Organizing Ideas

Earth Systems:

Make connections between human activity and Earth’s systems.

Analyze the interconnectedness of Earth’s systems.

Explain how changes in one system can have impacts on other systems.

Investigate natural resources found in Alberta and how they are used to meet human needs.

Investigate conservation practices in natural and human-made areas, including Indigenous conservation practices.

Describe examples of personal actions that contribute to conservation in daily life.

Organizing Ideas

Energy:

Compare renewable energy resources with non-renewable energy resources.

Discuss advantages and disadvantages of using renewable and non-renewable energy resources.

Earth Systems:

Distinguish climate from weather.

Discuss the characteristics of local, national, and global weather conditions to determine climate.

Relate factors that contribute to Alberta’s climate.

Explain how climate can affect human and other animal activity. 

Organizing Ideas

Earth Systems:

Relate impacts of natural processes and human activities on climate change.

Identify personal actions that may affect global climate change.

Describe possible effects of climate change on land, plants, humans, and other animals.

Discuss the effects of climate change on traditional ways of living off the land.

Compare historical observations and measurements of weather and environmental conditions to current data.

Discuss how scientists, Elders, and traditional Knowledge Keepers can collaborate to develop deeper awareness of the effects of weather on people and environments.

Living Systems:

Represent and connect the biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem.

Relate the preservation of various ecosystems to possible actions that address climate change.

Science, Unit 1: Interactions & Ecosystems

• 1. Investigate and describe relationships between humans and their environments, and identify related issues and scientific questions

  • illustrate how life-supporting environments meet the needs of living things for nutrients, energy sources, moisture, suitable habitat, and exchange of gases

  • identify examples of human impacts on ecosystems, and investigate and analyze the link between these impacts and the human wants and needs that give rise to them

• 2. Trace and interpret the flow of energy and materials within an ecosystem

  • analyze an ecosystem to identify biotic and abiotic components, and describe interactions among these components

  • describe and give examples of energy and nutrient storage in plants and animals

  • describe the process of cycling carbon through an ecosystem

• 4. Describe the relationships among knowledge, decisions and actions in maintaining life-supporting environments

  • identify intended and unintended consequences of human activities within local and global environments

Social Studies, Local and Current Affairs

Science, Unit E: Freshwater and Saltwater Systems

• Identify the significance of water supply and quality to the needs of humans and other living things

• Investigate and interpret linkages among landforms, water and climate

• Analyze human impacts on aquatic systems; and identify the roles of science and technology in addressing related questions, problems and issues 

Social Studies, General Outcome 8.3: Worldviews in Conflict

• 8.3.1 - appreciate how a society's worldview influences the society's choices, decisions and interactions with other societies

Social Studies, Local and Current Affairs

Science, Unit A: Biological Diversity

• 1. Investigate and interpret diversity among species and within species, and describe how diversity contributes to species survival

• 4. Identify impacts of human action on species survival and variation within species, and analyze related issues for personal and public decision making

Social Studies, Local and Current Affairs

Social Studies, General Outcome 9.2: Issues for Canadians: Economic Systems in Canada and the United States 

• 9.2.1 - appreciate the values underlying economic decision making in Canada and the United States

• 9.2.2 - appreciate the relationship between consumerism and quality of life

Science 10, Unit D: Energy Flow in Global Systems

• 1. Describe how the relationships among input solar energy, output terrestrial energy and energy flow within the biosphere affect the lives of humans and other species

  • explain how climate affects the lives of people and other species, and explain the need to investigate climate change

  • describe and explain the greenhouse effect, and the role of various gases—including methane, carbon dioxide and water vapour—in determining the scope of the greenhouse effect

• 3. Relate climate to the characteristics of the world’s major biomes

  • identify the potential effects of climate change on environmentally sensitive biomes

• 4. Investigate and interpret the role of environmental factors on global energy transfer and climate change

  • investigate and identify human actions affecting biomes that have a potential to change climate and critically examine the evidence that these factors play a role in climate change

  • identify evidence to investigate past changes in Earth’s climate

  • assess, from a variety of perspectives, the risks and benefits of human activity, and its impact on the biosphere and the climate

Science 14 & 24, Unit D: Investigating Matter and Energy in the Environment

• 1. Describe how the flow of matter in the biosphere is cyclical along characteristic pathways and can be disrupted by human activity

  • describe, in general terms, how carbon and oxygen are cycled through the biosphere

  • identify and assess the needs and interests of society that have led to technologies with unforeseen environmental consequences

• 2. Analyze a local ecosystem in terms of its biotic and abiotic components, and describe factors of the equilibrium

  • describe how various abiotic factors influence biodiversity in an ecosystem

  • explain how various factors influence the size of populations (climate change)

