Conner+Scace+Human+Impacts+-10th+Grade+Biology+Resource+File

= Human Population Growth = Conner Scace

This unit addresses the essential question, “should human population be controlled?” 10th grade biology students will learn about environmental problems such as global warming, ozone depletion, deforestation, water shortages, and acid rain/air pollution and how exponential growth of the human population effect these issues. They will address their prior knowledge (and possible misconceptions) about these environmental concepts in order to #|form an opinion about the essential question. Students will read and annotate science literature, read a fictional piece (Dan Brown’s //Inferno//), watch videos, explore interactive simulations, research environmental problems that countries are experiencing, reflect on powerful images, discuss these concepts with their peers, undergo argumentation, and reflect on what they have learned. They will express their understandings of these environmental problems through a concept #|map that they will revise periodically throughout the unit. They will use storify.com to collect images, videos, and links (gather evidence) that supports their final claim on the essential question of human population control. The following resources will be incorporated in my final unit plan. Whether or not you are a science teacher, these resources may help you address your own prior knowledge, possible misconceptions, and further understandings on sensitive environmental issues that affect everybody.

media type="custom" key="25376232"

//CCSS 10th Grade Lexile Level: 1080-1305 (CCSS Appendix B)//
 * 5 Text-based Resources:**

@http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bottled-water-ridiculous-waste/ Lexile: 1140 This article emphasizes the benefits of drinking tap water (cleaner, cheaper, no plastic pollution).

@http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100310/why-tap-water-is-better/ Lexile: 1320 This article discusses the environmental problems of producing bottled water (more greenhouse gases released, more fossil fuels burned, more plastic produced to pollute the environment, #|health problems, economic costs).

@http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/02/13/bottled-water-is-silly-but-so-is-banning-it/ Lexile: 1080 This article provides a counter argument to banning water. The author suggests that bottled water in developed countries is a luxury. Countries that survive a natural disaster or who have no access to clean water rely on bottled water. But if we ban bottled water, shouldn’t we also stop drinking soda?

@http://philosophyparadise.com/blog/tragedy-of-the-commons-as-applied-to-water-supply-and-management/ Lexile: 1250 This article introduces and elaborates on a very important concept, the tragedy of the commons. Even if the individual contributes to a global problem (overconsumption, pollution), as a society we will exhaust the resource. Individuals need to care more their actions, because collectively, humans can greatly harm their environment and exhaust limited resources.

@http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/09/130927-grand-ethiopian-renaissance-dam-egypt-water-wars/ Lexile: 1520 (higher than the 10th grade CCSS Lexile Level, but still a good article to use) Students can read about an actual water crisis between Ethiopia and Egypt. They can understand how each country requires access to fresh water to meet the water needs of their citizens. They can __#|learn__ about the politics behind water problems. Students can finally understand that water problems are also occurring in the United States.

5 Web-based Resources:
@http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-overview-interactive/ === The interactive simulation on this website provides students with an alternative method of learning about global warming. Students can pause, rewind, and replay the video to improve their understanding. If they are confused about the concept, and other methods of instruction do not help them, then they can go to this site and learn the concept on their own time and at their own pace. For students who are comfortable with the concept of global warming, this website will allow them to quickly review the “big picture” of global warming. ===

@http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/atmosphere/
=== This interactive simulation provides students with a better understanding of the layers of the atmosphere. They observe the height, temperature, pressure, composition, and everyday concepts (airplanes, hot air balloons) at each layer of the atmosphere. Like the previous resource, this website can be used for differentiated instruction for students who are still unclear about atmospheric layers and concepts. It can also be used as a quick study guide for students who are familiar with the concepts, but need a quick review. ===

media type="custom" key="25375956" === This YouTube video challenges students to think about the economic and environmental costs of drinking bottled water. Students can reflect on their prior knowledge of tap water (is it really that bad?). This video can be used as a hook to a lesson or as an informative piece (after students think and reflect on their prior knowledge and possible misconceptions about tap water). ===

@http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/
=== This website allows students to make learning meaningful and relatable to their lives. They can explore the population census data (based on race, ethnicity, age, sex, and housing status) at the local level, state level, and national level. ===

@http://climatewizard.org/
=== This website allows the students to explore the projected temperature and precipitation estimates at the state, national, and global level. Students can see what the climate has been like in the past 50 years, as well as how the climate may change by 2050, and 2080. ===

This video is an excellent resource to hook your students to the important concept of human population growth (overpopulation). The visuals are amazing. It is easy to understand the concepts of birth rate, death rate, and population growth. OUT OF ALL OF THE RESOURCES ON THIS WIKIPAGE, THIS IS THE BEST ONE (IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO INCLUDE IT IN YOUR LESSON PLAN/UNIT PLAN, PLEASE AT LEAST WATCH IT. IT'S ONLY 3 MINUTES LONG) media type="custom" key="25410454"

This site (article) explains how a declining birth rate has still not prevented an exponentially growing human population. Though parents are having fewer children, children are living longer and there are more young mother's today giving birth. This article has two short videos that talk about how the population increased so quickly, and also addresses population momentum (how a decline in birth rate has not stopped a growing human population). http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/population/la-fg-population-matters1-20120722-html,0,7213271.htmlstory#axzz2wkec11vb

5 Unique Resources:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/12/121217-pictures-greening-desert-irrigation-water-grabs//?source=hp_dl5_news_greening_desert_hub_20121225#/water-grabs-greening-desert-kalahari_61751_600x450.jpg This website can be used to hook your students into a lesson about water consumption. Students can reflect on images that show vegetation and crops being planted in the middle of deserts.

[] This website can be used to hook your students to the unit and essential question of human population control. It shows #|a satellite image of the world at night. They can see how an increasing population has increased the light pollution across the world.

@http://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/worldpopgraph.php This website shows a graph of human population growth since 1950. It also provides the population estimates in 2050. Students can see how, over 50 years, at least 4 billion people have been added to the world population.

@http://www.cartoonwork.com/safety_ecology_g57-deforestation_and_job_creation_p96.html This website provides a cartoon that addresses deforestation. If all the trees are cut down, there will be less oxygen in the environment, and companies can create jobs by producing oxygen masks.

@http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fgelaefish.com%2F2009%2F09%2F01%2Fgreen-advertisement-stop-deforestation-before-its-too-late%2F&h=0&w=0&tbnid=i3KgRngUqVf7dM&tbnh=181&tbnw=278&zoom=1&docid=Dh9BJMZRx85PpM&ei=6fokU4DUEM6s0AGVz4GIAw&ved=0CAIQsCUoAA This website shows a powerful image of how deforestation can scar a beautiful landscape. It’s a great attention grabber and can be used to hook your students to the lesson of deforestation.

**References**

Drinking from a bottle instead of the tap just doesn’t hold water. (2011). //Scientific American//. Retrieved from []

Fishman, C. (2012). Bottled water is silly—but so is banning it. //National Geographic//. Retrieved from __[] ____it/__

Karlstrom, S. & Dell’Amore, C. (2010). Why tap water is better than bottled water. //National Geographic//. Retrieved from []

Schwartzstein, P. (2013). Water wars: Egyptians condemn Ethiopia’s Nile dam project. //National Geographic.// Retrieved from []

//Tragedy of the commons as applied to water supply and management//. (2010). Retrieved from []