who meet the standards set out in this document. As students advance through the grades and master the standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language, they are able to exhibit with increasing fullness and regularity these capacities of the literate individual.Anchor standards for Reading Key Ideas and Details









Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening Comprehension and Collaboration1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats,

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including visually, quantitatively, and orally.3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.




Standards for Math

In Grade 4, instructional time should focus on three critical areas: (1) developing understanding and fluency with multi-digit multiplication, and developing understanding of dividing to find quotients involving multi-digit dividends; (2) developing an understanding of fraction equivalence, addition and subtraction of fractions with like denominators, and multiplication of fractions by whole numbers; (3) understanding that geometric figures can be analyzed and classified based on their properties, such as having parallel sides, perpendicular sides, particular angle measures, and symmetry.

(1) Students generalize their understanding of place value to 1,000,000, understanding the relative sizes of numbers in each place. They apply their understanding of models for multiplication (equal-sized groups, arrays, area models), place value, and properties of operations, in particular the distributive property, as they develop, discuss, and use efficient, accurate, and generalizable methods to compute products of multi-digit whole numbers. Depending on the numbers and the context, they select and accurately apply appropriate methods to estimate or mentally calculate products. They develop fluency with efficient procedures for multiplying whole numbers; understand and explain why the procedures work based on place value and properties of operations; and use them to solve problems. Students apply their understanding of models for division, place value, properties of operations, and the relationship of division to multiplication as they develop, discuss, and use efficient, accurate, and generalizable procedures to find quotients involving multi-digit dividends. They select and accurately apply appropriate methods to estimate and mentally calculate quotients, and interpret remainders based upon the context.

(2) Students develop understanding of fraction equivalence and operations with fractions. They recognize that two different fractions can be equal (e.g., 15/9 = 5/3), and they develop methods for generating and recognizing equivalent fractions. Students extend previous understandings about how fractions are built from unit fractions, composing fractions from unit fractions, decomposing fractions into unit fractions, and using the meaning of fractions and the meaning of multiplication to

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multiply a fraction by a whole number.

(3) Students describe, analyze, compare, and classify two-dimensional shapes. Through building, drawing, and analyzing two-dimensional shapes, students deepen their understanding of properties of two-dimensional objects and the use of them to solve problems involving symmetry.

Specific Goals

Operations and algebraic thinking• use the four operations with whole numbers to solve problems.• gain familiarity with factors and multiples. • Generate and analyze patterns.number and operations in Base ten• generalize place value understanding for multi- digit whole numbers.• use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic.

Number and operations—fractions• extend understanding of fraction equivalence and ordering.• build fractions from unit fractions by applying and extending previous understandings of operations on whole numbers.• understand decimal notation for fractions, and compare decimal fractions.

Measurement and data• solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from a larger unit to a smaller unit.• represent and interpret data.• geometric measurement: understand concepts of angle and measure angles.

Geometry• draw and identify lines and angles, and classify shapes by properties of their lines and angles.


HAWAII CONTENT AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

ScienceStandard 1: The Scientific Process: SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION: Discover, invent, and investigate using the skills necessary to engage in the scientific process

Benchmark SC.4.1.1 Describe a testable hypothesis and an experimental procedure Benchmark SC.4.1.2 Differentiate between an observation and an inference


Benchmark SC.4.2.1 Describe how the use of technology has influenced the economy, demography, and environment of Hawaii

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Benchmark SC.4.3.1 Explain how simple food chains and food webs can be traced back to plants

Benchmark SC.4.3.2 Describe how an organism's behavior is determined by its environment


Benchmark SC.4.4.1 Identify the basic differences between plant cells and animal cells


Benchmark SC.4.5.1 Compare fossils and living things Benchmark SC.4.5.2 Describe the roles of various organisms in the same environment Benchmark SC.4.5.3 Describe how different organisms need specific environmental

conditions to survive Standard 8: Physical, Earth, and Space Sciences: EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE: Understand the Earth and its processes, the solar system, and the universe and its contents

Benchmark SC.4.8.1 Describe how slow processes sometimes shape and reshape the surface of the Earth

MathStandard 1: Numbers and Operations: NUMBER SENSE: Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems

Benchmark MA.4.1.1 Identify place value from ten-thousandths to millionsStandard 2: Numbers and Operations: OPERATION SENSE: Understand the meaning of operations and how they relate to each other

Benchmark MA.4.2.1 Describe situations involving addition and subtraction of fractions and decimals


Benchmark MA.4.3.2 Select and use appropriate strategies and/or tools (e.g., mental math, calculators, paper/pencil, standard algorithms) for computing whole numbers

Benchmark MA.4.3.5 Determine the reasonableness of numerical solutions


Benchmark MA.4.4.1 Explain the need to use standard units for measuring Benchmark MA.4.4.2 Select and apply appropriate customary and metric units and tools

to measure length, perimeter, and area for the degree of accuracy neededStandard 8: Geometry and Spatial Sense: REPRESENTATIONAL SYSTEMS: Select and use different representational systems, including coordinate geometry

Benchmark MA.4.8.1 Use ordered pairs to plot points on a coordinate gridStandard 9: Patterns, Functions, and Algebra: PATTERNS AND FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS: Understand various types of patterns and functional relationships

Benchmark MA.4.9.2 Represent the relationship between quantities in a variety of forms (e.g., manipulatives, tables, pictures, symbols)

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Benchmark MA.4.10.3 Describe the rate of change numerically and verbally based on data recorded in a table or graph


Benchmark MA.4.11.1 Pose questions, collect data using observations and experiments, and organize the data into tables or graphs

Benchmark MA.4.11.2 Label the parts of a graph (e.g., axes, scale, legend, title)Standard 12: Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability: STATISTICS: Interpret data using methods of exploratory data analysis

Benchmark MA.4.12.1 Compare related data sets (e.g., height of 4th grade boys vs. height of 4th grade girls) with an emphasis on how the data are distributed

Benchmark MA.4.12.2 Analyze important features in the shape of the graph of a data set


Benchmark MA.4.13.1 Propose and justify conclusions/predictions based on dataStandard 14: Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability: PROBABILITY: Understand and apply basic notions of chance and probability

Benchmark MA.4.14.1 Predict the probability of outcomes of simple experiments (e.g., coin toss, 4-colored spinner) and test the predictions


Benchmark LA.4.1.1 Use new grade-appropriate vocabulary, including homophones and homographs, learned through reading and word study, including root words, affixes, and word origins

Benchmark LA.4.1.2 Use print and online resources to clarify meaning and usageStandard 2: Reading: READING COMPREHENSION: Use reading strategies to construct meaning from a variety of texts

Benchmark LA.4.2.1 Describe how common graphic structures (e.g., typeface, headings, illustrations) organize information in texts

Benchmark LA.4.2.2 Use organizational patterns (e.g., sequential, cause and effect) to access and understand information

Benchmark LA.4.2.4 Distinguish fact from opinion and cause from effect when reading informational texts

Benchmark LA.4.2.5 Summarize main points found in informational textsStandard 4: Writing: CONVENTIONS AND SKILLS: Use the writing process and conventions of language and research to construct meaning and communicate effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences using a range of forms

Benchmark LA.4.4.1 Write in a variety of grade-appropriate formats for a variety of purposes and audiences, such as:• narratives that follow a plot and describe a setting and characters• poems that provide insight into why the topic is memorable• responses to literature• reports that focus on a central question and incorporate summaries from research• accounts based on personal experience that have a clear focus and supporting details• pieces to reflect on learning and to solve problems

Benchmark LA.4.4.7 Write a simple bibliography entry for a book and website (e.g., author, title, publisher, copyright)

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Benchmark LA.4.5.2 Use paragraphs and transitions to organize related information and move the reader from one idea to the next

Standard 6: Oral Communication: CONVENTIONS AND SKILLS: Apply knowledge of verbal and nonverbal language to communicate effectively in various situations: interpersonal, group, and public: for a variety of purposes

Benchmark LA.4.6.1 Participate in grade-appropriate oral group activities Benchmark LA.4.6.2 Give short, informal presentations to inform or persuade Benchmark LA.4.6.4 Distinguish between supporting facts and opinions in oral

messages


Benchmark LA.4.7.1 Use prior knowledge, input from others, and text resources to develop ideas for speaking

Benchmark LA.4.7.2 Add details to support meaning Benchmark LA.4.7.3 Organize a speech to emphasize important points and relate them

to one anotherSocial StudiesStandard 4: Political Science/Civics: GOVERNANCE AND INTERACTION-Understand the purpose and historical impact of political institutions, the principles and values of the Hawaiian kapu system, and the similarities and differences in government across cultural perspectives

Benchmark SS.4.4.1 Evaluate the kapu system in the context of the timeStandard 5: Political Science/Civics: PARTICIPATION AND CITIZENSHIP- Understand roles, rights (personal, economic, political), and responsibilities of the Ali_i, Kahuna, Maka_ainana and Kaua classes and how they participated in civic life

Benchmark SS.4.5.1Describe the roles, rights, and responsibilities of each class in pre-contact Hawaii


Benchmark SS.4.6.2 Describe how individuals or groups deal with conflict, cooperation, and interdependence within the ahupua'a


Benchmark SS.4.7.1 Identify the major geographic characteristics and demographics of the pre-contact Hawaiian archipelago, including its relative location to other major land masses

Benchmark SS.4.7.2 Collect, organize, and analyze data to interpret and construct geographic representations

Benchmark SS.4.7.3 Analyze the consequences of human modification of the physical environment in Hawaii using geographic representations (including lo'i kalo and loko i'a)

Physical Education



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Standard 3: ACTIVE LIFESTYLE: Participate regularly in physical activity BENCHMARK PE.3-5.3.1: Participate regularly in physical activities that contribute to

an active lifestyle and bring personal enjoyment

Career and TechnologyStandard 2: CAREER PLANNING: Explore and understand educational and career options in order to develop and implement personal, educational, and career goals

BENCHMARK CTE.4.2.2 Identify ways that hobbies, personal interests, and strengths may lead to a career interest







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Fifth GradeEXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: GUIDELINES FOR LEARNING

In the fifth through eighth grades, learners begin to develop skills in abstract thinking and continue to develop creative thinking skills—and along with these, the ability to understand the interplay of environmental and human social systems in greater depth. Environmental education can foster this development by focusing on investigation of local environmental systems, problems, and issues. As learners become actively engaged in deciding for themselves what is right and wrong, educators can use environmental problems to help learners explore their own responsibilities and ethics.

COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS

Students who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and Language

The descriptions that follow are not standards themselves but instead offer a portrait of students who meet the standards set out in this document. As students advance through the grades and master the standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language, they are able to exhibit with increasing fullness and regularity these capacities of the literate individual.Anchor standards for Reading Key Ideas and Details






Production and Distribution of Writing4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by

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planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.







Math Overview

In Grade 5, instructional time should focus on three critical areas: (1) developing fluency with addition and subtraction of fractions, and developing understanding of the multiplication of fractions and of division of fractions in limited cases (unit fractions divided by whole numbers and whole numbers divided by unit fractions); (2) extending division to 2-digit divisors, integrating decimal fractions into the place value system and developing understanding of operations with decimals to hundredths, and developing fluency with whole number and decimal operations; and (3) developing understanding of volume.

(1) Students apply their understanding of fractions and fraction models to represent the addition and subtraction of fractions with unlike denominators as equivalent calculations with like denominators. They develop fluency in calculating sums and differences of fractions, and make

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reasonable estimates of them. Students also use the meaning of fractions, of multiplication and division, and the relationship between multiplication and division to understand and explain why the procedures for multiplying and dividing fractions make sense. (Note: this is limited to the case of dividing unit fractions by whole numbers and whole numbers by unit fractions.)

(2) Students develop understanding of why division procedures work based on the meaning of base-ten numerals and properties of operations. They finalize fluency with multi-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. They apply their understandings of models for decimals, decimal notation, and properties of operations to add and subtract decimals to hundredths. They develop fluency in these computations, and make reasonable estimates of their results. Students use the relationship between decimals and fractions, as well as the relationship between finite decimals and whole numbers (i.e., a finite decimal multiplied by an appropriate power of 10 is a whole number), to understand and explain why the procedures for multiplying and dividing finite decimals make sense. They compute products and quotients of decimals to hundredths efficiently and accurately.

(3) Students recognize volume as an attribute of three-dimensional space. They understand that volume can be measured by finding the total number of same-size units of volume required to fill the space without gaps or overlaps. They understand that a 1-unit by 1-unit by 1-unit cube is the standard unit for measuring volume. They select appropriate units, strategies, and tools for solving problems that involve estimating and measuring volume. They decompose three-dimensional shapes and find volumes of right rectangular prisms by viewing them as decomposed into layers of arrays of cubes. They measure necessary attributes of shapes in order to determine volumes to solve real world and mathematical problems.

Specific Goals

Operations and algebraic thinking • write and interpret numerical expressions. • analyze patterns and relationships.

Number and operations in Base ten• understand the place value system.• perform operations with multi-digit whole numbers and with decimals to hundredths.

Number and operations—fractions• Use equivalent fractions as a strategy to add and subtract fractions.• apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division to multiply and divide fractions.

Measurement and data• Convert like measurement units within a given measurement system.• represent and interpret data.• Geometric measurement: understand concepts of volume and relate volume to multiplication and to addition.

Geometry• Graph points on the coordinate plane to solve real-world and mathematical problems.• Classify two-dimensional figures into categories based on their properties.

General Mathematical Practices

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1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.4. Model with mathematics.5. Use appropriate tools strategically.6. Attend to precision.7. Look for and make use of structure.8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

HAWAII CONTENT AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDSScience

Standard 1: The Scientific Process: SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION: Discover, invent, and investigate using the skills necessary to engage in the scientific process

Benchmark SC.5.1.1 Identify the variables in scientific investigations and recognize the importance of controlling variables in scientific experiment

Benchmark SC.5.1.2 Formulate and defend conclusions based on evidenceStandard 2: The Scientific Process: NATURE OF SCIENCE: Understand that science, technology, and society are interrelated

Benchmark SC.5.2.1 Use models and/or simulations to represent and investigate features of objects, events, and processes in the real world


Benchmark SC.5.3.1 Describe the cycle of energy among producers, consumers, and decomposers

Benchmark SC.5.3.2 Describe the interdependent relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem in terms of the cycles of matter


Benchmark SC.5.5.1 Recognize that some traits of living things are inherited and others are learned

Standard 6: Physical, Earth and Space Science: NATURE OF MATTER AND ENERGY: Understand the nature of matter and energy, forms of energy (including waves) and energy transformations, and their significance in understanding the structure of the universe

Benchmark SC.5.6.1 Identify different forms of energy (e.g., thermal, electrical, nuclear, light, sound) and how they can change and transfer energy from one form to another

Benchmark SC.5.6.2 Describe ways that heat can be transferred from one object to another

Benchmark SC.5.6.3 Compare what happens to light when it is reflected, refracted, and absorbed

Math


Benchmark MA.5.1.1Represent percent and ratio using pictures or objects Benchmark MA.5.1.2 Use equivalent forms of whole numbers, fractions, ratios,

decimals, and percents to solve problems

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Benchmark MA.5.4.1 Convert simple units within a system of measurement (e.g., millimeters to centimeters, feet to yard, quarts to gallons, gram to kilogram, minutes to hours, days to weeks)

Benchmark MA.5.4.3 Use map scales to measure the distance between locations and make simple scale drawings

Standard 6: Geometry and Spatial Sense: TRANSFORMATIONS AND SYMMETRY: Use transformations and symmetry to analyze mathematical situations

Benchmark MA.5.6.2 Identify three-dimensional objects that have rotational symmetry and locate the rotational axis


Benchmark MA.5.8.1 Determine the distance between points along horizontal and vertical lines of a coordinate system


Benchmark MA.5.9.2 Describe situations in which the relationship between two quantities vary directly or inversely


Benchmark MA.5.10.2 Model problem situations with objects or manipulatives and use representations (e.g., graphs, tables, equations) to draw conclusions

Benchmark MA.5.10.3 Describe situations with constant or varying rates (e.g., miles per hour, items per box)


Benchmark MA.5.11.1 Collect and display data in circle graphs Benchmark MA.5.11.2 Recognize the difference in representing numeric data and

categorical data and select appropriate representations to display each type of data


