DYERSBURG HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Subject: Environmental Science ____ Semester

Grade: ____ Year

	TOPIC	ESSENTIAL QUESTION
AUGUST	Environmental Problems	How is the consumption crisis and population crisis related? What effects have humans had on their environment both positive and negative?
SEPTEMBER	Relationships – energy transfers Energy flow – Materials cycled in the environment Biomes	How is energy a one-way street in the ecosystem? How and why are some animals more suitable to exist in their environment?
OCTOBER	Freshwater ecosystems Availability and Purity	How does man benefit from freshwater wetlands such as marshes, bogs, swamps, and rivers? How do water supplies vary in availability and purity in various pars of the world?
NOVEMBER	Clean-potable water. Marine ecosystem. Effects from altering waterways.	What has man done to insure himself of a clean water supply? How do marine plants and animals adapt in a saline environment? How has channelization of rivers by the Corps of Engineers affected waterways?
DECEMBER	Water pollution Effects of polluted water.	How are water pollutants classified? Can humans and other animals contract diseases from polluted water? Is bottled water safe?
JANUARY	The Atmosphere Composition of Air Climate & Weather Changes in Weather Air pollution Indoor	How does the atmosphere influence the interactions of plants and animals with their environment? Correlate climate and weather with biomes. Global warming—is it happening? How do we know?
FEBRUARY	Ozone Shield Land Public use lands	What benefit is ozone in the atmosphere? How will suburban sprawl effect the long-term ability of man to feed mankind? How has man changed the landscape?
MARCH	Food production Pest control Biological pest control	Why do people go hungry? “Green Revolution” How do pesticides enhance crop production? Is there a place for biological pest control due to genetic engineering?
APRIL	Solid waste Landfills Incineration Recycling Hazardous waste	Why are developed countries so wasteful in producing enormous amounts of solid waste? Do hazardous waste ever pass through near your home?
MAY	Population growth. Study of public policy.	What problems can be predicted when a population of plants or animals exceeds the carrying capacity? What state, national, and international policies influence the environment?