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Course Correlation to Virginia Standards of Learning
Name of Provider:
Name of Course:
York County School Division
Environmental Science
URL for Course Syllabus:
http://yorkcountyschools.org/virtualLearning/courseCatalog.aspx
Last Revision Date:
2010-11 (Courses revised quarterly as needed)
Grade 11-12 Environmental Science Biology, Chemistry and Earth Science SOL’s
Standard:
How does the course content address this
standard? (Please refer to the syllabus
posted on your Web site.)
Scientific Investigation
Unit SOL's: E 9.7, 9.8, Bio. 1, CH. 1
Experimental Design
Unit Objectives:
Scientific Reasoning and Logic
The Learners Will:
* construct and interpret data tables,
charts, maps and graphs.
• distinguish between pure and applied
science.
• describe methods and techniques used
in problem solving.
• use technology, including computers and
instructional software,
to collect, analyze and report data.
• manipulate variables using repeated
trials.
• use senses to observe nature.
• identify the ecological features of the
school or home neighborhood
by creating an environmental scientific
map.
• design or follow a pre-designed
experiment using one independent
variable and a control.
• keep accurate records of data and
observations.
Unit SOL's: E 11.3; H/SS 10.2, 10.14, 10.15;
S ES.2, BIO.5
Unit Objectives:
The Learners Will:
*summarize the results of the Earth
Summit.
• describe the international agreements
relating to the environment.
Environmental Policies
International Cooperation
• explain how environmental impact
statements are prepared.
• describe the role of local government in
environmental conservation.
• give examples of how citizens can
influence environmental
decisions at all levels of government.
Unit SOL's: H/SS 10.2; S ES.1, ES.2, BIO. 1,
BIO.5
Unit Objectives:
The Learners Will:
*define biodiversity.
• explain how humans are causing
extinctions of species.
• define extinctions.
• list the main provisions of the
Endangered Species Act.
• define endangered and threatened
species.
• discuss the controversies about efforts to
protect endangered
species.
• describe worldwide efforts to prevent
extinctions.
• describe several ways and programs that
are used to save
species.
• explain the advantages of protecting
entire ecosystems rather
than individual species. define biodiversity.
• explain how humans are causing
extinctions of species.
• define extinctions.
• list the main provisions of the
Endangered Species Act.
• define endangered and threatened
species.
• discuss the controversies about efforts to
protect endangered
species.
• describe worldwide efforts to prevent
extinctions.
• describe several ways and programs that
are used to save
species.
• explain the advantages of protecting
Biodiversity
Endangered Species
Public Policy
entire ecosystems rather
than individual species.
Unit SOL's: H/SS 10.2; S ES.4, ES.12, ES.13,
BIO. 1, BIO.3
Atmosphere and Climate
Public Policy
Unit Objectives:
The Learner Will:
*explain how the atmosphere makes life on
Earth possible.
• explain how photosynthesis and
respiration keep the amount
of CO2 relatively constant in the
atmosphere.
• describe the layered structure of the
atmosphere.
• explain why different parts of the world
have different climates.
• describe and diagram how seasons are
caused.
• describe the greenhouse effect on Earth.
• explain why carbon dioxide levels in the
atmosphere are rising.
• explain why some scientists believe that
the Earth’s climate
is getting warmer and describe the effects
this will have on
Earth.
• define ozone and describe its structure.
• describe how ozone shields the Earth.
• explain how CFC’s are damaging ozone.
• describe the damaging effects of
excessive ultraviolet light.
Unit SOL's: S BIO. 8, BIO.9
Unit Objectives:
The Learner Will:
*distinguish between biotic and abiotic
factors in an ecosystem.
• differentiate between and give examples
of: organism, population, community,
ecosystem, biosphere.
• explain the terms habitat and niche and
give examples.
• describe the interrelated events of 1955
in Borneo when DDT was first used.
• describe five major types of species
interactions and give examples of each:
Living Things in Ecosystems
Connections
Interactions
Adaptations
predation, competition, parasitism,
mutualism, commensalism.
• explain the process of evolution by
natural selection.
• define extinction and give an example.
• explain and describe the concepts of
adaptation and coevoluation and give
examples.
Unit SOL's: S BIO.9, ES.9, ES.12, ES.13
How Ecosystems Work
Energy Flow
Cycling of Materials
Change
Unit Objectives:
The Learner Will:
*describe the roles of producers and
consumers.
• trace the transfer of energy from the sun
through consumers.
• differentiate among types of consumers.
• draw a food web and a food chain.
• explain why an energy pyramid is a good
representation of trophic levels.
• describe the water, carbon and nitrogen
cycles.
• explain how humans are affecting the
carbon cycle.
• explain the importance of nitrogen-fixing
bacteria.
• describe primary and secondary
succession and give examples.
• define and give the importance of pioneer
species.
• explain how soil is formed.
Types of Ecosystems
Unit SOL's: H/SS 10.3; S BIO.9, ES.9, ES.11
Forests, Deserts, Grasslands, and Tundra
Unit Objectives:
Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems
The Learner Will:
*define biome, distinguish between biome
and ecosystem.
• compare and contrast the world’s forest
biomes.
• describe plant and animal adaptations in
each kind of forest.