Benchmark MA.5.12.1 Determine the range, median, mode, and mean for a data set Benchmark MA.5.12.2 Compare different representations of the same data and

evaluate how well each representation shows important aspects of the data


Benchmark MA.5.13.1 Design studies to further investigate the conclusion/predictions made based on data

Standard 14: Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability: PROBABILITY: Understand and apply basic notions of chance and probability

Benchmark MA.5.14.1 Use fractions, decimals, and percents to indicate the probability of events

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Language Arts

Standard 1: Reading: CONVENTIONS AND SKILLS: Use knowledge of the conventions of language and texts to construct meaning for a range of literary and informational texts for a variety of purposes

Benchmark LA.5.1.1 Use new grade-appropriate vocabulary learned through reading print and online resources and word study, including meanings of roots, affixes, word origins

Benchmark LA.5.1.2 Use a variety of grade-appropriate print and online resources to research a topic


Benchmark LA.5.2.2 Make inferences and draw conclusions about grade-appropriate texts


Benchmark LA.5.4.1 Write in a variety of grade-appropriate formats for a variety of purposes and audiences, such as:• narratives that include plot, setting, characters, and a conflict• poems that use figurative language to convey a theme or impression• reports incorporating a framing question and including research from two or more sources• responses to literature• pieces related to completing tasks• notes summarizing what they have read or heard• pieces to reflect on learning and to solve problems

Benchmark LA.5.4.6 Write bibliographical entries for periodicals


Benchmark LA.5.5.1 Use information from appropriate sources: self, peers, and a variety of grade-appropriate sources

Benchmark LA.5.5.2 Use significant details and relevant information to develop meaning

Benchmark LA.5.5.5 Use clear and precise vocabulary to support meaning


Benchmark LA.5.6.1 Use speaking and listening skills to fill a prescribed role in group activities

Benchmark LA.5.6.2 Give informal presentations or reports to inform Benchmark LA.5.6.3 Recall oral messages by noting key ideas and relating them to the

speaker's purpose Benchmark LA.5.6.4 Form an opinion or draw a conclusion about key points in oral

messages


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Benchmark LA.5.7.1 Combine ideas from prior knowledge, input from others, and text resources to elaborate on and support ideas

Social Studies

Standard 1: Historical Understanding: CHANGE, CONTINUITY, AND CAUSALITY-Understand change and/or continuity and cause and/or effect in history

Benchmark SS.5.1.1 Use chronological order to explain causal relationships between and among people and events

Standard 2: Historical Understanding: INQUIRY, EMPATHY AND PERSPECTIVE- Use the tools and methods of inquiry, perspective, and empathy to explain historical events with multiple interpretations and judge the past on its own terms

Benchmark SS.5.2.1 Analyze how beliefs and education and/or the society in which a person resides shape his/her "point of view"


Benchmark SS.5.6.1 Compare the views of Native Americans and Europeans regarding the relationship between humans and the land

Physical Education





Standard 3: ACTIVE LIFESTYLE: Participate regularly in physical activity BENCHMARK PE.3-5.3.1: Participate regularly in physical activities that contribute to

an active lifestyle and bring personal enjoyment

Career and Technology

Standard 1: TECHNOLOGICAL DESIGN: Design, modify, and apply technology to effectively and efficiently solve problems

Benchmark CTE.5.1.1Examine how different innovations have developed/evolved in various cultures over time to improve life and solve problems

Standard 2: CAREER PLANNING: Explore and understand educational and career options in order to develop and implement personal, educational, and career goals

Benchmark CTE.5.2.1Use successful workplace and ethical behaviors



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Middle School Educational Standards Alignment and Environmental Education

Middle schools are frequently designed to incorporate interdisciplinary teaching and learning teams; Environmental Education is a topic particularly well-suited to this approach to education. The guidelines for Excellence in Environmental Education are multi-disciplinary in nature and draw on several national content standards. Further, Environmental Education provides an means of connecting several Common Core State Standards and Hawaii Content and Performance to real-world, place-based applications.

To table below summarizes the number of educational standards and benchmarks that are aligned with Environmental Education

Grade 6 7 8

Common Core State Standards LA

58 46 50


13 12 12


24/46 23/42 24/49

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Sixth Grade

EXCELLENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: GUIDELINES FOR LEARNING



Language Arts

Standards for Reading-Informational

6.RI.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

6.RI.2Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

6.RI.3 Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).

6.RI.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.

6.RI.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.

6.RI.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.

6.RI.7Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

6.RI.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

6.RI.9 Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).

6.RI.10By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Standards for Writing6.W.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

6.W.2Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

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6.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique. relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

6.W.4Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

6.W.5

With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.(Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3up to and including grade 6 on page53.)

6.W.6Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.

6.W.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.

6.W.8

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.

6.W.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

6.W.10Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Standards for Speaking and Listening

6.SL.1Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one. in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

6.SL.2Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.

6.SL.3 Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

6.SL.4Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

6.SL.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.

6.SL.6Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 6 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 53 for specific expectations.)

Standards for Language

6.L.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

6.L.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing. speaking. reading. or listening.

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6.L.4Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

6.L.6Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Standards for Reading History

6-8.RH.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

6-8.RH.2Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

6-8.RH.3 Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

6-8.RH.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

6-8.RH.5 Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).

6-8.RH.6 Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).

6-8.RH.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

6-8.RH.8 Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.

6-8.RH.9 Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.

Standards for Reading Science and Technical6-8.RST.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.

6-8.RST.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

6-8.RST.3 Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.

6-8.RST.4Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6–8 texts and topics.

6-8.RST.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.

6-8.RST.6 Analyze the author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.

6-8.RST.7Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).

6-8.RST.8 Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.

6-8.RST.9 Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations,

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video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

6-8.RST.10 By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Standards for Writing History6-8.WHST.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.

6-8.WHST.2

Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.

6-8.WHST.4

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

6-8.WHST.5

With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

6-8.WHST.6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.

6-8.WHST.7

Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

6-8.WHST.8

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

6-8.WHST.9

Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.

6-8.WHST.10

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Mathematics

In Grade 6, instructional time should focus on four critical areas: (1) connecting ratio and rate to whole number multiplication and division and using concepts of ratio and rate to solve problems; (2) completing understanding of division of fractions and extending the notion of number to the system of rational numbers, which includes negative numbers; (3) writing, interpreting, and using expressions and equations; and (4) developing understanding of statistical thinking.

Environmental Education is particularly aligned with critical area (4) Building on and reinforcing their understanding of number, students begin to develop their ability to think statistically. Students recognize that a data distribution may not have a definite center and that different ways to measure center yield different values. The median measures center in the sense that it is roughly the middle value. The mean measures center in the sense that it is the value that each data point would take on if the total of the data values were redistributed equally, and also in the sense that it is a balance point. Students recognize that a measure of variability (interquartile range or mean absolute deviation) can also be useful for summarizing data because two very different sets of data can have the same mean and median yet be distinguished by their variability. Students learn to describe and summarize numerical data sets, identifying clusters, peaks, gaps, and symmetry,

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considering the context in which the data were collected. Not all the common core mathematical standards are optimally addressed using Environmental Education as a vehicle but several are – they are detailed below.

Ratios and Proportional Relationships• Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems.

The Number System• Compute fluently with multi-digit numbers and find common factors and multiples.

Expressions and Equations• Apply and extend previous understandings of arithmetic to algebraic expressions.• Represent and analyze quantitative relationships between dependent and independent variables.

Geometry• Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, surface area, and volume.

Statistics and Probability• Develop understanding of statistical variability.• Summarize and describe distributions.

Mathematical Practices1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.4. Model with mathematics.5. Use appropriate tools strategically.6. Attend to precision.7. Look for and make use of structure.8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

6.RP.1

Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities. For example, "The ratio of wings to beaks in the bird house at the zoo was 2:1, because for every 2 wings there was 1 beak." "For every vote candidate A received, candidate C received nearly three votes."

6.RP.3

Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations.a. Make tables of equivalent ratios relating quantities with whole-number measurements, find missing values in the tables, and plot the pairs of values on the coordinate plane. Use tables to compare ratios.b. Solve unit rate problems including those involving unit pricing and constant speed. For example, if it took 7 hours to mow 4 lawns, then at that rate, how many lawns could be mowed in 35 hours? At what rate were lawns being mowed?c. Find a percent of a quantity as a rate per 100 (e.g., 30% of a quantity means 30/100 times the quantity); solve problems involving finding the whole, given a part and the percent.d. Use ratio reasoning to convert measurement units; manipulate and transform units appropriately when multiplying or dividing quantities.

6.NS.3 Fluently add, subtract, multiply, and divide multi-digit decimals using the standard

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algorithm for each operation.

6.NS.8Solve real-world and mathematical problems by graphing points in all four quadrants of the coordinate plane. Include use of coordinates and absolute value to find distances between points with the same first coordinate or the same second coordinate.

6.EE.6Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set.

6.EE.7Solve real-world and mathematical problems by writing and solving equations of the form x + p = q and px = q for cases in which p, q and x are all nonnegative rational numbers.

6.EE.9

Use variables to represent two quantities in a real-world problem that change in relationship to one another; write an equation to express one quantity, thought of as the dependent variable, in terms of the other quantity, thought of as the independent variable. Analyze the relationship between the dependent and independent variables using graphs and tables, and relate these to the equation. For example, in a problem involving motion at constant speed, list and graph ordered pairs of distances and times, and write the equation d = 65t to represent the relationship between distance and time.

6.G.3

Draw polygons in the coordinate plane given coordinates for the vertices; use coordinates to find the length of a side joining points with the same first coordinate or the same second coordinate. Apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.

6.SP.1

Recognize a statistical question as one that anticipates variability in the data related to the question and accounts for it in the answers. For example, "How old am I?" is not a statistical question, but "How old are the students in my school?" is a statistical question because one anticipates variability in students' ages.

6.SP.2 Understand that a set of data collected to answer a statistical question has a distribution which can be described by its center, spread, and overall shape.

6.SP.3Recognize that a measure of center for a numerical data set summarizes all of its values using a single number, while a measure of variation describes how its values vary using a single number.

6.SP.4 Display numerical data in plots on a number line, including dot plots, histograms, and box plots.

6.SP.5

Summarize numerical data sets in relation to their context, such as by:a. Reporting the number of observations.b. Describing the nature of the attribute under investigation, including how it was measured and its units of measurement.c. Giving quantitative measures of center (median and/or mean) and variability (interquartile range and/or mean absolute deviation), as well as describing any overall pattern and any striking deviations from the overall pattern with reference to the context in which the data were gathered.d. Relating the choice of measures of center and variability to the shape of the data distribution and the context in which the data weregathered.

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ScienceStandard 1: The Scientific Process: SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION: Discover, invent, and investigate using the skills necessary to engage in the scientific process

Benchmark SC.6.1.1 Formulate a testable hypothesis that can be answered through a controlled experiment

Benchmark SC.6.1.2 Use appropriate tools, equipment, and techniques safely to collect, display, and analyze data


Benchmark SC.6.2.1 Explain how technology has an impact on society and science


Benchmark SC.6.3.1 Describe how matter and energy are transferred within and among living systems and their physical environment

Standard 6: Physical, Earth, and Space Sciences: NATURE OF MATTER AND ENERGY: Understand the nature of matter and energy, forms of energy (including waves) and energy transformations, and their significance in understanding the structure of the universe

Benchmark SC.6.6.1 Compare how heat energy can be transferred through conduction, convection, and radiation

Benchmark SC.6.6.2 Describe the different types of energy transformations Benchmark SC.6.6.3 Explain how energy can change forms and is conserved Benchmark SC.6.6.6 Describe and compare the physical and chemical properties of

different substances

Mathematics


Benchmark MA.6.1.1 Compare and order fractions, decimals, and percents


Benchmark MA.6.3.1 Use estimation prior to computing with fractions and decimals and compare the estimation to the actual result

Benchmark MA.6.3.2 Recognize situations in which it is more appropriate to estimate than to compute an exact answer


Benchmark MA.6.9.1 Represent visual and numerical patterns with tables and graphs and generalize the "rule" using words and symbols

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Benchmark MA.6.11.1 Analyze how data collection methods and sample size can affect the results of data sets


Benchmark MA.6.12.1 Determine and interpret the measures of center (mean, median, mode) of a data set and explain what each measure indicates about the data set

Benchmark MA.6.12.2 Use a stem-and-leaf plot to analyze a set of data


Benchmark MA.6.13.1 Make inferences about a population based on the interpretation of a sample data set

Language Arts


Benchmark LA.6.1.1 Use grade-appropriate vocabulary, including content area vocabulary, learned through reading and word study, including structural analysis of word parts

Benchmark LA.6.1.2 Use grade-appropriate online and print sources to research a topic


Benchmark LA.6.2.1 Compare structures of texts and apply those that are most appropriate for a given purpose

Benchmark LA.6.2.2 Use knowledge of organizational structures (e.g., logical, classification) to construct meaning from texts

Benchmark LA.6.2.3 Draw and support conclusions about information or ideas in a text Benchmark LA.6.2.4 Identify evidence used to support an argument


Benchmark LA.6.4.1Write in a variety of grade-appropriate formats for a variety of purposes and audiences, such as:• narratives that establish a point of view and experiment with a range of devices (i.e., dialogue, suspense, flashback)• poems that experiment with poetic devices (figurative language, graphic elements) to convey a theme or impression• reports with a narrowed focus that allows for thorough treatment• business letters• responses to literature• functional pieces that complete a task or fulfill a civic responsibility• pieces to reflect on learning and to solve problems

Benchmark LA.6.4.5 Incorporate information from references by quoting, paraphrasing, and/or summarizing

Benchmark LA.6.4.6 Describe the reasons for citing sources (e.g., giving credit to original source, providing information for readers to follow up on an idea)

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Benchmark LA.6.4.7 Cite various grade-appropriate sources using a consistent format when reporting information


Benchmark LA.6.5.1Select appropriate details, examples, reasons, and/or facts to support an insight, message, or thesis


Benchmark LA.6.6.1 Explain how appropriate participation affects the productivity of group activities

Benchmark LA.6.6.2 Use language that facilitates open communication (e.g., phrasing comments in a positive way, using descriptive language to communicate a point)

Benchmark LA.6.6.33 Give short prepared oral presentations to inform and persuade Benchmark LA.6.6.4 Use appropriate listening strategies (e.g., listening attentively, taking

notes, asking questions) to learn from an oral presentation Benchmark LA.6.6.5 Find out needed information by asking thoughtful questions Benchmark LA.6.6.9 Describe a variety of messages conveyed by visual media


Benchmark LA.6.7.1Use relevant evidence and examples to support content

Social Studies

Standard 1: Historical Understanding: CHANGE, CONTINUITY, AND CAUSALITY-Understand change and/or continuity and cause and/or effect in history

Benchmark SS.6.1.1 Define causal relationships in historical chronologies


Benchmark SS.6.2.1 Frame and answer questions through historical research Benchmark SS.6.2.2 Explain the past on its own terms; not judging it solely by present-day

norms and values


Benchmark SS.6.7.3 Analyze patterns of cultural encounters and exchanges and assess their impact on societies

Physical Education


Benchmark PE.6-8.2.3 Apply rules and etiquette for safe participation in physical activities

Standard 3: ACTIVE LIFESTYLE: Participate regularly in physical activity

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Benchmark PE.6-8.3.1 Identify opportunities for physical activity outside of the physical education class

Benchmark PE.6-8.3.2 Participate regularly in moderate to vigorous physical activities to meet personal goals

Benchmark PE.6-8.3.3 Explain the relationship between a healthy lifestyle and regular participation in physical activities

Career and Technical

Standard 1: TECHNOLOGICAL DESIGN: Design, modify, and apply technology to effectively and efficiently solve problems

Benchmark CTE.6.1.1 Develop a process to invent a product or procedure to meet a need or improve upon an existing technology


Benchmark CTE.6.2.2 Explain the consequences of appropriate or inappropriate behavior in specific school, social, and work situations

Health

Standard 5: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: Use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health

Benchmark HE.6-8.5.1 1 Use effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills Benchmark HE.6-8.5.2 Use effective behaviors that communicate care, consideration, and

respect of self and others

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Grade Seven




Language ArtsStandards for Reading-Informational

7.RI.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

7.RI.2 Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

7.RI.3 Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

7.RI.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.

7.RI.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.

7.RI.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

7.RI.9Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts.


7.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

7.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique.

7.W.4Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

7.W.5With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

7.W.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and

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citing sources.