Social Studies, 10-1: Perspectives on Globalization /10-2: Living In A Globalizing World

Related issue 2 

2.3 - accept social responsibilities associated with global citizenship (10-1/10-2)

Related issue 3 (10-1)

3.1 - recognize and appreciate multiple perspectives that exist with respect to the relationships among politics, economics, the environment and globalization (10-1/10-2)

3.7 - explore multiple perspectives regarding the relationship among people, the land and globalization (spirituality, stewardship, sustainability, resource development) (10-1/10-2)

3.8 - evaluate actions and policies associated with globalization that impact the environment (land and resource use, resource development agreements, environmental legislation) (10-1)

Related Issue 4

4.3 - accept political, social and environmental responsibilities associated with global citizenship (10-1/10-2)

Social Studies, Local and Current Affairs

Biology 20, Unit B: Ecosystems and Population Change

• General Outcome 1: Students will explain that the biosphere is composed of ecosystems, each with distinctive biotic and abiotic characteristics

  • 20–B1.1k define species, population, community and ecosystem and explain the interrelationships among them

  • 20–B1.4k explain how limiting factors influence organism distribution and range

  • 20–B1.1sts explain how science and technology have both intended and unintended consequences for humans and the environment

Science 20, Unit D: Changes in Living Systems, The Changing Earth

• General Outcome 1: Students will analyze ecosystems and ecological succession in the local area and describe the relationships and interactions among subsystems and components.

  • 20–D1.4k describe the potential impact of habitat destruction on an ecosystem

Science 14, Unit D: Investigating Matter and Energy in the Environment

• 1. Describe how the flow of matter in the biosphere is cyclical along characteristic pathways and can be disrupted by human activity

  • explain the role of living systems in the cycling of matter in the biosphere

  • describe, in general terms, how carbon and oxygen are cycled through the biosphere

  • identify and assess the needs and interests of society that have led to technologies with unforeseen environmental consequences

• 2. Analyze a local ecosystem in terms of its biotic and abiotic components, and describe factors of the equilibrium

  • describe how various abiotic factors influence biodiversity in an ecosystem

  • explain how various factors influence the size of populations (climate change)

  • describe the relationship between land use practices and altering ecosystems

Social Studies, 20-1: Perspectives On Nationalism / 20-2: Understandings Of Nationalism

• Related Issue 2

  • 2.2 - appreciate that the pursuit of national interest has positive and negative consequences (20-1/20-2)

  • 2.3 - appreciate multiple perspectives related to the pursuit of national interest (20-1/20-2)

• Related Issue 3

  • 3.3 - demonstrate a global consciousness with respect to the human condition and global affairs (20-1/20-2)

  • 3.6 - analyze how internationalism can be promoted through foreign policy (20-1/20-2)

Social Studies, Local and Current Affairs

Biology 30, Unit D: Population and Community Dynamics

• General Outcome 1: Students will describe a community as a composite of populations in which individuals contribute to a gene pool that can change over time.

  • 30–D1.1sts explain that science and technology have both intended and unintended consequences for humans and the environment

Science 30, Unit D: Energy and the Environment

• General Outcome 1: explain the need for balancing the growth in global energy demands with maintaining a viable biosphere

  • 30–D1.3k apply the concept of sustainable development to increasing the efficient use of energy

  • 30–D1.4k explain the need to develop technologies that use renewable and nonrenewable energy sources to meet the increasing global demand

  • 30–D1.5k describe the environmental impact of developing and using various energy sources

Science 24: Unit B: Understanding Common Energy Conversion Systems

• 4. Analyze and describe the impact of fossil fuel based technologies and their importance in meeting human needs

  • explain the importance of the fossil fuel industry in Alberta in meeting energy requirements

  • compare present fossil fuel consumption by industry, homes and automobiles with projected consumption in the future

  • assess the impact of fossil fuel based technologies on the environment

Social Studies, 30-1: Perspectives On Ideology / 30-2: Understandings Of Ideologies

• Related issue 1

  • 1.2 - appreciate various perspectives regarding the relationship between individualism and common good (30-1/30-2)

  • 1.3 - explore factors that may influence individual and collective beliefs and values (culture, language, media, relationship to land, environment, gender, religion, spirituality, ideology) (30-1/30-2)

• Related issue 4

  • 4.2 - exhibit a global consciousness with respect to the human condition and world issues (30-1/30-2)

  • 4.3 - accept responsibilities associated with individual and collective citizenship (30-1/30-2)

  • 4.8/4.9 - develop strategies to address local, national and global issues that demonstrate individual and collective leadership (30-1/30-2)

  • 4.9/4.10 - explore opportunities to demonstrate active and responsible citizenship through individual and collective action (30-1/30-2)

Social Studies, Local and Current Affairs