• describe the factors that shape and
characterize grasslands, chaparral, desert
and tundra ecosystems.
• explain how the adaptations of plants and
animals in each ecosystem help them to
survive.
• describe the characteristics of different
freshwater ecosystems.
• compare survival adaptations of
organisms in stagnant and moving
freshwater ecosystems.
• describe the characteristics of different
marine ecosystems: estuary, coral reef,
ocean, polar.
• describe organism’s adaptations to
different marine environments.
Unit SOL's: H/SS 10.2, 10.3, 10.9; S BIO.5, BIO.8,
ES.9
Unit Objectives:
The Learner Will:
* explain why providing adequate food for
Food as a Resource
Feeding the People of the World
Agriculture and Soil
all of the world’s
people is so difficult.
• describe the advantages and
disadvantages of the green
revolution.
• define fertile soil.
• describe methods of preventing soil
erosion.
• explain how irrigation can cause
salinization.
• describe desertification and how it can be
prevented.
• compare low-input and conventional
farming.
• prepare a researched report on
genetically engineered foods.
Unit SOL's: H/SS 10.1, 10.2, 10.3; S ES.3, ES.7,
ES.11
Unit Objectives:
The Learner Will:
* define suburban sprawl and explain why
it is considered a problem.
• describe “the urban crisis” and explain
what city planners are doing to relieve it.
• describe the usefulness of non-urban
lands to humans.
• explain how logging, ranching and mining
activities affect the land.
• explain how lands can be logged, grazed
and mined sustainably.
• explain how public land is used in the
Land Use
Suburban Sprawl
Urban Crisis
Public Land
United States.
• discuss the benefits and disadvantages
of using public land for multiple uses.
Unit SOL's: S ES.4, ES.7, ES.9, BIO.3
Unit Objectives:
The Learner Will:
* explain why fresh water is a precious
Water as a Resource
Freshwater Supplies
Water Cycle
resource.
• describe our main sources of fresh water.
• explain why fresh water supplies are
limited.
• list the processes involved in the water
cycle and describe each.
Unit SOL's: S ES.7, CH.5
Energy
Electricity
Unit Objectives:
Nuclear Energy
The Learner Will:
* explain how fossil fuels are used to
produce electricity.
• distinguish between renewable and
nonrenewable resources and give
examples.
• show/explain how our major sources of
energy are dwindling.
• define atomic fission.
• describe how a nuclear power plant
works.
• compare the workings of a nuclear power
plant and a fossil fuel plant.
• list advantages and disadvantages of
using nuclear energy.
• describe several methods of energy
conservation.
• describe several alternative energy
sources.
Unit SOL's: H/SS 10.2, 10.8; S ES.12, BIO.1,
CH. 6
Unit Objectives:
The Learner Will:
* name the major causes of air pollution.
• distinguish between primary and
secondary pollutants.
• explain some ways to reduce air
pollution.
• explain how inversions can make air
Air Pollution
Causes and Effects
Solutions
pollution worse.
• describe some health effects from
pollution.
• explain what causes indoor air pollution
and how to prevent it.
• describe how acid precipitation is
caused.
• explain acid precipitation’s affect on
ecosystems.
• research ways that countries are working
together to solve problems of acid
precipitation.
Unit SOL's: S ES.4, ES.7, ES.9, BIO.1, BIO.3,
CH.1
Unit Objectives:
The Learner Will:
* explain why ground water pollution is
hard to clean.
• define and compare point and nonpoint
pollution.
• classify the kinds of water pollutants.
• describe the impact of water pollution on
people and on the environment.
• walk around school or neighborhood and
record sources of point and nonpoint
pollution.
• investigate and/or do research on local
point/nonpoint pollution.
• visit a wastewater treatment plant.
• debate the opposing viewpoints of
environmental protection vs. protecting
people’s jobs.
Unit SOL's: H/SS 10.2, 10.8; S ES.7, BIO.8
Unit Objectives:
The Learner Will:
* define solid waste.
• explain how most cities dispose of their
solid waste.
• describe three ways to reduce the
amount of waste that goes to landfills and
incinerators.
• define hazardous waste.
• explain how most hazardous waste is
disposed of in the United States.
• describe the two best ways to deal with
the hazardous waste problem.
Freshwater Pollution
Point and Nonpoint Pollution
Types of Pollutants
Impacts
Waste
Solid Waste
Hazardous Waste
Unit SOL's: CH.1, BIO.1, BIO.3, ES. 9, ES.11 Unit Ocean Pollution
Objectives:
Causes and Effects
The Learner Will:
Solutions
* explain how and why the oceans are
polluted.
• describe the effects of pollution on
marine life.
• discuss the effects of polluted oceans on
humans.
• describe how individuals can help
prevent ocean pollution.
• research new techniques in oil-spill
clean-up.
Unit SOL's: H/SS 10.5; S BIO.9
Unit Objectives:
The Learner Will:
* describe the problems caused by
overpopulation.
• list areas of the world considered
overpopulated.
• discuss some ways to solve the problem
of overpopulation.
• describe factors that affect population
size.
• explain why populations grow.
• list limiting factors to growth.
• describe how size of human population
has changed.
• identify factors that have led to changes
in human population.
• describe stages of population growth.
Population Growth
Problems
Solutions