7.W.7Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.

7.W.8


7.W.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.




7.SL.2Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.

7.SL.3 Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

7.SL.4Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

7.SL.6 Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.


7.L.4Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.


Standards for Reading-History

6-8.RH.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

6-8.RH.3 Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies



6-8.RH.8 Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.6-8.RH.9 Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.

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Standards for Reading Science and Technology6-8.RST.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.







6-8.RST.9 Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

Standards for Writing - History

6-8.WHST.1

Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.a. Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue. acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.d. Establish and maintain a formal style.e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

6-8.WHST.2

Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone.f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

6-8.WHST.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

6-8.WHST.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen

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writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

6-8.WHST.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.

6-8.WHST.7Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

6-8.WHST.8


6-8.WHST.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.

Mathematics

In Grade 7, instructional time should focus on four critical areas: (1) developing understanding of and applying proportional relationships; (2) developing understanding of operations with rational numbers and working with expressions and linear equations; (3) solving problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions, and working with two- and three-dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume; and (4) drawing inferences about populations based on samples.

Environmental Education is particularly aligned with critical area (4) Students build on their previous work with single data distributions to compare two data distributions and address questions about differences between populations. They begin informal work with random sampling to generate data sets and learn about the importance of representative samples for drawing inferences.

Environmental Education and related investigations can readily be used as a tool to help students master the following grade level standards:

Ratios and Proportional Relationships• Analyze proportional relationships and use them to solve real-world and mathematical problems.

The Number System• Apply and extend previous understandings of operations with fractions to add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers.

Expressions and Equations• Solve real-life and mathematical problems using numerical and algebraic expressions and equations.

Geometry• Solve real-life and mathematical problems involving angle measure, area, surface area, and volume.

Statistics and Probability• Use random sampling to draw inferences about a population.• Draw informal comparative inferences about two populations..

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7.RP.1

Compute unit rates associated with ratios of fractions, including ratios of lengths, areas and other quantities measured in like or different units. For example, If a person walks 1/2 mile in each 1/4 hour, compute the unit rate as the complex fraction (1/2)/(1/4) miles per hour, equivalently 2 miles per hour.

7.RP.2 Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities.

7.RP.3Use proportional relationships to solve multistep ratio and percent problems. Examples: simple interest, tax, markups and markdowns, gratuities and commissions, fees, percent increase and decrease, percent error.

7.NS.3Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving the four operations with rational numbers. (Computations with rational numbers extend the rules for manipulating fractions to complex fractions.)

7.EE.3

Solve multi-step real-life and mathematical problems posed with positive and negative rational numbers in any form (whole numbers, fractions, and decimals), using tools strategically. Apply properties of operations as strategies to calculate with numbers in any form; convert between forms as appropriate; and assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies.

7.EE.4Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities.

7.G.1Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale.

7.G.6Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, volume and surface area of two- and three-dimensional objects composed of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, cubes, and right prisms.

7.SP.1

Understand that statistics can be used to gain information about a population by examining a sample of the population; generalizations about a population from a sample are valid only if the sample is representative of that population. Understand that random sampling tends to produce representative samples and support valid inferences.

7.SP.2Use data from a random sample to draw inferences about a population with an unknown characteristic of interest. Generate multiple samples (or simulated samples) of the same size to gauge the variation in estimates or predictions.

7.SP.3 Informally assess the degree of visual overlap of two numerical data distributions with similar variabilities, measuring the difference between the centers by expressing it as a multiple of a measure of variability. For example, the mean height of players on the basketball team is 10 cm greater than the mean height of players on the soccer team, about twice the variability (mean absolute deviation) on either team; on a dot plot, the

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separation between the two distributions of heights is noticeable.

7.SP.4

Use measures of center and measures of variability for numerical data from random samples to draw informal comparative inferences about two populations. For example, decide whether the words in a chapter of a seventh-grade science book are generally longer than the words in a chapter of a fourth-grade science book.

HAWAII CONTENT AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS III

Science


Benchmark SC.7.1.1 Design and safely conduct a scientific investigation to answer a question or test a hypothesis

Benchmark SC.7.1.2 Explain the importance of replicable trials Benchmark SC.7.1.3 Explain the need to revise conclusions and explanations based on

new scientific evidence


Benchmark SC.7.3.1 Explain how energy moves through food webs, including the roles of photosynthesis and cellular respiration

Benchmark SC.7.3.2 Explain the interaction and dependence of organisms on one another Benchmark SC.7.3.3 Explain how biotic and abiotic factors affect the carrying capacity and

sustainability of an ecosystem


Benchmark SC.7.4.4 Classify organisms according to their degree of relatednessStandard 5: Life and Environmental Sciences: DIVERSITY, GENETICS, AND EVOLUTION: Understand genetics and biological evolution and their impact on the unity and diversity of organisms

Benchmark SC.7.5.3 Explain that small differences between parents and offspring could produce descendants that look very different from their ancestors

Benchmark SC.7.5.4 Analyze how organisms' body structures contribute to their ability to survive and reproduce

Benchmark SC.7.5.5 Explain how fossils provide evidence that life and environmental conditions have changed over time

Benchmark SC.7.5.6 Explain why variation(s) in a species' gene pool contributes to its survival in a constantly changing environment

Mathematics


Benchmark MA.7.1.1 Solve problems using fractions, decimals, and percents Benchmark MA.7.1.2 Identify situations that require the use of large numbers and represent them

using scientific notation

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Benchmark MA.7.3.1 Add, subtract, multiply, and divide integers Benchmark MA.7.3.2 Determine the reasonableness of a solution by comparing the answer to an

estimate


Benchmark MA.7.4.2 Uses ratios and proportions to relate a scale drawing to the actual object


Benchmark MA.7.10.1 Analyze the relationship among tables, graphs (including graphing technology when available), and equations of linear functions, paying particular attention to the meaning of intercept and slope


Benchmark MA.7.11.1 Design a study, collect data, and select the appropriate representation (line graph, bar graph, circle graph, histogram, stem and leaf plot, box and whisker plot) to display the data


Benchmark MA.7.12.1 Relate the spread of a data set to a box-and-whisker plot


Benchmark MA.7.13.1 3.1 Formulate new questions that arise from previous conclusions or conjectures and plan a new study to answer them

Language Arts


Benchmark LA.7.1.1 Use new grade-appropriate vocabulary, including content area vocabulary, learned through word study and reading

Benchmark LA.7.1.2 Use a variety of grade-appropriate print and online sources to research an inquiry question


Benchmark LA.7.2.1 Use the organizational patterns and text structures of grade-appropriate texts to construct meaning

Benchmark LA.7.2.2 Use annotation to identify questions and connections to prior knowledge while reading a variety of texts

Benchmark LA.7.2.3 Evaluate the adequacy and accuracy of an author's evidence in support of his or her main points or argument


Benchmark LA.7.4.1 Write in a variety of grade-appropriate formats for a variety of purposes and audiences, such as:

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• narratives with clear conflict and satisfying resolution• poems that experiment with poetic forms (i.e., limerick, ballad, free verse)• reports that incorporate research in the form of quotations, paraphrases, and summaries• persuasive letters or statements• responses to literature• functional pieces that complete a task or fulfill a civic responsibility• pieces to reflect on learning and to solve problems


Standard 5: Writing: RHETORIC: Use rhetorical devices to craft writing appropriate to audience and purpose Benchmark LA.7.5.1 Connect selected details, examples, reasons, and/or facts to the insight,

message, or thesis in a meaningful way


Benchmark LA.7.6.2Give short prepared oral presentations incorporating information from research to inform and persuade

Benchmark LA.7.6.7 Evaluate informational media using a variety of criteria (e.g., publication date, relevance, accessibility)


Benchmark LA.7.7.1 Integrate facts, information, and ideas from research with own experience to support main ideas when speaking

Benchmark LA.7.7.2 Organize information to create a succinct message

Social Studies

Standard 3: History: HISTORY OF THE HAWAIIAN KINGDOM-Understand important historical events in the history of the Hawaii Kingdom

Benchmark SS.7HHK.3.3 Explain reasons foreigners (including explorers, whalers, traders, and missionaries) came to Hawaii and explain the political (including change in government and roles/power of leaders), social (including the decline of Hawaiian population, Christianity, the establishment of churches/schools, and end of kapu system) and economic (including the rise of mercantilism) impact on Hawaii


Benchmark SS.7HHK.7.1 Analyze the relationship between economic activities, their location, and the physical characteristics of a given place (including businesses, plantations, and trading)

Physical Education



Standard 3: ACTIVE LIFESTYLE: Participate regularly in physical activity Benchmark PE.6-8.3.1 Identify opportunities for physical activity outside of the physical

education class

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Benchmark PE.6-8.3.2 Participate regularly in moderate to vigorous physical activities to meet personal goals

Benchmark PE.6-8.3.3 Explain the relationship between a healthy lifestyle and regular participation in physical activities

Career and Technical


Benchmark CTE.7-8.2.1 Apply appropriate and safe behaviors for the school, community, and workplace

Benchmark CTE.7-8.2.4 Analyze career options that match personal interests, abilities, and skills

Health




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Eighth Grade



National Environmental Education guidelines for learning are aligned with national standards is several content areas and by the eighth grade students should master the following:

Strand 1—Questioning, Analysis and Interpretation Skills

A) Questioning—Learners are able to develop, focus, and explain questions that help them learn about the environment and do environmental investigations.

Identify environmental questions based on personal experiences both in and outside school, newspaper and magazine articles, television or radio news, or videos.

Summarize an environmental problem or situation to provide context for, or explain the origin of, a particular question. Create visual presentations (such as maps, graphs, or video tapes) and written and oral statements that describe their thinking about the problem.

Pose clear questions and ideas to test (hypotheses), reformulating them when necessary Clarify their own beliefs about the environment and discuss how those beliefs are reflected

in the questions they ask.

B) Designing investigations—Learners are able to design environmental investigations to answer particular questions— often their own questions.

Select types of inquiry appropriate to their questions. Define the scope of their inquiry, identifying the main variables and phenomena to be

studied. Select appropriate systems of measurement and observation. Select tools that are appropriate for their environmental investigations based on the

question asked and the type of information sought.

C) Collecting information—Learners are able to locate and collect reliable information about the environment or environmental topics using a variety of methods and sources.

Observe systematically, measure accurately, and keep thorough and accurate records, which may include written notes and data tables, sketches, and photographs.

Understand and use various systems of measurement and derived measurements such as rates.

Assess, choose, and synthesize materials from resources such as aerial photographs, topographic maps, and satellite images; library and museum collections, historical documents, and eyewitness accounts; computerized databases and spreadsheets; the internet; and government records.

Collect firsthand information about their own community using field study skills.

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D) Evaluating accuracy and reliability—Learners are able to judge the weaknesses and strengths of the information they are using.

Identify and evaluate vague claims they hear on television or through other media. For example, examine the credibility of results of public opinion polling about environmental topics, considering such factors as sampling methods, logical conclusions, and appropriate analogies.

Identify factors that affect the credibility of information, including assumptions and procedures used to create it; the social, political, and economic context in which the information was created; and potential bias due to omission, suppression, or invention of factual information.

Examine evidence, identify faulty reasoning, and apply other basic logic and reasoning skills in evaluating information sources.

Identify gaps in information that indicate a need for further discovery or inquiry Evaluate data and evidence for accuracy, relevance, significance, appropriateness, and

clarity.

E) Organizing information—Learners are able to classify and order data, and to organize and display information in ways that help analysis and interpretation.

Present environmental data in a variety of formats including charts, tables, plots, graphs, maps, and flow charts. For example, chart stream flows, create a map of local businesses that require air quality permits, or organize survey results into a table.

Explain why they chose specific ways of ordering and displaying information. Consider factors such as the question being answered, the type of information, and the purpose of the display.

Present environmental data in ways that demonstrate possible relationships between sets of information such as population census counts of a certain bird species and the prevalence of certain tree species or habitat types.

F) Working with models and simulations—Learners understand many of the uses and limitations of models.

Describe how models are used to think about longterm processes such as population growth or processes that are difficult to see such as bird migration or the movement of the planets in relationship to the sun.

Use models to represent and investigate aspects of the physical world such as weather and specific phenomena such as hurricanes.

Manipulate mathematical and physical models using a computer. Evaluate models based on the question being investigated. Account for variables such as

the complexity of the model, its scale, its ability to represent important features of the process being modeled, and its reliability and accuracy.

Recognize limitations of models and simulations. For example, describe a situation in which a model of an environmental phenomenon is not useful.

G) Drawing conclusions and developing explanations— Learners are able to synthesize their observations and findings into coherent explanations.

Distinguish between description and explanation and give examples of each based on their own environmental investigations.

Consider the possible relationships among two or more variables. Propose explanations based on what they observed or learned through research, selecting

which evidence to use and accounting for discrepancies. Synthesize and interpret information from a range of sources.

List strengths and weaknesses of proposed explanations. Discuss how the proposed explanation could be rejected or its reliability improved.

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Use their proposed explanations to form new questions and suggest new avenues of inquiry.

Strand 2— Knowledge of Environmental Processes and Systems

Strand 2.1—The Earth as a Physical System

A) Processes that shape the Earth—Learners have a basic understanding of most of the physical processes that shape the Earth. They are able to explore the origin of differences in physical patterns.

Analyze physical patterns such as climate, areas of geothermal activity, soil types, sea level rise, and arid regions, suggesting reasons for these patterns. Explain these patterns in terms of abrupt forces (such as earthquakes or major storms) and long-term processes (such as erosion and rock formation), as well as those that are human-caused (such as increases in greenhouse gases, suburban development or agricultural practices).

Predict the consequences of specific physical phenomena such as a hurricane in a coastal area or heavy grazing in an arid region.

Consider historical evidence of changes in physical processes and patterns. For example, examine tree rings or formation and melting of glaciers as evidence of climate change.

Relate physical processes and patterns (such as climate, weather phenomena, and seasonal change) to the Earth/sun relationship. For example, create a model that shows how seasonal change is affected by the Earth/sun relationship.

B) Changes in matter—Learners understand the properties of the substances that make up objects or materials found in the environment.

Describe a variety of chemical reactions and offer examples from daily life and the local environment.

Consider the relationship between ocean and atmospheric chemistries. Explain properties of materials in terms such as atomic and molecular structure or

reactivity. For example, describe why particular building materials have properties such as rigidity, impermeability, or the ability to reflect or gather heat.

Explain an object's characteristics based on its composition and how it was formed. For example, describe the characteristics of different types of rock and account for these characteristics based on their constituent parts and the processes by which they were formed.

C) Energy—Learners begin to grasp formal concepts related to energy by focusing on energy transfer and transformations. They are able to make connections among phenomena such as light, heat, magnetism, electricity, and the motion of objects.

Trace the flow of energy in examples that encompass several different transfers and transformations of energy. For example, trace the path of energy in the creation and consumption of fossil fuels.

Describe how atmospheric gases alter how much solar energy is absorbed or radiated. Explain how solar energy contributes to the movement of global air masses, the

hydrological cycle and ocean currents. Explain how the process of life is based on the conversion, utilization, storage and transfer

of energy.

Strand 2.2—The Living Environment

A) Organisms, populations, and communities—Learners understand that biotic communities are made up of plants and animals that are adapted to live in particular environments.

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Define and give examples to illustrate the concepts of species, population, community, and ecosystem. Trace and give examples of connections among organisms at those levels of organization.

Link features of internal and external anatomy with the ability of organisms to make or find food and reproduce in particular environments.

Understand that some animals and plants have adapted to extreme environmental conditions. Give examples of adaptations that are behavioral (for example, the migration of Canada geese and other birds) and physical

Understand that organisms may be vulnerable to rapid or significant environmental changes.

Describe how organisms differ in how they use energy. For example, identify organisms that use energy quickly for growth and metabolism, and therefore must replace it quickly Predict the habitat needs of these different types of organisms.

B) Heredity and evolution—Learners have a basic understanding of the importance of genetic heritage.

Describe some ways in which variation among individuals of the same species can sometimes give certain individuals an advantage within a specific environment.

Describe in general terms the theory of natural selection for particular traits and how that process can result in descendants that are quite different from their ancestors.

Define extinction, cite evidence of extinction, and identify some of its causes. Discuss the possible implications of permanent loss of a species and how it affects

interdependence within an ecosystem.

