Unit Plan 33 (Grade 3 Science): Environmental Impact Studies
Students investigate local environmental challenges, test solutions for hazards and human-caused changes, and make evidence-based claims about each solution’s merit.
Focus: Evaluate local environmental challenges (including weather-related hazards and human-caused changes) and propose or assess design solutions, making claims about their merit using evidence.
Grade Level: 3
Subject Area: Science (Earth & Environmental Science • Life Science • Engineering Design)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students become environmental investigators for their community. They examine local environmental challenges such as flooding near sidewalks, icy spots, stormwater runoff, heat on the playground, litter in natural areas, or changes in habitats. Students look at real or realistic design solutions—like drains, rain gardens, shade structures, barriers, and clean-up or planting efforts—and evaluate how well these solutions reduce the impact of weather-related hazards and other environmental changes. By the end, students complete a short Environmental Impact Study on one local issue, making a claim about the merit of at least one solution, supported by observations and simple data, addressing 3-ESS3-1 and 3-LS4-4.
Essential Questions
- What environmental challenges and weather-related hazards affect our local area (school, neighborhood, or town)?
- How can design solutions (structures, systems, or actions) reduce the impacts of hazards like heavy rain, heat, or storms?
- How do environmental changes (pollution, habitat loss, runoff) create problems for plants and animals, and how might solutions help?
- How can we use observations, data, and reasoning to make a claim about how good a solution is (its merit)?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify and describe local environmental challenges linked to weather-related hazards (e.g., flooding, ice, extreme heat, wind) and environmental changes (e.g., litter, erosion, habitat loss).
- Gather information (photos, maps, classroom simulations, simple measurements) about how these challenges impact people, plants, and animals.
- Examine existing or proposed design solutions (e.g., drains, rain gardens, shade, barriers, plantings, clean-up systems) and explain how they might reduce the impact of hazards or changes (3-ESS3-1, 3-LS4-4).
- Generate alternative solutions or improvements and compare them using simple criteria and constraints (effectiveness, safety, materials, cost/time limits).
- Make a claim about the merit of at least one solution to a weather-related hazard (3-ESS3-1) and one to an environmental-change problem (3-LS4-4), supporting claims with evidence and reasoning.
- Communicate an Environmental Impact Study through a short report, poster, or oral presentation that includes problem description, solutions considered, and claims about merit.
Standards Alignment — 3rd Grade (NGSS-Aligned)
- 3-ESS3-1 — Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.
- 3-LS4-4 — Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused by environmental changes.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can describe a local environmental challenge and explain how it affects people, plants, or animals.
- I can explain how a design solution can reduce the impact of a weather-related hazard (like flooding or heat).
- I can explain how a solution can help with a problem caused by environmental changes (like pollution or habitat loss).
- I can make a claim about how good (high, medium, low merit) a solution is and support my claim with evidence and reasons.
- I can share my Environmental Impact Study clearly with pictures, labels, and simple explanation or argument.