Standard 5: Students will understand how Earth science interacts with society.
Objective 1: Characterize Earth as a changing and complex system of interacting spheres.
a. Illustrate how energy flowing and matter cycling within Earth’s biosphere, geosphere,
atmosphere, and hydrosphere give rise to processes that shape Earth.
b. Explain how Earth’s systems are dynamic and continually react to natural and humancaused
changes.
c. Explain how technological advances lead to increased human knowledge (e.g., satellite
imaging, deep sea ocean probes, seismic sensors, weather radar systems) and ability to
predict how changes affect Earth’s systems.
d. Design and conduct an experiment that investigates how Earth’s biosphere, geosphere,
atmosphere, or hydrosphere reacts to human-caused change.
e. Research and report on how scientists study feedback loops to inform the public about
Earth’s interacting systems.
Objective 2: Describe how humans depend on Earth’s resources.
a. Investigate how Earth's resources (e.g., mineral resources, petroleum resources,
alternative energy resources, water resources, soil and agricultural resources) are
distributed across the state, the country, and the world.
b. Research and report on how human populations depend on Earth resources for
sustenance and how changing conditions over time have affected these resources (e.g.,
water pollution, air pollution, increases in population).
c. Predict how resource development and use alters Earth systems (e.g., water reservoirs,
alternative energy sources, wildlife preserves).
d. Describe the role of scientists in providing data that informs the discussion of Earth
resource use.
e. Justify the claim that Earth science literacy can help the public make informed choices
related to the extraction and use of natural resources.
Objective 3: Indicate how natural hazards pose risks to humans.
a. Identify and describe natural hazards that occur locally (e.g., wildfires, landslides,
earthquakes, floods, drought) and globally (e.g., volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes).
b. Evaluate and give examples of human activities that can contribute to the frequency and
intensity of some natural hazards (e.g., construction that may increase erosion, human
causes of wildfires, climate change).
c. Document how scientists use technology to continually improve estimates of when and
where natural hazards occur.
d. Investigate and report how social, economic, and environmental issues affect decisions
about human-engineered structures (e.g., dams, homes, bridges, roads).
Objective 1: Characterize Earth as a changing and complex system of interacting spheres.
a. Illustrate how energy flowing and matter cycling within Earth’s biosphere, geosphere,
atmosphere, and hydrosphere give rise to processes that shape Earth.
b. Explain how Earth’s systems are dynamic and continually react to natural and humancaused
changes.
c. Explain how technological advances lead to increased human knowledge (e.g., satellite
imaging, deep sea ocean probes, seismic sensors, weather radar systems) and ability to
predict how changes affect Earth’s systems.
d. Design and conduct an experiment that investigates how Earth’s biosphere, geosphere,
atmosphere, or hydrosphere reacts to human-caused change.
e. Research and report on how scientists study feedback loops to inform the public about
Earth’s interacting systems.
Objective 2: Describe how humans depend on Earth’s resources.
a. Investigate how Earth's resources (e.g., mineral resources, petroleum resources,
alternative energy resources, water resources, soil and agricultural resources) are
distributed across the state, the country, and the world.
b. Research and report on how human populations depend on Earth resources for
sustenance and how changing conditions over time have affected these resources (e.g.,
water pollution, air pollution, increases in population).
c. Predict how resource development and use alters Earth systems (e.g., water reservoirs,
alternative energy sources, wildlife preserves).
d. Describe the role of scientists in providing data that informs the discussion of Earth
resource use.
e. Justify the claim that Earth science literacy can help the public make informed choices
related to the extraction and use of natural resources.
Objective 3: Indicate how natural hazards pose risks to humans.
a. Identify and describe natural hazards that occur locally (e.g., wildfires, landslides,
earthquakes, floods, drought) and globally (e.g., volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes).
b. Evaluate and give examples of human activities that can contribute to the frequency and
intensity of some natural hazards (e.g., construction that may increase erosion, human
causes of wildfires, climate change).
c. Document how scientists use technology to continually improve estimates of when and
where natural hazards occur.
d. Investigate and report how social, economic, and environmental issues affect decisions
about human-engineered structures (e.g., dams, homes, bridges, roads).