C) Systems and connections. Learners understand major kinds of interactions among organisms or populations of organisms.

Describe and give examples of producer/consumer, predator/prey, and parasite/host relationships.

Identify organisms that are scavengers or decomposers. Describe the roles they play within particular systems focusing on their relationship to other organisms and physical elements of the system.

Summarize how abiotic and biotic components in combination influence the structure of an ecosystem.

D) Flow of matter and energy—Learners understand how energy and matter flows among the abiotic and biotic components of the environment.

Trace the flow of energy through food webs that identify relationships among organisms in natural systems.

Explain how matter is transferred among organisms and between organisms and their environment in these food webs. Describe the role played by organisms in the global carbon cycle.

Describe how energy, which enters ecosystems as sunlight, changes form and is transferred in the exchanges (production, consumption, and decomposition) that comprise food webs.

Strand 2.3—Humans and Their Societies A) Individuals and groups—Learners understand that how individuals perceive the environment is influenced in part by individual traits and group membership or affiliation.

Describe individual development and identity in terms such as learning, perception, innate abilities, culture, social influences, and experience. Interpret their own beliefs about the environment using similar concepts.

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Explain how group membership—and shared values, beliefs, and assumptions—can influence individuals, impel different reactions to physical and social environments and changes, and cause social change.

Identify and critique instances of stereotyping based on group affiliation. For example, discuss how people who are all identified as "environmentalists" may have very different perspectives from one another.

B) Culture—As they become familiar with a wider range of cultures and subcultures, learners gain an understanding of cultural perspectives on the environment and how the environment may, in turn, influence culture.

Explain how the environment is perceived differently by various cultures, and how these perspectives may influence individuals' perceptions of the environment.

Explain how new technologies can change cultural perceptions and social behavior. Identify ways in which transportation and communications technology helps, or has helped,

spread cultural values and behavior patterns.

C) Political and economic systems—Learners become more familiar with political and economic systems and how these systems take the environment into consideration.

Differentiate among public and private goods and services, using environment-related goods and services to illustrate.

Identify economic and political features of the local community and state, and describe how environmental decisions can be influenced by these economic and political systems and actors.

Identify ways in which governments and economic systems work to protect the environment and distribute natural resources. Give examples of laws, incentives, and penalties that affect people's behavior toward the environment and each other.

D) Global connections—Learners become familiar with ways in which the world's environmental, social, economic, cultural, and political systems are linked.

Explain international trade in terms of uneven distribution of resources. Describe ways in which the global environment is affected by individual and group actions,

as well as by government policies and actions having to do with energy use and other forms of consumption, waste disposal, resource management, industry, and population.

Explain how an environmental change in one part of the world can have consequences for other places. For example, develop a map or another visual presentation that shows the effects of acid rain or nuclear fallout in places distant from the source of the pollution.

Identify a variety of global links, including transportation and communication systems, treaties, multi-national corporations, and international organizations.

E) Change and conflict—Learners understand that human social systems change over time and that conflicts sometimes arise over differing and changing viewpoints about the environment.

Describe patterns of change within and across cultures, communities, and other groups. Consider the rapidity of change, mechanisms that helped spread change, and what motivated change.

Explain how change affects individuals and groups differently and give examples of the trade-offs involved in decisions and actions ranging from the individual to the societal levels.

Describe and analyze examples of tensions between individual rights and benefits and the societal good. Illustrate with examples from the local community, possibly including disagreements over zoning, controversial proposals to raise taxes to pay for the purchase of open space or sewer system upgrades, or tradeoffs between commuting to work individually in a car or taking public transportation.

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Identify some of the formal and informal ways that groups (including governments) attempt to anticipate, avoid, or resolve conflicts related to the environment.

Strand 2.4—Environment and Society

A) Human/environment interactions—Learners understand that human-caused changes have consequences for the immediate environment as well as for other places and future times.

Describe intended and unintended environmental and social consequences associated with the changing use of technologies. Consider consequences that may be positive as well as negative.

Explain how human-caused environmental changes cause changes in other places. For example, discuss the effects of building a dam on downstream plant and animal communities as well as on human communities or how climate change might reduce the availability of food, water and land.

Describe the effects of a local environmental restoration effort, such as wetlands creation. Predict the long-term consequences of such efforts, or a particular restoration project.

B) Places—Learners begin to explore the meaning of places both close to home and around the world.

Analyze physical and human characteristics of places and make inferences about how and why these characteristics have developed and changed over time.

Identify ways in which personal perceptions, culture, and technology influence people's perceptions of places. Discuss the importance of some places (such as Yellowstone National Park or the Mississippi River) as cultural symbols.

Identify regions based on different criteria such as watershed boundaries, climate, sales and service areas for different businesses, or the area from which sports teams draw fans or symphony orchestras attract audiences.

C) Resources—Learners understand that uneven distribution of resources influences their use and perceived value.

Map and discuss distribution and consumption patterns for specific resources, such as metals, fresh water, or certain types of forests. Note resources that are being rapidly depleted or might be impacted by climate change.

Explain why certain resources (such as oil, coal, or natural gas) have been key to the development of human societies, and identify resources that were critical to development at different times in history. Consider the implications of switching from carbonintensive to renewable energy sources.

Explain conflicts between individuals, states, regions, or nations noting factors such as differing attitudes about the use of specific resources and scarcity of natural resources. Illustrate with local or regional examples such as conflicts over water rights and use of habitat for local endangered species.

D) Technology—Learners understand the human ability to shape and control the environment as a function of the capacities for creating knowledge and developing new technologies.

Discuss technologies in the context of larger systems that have shaped the course of human history as well as human relationships with the environment. Use illustrations from the agricultural, industrial and transportation revolutions that have dramatically changed how people live and use resources.

Analyze how the ability to develop and use technology gives humans great influence over the environment and ability to adapt to environmental changes such as rising sea levels and new climate conditions. Use examples from their region, such as the ability to construct

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levees to protect areas from flooding or create wildlife refuges, build machines that produce or reduce air or water pollution, or domesticate plants or animals for food production.

Identify some of the important environmental and social issues related to particular technological developments in fields such as agriculture, manufacturing, and energy.

E) Environmental issues—Learners are familiar with a range of environmental issues at scales that range from local to national to global. They understand that people in other places around the world experience environmental issues similar to the ones they are concerned about locally.

Identify other places, either contemporary or historical, experiencing issues similar to those in the learner's community or region.

Explain how issues arise because of conflicting points of view about a specific proposal, event, or condition in the environment

Discuss how the disagreements at the heart of environmental issues makes them difficult to resolve. Consider the role of understanding, creativity, or compromise in finding solutions to issues such as climate change.

Strand 3— Skills for Understanding and Addressing Environmental Issues

Strand 3.1—Skills for Analyzing and Investigating Environmental Issues

A) Identifying and investigating issues—Learners are able to use primary and secondary sources of information, and apply growing research and analytical skills, to investigate environmental issues, beginning in their own community.

Clearly articulate and define environmental issues. Identify key individuals and groups involved, their viewpoints, and the types of action they

support. Describe areas of conflict and agreement. Investigate the issue using secondary sources and original research where needed. Examine how others have analyzed and understood the issue, identifying their approaches

and the assumptions behind them. Compare the issue with similar issues from other places and times.

B) Sorting out the consequences of issues—Learners are able to apply their knowledge of ecological and human processes and systems to identify the consequences of specific environmental issues.

Describe the effects of human actions on specific elements, systems, and processes of the environment.

Analyze issues by looking at trade-offs that have been made. For example, consider where various human activities (such as landfills, highways, chemical factories, or hazardous waste incinerators) are located and their effects on different places and different segments of the population.

Speculate about the effects of a proposed state or local environmental regulation. For example, consider effects on different sectors of the economy, neighborhoods, public health, particular plant and animal species and communities, and overall environmental quality.

Predict the consequences of inaction or failure to resolve particular issues.

C) Identifying and evaluating alternative solutions and courses of action—Learners are able to identify and develop action strategies for addressing particular issues.

Identify different proposals for resolving an environmental issue. Recognize and explain the perspectives on the issue that are embedded in those views.

Explain why various strategies may be effective in different situations. Consider their likely effects on society and the environment.

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Independently and in groups, develop original strategies to address issues. Discern similarities and differences in problem situations which might affect their ability to

apply strategies that were successful in other places and times.

D) Working with flexibility, creativity, and openness— Learners are able to consider the assumptions and interpretations that influence the conclusions they and others draw about environmental issues.

Explain how the interplay of ideas and perspectives strengthens the process of inquiry and the societal ability to address issues.

Receive questions and alternative explanations that others offer in discussions as well as in readings.

Explain why it is not always possible to select one correct explanation or a single best approach to addressing an issue.

Strand 3.2—Decision-Making and Citizenship Skills

A) Forming and evaluating personal views—Learners are able to identify, justify, and clarify their views on environmental issues and alternative ways to address them.

Discuss personal perspectives with classmates, remaining open to new ideas and information.

Justify their views based on information from a variety of sources, and clear reasoning. Discuss their own beliefs and values regarding the environment and relate their personal

view of environmental issues to these. Identify ways in which others' views correspond or differ with their own views.

B) Evaluating the need for citizen action—Learners are able to evaluate whether they believe action is needed in particular situations, and decide whether they should be involved.

Discuss whether action is warranted. Account for factors such as the scale of the problem; legal, social, economic, and ecological consequences; and alternatives to citizen action.

Identify different forms of action that citizens can take in the economic, political, and legal spheres, as well as actions aimed at directly improving or maintaining some part of the environment or persuading others to take action.

Speculate about the likely effects of specific actions on society and the environment, and the likelihood these actions will resolve a specific environmental issue.

Point out advantages and disadvantages of their personal involvement, considering factors such as their own skills, resources, knowledge, and commitment.

C) Planning and taking action—As learners begin to see themselves as citizens taking active roles in their communities, they are able to plan for and engage in citizen action at levels appropriate to their maturity and preparation.

Develop action plans they can carry out individually, in small groups, or with a class, club, or larger organization. Include clear reasons and goals for action. Base these plans on knowledge of a range of citizen action strategies and the results of their environmental issue investigations.

Set realistic goals for action and include measures of success consistent with learners' abilities and an understanding of the complexity of the issue.

Decide whether their plan should be implemented immediately or at another time, changed, or abandoned; and carry through with action when appropriate.

D) Evaluating the results of actions—Learners are able to analyze the effects of their own actions and actions taken by other individuals and groups.

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Analyze the effects of decisions, policies, and actions taken by individuals and groups on a particular issue.

Analyze their own actions, explaining apparent effects and discussing them in light of students' goals and reasons for acting.

Describe some of the reasons why analyzing the results of actions may be difficult, including the scale of the issue, the time required to see effects, and the influence of other actions and factors.

Strand 4— Personal and Civic Responsibility

A) Understanding societal values and principles—Learners understand that societal values can be both a unifying and a divisive force.

Identify some of the shared political values and principles that unite American society, and explain their importance.

Discuss conflicting views about the meaning and application of shared values in specific issues

Identify ways in which advocates appeal to values such as individual freedoms, property rights, the public good, economic well-being, and patriotism.

Evaluate the principle of stewardship as a shared societal value. For example, compare conceptions of stewardship contained in writings of John Muir, Gifford Pinchot, and Aldo Leopold with their own understanding.

B) Recognizing citizens' rights and responsibilities— Learners understand the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and their importance in promoting the resolution of environmental issues.

Identify rights and responsibilities associated with citizenship, including personal and civic responsibilities.

Describe ways in which commonly accepted rights and responsibilities of citizenship motivate people to help resolve environmental issues. Consider rights and responsibilities such as acquiring, using and selling property; the right to vote; freedom of speech and assembly; accepting responsibility for the consequences of one's actions; obeying the law; and respecting the rights and interests of others.

C) Recognizing efficacy—Learners possess a realistic self-confidence in their effectiveness as citizens.

Explain the ways in which citizen action and public opinion influence environmental policy decisions.

Describe how individuals and groups act within society to create change, meet individual needs and promote the common good. Illustrate with examples from environmental issues.

Describe ways in which their actions have made a difference. Use examples that begin in the classroom and the home, and extend beyond to encompass the broader communities in which students begin to see possibilities for action.

D) Accepting personal responsibility—Learners understand that their actions can have broad consequences and that they are responsible for those consequences.

Analyze some of the effects that their actions (and the actions of their families, social groups, and communities) have on the environment, other humans, and other living beings.

Describe actions in terms of their effects that reach into the future. Describe their personal responsibilities, comparing their view of their responsibilities with

commonly accepted societal views. Identify ways in which they feel responsible for helping resolve environmental issues within

their community.

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Language Arts

8.RI.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

8.RI.2Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.

8.RI.3 Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

8.RI.4Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

8.RI.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.

8.RI.7 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.

8.RI.8Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

8.RI.9 Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.


8.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

8.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

8.W.5With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

8.W.6Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

8.W.7Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

8.W.8



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8.SL.2Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.

8.SL.3Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

8.SL.4Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

8.SL.5 Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.


8.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.


Standards for Reading-History6-8.RH.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

6-8.RH.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

6-8.RH.3 Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

6-8.RH.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.



6-8.RH.8 Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.6-8.RH.9 Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.Standards for Reading- Science and Technology6-8.RST.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.



6-8.RST.4 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to

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grades 6–8 texts and topics.

6-8.RST.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.




6-8.RST.9 Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

6-8.RST.10 By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Standards for Writing-History6-8.WHST.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content

6-8.WHST.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.

6-8.WHST.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

6-8.WHST.5With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

6-8.WHST.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.

6-8.WHST.7Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

6-8.WHST.8


6-8.WHST.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.

6-8.WHST.10

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Mathematics

In Grade 8, instructional time should focus on three critical areas: (1) formulating and reasoning about expressions and equations, including modeling an association in bivariate data with a linear equation, and solving linear equations and systems of linear equations; (2) grasping the concept of a function and using functions to describe quantitative relationships; (3) analyzing two- and three-dimensional space and figures using distance, angle, similarity, and congruence, and understanding and applying the Pythagorean Theorem.

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Environmental Education is particularly suited to providing a real-world context for the development of skill mastery in these critical areas in the following specific learning goals and practices:

Functions• Use functions to model relationships between quantities.

Statistics and Probability• Investigate patterns of association in bivariate data.


8.EE.3

Use numbers expressed in the form of a single digit times an integer power of 10 to estimate very large or very small quantities, and to express how many times as much one is than the other. For example, estimate the population of the United States as 3 × 10^8 and the population of the world as 7 × 10^9, and determine that the world population is more than 20 times larger.

8.EE.4

Perform operations with numbers expressed in scientific notation, including problems where both decimal and scientific notation are used. Use scientific notation and choose units of appropriate size for measurements of very large or very small quantities (e.g., use millimeters per year for seafloor spreading). Interpret scientific notation that has been generated by technology.

8.EE.5

Graph proportional relationships, interpreting the unit rate as the slope of the graph. Compare two different proportional relationships represented in different ways. For example, compare a distance-time graph to a distance-time equation to determine which of two moving objects has greater speed.

8.EE.7 Solve linear equations in one variable.

8.F.4

Construct a function to model a linear relationship between two quantities. Determine the rate of change and initial value of the function from a description of a relationship or from two (x, y) values, including reading these from a table or from a graph. Interpret the rate of change and initial value of a linear function in terms of the situation it models, and in terms of its graph or a table of values.

8.F.5Describe qualitatively the functional relationship between two quantities by analyzing a graph (e.g., where the function is increasing or decreasing, linear or nonlinear). Sketch a graph that exhibits the qualitative features of a function that has been described verbally.

8.G.1

Verify experimentally the properties of rotations, reflections, and translations:a. Lines are taken to lines, and line segments to line segments of the same length.b. Angles are taken to angles of the same measure.c. Parallel lines are taken to parallel lines.

8.G.4 Understand that a two-dimensional figure is similar to another if the second can be obtained from the first by a sequence of rotations, reflections, translations, and dilations;

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given two similar two-dimensional figures, describe a sequence that exhibits the similarity between them.

8.SP.1Construct and interpret scatter plots for bivariate measurement data to investigate patterns of association between two quantities. Describe patterns such as clustering, outliers, positive or negative association, linear association, and nonlinear association.

8.SP.2Know that straight lines are widely used to model relationships between two quantitative variables. For scatter plots that suggest a linear association, informally fit a straight line, and informally assess the model fit by judging the closeness of the data points to the line.

