Unit 4 — December: Natural Resources, Sustainability, and Advanced Growing Systems
Description
This unit addresses human use of natural resources and introduces sustainable agriculture practices. Students investigate causes of extinction through overharvesting and conduct a hands-on overfishing simulation using popcorn. The unit explores how technology and society have changed natural resource use, examining life before and after the industrial revolution, Native American agricultural practices, and sustainable island agriculture models. Students create and monitor hydroponics and aquaponics systems to learn about these innovative growing techniques that reduce environmental impact while maximizing productivity.
Essential Questions
- How do human activities impact natural resources?
- What are sustainable practices and why are they important?
- How has technology changed agriculture?
- Can we grow food without traditional soil-based farming?
Learning Objectives
- Analyze causes of species extinction and resource depletion.
- Compare historical and contemporary resource use patterns.
- Evaluate sustainable agriculture practices and their benefits.
- Design and maintain hydroponics and aquaponics systems.
- Explain how these systems conserve water and reduce chemical inputs.
- Connect historical agricultural practices to modern sustainable methods.
Supplemental Resources
- Popcorn for overfishing simulation activity
- Index cards for recording sustainability research notes
- Markers for sustainability concept posters
- Graph paper for tracking system data over time
- Sticky notes for organizing ideas during discussions
Crosscutting Concepts
Disciplinary Core Ideas
Earth and Space Sciences
Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science
Life Sciences
Science and Engineering Practices
Students read and analyze informational texts about agriculture, food science, natural resources, and animal science topics throughout the year. They write argumentative and informative pieces, including blog posts, portfolio updates, and project reports, to communicate findings and support claims with evidence. Students engage in collaborative discussions, present research to peers, and develop vocabulary specific to agricultural science domains.
Students apply mathematical reasoning across units, including calculating feed amounts, fertilizer ratios, percent loss, square footage for chicken coops, costs of food using grocery ads, carrying capacity using graphs, acreage and supply calculations for agribusiness planning, and unit conversions in food science measurements.
Students conduct investigations and laboratory experiments aligned to life science, earth science, and engineering standards throughout the year. Topics include plant cell structure and function, photosynthesis and cellular respiration, genetics and heredity, ecosystem dynamics and food webs, water chemistry and macroinvertebrate biology, natural resource management, and engineering design applied to agricultural structures.
Students investigate the history of agriculture from Native American practices through the Industrial Revolution and into modern global food systems. They examine how cultural practices affect food production and distribution, explore food insecurity and inequality around the world, and analyze the relationship between natural resource use and societal development.
Career readiness, financial literacy, and 21st century life skills are embedded throughout the curriculum. Students explore careers in agriculture, food science, veterinary science, natural resource management, and agribusiness. They develop personal finance skills through grocery budgeting and agribusiness planning activities, and practice workplace readiness skills including teamwork, communication, and problem-solving across all units.
Formative Assessments
- Observations during overfishing simulation activity
- Journals on historical research findings
- Exit tickets on sustainability concepts
- Group discussions on sustainable vs. conventional practices
- Self-evaluations of hydroponics/aquaponics system monitoring
Summative Assessment
Google Slides presentations on sustainability practices and hydroponics/aquaponics system reports with data and analysis
Benchmark Assessment
— not configured —
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate understanding through an oral presentation or recorded video explanation of sustainability concepts instead of a written presentation. Visual supports such as labeled diagrams, pre-made slides with sentence frames, or hands-on manipulation of models may be provided to support understanding of hydroponics and aquaponics systems during the monitoring process.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
Students with IEPs may benefit from graphic organizers or visual timelines that help them compare historical and contemporary resource use without relying solely on note-taking from discussions. For hands-on components like the hydroponics and aquaponics systems, provide step-by-step illustrated monitoring checklists so students can track and record observations independently. Written outputs such as the sustainability presentation may be scaffolded through sentence frames, partial slide templates, or the option to narrate findings verbally in place of or alongside written text. Frequent check-ins during long-term system monitoring will help students stay on track and build confidence with the data collection process.
Section 504
Students with 504 plans should be given extended time on exit tickets and the summative presentation to ensure access is not limited by processing speed. Preferential seating near demonstration areas during hands-on system setup supports focus and full participation in observation-based tasks. Printed copies of any directions or discussion prompts displayed digitally reduce barriers during fast-paced instructional segments.
ELL / MLL
Multilingual learners will benefit from a visual vocabulary bank that includes key terms related to natural resources, sustainability, and growing systems, paired with diagrams or photographs that make abstract concepts concrete. Directions for hands-on activities like the overfishing simulation or system monitoring should be given in short, clear steps, and students should be invited to confirm understanding by restating the task in their own words. Where possible, connecting concepts such as traditional farming practices or water conservation to students' home cultures or regions can deepen engagement and build meaningful background knowledge.
At Risk (RTI)
Students who need additional support should be connected to the unit's hands-on components as primary entry points, since the overfishing simulation and system monitoring provide concrete, low-barrier ways to engage with sustainability concepts before more abstract analysis is introduced. Reducing the complexity of comparison tasks — for example, focusing on one clear difference between historical and modern resource use rather than multiple — allows students to build confidence and demonstrate understanding at an accessible level. Breaking the summative presentation into smaller checkpoints throughout the unit, rather than treating it as a single end product, helps students manage the work and receive feedback while learning is still in progress.
Gifted & Talented
Advanced learners should be encouraged to move beyond description and engage in genuine analysis of the trade-offs involved in scaling sustainable agriculture systems, considering economic, environmental, and social dimensions simultaneously. Students might investigate real-world case studies of commercial hydroponics or aquaponics operations and evaluate how closely those models align with the sustainability principles studied in the unit. Connecting Native American agricultural practices or island agriculture models to current policy discussions around food sovereignty or climate adaptation offers an interdisciplinary depth that challenges students to think critically across content areas. Independent inquiry into an emerging agricultural technology or a local food system issue can serve as a meaningful extension for students who demonstrate early mastery.