8.SP.3

Use the equation of a linear model to solve problems in the context of bivariate measurement data, interpreting the slope and intercept. For example, in a linear model for a biology experiment, interpret a slope of 1.5 cm/hr as meaning that an additional hour of sunlight each day is associated with an additional 1.5 cm in mature plant height.

8.SP.4

Understand that patterns of association can also be seen in bivariate categorical data by displaying frequencies and relative frequencies in a two-way table. Construct and interpret a two-way table summarizing data on two categorical variables collected from the same subjects. Use relative frequencies calculated for rows or columns to describe possible association between the two variables

HAWAII CONTENT AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS III

Science


Benchmark SC.8.1.1 Determine the link(s) between evidence and the conclusion(s) of an investigation Benchmark SC.8.1.2 Communicate the significant components of the experimental design and results of a scientific investigation


Benchmark SC.8.2.1 Describe significant relationships among society, science, and technology and how one impacts the other

Benchmark SC.8.2.2 Describe how scale and mathematical models can be used to support and explain scientific data


Benchmark SC.8.5.1 Describe how changes in the physical environment affect the survival of organisms


Benchmark SC.8.8.1 Compare the characteristics of the three main types of rocks Benchmark SC.8.8.2 Illustrate the rock cycle and explain how igneous, metamorphic, and

sedimentary rocks are formed Benchmark SC.8.8.3 Describe how the Earth's motions and tilt on its axis affect the

seasons and weather patterns

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Benchmark SC.8.8.4 Explain how the sun is the major source of energy influencing climate and weather on Earth

Benchmark SC.8.8.5 Explain the concepts of continental drift and plate tectonics Benchmark SC.8.8.7 Describe the physical characteristics of oceans

Mathematics


Benchmark MA.8.3.1 Add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers with whole number exponents

Benchmark MA.8.3.2 Estimate a reasonable range (i.e., upper and lower limit) for the solution to a problem


Benchmark MA.8.4.3 Use ratios and proportions to solve measurement problems


Benchmark MA.8.9.1 Represent a variety of patterns (including recursive patterns) with tables, graphs (including graphing technology when available), words, and when possible, symbolic rules

Benchmark MA.8.9.3 Identify functions as linear or nonlinear and contrast their properties from tables, graphs (including graphing technology when available), or equations


Benchmark MA.8.10.1 Translate among tables, graphs (including graphing technology when available), and equations involving linear relationships

Benchmark MA.8.10.3 Use tables and graphs to represent and compare linear relationships Benchmark MA.8.10.4 Use the slope of a line to describe a constant rate of change


Benchmark MA.8.11.1Design a study that compares two samples, collect data, and select the appropriate representation (e.g., double bar graph, back-to-back stem and leaf plot, parallel box and whisker plots, scatter plot) to compare the sets of data

Benchmark MA.8.11.2 Judge the validity of data based on the data collection method


Benchmark MA.8.12.1 Recognize situations appropriate for scatter plots Benchmark MA.8.12.2 Analyze different representations of the same data to describe how

representations can be used to skew a person's interpretation of the data


Benchmark MA.8.13.1 Make conjectures about possible relationships between two characteristics of a sample based on interpretations of scatter plots

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Benchmark MA.8.14.1 Judge the validity of conjectures that are based on experiments or simulations

Language Arts


Benchmark LA.8.1.1 Use new grade-appropriate vocabulary, including content area vocabulary, learned through reading and word study

Benchmark LA.8.1.2 Select appropriate information after evaluating the usefulness of print and online resources to investigate a theme, answer a question, or test a hypothesis


Benchmark LA.8.2.1 Use the organizational patterns and text structures of grade-appropriate texts to construct meaning

Benchmark LA.8.2.2 Use annotation methods to identify main ideas and important details while reading

Benchmark LA.8.2.3 Draw conclusions about the reliability of information in a text after considering author's credentials


Benchmark LA.8.4.1Write in a variety of grade-appropriate formats for a variety of purposes and audiences, such as:• narratives that reveal the significance of the subject or situation• poems that use a range of poetic devices and forms• reports that incorporate research and distinguish the relative value of research sources• persuasive statements that anticipate and address reader's questions• responses to literature• functional pieces that complete a task or fulfill a civic responsibility• pieces to reflect on learning and to solve problems



Benchmark LA.8.6.1 Monitor the roles in a small group and adjust communication as needed to make the group effort more productive

Benchmark LA.8.6.2 Give oral presentations to inform, persuade, and/or entertain Benchmark LA.8.6.3 Conduct interviews using effective questioning, listening, and note-

taking skills Benchmark LA.8.6.4 Use appropriate attentive, responsive, and reflective listening

behaviors according to situation Benchmark LA.8.6.8 Describe how techniques used in visual media influence audiences


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Benchmark LA.8.7.1 Select most appropriate information from research, own experience, and knowledge of audience to support ideas when speaking

Social Studies


Benchmark SS.8.2.2 Describe why different people may have different perspectives of the same historical event and multiple interpretations should be considered in order to avoid historical linearity and inevitability

Standard 4: Political Science/Civics: GOVERNANCE, DEMOCRACY, AND INTERACTION-Understand the purpose and historical impact of political institutions, the principles and values of American constitutional democracy, and the similarities and differences in government across cultural perspectives

Benchmark SS.8.4.3 Describe the influences of America on other nations and/or organizations and vice versa

Standard 5: Political Science/Civics: PARTICIPATION AND CITIZENSHIP-Understand roles, rights (personal, economic, political), and responsibilities of American citizens and exercise them in civic action)

Benchmark SS.8.5.1 Explain the responsibilities of citizens in a representative democracy


Benchmark SS.8.8.2 Describe the factors that influence production and consumption decisions in a market system

Physical Education



Standard 3: ACTIVE LIFESTYLE: Participate regularly in physical activity Benchmark PE.6-8.3.1 Identify opportunities for physical activity outside of the physical

education class Benchmark PE.6-8.3.2 Participate regularly in moderate to vigorous physical activities to

meet personal goals Benchmark PE.6-8.3.3 Explain the relationship between a healthy lifestyle and regular

participation in physical activities



Benchmark CTE.7-8.2.1 Apply appropriate and safe behaviors for the school, community, and workplace

Benchmark CTE.7-8.2.4 Analyze career options that match personal interests, abilities, and skills

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Health




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High School Educational Standards Alignment and Environmental EducationEnvironmental Education provides high school students with a real-world, place-based context for the mastery of knowledge and skills in several content areas (See table below). Further, community based environmental service learning, investigation, problem-solving and activism provides young adults with opportunities to become empowered, contributing citizens. This vision of capable, contributing youth is echoed in the Hawaii Department of Education General Learner Outcomes and the Common Core State Standards vision of a high school graduate.

Quantifying Environmental Education Alignment with Significant Education StandardsGrade Grades 9/10 Grades 11-12

Common Core State Standards LA

41 41


36 (standards for math address grades 9-12)


25/62 22/68*(2/12)

Specific Course Titles

(note: schools in Hawaii vary on the grades in which these courses are taught)

Physical Science BiologyEarth ScienceAlgebra ILanguage Arts 9Language Arts 10Modern Hist. Hawaii/PIDUS History (Grade 10)Physical Education (9-12)Career and Technology

ChemistryEnvironmental ScienceAlgebra IILanguage Arts 11Language Arts 12Social Studies 11-12 (elective courses vary/student and school)

*(Statistics – at some schools these standards are integrated into other math courses, at some schools this subject is offered as a separate math elective)

Although a growing number of high schools offer Environmental Education and AP Environmental Education elective science courses, national Environmental Education guidelines include national standards from a number of content areas and demonstrate the integrative nature of this subject matter. It is strongly recommended that the following education guidelines be considered as part of a number of high school courses and integrated curriculum efforts.


Learners should be able to meet the guidelines included in this section by the time they graduate from high school. By the end of twelfth grade, learners are well on their way to environmental literacy. They should possess the basic skills and dispositions they need to understand and act on environmental problems and issues as responsible citizens— and to continue the learning process throughout their lives. In the ninth through twelfth grades, environmental education can promote active and responsible citizenship by challenging learners to hone and apply problem-solving, analysis, persuasive communication, and other higher level skills— often in real-world contexts.Strand 1— Questioning, Analysis and Interpretation Skills

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A) Questioning—Learners are able to develop, modify, clarify, and explain questions that guide environmental investigations of various types. They understand factors that influence the questions they pose. Articulate environmental phenomena or topics to be studied at scales ranging from local to

global. Pose a research question and hypothesis, identifying and defining key variables. For example, develop hypotheses about land use in a region by drawing on maps, newspaper articles, databases, and personal observations.I

Identify historical and current ideas and beliefs—for example, about the environment, human perceptions of the environment, or the nature of knowledge—that inform their questions.

B) Designing investigations—Learners know how to design investigations to answer particular questions about the environment. They are able to develop approaches for investigating unfamiliar types of problems and phenomena. Select appropriate means of inquiry, including scientific investigations, historical inquiry, and

social science observation and research. Select and develop appropriate problem solving strategies for conducting environmental

investigations. Incorporate a wide range of tools and technologies as appropriate, including complex maps,

measurement instruments and processes, and computer-based analysis.

C) Collecting information—Learners are able to locate and collect reliable information for environmental investigations of many types. They know how to use sophisticated technology to collect information, including computer programs that access, gather, store, and display data. Use basic sampling techniques such as spatial sampling and random sampling. Evaluate when

these techniques are appropriate. Apply data collection skills in field situations, such as interviewing community members about

environmental concerns or sampling water in a local stream. Gather information from a variety of sources including historical sites, censuses, tax records,

statistical compilations, economic indicators, interviews or surveys, geographical information systems, and other data banks.

Adjust information collection strategies to compensate for potential bias in information sources. Perform basic statistical analyses to describe data using quantitative measures such as mean,

median and mode.

D) Evaluating accuracy and reliability—Learners can apply basic logic and reasoning skills to evaluate completeness and reliability in a variety of information sources. Identify logical errors and spurious statements in everyday situations such as political speeches

about the environment or commercial advertising. Look for and explain flaws such as faulty or misleading use of statistics, misrepresentation of

data that is presented graphically, or biased selection of data to support a claim. For example, analyze the public debate over an environmental issue. Examine speeches, advertisements, news releases, and pamphlets put out by groups on various sides of the issue.

Explain why some research results are judged to be more credible than are others. Consider factors such as possible sources of bias in interpretation, funding sources, and research procedures.

E) Organizing information—Learners are able to organize and display information in ways appropriate to different types of environmental investigations and purposes. Attend to details such as the type and accuracy of data, scale, accuracy of representation, and

ease of interpretation. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the particular means of presentation for different

purposes.

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Work with technology designed to relate and display data, such as database and mapping software.

Integrate and summarize information using a variety of media ranging from written texts to graphic representations, and from audiovisual materials to maps and computer-generated images.

F) Working with models and simulations—Learners are able to create, use, and evaluate models to understand environmental phenomena. Use algebraic and geometric models to represent processes or objects such as movement

along earthquake fault lines, traffic flows, or population growth. Use computers to create models and simulations. For example, project the effects of habitat

fragmentation on species diversity, the air-quality effects of a new factory, the economic impacts of proposed water quality rules, or the visual changes a new housing development will make on the landscape.

Compare the applicability of models for particular situations, considering the models' assumptions as one factor. Explain how a single model may apply to more than one situation and how many models may represent a single situation.

Evaluate and report the limitations of models used.

G) Drawing conclusions and developing explanations—Learners are able to use evidence and logic in developing proposed explanations that address their initial questions and hypotheses. Use basic statistical analysis and measures of probability to make predictions and develop

interpretations based on data. Differentiate between causes and effects and identify when causality is uncertain. Speak in general terms about their confidence in proposed explanations as well as possible

sources of uncertainty and error. Distinguish between error and unanticipated results in formulating explanations. Consider the assumptions of models and measuring techniques or devices as possible sources of error.

Identify what would be needed to reject the proposed explanation or hypothesis. Based on experience, develop new questions to ground further inquiry. For example, draw on

the results of a stream-monitoring project to develop questions that guide an investigation into water quality issues in the community or the watershed.

Strand 2—Knowledge of Environmental Processes and SystemsStrand 2.1—The Earth as a Physical System

A) Processes that shape the Earth—Learners understand the major physical processes that shape the Earth. They can relate these processes, especially those that are large-scale and longterm, to characteristics of the Earth. Describe possible relationships between surface water and ground water. For example, create

a model or a cross-sectional drawing that shows surface- and groundwater flows in a local drainage. Explain why surface and ground water are related in these ways.

B) Changes in matter—Learners apply their understanding of chemical reactions to round out their explanations of environmental characteristics and everyday phenomena. Explain everyday chemical reactions such as burning fossil fuels, photosynthesis, or the

creation of smog in terms such as the release or consumption of energy, the products of these reactions, and how these products may be involved in further chemical reactions and/or affect biogeochemical cycles.

Explain the chemical components of biological processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, nitrogen fixation, or decomposition, and how biological and physical processes fit in the overall process of biogeochemical cycling.

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Explain why elements cycle through the biosphere at different rates, describing influences on reaction rates.

(Oxygen and nitrogen cycle quickly, for example, while phosphorus tends to be released from its immobile form more slowly, depending upon factors such as soil acidity.)

C) Energy—Learners apply their knowledge of energy and matter to understand phenomena in the world around them. Compare different means of generating electricity (such as coal-burning plants, nuclear

reactors, wind, geothermal, and hydropower) in terms of the transformation of energy among forms, the relationship of matter and energy, and efficiency/ production of heat energy.

Explain differences in conductivity among materials and relate these ideas to real-world phenomena.

Compare the efficiency of various types of motors or heating systems. Use the laws of thermodynamics to explain why natural systems need a certain amount of

energy input to maintain their organization. Explain the dynamic relationship between greenhouse gases, solar energy absorption and

radiation, and climate.

Strand 2.2—The Living EnvironmentA) Organisms, populations, and communities—Learners understand basic population dynamics and the importance of diversity in living systems. Discuss the relationship of habitat changes to plant and animal populations. Consider such

factors as variations in habitat size, fragmentation, and fluctuation in conditions such as pH, oxygen, temperature, available light, or precipitation. For example, describe the effects of a lake's eutrophication on plant, insect, bacteria, and fish populations, or why organisms might be vulnerable to rapid or significant climate changes.

Discuss some of the ways in which populations can change over time, using ideas such as cyclic fluctuations, equilibrium, and coupled oscillations

Evaluate influences on population growth rate, including reproductive strategies and resource limitations.

Explain how diversity of characteristics among organisms of a species increases the likelihood of the species surviving changing environmental conditions.

Explain how variation among species in a system increases the likelihood that at least some species will survive changes in environmental conditions.

B) Heredity and evolution—Learners understand the basic ideas and genetic mechanisms behind biological evolution. Explain the idea that the more biological diversity there is today, the more there may be in the

future.Offer examples of exceptions to this general rule, and use it to help explain past mass extinctions.

C) Systems and connections—Learners understand the living environment to be comprised of interrelated, dynamic systems. Apply the concepts of ecosystem and ecoregion to organize the multitude of relationships

among organisms and environments encountered in earlier studies. Discuss the interactions among organisms and their environments. Explain ecosystem change

with respect to variables such as climate change, the introduction of new species, and human impacts; and explain processes such as desertification and soil formation as mechanisms for such change.

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Describe succession in ecosystems and their constituent plant and animal communities. Illustrate this idea with examples such as the slow transformation of a volcanic island from barren rock to rain forest as initial plant colonizers create conditions favorable to other species

Describe how adding a species to, or removing one from, an ecosystem may affect other organisms and the entire system.

D) Flow of matter and energy—Learners are able to account for environmental characteristics based on their knowledge of how matter and energy interact in living systems. Illustrate how energy for life is provided primarily by continual inputs from the sun, captured by

plants through photosynthesis and converted into carbonbased molecules. Describe exceptions such as geothermal energy.

Trace the flow of matter and energy through living systems, and between living systems and the physical environment, identifying feedback loops. For example, show how oxygen is released to the atmosphere by the interaction of plants, animals, and non-living matter in the global carbon cycle. Or use the carbon cycle to explain the existence of fossil energy sources.

Explain how the abundance and distribution of living organisms are limited by the available energy and certain forms of matter such as water, oxygen, and minerals.

Strand 2.3—Humans and Their SocietiesA) Individuals and groups—Learners understand the influence of individual and group actions on the environment, and how groups can work to promote and balance interests. Predict how the environmental effects of their personal actions might change over time.

Consider variables such as technological advances, lifestyle changes, or taking on such roles as business owners, employees in various careers, or parents.

Analyze how the actions of societal organizations such as businesses or community groups may have environmental consequences and other impacts that go beyond the intended aims of the group.

Describe how particular groups meet or balance individual needs, group goals, and the common societal good. Use examples such as conservation organizations, organizations of professionals in environmental or resource management fields, community associations, or business groups

B) Culture—Learners understand cultural perspectives and dynamics and apply their understanding in context. Analyze how cultural change and altered views of the environment are related. For example,

discuss how the shift away from a largely rural society to a predominantly urban one may influence changing perceptions of the environment.

Recognize diverse cultural views about humans and the environment. Anticipate ways in which people from different cultural perspectives and frames of reference might interpret data, events, or policy proposals.

Describe and compare historical and contemporary societal strategies for adapting to environmental or social change while preserving and transmitting culture

C) Political and economic systems—Learners understand how different political and economic systems account for, manage, and affect natural resources and environmental quality. Explain the development of economic systems using the economic idea of scarcity and the

geographic idea of uneven distribution of resources. Compare the U.S. political and economic systems with other types of systems, focusing on how

the systems govern the use of natural resources, control production and consumption, and protect environmental quality.

Evaluate the environmental and societal costs and benefits of allocating goods and services in different ways (e.g. through public or private sectors). For example, explain problems such as

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over-fishing, overgrazing, and deforestation considering what can happen to resources that are commonly owned and openly accessible. Or examine successful common property management systems that promote sustainable use of resources.

Explain current and historical environmental issues in terms of political and economic ideas. For example, analyze the role of private property rights and the concept of general welfare in shaping decisions about the use and protection of wetlands in the United States.

Evaluate the structure and functions of the United Nations and its agencies in addressing global environmental issues.

D) Global connections—Learners are able to analyze global social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental linkages. Explain regional and national economic specialization and international trade in terms of

uneven distribution of resources and differing costs of producing similar goods (due to factors such as climate, labor costs, and energy costs).

Describe global connections in systems such as the economy, transportation, and communication. Evaluate the effects of changes in these systems on communities and the environment on a global scale. Consider instances in which global linkages are strong, and in which they are relatively weak.

Evaluate the connections among interests, decisions, and actions taken at the individual, community, regional, national, and global levels. Consider their effect on global issues such as human rights, economic development, health, resource allocation, and environmental quality. For example, examine the influence of factors such as consumer preferences, U.S. foreign policy, international treaties and governing bodies, international nongovernmental organizations, and corporate operations on agricultural practices in developing nations.

E) Change and conflict—Learners understand the functioning of public processes for promoting and managing change and conflict, and can analyze their effects on the environment. Explain how public decision-making about the environment takes into account (or fails to

account for) uneven distribution of, or different types of, costs and benefits; future or distant consequences; and difficulties assessing the value of certain costs or benefits such as ecosystem services or clean air.

Evaluate the role of social, political, and economic institutions in the United States in managing change and conflict regarding environmental issues. Account for the influence of institutions such as the legal system and property rights as well as organizations such as banks, nonprofit groups, corporations, and special interest groups.

Evaluate the conditions and motivations that lead to conflict, cooperation, and change among individuals, groups, and nations. Look particularly at the effects of these forces on the control of natural resources. For example, examine the origins and effects of international treaties and accords on whaling and commercial fishing or climate change.

Evaluate various governmental and non-governmental strategies for promoting social change. For example, trace the strategies used by different groups to reduce energy use in the U.S.

Strand 2.4—Environment and SocietyA) Human/environment interactions—Learners understand that humans are able to alter the physical environment to meet their needs and that there are limits to the ability of the environment to absorb impacts or meet human needs. Evaluate ways in which technology has changed humans' ability to alter the environment and

its capacity to support humans and other living organisms. Consider technologies that have had impacts learners see as positive, as well as negative.

Analyze specific examples of environmental change in terms of qualitative and quantitative costs and benefits for different groups of people and specific species or ecosystems. For example, evaluate the effect of sea level rise and other possible impacts of climate change.

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Describe factors that limit the physical environment's capacity to support particular types of human activity such as suburban development, flood control, or particular agricultural practices.

Evaluate the cumulative effects of human actions on a specific species or environmental system, such as a stream or a watershed.

Use the concepts of carrying capacity and ecological footprint to analyze the sustainability of current trends in world population growth and natural resource consumption.

B) Places—Learners understand "place" as humans endowing a particular part of the Earth with meaning through their interactions with that environment. Analyze how places change over time as the physical environment changes and as human use

and perceptions change Explain the importance of places to human identity. For example, discuss changes in land use

and personal and community identity that occur in a rapidly growing town or city, or one in which the economy has stagnated.

Describe how regions change over time, examining factors such as human migration and population change, technological change, environmental degradation, and seismic activity

C) Resources—Learners understand that the importance and use of resources change over time and vary under different economic and technological systems. Explain differences in the consumption of resources among nations using factors such as

population size, cultural practices, dependence on fossil fuels, and varied geographic or economic distribution of resources.

Describe how changes in technology alter the use of resources. Evaluate public policies related to resource use. Consider variables such as their impacts on

the resource and short- and long-term economic effects. Identify ways in which various resources can be recycled and reused. Evaluate the viability of

recycling based on economic and technological factors, spatial variables such as distance from recycling facility to markets, and possible future developments. For example, discuss factors that influenced the development of the steel or plastics recycling industry in the United States.

D) Technology—Learners are able to examine the social and environmental impacts of various technologies and technological systems. Explain how social and economic forces influence the direction of technological development,

and how technologies shape societal values and beliefs Using examples of particular technologies (such as genetic manipulation or cyanide heap leach

gold mining) or technological systems (such as modern agriculture or energy production and use), discuss the social and environmental costs, benefits, risks, and possibilities associated with technologies through which humans shape and control their environment.

Discuss ways in which technological advances have lessened the adverse environmental impacts of human activities.

E) Environmental issues—Learners are familiar with a range of environmental issues at scales that range from local to national to global. They understand that these scales and issues are often linked. Evaluate a range of costs and benefits of particular policies that affect the environment. For

example, examine the effects of programs for trading "pollution credits" among companies. Place local issues in the context of broader or largerscale issues, drawing parallels, and noting

important similarities and differences. Use the broader issue to point to important local dynamics or perspectives of which to be aware. For example, consider local air pollution problems in the context of larger issues such as global climate change or acid precipitation in other parts of the country.

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Identify links among issues, for example the relationships among traffic congestion, poor air quality, and suburban sprawl. Explain key relationships among technological, social, ecological, economic, and other aspects of issues.

Strand 3—Skills for Understanding and Addressing Environmental IssuesStrand 3.1—Skills for Analyzing and Investigating Environmental IssuesA) Identifying and investigating issues—Learners apply their research and analytical skills to investigate environmental issues ranging from local issues to those that are regional or global in scope. Define and clearly articulate issues to be investigated. Characterize the issue considering

factors such as connections with other issues, the pervasiveness of its effects, whether it is a long-term issue or one that is motivated by a sudden change or crisis, and whether it is unique to a particular area.

Identify key individuals and groups involved. Identify different perspectives on the issue and approaches to resolving it. Discuss assumptions and goals that underlie each position.

Examine contextual elements that shape the issue and alternative courses of action. Use these to identify relevant historical antecedents or contemporary parallels to the selected issue

Investigate the issue as well as similar issues and proposals using secondary sources of information.

Where needed, conduct original research, applying research methods from the natural and social sciences. For example, survey a community about an environmental issue using a random sample or test soils for the presence of contaminants.

B) Sorting out the consequences of issues—Learners are able to evaluate the consequences of specific environmental changes, conditions, and issues for human and ecological systems. Evaluate the consequences of an environmental issue. Discuss the social, political, economic, and ethical implications of environmental issues. For

example, trace the root causes of a community's solid waste problem and the effects of the problem and likely consequences of siting a landfill in different areas for different groups of people.

Project the likely consequences for specific human and environmental systems of failure to resolve the issue.

Use the idea of cumulative effects to explain why one set of environmental changes or human actions cannot be considered in isolation from others.

C) Identifying and evaluating alternative solutions and courses of action—Learners are able to identify and propose action strategies that are likely to be effective in particular situations and for particular purposes. Synthesize different perspectives, types of data, and means of analysis to propose solutions to

environmental issues. Apply knowledge of functional relationships, modeling, and statistical analysis to evaluating

issues and different approaches to resolving them. Evaluate proposed solutions using gauges such as likely impacts on society or the environment

and likely effectiveness in resolving the issue. Use methods such as cost/benefit analysis, cumulative effects analysis, environmental impact analysis, ethical analysis, and risk analysis. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of each method, considering the main ideas behind each approach including which effects are important to look at and which values or societal goals it tries to protect.

Define and provide examples of citizen action appropriate to proposed solutions.

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D) Working with flexibility, creativity, and openness— While environmental issues investigations can bring to the surface deeply held views, learners are able to engage each other in peer review conducted in the spirit of open inquiry. Question, offer alternative explanations, and defend interpretations in group discussions. Understand and explain the importance of such characteristics as honesty, openness,

skepticism, and suspending judgment in the process of building knowledge. Discuss when and how characteristics such as openness and decisiveness are valuable in

addressing environmental issues

Strand 3.2—Decision-Making and Citizenship SkillsA) Forming and evaluating personal views—Learners are able to communicate, evaluate, and justify their own views on environmental issues and alternative ways to address them. Articulate a position on an environmental issue. Justify the position based on an analysis of

information from a variety of sources, personal beliefs and values, and clear reasoning. Evaluate personal beliefs and values using criteria such as personal wellbeing; social and environmental welfare; economic vitality; and concern for other living beings.

Articulate elements of their own environmental ethic and discuss whether personal positions on issues are consistent with this ethic.

Consider viewpoints that differ from their own, and information that challenges their position. Evaluate whether and how such information might affect their views.

B) Evaluating the need for citizen action—Learners are able to decide whether action is needed in particular situations and whether they should be involved. Evaluate whether action is warranted in specific situations, accounting for factors such as

available evidence about the issue and proposed solutions; the scale of the issue; legal, social, economic, and ecological consequences; and alternatives to citizen action.

Evaluate whether personal involvement in particular actions is warranted, considering factors such as their own values, skills, resources, and commitment.

Communicate decisions clearly, articulating well reasoned arguments supporting their views and decisions.

C) Planning and taking action—Learners know how to plan for action based on their research and analysis of an environmental issue. If appropriate, they take actions that are within the scope of their rights and consistent with their abilities and responsibilities as citizens. Develop plans for individual and collective action involving groups such as a small group of

classmates, a school club, a community organization, or a church. Include clear reasons and goals for action. In planning, refer to their knowledge of a range of citizen action strategies and the results of their environmental issue investigations.

Develop action plans based on an understanding of the complexity of the issue. Set realistic goals and include measures of success consistent with their abilities and the capacities of the groups involved.

Decide whether their plan should be implemented immediately or at another time, modified, or abandoned; and carry through with action when appropriate.

D) Evaluating the results of actions—Learners are able to evaluate the effects of their own actions and actions taken by other individuals and groups, including possible intended and unintended consequences of actions. Discuss the intended and unintended effects of citizen actions on specific environmental

issues. Consider the apparent effects of citizen action on the environment, the political situation, and the individuals involved. Illustrate with examples such as a demonstration at a nuclear test facility, a local watershed festival, or a citizen lobbying effort against proposed environmental regulations.

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Analyze their own actions, evaluating apparent effects in terms of learners' goals, ethics, and broader societal goals. Develop a "lessons learned" document or presentation.

Account for some of the difficulties they encounter in evaluating the results of their actions.

Strand 4—Personal and Civic ResponsibilityA) Understanding societal values and principles— Learners know how to analyze the influence of shared and conflicting societal values. Identify shared political values and principles that unite U.S. citizens and analyze conflicting

views about their meaning and application Analyze how societal institutions, such as banks, corporations, nonprofit organizations,

lobbying groups, government agencies, and the courts, embody and perpetuate certain societal values and principles.

Describe and suggest ways that individuals can work to change how societal institutions function and, consequently, to change their environmental impacts.

B) Recognizing citizens' rights and responsibilities— Learners understand the importance of exercising the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Evaluate conflicts between individual rights and other societal interests such as a healthy

environment. Discuss when individuals' civic obligations require them to subordinate their personal interests

or desires to the public good. Explain the importance and evaluate the usefulness of civic dispositions such as trust,

patience, selfdiscipline, respect, and open-mindedness to individuals and to society. Explain the influence of citizen action and public opinion on particular policy decisions that

affect the environment. Reflect on the impact of citizen participation— particularly learners' own—on public concerns

related to the environment and on the community.

C) Recognizing efficacy—Learners possess a realistic self confidence in their effectiveness as citizens. Evaluate the extent to which individual and group action creates change, meets individual

needs, and promotes the common good. Identify ways in which learners, individually and collectively, are able to help maintain

environmental quality and resolve problems and issues. Provide examples from the range of communities (e.g., family, club or group, school, town, state, nation, world) in which learners see themselves as members.

D) Accepting personal responsibility—Learners understand that their actions can have broad consequences and accept responsibility for recognizing those effects and changing their actions when necessary. Evaluate the effects of their actions (and the actions of the larger social groups of which they

are part) on the environment, other humans, and other living things. Explain ways in which the decisions of one generation create opportunities and impose

constraints for future generations. Illustrate this idea with examples from the past, and incorporate it into their analyses of issues.

Evaluate the importance of fulfilling personal responsibilities for themselves, society, and the environment.

Demonstrate a willingness to work individually and collectively toward the resolution of environmental issues and to participate thoughtfully and effectively in environmental decision-making.

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College and Career Readiness

Environmental Education provides a compelling context in which high school students can develop the vision of a high school graduate as outlined below.They demonstrate Independence.Students can, without significant scaffolding, comprehend and evaluate complex texts across a range of types and disciplines, and they can construct effective arguments and convey intricate or multifaceted information. Likewise, students are able independently to discern a speaker’s key points, request clarification, and ask relevant questions. They build on others’ ideas, articulate their own ideas, and confirm they have been understood. Without prompting, they demonstrate command of standard English and acquire and use a wide-ranging vocabulary. More broadly, they become self-directed learners, effectively seeking out and using resources to assist them, including teachers, peers, and print and digital reference materials.They build strong content knowledge.Students establish a base of knowledge across a wide range of subject matter by engaging with works of quality and substance. They become proficient in new areas through research and study. They read purposefully and listen attentively to gain both general knowledge and discipline-specific expertise.They refine and share their knowledge through writing and speaking. They respond to the varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline.Students adapt their communication in relation to audience, task, purpose, and discipline. They set and adjust purpose for reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language use as warranted by the task. They appreciate nuances, such as how the composition of an audience should affect tone when speaking and how the connotations of words affect meaning. They also know that different disciplines call for different types of evidence (e.g., documentary evidence in history, experimental evidence in science).They comprehend as well as critique.Students are engaged and open-minded—but discerning—readers and listeners.They work diligently to understand precisely what an author or speaker is saying, but they also question an author’s or speaker’s assumptions and premises and assess the veracity of claims and the soundness of reasoning.They value evidence.Students cite specific evidence when offering an oral or written interpretation of a text. They use relevant evidence when supporting their own points in writing and speaking, making their reasoning clear to the reader or listener, and they constructively evaluate others’ use of evidence.They use technology and digital media strategically and capably.Students employ technology thoughtfully to enhance their reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language use. They tailor their searches online to acquire useful information efficiently, and they integrate what they learn using technology with what they learn offline. They are familiar with the strengths and limitations of various technological tools and mediums and can select and use those best suited to their communication goals.They come to understand other perspectives and cultures.Students appreciate that the twenty-first-century classroom and workplace are settings in which people from often widely divergent cultures and who represent diverse experiences and perspectives must learn and work together. Students actively seek to understand other perspectives and cultures through reading and listening, and they are able to communicate effectively with people of varied backgrounds. They evaluate other points of view critically and constructively. Through reading great classic and contemporary works of literature representative of a variety of periods, cultures, and worldviews, students can vicariously inhabit worlds and have experiences much different than their own.

HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION GENERAL LEARNER OUTCOMES FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES

Our vision of a Hawaii high school graduate is that all public school graduates will: Realize their individual goals and aspirations;

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Possess the attitudes, knowledge and skills necessary to contribute positively and compete in a global society;

Exercise the rights and responsibilities of citizenship; and Pursue post-secondary education and/or careers without need for remediation.

The GLOs are the essential overarching goals for all grade levels -- from elementary through middle to high -- and all of the academic disciplines. Every content and performance standard should support the learner's progress towards these outcomes because they enable learners to lead full and productive lives.

Self-Directed Learner: The ability to be responsible for one's own learning Community Contributor: The understanding that it is essential for human beings to work

together Complex Thinker: The ability to be involved in complex thinking and problem solving Quality Producer: The ability to recognize and produce quality performance and quality

products Effective Communicator: the ability to communicate effectively Effective and Ethical User of Technology: the ability to use a variety of technology

effectively and ethically

HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION- SENIOR PROJECT

When Environmental Education is integrated into the curriculum an environmentally literate student will have the knowledge and skills to complete a successful senior project. While it is essential that students choose the direction of their project environmental issues and problems most certainly may addressed through the senior project process. Currently, a significant number of the senior projects completed in Hawaii show that students have chosen this path.

Board Policy 4540, High School Graduation Requirements and Commencement, establishes that a Board of Education Recognition Diploma shall be issued to students who meet the course and credit requirements for graduation and attain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. Completion of the Senior Project (one credit- which may be an elective credit) This is effective with the Graduating Class of 2010.

OverviewSuccessful completion of the Senior Project provides the student with the opportunity to demonstrate advanced proficiency in the attainment of the General Learner Outcomes (GLO). The Senior Project must demonstrate a “learning stretch” and be personally useful and relevant for that student. Career and life skills demonstrating workplace readiness will be showcased in this three-phase process.

The opportunity to complete a Senior Project should be made available to all students. Information about the Senior Project and its requirements should be shared with all students and parents/legal guardians.

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Essential Procedures

Each school will decide on school procedures for planning, implementation and evaluation of the Senior Project and designate who is responsible for providing the required support for the various components of the Senior Project. However, although specific procedures for successful completion will be established by each school and may vary somewhat from school to school, students who desire to complete a Senior Project and be eligible to receive the Board of Education Recognition Diploma must demonstrate proficiency in the following essential components of the Senior Project:

PHASE ONE (PRELIMINARY PLANNING)

A. The Personal Transition PlanThe Personal Transition Plan provides the framework for exploring career interests and goals that may direct the selection of a Senior Project.

B. Letter of Intent and Corresponding DocumentsEach student begins by submitting a letter of intent for approval utilizing the mechanism established at his or her school. Prior to the beginning of the Senior Project, the student’s school mentor must approve the letter of intent.

C. Senior Project PortfolioThe Senior Project portfolio documents the student’s personal journey, processes, and personal insights. Minimally, the portfolio will contain verification forms, the research paper, and a learning log. Specific contents of the portfolio will be identified at each school.

PHASE TWO:

D. Research and ActionThe research and action involved in the Senior Project are described below.

1. (Research) Thesis Research Paper

The Senior Project begins with a “Big Idea” that generates an essential question that reflects the student’s personal and career interests, goals, values, and/or beliefs. The student writes a minimum 750 word research paper that describes the essential question and proposes a project thesis. The student’s project thesis will be tested in the action phase of the Senior Project that demonstrates a “learning stretch.”

2. (Action) Culminating Activity

During the action phase of the Senior Project the student demonstrates what he or she has learned by the act of doing something. The student is required to produce some tangible evidence that applies the knowledge gained during the research phase; this should be a learning experience that challenges the student and demonstrates a “learning stretch.” The project/activity must be done on the student’s own time and will require advisement utilizing a community contact who serves as a subject matter expert. The action phase can be accomplished by selecting one of the three options described below:

a. Career Focus: Job Shadowing/Mentorship The student works with a community mentor, one on one, in a specific area related to the student’s desired goals and interest.

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b. Service Learning The student completes a service-learning project that makes a concrete and visible impact in the school or community. It is recommended that the service-learning project be at least 50 hours.

c. Student Personal Interest—Product and Action The product and action associated with the student’s personal interest must be related to the essential question and project thesis.

• The student may choose a product that is performance or problem based:

1. Performance-based: Performances involve execution of an authentic skill, talent, and/ or ability. These include but are not limited to the following: musical, dance, artistic, and/or dramatic performances; rewriting and performing a scene in a play, artistic display or demonstration, coaching a sport demonstrating athletic competence.

2. Problem-based: Problem-based learning begins with a problem or issue. Using research, the student will come up with some solutions. The research thesis will be developed from possible solutions and the student will have to act on this thesis. For example: A problem in a government course might be to persuade the Legislature to pass a student’s recommended legislation, or a problem in a science course might be to use scientific research to study and to potentially impact or change a recognized problem within a community.

PHASE THREE

E. (Presentation) Formal Presentation and Evaluation

Prepare and present a formal 10-15 minute presentation before a Project Panel followed by a question and answer session. The presentation can be done orally, in a creative presentation or in a non-traditional mode.

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Grades 9-10


Language Arts

Standards for Reading-Informational

9-10.RI.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

9-10.RI.2Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

9-10.RI.4

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).

9-10.RI.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.

9-10.RI.8Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.

Standards for Writing

9-10.W.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

9-10.W.2Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

9-10.W.6Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

9-10.W.7

Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

9-10.W.8

Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

9-10.W.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.


9-10.SL.1

Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one. in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

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9-10.SL.2Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.

9-10.SL.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.

9-10.SL.4Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

9-10.SL.5Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.


9-10.L.6

Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression

Standards for Reading- History

9-10.RH.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.

9-10.RH.2Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.

9-10.RH.3 Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them.

9-10.RH.4Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.

9-10.RH.6Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts.

9-10.RH.7 Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative analysis in print or digital text.

9-10.RH.8 Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author’s claims.

9-10.RH.9 Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.

Standards for Reading-Science and Technology

9-10.RST.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions.

9-10.RST.2Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text’s explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text.

9-10.RST.3 Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks attending to special cases or

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exceptions defined in the text.


9-10.RST.5 Analyze the structure of the relationships among concepts in a text, including relationships among key terms (e.g., force, friction, reaction force, energy).

9-10.RST.6Analyze the author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text, defining the question the author seeks to address.

9-10.RST.7Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.

9-10.RST.8 Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author’s claim or a recommendation for solving a scientific or technical problem.

9-10.RST.9Compare and contrast findings presented in a text to those from other sources (including their own experiments), noting when the findings support or contradict previous explanations or accounts.

Standards for Writing-History9-10.WHST.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content

9-10.WHST.2


9-10.WHST.4


9-10.WHST.6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

9-10.WHST.7


9-10.WHST.8

Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

9-10.WHST.9

Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Mathematics

N.RN.2 Rewrite expressions involving radicals and rational exponents using the properties of exponents.

N.RN.3 Explain why the sum or product of rational numbers is rational; that the sum of a

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rational number and an irrational number is irrational; and that the product of a nonzero rational number and an irrational number is irrational.

N.Q.1Use units as a way to understand problems and to guide the solution of multi-step problems; choose and interpret units consistently in formulas; choose and interpret the scale and the origin in graphs and data displays.

N.Q.2 Define appropriate quantities for the purpose of descriptive modeling.

N.Q.3 Choose a level of accuracy appropriate to limitations on measurement when reporting quantities.

N.VM.6 Use matrices to represent and manipulate data, e.g., to represent payoffs or incidence relationships in a network.

A.CED.2 Create equations in two or more variables to represent relationships between quantities; graph equations on coordinate axes with labels and scales.*

A.CED.3

Represent constraints by equations or inequalities, and by systems of equations and/or inequalities, and interpret solutions as viable or non-viable options in a modeling context. For example, represent inequalities describing nutritional and cost constraints on combinations of different foods.*

A.CED.4 Rearrange formulas to highlight a quantity of interest, using the same reasoning as in solving equations. For example, rearrange Ohm's law V = IR to highlight resistance R.*

A.REI.10 Understand that the graph of an equation in two variables is the set of all its solutions plotted in the coordinate plane, often forming a curve (which could be a line).

A.REI.11

Explain why the x-coordinates of the points where the graphs of the equations y = f(x) and y = g(x) intersect are the solutions of the equation f(x) = g(x); find the solutions approximately, e.g., using technology to graph the functions, make tables of values, or find successive approximations. Include cases where f(x) and/or g(x) are linear, polynomial, rational, absolute value, exponential, and logarithmic functions.*

A.REI.12Graph the solutions to a linear inequality in two variables as a half-plane (excluding the boundary in the case of a strict inequality), and graph the solution set to a system of linear inequalities in two variables as the intersection of the corresponding half-planes.

F.IF.1

Understand that a function from one set (called the domain) to another set (called the range) assigns to each element of the domain exactly one element of the range. If f is a function and x is an element of its domain, then f(x) denotes the output of f corresponding to the input x. The graph of f is the graph of the equation y = f(x).

F.IF.4

For a function that models a relationship between two quantities, interpret key features of graphs and tables in terms of the quantities, and sketch graphs showing key features given a verbal description of the relationship. Key features include: intercepts; intervals where the function is increasing, decreasing, positive, or negative; relative maximums and minimums; symmetries; end behavior; and periodicity.*

F.IF.5

Relate the domain of a function to its graph and, where applicable, to the quantitative relationship it describes. For example, if the function h(n) gives the number of person-hours it takes to assemble n engines in a factory, then the positive integers would be an appropriate domain for the function.*

F.IF.6Calculate and interpret the average rate of change of a function (presented symbolically or as a table) over a specified interval. Estimate the rate of change from a graph.*

F.BF.3 Identify the effect on the graph of replacing f(x) by f(x) + k, k f(x), f(kx), and f(x + k) for specific values of k (both positive and negative); find the value of k given the graphs.

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Experiment with cases and illustrate an explanation of the effects on the graph using technology. Include recognizing even and odd functions from their graphs and algebraic expressions for them.

G.SRT.7 Explain and use the relationship between the sine and cosine of complementary angles.

G.MG.2 Apply concepts of density based on area and volume in modeling situations (e.g., persons per square mile, BTUs per cubic foot).*

S.ID.1 Represent data with plots on the real number line (dot plots, histograms, and box plots).

S.ID.2Use statistics appropriate to the shape of the data distribution to compare center (median, mean) and spread (interquartile range, standard deviation) of two or more different data sets.

S.ID.3 Interpret differences in shape, center, and spread in the context of the data sets, accounting for possible effects of extreme data points (outliers).

S.ID.4

Use the mean and standard deviation of a data set to fit it to a normal distribution and to estimate population percentages. Recognize that there are data sets for which such a procedure is not appropriate. Use calculators, spreadsheets, and tables to estimate areas under the normal curve.

S.ID.5Summarize categorical data for two categories in two-way frequency tables. Interpret relative frequencies in the context of the data (including joint, marginal, and conditional relative frequencies). Recognize possible associations and trends in the data.

S.ID.6 Represent data on two quantitative variables on a scatter plot, and describe how the variables are related.

S.ID.7 Interpret the slope (rate of change) and the intercept (constant term) of a linear model in the context of the data.

S.ID.8 Compute (using technology) and interpret the correlation coefficient of a linear fitS.ID.9 Distinguish between correlation and causation

S.IC.1 Understand statistics as a process for making inferences about population parameters based on a random sample from that population.

S.IC.2 Decide if a specified model is consistent with results from a given data-generating process, e.g., using simulation.

S.IC.3 Recognize the purposes of and differences among sample surveys, experiments, and observational studies; explain how randomization relates to each.

S.IC.4 Use data from a sample survey to estimate a population mean or proportion; develop a margin of error through the use of simulation models for random sampling.

S.IC.5 Use data from a randomized experiment to compare two treatments; use simulations to decide if differences between parameters are significant.

S.IC.6 Evaluate reports based on data.

S.CP.5

Recognize and explain the concepts of conditional probability and independence in everyday language and everyday situations. For example, compare the chance of having lung cancer if you are a smoker with the chance of being a smoker if you have lung cancer.

S.MD.1Define a random variable for a quantity of interest by assigning a numerical value to each event in a sample space; graph the corresponding probability distribution using the same graphical displays as for data distributions.

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Science – Biology, Physical and Earth Science

Standard 1: SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION: Discover, invent, and investigate using the skills necessary to engage in the scientific

Benchmarks: Standard 1.1- Describe how a testable hypothesis may need to be revised to guide a

scientific investigation Standard 1.2 - Design and safely implement an experiment, including the appropriate use

of tools and techniques to organize, analyze, and validate data Standard 1.3 - Defend and support conclusions, explanations, and arguments based on

logic, scientific knowledge, and evidence from data Standard 1.4 - Determine the connection(s) among hypotheses, scientific evidence, and

conclusions Standard 1.5 - Communicate the components of a scientific investigation, using

appropriate techniques Standard 1.6 - Engage in and explain the importance of peer review in science Standard 1.7 - Revise, as needed, conclusions and explanations based on new evidence Standard 1.8 - Describe the importance of ethics and integrity in scientific investigation Standard 1.9 - Explain how scientific explanations must meet a set of established criteria to

be considered valid

Standard 2: NATURE OF SCIENCE: Understand that science, technology, and society are interrelated

Benchmark: Standard 2.1- Explain how scientific advancements emerging technology have influenced

society. Compare risks and benefits of potential solutions to technological issues.

Standard 3: ORGANISMS AND THE ENVIRONMENT: Understand the unity, diversity, and interrelationships of organisms, including their relationship to cycles of matter and energy in the environment

Benchmarks: Standard 3.1 - Describe biogeochemical cycles within ecosystems Standard 3.2 - Explain the chemical reactions that occur in photosynthesis (and cellular

respiration) that result in cycling of energy Standard 3.3 - Explain how matter and energy flow through living systems and the physical

environment Standard 3.4 - Explain dynamic equilibrium in organisms, populations, and ecosystems;

explain the effect of equilibrium shifts

Standard 4: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION IN ORGANISMS: Understand the structures and functions of living organisms and how organisms can be compared scientifically

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Benchmark: Standard 4.5 - Describe the components and functions of a variety of macromolecules

active in biological systems

Standard 5: DIVERSITY, GENETICS, AND EVOLUTION: Understand genetics and biological evolution and their impact on the unity and diversity of organisms

Benchmarks: Standard 5.2- Explain the theory of natural selection. Standard 5.1- Explain the theory of evolution and describe evidence that supports this

theory

Standard 6: Physical, Earth and Space Science: NATURE OF MATTER AND ENERGY: Understand the nature of matter and energy, forms of energy (including waves) and energy transformations, and their significance in understanding the structure of the universe

Benchmarks: SC.PS.6.2 Explain how the law of conservation of energy is applied to various systems SC.PS.6.3 Describe different examples of the concept of entropy SC.PS.6.7 Explain how elements are arranged in the periodic table and describe trends

among elemental properties SC.PS.6.8 Describe interactions among molecules SC.PS.6.9 Describe the factors that affect the rate of chemical reactions SC.PS.6.12 Describe nuclear reactions and how they produce energy


Benchmarks: SC.ES.8.1 Describe how elements and water move through solid Earth, the oceans,

atmosphere, and living things as part of geochemical cycles SC.ES.8.4 Describe how heat and energy transfer into and out of the atmosphere and their

involvement in global climate SC.ES.8.6 Describe how winds and ocean currents are produced on the Earth's surface SC.ES.8.7 Describe climate and weather patterns associated with certain geographic

locations and features SC.ES.8.8 Describe the major internal and external sources of energy on Earth

MathematicsStandard 3: Numbers and Operations: COMPUTATION STRATEGIES: Use computational tools and strategies fluently and, when appropriate, use estimation

Benchmark MA.AI.3.2 Apply the laws of exponents to perform operations on expressions with integral exponents


Benchmark MA.AI.4.1 Use formulas, functions, or conversion equations to solve problems dealing with determining a measurement based on another derived or given measurement

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Benchmark MA.AI.9.1 Determine if a linear pattern exists in a set of data and represent the data algebraically and graphically

Benchmark MA.AI.9.2 Compare and contrast the concepts of direct and inverse variation of a relation


Benchmark MA.AI.12.1 Compare data sets using statistical techniques (e.g., measures of central tendency, standard deviation, range, stem-and-leaf plots, and box-and-whisker graphs)

Benchmark MA.AI.12.2 Display bivariate data in a scatter plot, describe its shape, and determine the line of best fit that models a trend (if a trend exists)


Benchmark LA.9.1.1 Use new grade-appropriate vocabulary, including content area vocabulary, learned through reading and word study

Benchmark LA.9.1.2 Use a variety of strategies to gain information from print and online resources, both primary and secondary, as part of a research plan to support a thesis

Benchmark LA.10.1.2 Independently use a variety of strategies to gain information from print and online resources, both primary and secondary, as part of a research plan to support a thesis


Benchmark LA.9.2.1 Use annotation methods to identify organizational patterns and to make inferences while reading

Benchmark LA.9.2.2 Analyze questions not answered by a selected text Benchmark LA.10.2.1 Use annotation to evaluate the use of evidence while reading a

variety of texts


Benchmark LA.9.4.1 Write in a variety of grade-appropriate formats for a variety of purposes and audiences, such as:• narratives or scripts with a theme and details that contribute to a mood or tone• poems using a range of poetic techniques and figurative language in a variety of forms• literary, persuasive, and personal essays• research papers that state and support a thesis• functional writing including forms, applications, and questionnaires• pieces to reflect on learning and to solve problems

Benchmark LA.9.4.5 Describe the meaning and consequences of plagiarism Benchmark LA.9.4.6 Use a prescribed documentation style to adhere to fair use and

copyright guidelines for citing grade-appropriate sources in papers, projects, and multimedia presentations


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Benchmark LA.9.5.1 Use accurate and useful research information in writing


Benchmark LA.9.6.1 Organize and participate in a small group to accomplish a task or explore a topic

Benchmark LA.9.6.2 Give a planned oral presentation highlighting a main idea(s) with support (e.g., statistics, anecdotes, examples)

Benchmark LA.10.6.2 Give a planned oral presentation, adopting a position or explaining a point of view


Benchmark LA.9.7.1 Use credible sources to support ideas in oral messages Benchmark LA.10.7.1 Incorporate information from a range of print and online sources

Social Studies


Benchmark SS.10.2.1 Use knowledge of historical periods to assess contemporary issues and decisions

Benchmark SS.10.2.2 Determine the relevance of sources and assess their credibility Benchmark SS.10.2.3 Formulate and defend an opinion on a major contemporary social

issue using the tools and methods of inquiry and perspective Benchmark SS.10.2.4 Evaluate the quality of historical accounts based on the arguments

they advance and the evidence they use

Standard 3: History: MODERN HAWAIIAN HISTORY-Understand important historical events in Modern Hawaiian History

Benchmark SS.9MHH.3.9 Analyze significant contemporary issues that influence present day Hawaii, such as the Hawaiian Renaissance, the sovereignty movement, current land issues, and the influx of new immigrant groups

Standard 5: Political Science/Civics: PARTICIPATION AND CITIZENSHIP-Understand roles, rights (personal, economic, political), and responsibilities of American citizens and exercise them in civic action

Benchmark SS.9PD.5.1 Explain the rights, duties, and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy and the relationship between them

Benchmark SS.9PD.5.2 Investigate how citizens can monitor and advocate for a local, state, or national issue

Benchmark SS.9PD.5.5 Demonstrate the role of a citizen in civic action by selecting a problem, gathering information, proposing a solution, creating an action plan, and showing evidence of implementation


Benchmark SS.10.7.2 Explain the consequences of urbanization

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Physical Education

Standard 3: ACTIVE LIFESTYLE: Participate regularly in physical activity Benchmark PE.9-12.3.1 Participate in a variety of physical activities of personal interest to

maintain an active lifestyle

Standard 4: PHYSICAL FITNESS: Know ways to achieve and maintain a health: enhancing level of physical fitness

Benchmark PE.9-12.4.2 Assess the benefits of participation in selected physical activities on the components of health-related physical fitness



Benchmark CTE.9-12.2.2 Evaluate potential career choices in relation to personal interests, strengths, and values

Standard 3: SELF: MANAGEMENT: Practice health: enhancing behaviors and reduce health risks Benchmark HE.9-12.3.1 Compare a variety of personal coping and stress management

strategies

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Grades 11-12


Language Arts

Standards for Reading-Information

11-12.RI.1Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

11-12.RI.7Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.

11-12.RI.8

Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy

11-12.RI.10

By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Standards for Writing

11-12.W.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

11-12.W.2Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

11-12.W.4Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

11-12.W.6Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

11-12.W.7


11-12.W.8

Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

11-12.W.9 Draw evidence form literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.












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11-12.SL.1

Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one. in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

11-12.SL.2

Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.

11-12.SL.3Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.

11-12.SL.4

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range or formal and informal tasks.

11-12.SL.5Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.


11-12.L.6

Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading. writing. speaking. and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Reading for History

11-12.RH.1Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

11-12.RH.2Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

11-12.RH.3Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.

11-12.RH.6 Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.

11-12.RH.7Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

11-12.RH.8 Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.

11-12.RH.9 Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.














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Standards for Reading-Science and Technology

11-12.RST.1Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account.

11-12.RST.2Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in simpler but still accurate terms.

11-12.RST.3Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks; analyze the specific results based on explanations in the text.


11-12.RST.5 Analyze how the text structures information or ideas into categories or hierarchies, demonstrating understanding of the information or ideas.

11-12.RST.6Analyze the author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text, identifying important issues that remain unresolved.

11-12.RST.7Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

11-12.RST.8Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions in a science or technical text, verifying the data when possible and corroborating or challenging conclusions with other sources of information.

11-12.RST.9Synthesize information from a range of sources (e.g., texts, experiments, simulations) into a coherent understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving conflicting information when possible.

11-12.RST.10

By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 11–12 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Standards for Writing-History11-12.WHST.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.

11-12.WHST.2


11-12.WHST.4


11-12.WHST.6

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

11-12.WHST.7


11- Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources,























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12.WHST.8

using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

11-12.WHST.9

Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Mathematics

Note: Common Core State Standards for math address grades 9-12 – see details of standards analysis in previous section “Grades 9-10”. 36 Common Core State Standards in mathematics can be aligned with environmental education.


Science – Chemistry and Environmental Science

Standard 1: SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION: Discover, invent, and investigate using the skills necessary to engage in the scientific

Benchmarks: Standard 1.1- Describe how a testable hypothesis may need to be revised to guide a

scientific investigation Standard 1.2 - Design and safely implement an experiment, including the appropriate use

of tools and techniques to organize, analyze, and validate data Standard 1.3 - Defend and support conclusions, explanations, and arguments based on

logic, scientific knowledge, and evidence from data Standard 1.4 - Determine the connection(s) among hypotheses, scientific evidence, and

conclusions Standard 1.5 - Communicate the components of a scientific investigation, using

appropriate techniques Standard 1.6 - Engage in and explain the importance of peer review in science Standard 1.7 - Revise, as needed, conclusions and explanations based on new evidence Standard 1.8 - Describe the importance of ethics and integrity in scientific investigation Standard 1.9 - Explain how scientific explanations must meet a set of established criteria to

be considered valid

Standard 2: Nature of Science—Understand that science, technology, and society are interrelated Benchmark SC.ENV.2.1 Explain how scientific advancements and emerging technology

have influenced society Benchmark SC.ENV.2.2 Compare the risks and benefits of potential solutions to

technological issue

Standard 3: Earth Science —Understand the physical systems of the earth. Benchmark SC.ENV.3.1 Judge the effects of ocean currents on climate Benchmark SC.ENV.3.2 Compare different erosion processes Benchmark SC.ENV.3.3 Categorize different wind patterns and their effect on weather Benchmark SC.ENV.3.4 Compare different methods of generating electricity (e.g., fossil

fuels, nuclear)




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Standard 3: Properties of Matter –Understand different states of matter Benchmark SC.CH.3.2 Use the pH scale to characterize acid and base solutions

Standard 4: Life Science—Understand the interconnections of living systems. Benchmark SC.ENV.4.1 Explain how scientists organize the biosphere Benchmark SC.ENV.4.2 Explain why populations undergo cyclic fluctuations Benchmark SC.ENV.4.3 Explain how ecosystems respond to human activities Benchmark SC.ENV.4.4 Use models to represent the process of succession Benchmark SC.ENV.4.5 Explain the relationship between the carbon cycle and fossil fuels Benchmark SC.ENV.4.6 Describe how the availability of resources (e.g., energy, water,

oxygen, minerals) limits the amount of life an environment can support

Standard 5: Interdependence of The Environment and Human Societies—Understand the interdependence between environmental systems and human societies.

Benchmark SC.ENV.5.1 Explain how economic and societal decisions affect global and local ecosystems

Benchmark SC.ENV.5.2 Assess the effect of human actions on an environmental system Benchmark SC.ENV.5.3 Explain how population growth and natural resource consumption

affect global sustainability Benchmark SC.ENV.5.4 Describe the relationship between the environment and the growth

rate of a population Benchmark SC.ENV.5.5 Compare the consumption of natural resources by different nations Benchmark SC.ENV.5.6 Explain why recycling and conservation of resources are important

Standard 6: Chemical Thermodynamics – Understand and apply the laws of thermodynamics Benchmark SC.CH.6.1 Explain that chemical processes either absorb (endothermic) or

release (exothermic) thermal energy

Standard 7: Chemical Reaction Rates – Understand the nature of how reaction rates are affected Benchmark SC.CH.7.1 Describe how reaction rates are quantitatively affected by changes

of concentration and qualitatively affected by changes of temperature and surface area.

Standard 8: Nuclear Reactions and Energy – Understand the properties of nuclear energy Benchmark SC.CH.8.1 Describe how the energy release per gram of material is much

larger in nuclear fission or fusion reactions than in chemical reactions and how the change in mass (calculated by E=mc2) is small but significant in nuclear reactions

Benchmark SC.CH.8.2 Determine the amount of radioactive substance remaining after an integral number of half-lives have passed

Mathematics


Benchmark MA.AII.2.2 Use the inverse relationship between exponents and logarithms to solve exponential and logarithmic problems


Benchmark MA.AII.4.1 Use advanced formulas or functions to solve problems dealing with determining a measurement based on another derived or given measure

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Benchmark MA.AII.9.2 Use exponential functions to solve problems involving exponential growth and decay

Benchmark MA.AII.9.7 Determine the domain and range of a relation given a graph or a set of points


Benchmark MA.AII.10.2 Solve systems of linear equations and inequalities in two or three variables using a variety of strategies (e.g., substitution, graphing, matrices, technology)

Benchmark MA.AII.10.3 Solve equations containing radical and exponents Benchmark MA.AII.10.5 Apply quadratic equations to real-world situations


Benchmark MA.AII.12.1 Identify trends in bivariate data and find functions that model the data

Mathematics-Statistics (note: at some schools these standards are integrated into other math courses, at some schools this subject is offered as a separate math elective)


Benchmark MA.S.11.1 Develop a hypothesis for an investigation or experiment Benchmark MA.S.11.2 Recognize the variables and controls in an experiment or

investigation Benchmark MA.S.11.3 Select appropriate display for a data set (e.g., frequency table,

histogram, line graph, bar graph, stem-and-leaf plot, box-and-whisker plot, scatter plot) Benchmark MA.S.11.4 Recognize features of representations of data that can produce

misleading interpretations Benchmark MA.S.11.5 Recognize sampling, randomness, bias, and sampling size in data

collection and interpretation Benchmark MA.S.11.6 Describe the purpose and function of a variety of data collection

methods (e.g., census, sample surveys, experiment, observation)


Benchmark MA.S.12.1 Use measures of central tendency and spread to interpret data Benchmark MA.S.12.2 Interpret data based on the correlation coefficient of two variables Benchmark MA.S.12.3 Describe the effect of sample size and transformation on the shape,

center, and spread of data Benchmark MA.S.12.4 Use the line or curve of best fit to interpret data


Benchmark MA.S.13.1 Recognize that some data can be represented algebraically (e.g., linear, quadratic, exponential, sinusoidal)

Benchmark MA.S.13.2 Use interpolation and extrapolation to make predictions and inferences about data

Language Arts

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Benchmark LA.11.1.1/ Benchmark LA.12.1.1 Use new grade-appropriate vocabulary, including content area vocabulary, learned through reading and word study

Benchmark LA.11.1.2 Use primary and secondary sources to develop and modify a research plan in response to problems and opportunities encountered in accessing print and online resources to support a thesis

Benchmark LA.12.1.2 Use primary and secondary sources to develop and modify a research plan in response to problems and opportunities encountered in accessing print and online resources to resolve conflicting information


Benchmark LA.11.2.1/ Benchmark LA.12.2.1 Use a variety of criteria (e.g., clarity, accuracy, author's bias, use of persuasion) to evaluate information


Benchmark LA.11.4.1 Write in a variety of grade-appropriate formats for a variety of purposes and audiences, such as:• literary, persuasive, and personal essays that demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the topic• research papers that include two or more relevant perspectives and take into consideration the validity and reliability of sources• functional writing including college and job applications• reflections that draw comparisons between specific incidents and broader themes

Benchmark LA.12.4.1 Write in a variety of grade-appropriate formats for a variety of purposes and audiences, such as:• literary, persuasive, and personal essays that demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the topic• research papers that include two or more relevant perspectives and take into consideration the validity and reliability of sources• reflections that draw comparisons between specific incidents and broader themes

Benchmark LA.11.4.3 Synthesize and cite information from multiple sources (e.g., almanacs, websites, periodicals, field studies, speeches, interviews) while maintaining the flow of ideas

Benchmark LA.12.4.3 Synthesize and cite information from multiple sources (e.g., works of art, works cited within other works, a work appearing in an anthology, an unpublished manuscript) while maintaining the flow of ideas

Benchmark LA.11.4.4/ Benchmark LA.12.4.4Use grade-appropriate conventions for documentation in text, notes, and bibliographies


Benchmark LA.11.5.1 Develop ideas and details in writing to address a specific purpose and audience

Benchmark LA.12.5.1 Develop ideas and details in writing to enlarge the effect or scope of the piece while addressing a specific purpose and audience

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Benchmark LA.11.5.2 Organize writing so that it conveys a clear perspective on the topic, maintains a consistent focus, and addresses the needs of the audience


Benchmark LA.11.6.1/ Benchmark LA.12.6.1 Participate in a small group (e.g., organize sessions and information, complete a grade-appropriate task, evaluate the group's accomplishments)

Benchmark LA.11.6.2 Give a planned oral presentation on a topic that is open to more than one point of view

Benchmark LA.12.6.2 Give a planned oral presentation to support a position on a specified topic and respond to questions from the audience

Benchmark LA.11.6.3 Listen to assess the reasonableness of the position or argument Benchmark LA.12.6.3 Listen to determine the evidence for and against a given position or

argument

Social Studies

Standard 3: History: WORLD HISTORY-Understand important historical events from classical civilization through the present

Benchmark SS.11.3.2 Examine the effects of global interactions in pre-modern times, including the Mongol conquests, the Crusades, and technological, biological, and commercial exchanges

Benchmark SS.11.3.3 Explain the impact of the exploratory and commercial expeditions in the 15th and 16th century, including the voyages of Zheng He, Vasco da Gama, Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, James Cook, and European voyages to North America

Benchmark SS.11.3.4 Explain the effects of global exchanges in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa, including the spread of food crops and diseases, the exchange of trade goods, and migrations of peoples (forced and voluntary)

Benchmark SS.11.3.6 Examine the major developments in European cultural and intellectual history, including the Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, and Scientific Revolution

Benchmark SS.11.3.8 Describe the socio-economic impact of the industrial revolution Benchmark SS.11.3.9 Explain the ideological and economic interests that drove European,

American, and Japanese imperialism in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Benchmark SS.11.3.16 Examine the significant effects of technological developments and

biological exchanges in the contemporary world Benchmark SS.11.3.17 Examine critical human rights issues in the contemporary world

Standard 3: Political Science/Government - Understand the political party system and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of American citizens

Benchmark SS.PSG.3.1 Identify ways to be an active citizen (e.g., through volunteerism, activism, voting, socially responsible actions) who affects positive change in the community, state, nation, or world

Benchmark SS.PSG.3.4 Compare the positions of political parties on contemporary issues based on their differing ideologies


Benchmark SS.11.8.2 Describe the distribution of the world's resources as it affects