Unit Plan 30 (Grade K Science): Human Impact Stories
Kindergarten science unit where students learn how people help or harm the environment and create simple solutions to protect land, water, air, and living things.
Focus: Identify everyday ways people can harm or help the environment and communicate solutions that reduce human impact on land, water, air, and living things.
Grade Level: K
Subject Area: Science (Earth & Space Science • Environmental Stewardship • Communication)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students explore simple, real-life “human impact stories” to understand how people’s choices can change the environment. Through read-alouds, photos, sorting games, and a school/community connection, students identify actions that harm (littering, wasting water, smoke/pollution) and actions that help (recycling, planting, conserving, cleaning up). Students finish the week by creating a kid-friendly solution message (poster, sign, short PSA, or class pledge) that tells others what to do to protect the land, water, air, and living things.
Essential Questions
- How can people harm or help the environment in everyday life?
- What are solutions we can do at school or home to protect land, water, air, and living things?
- How can we communicate a solution clearly so others understand and can take action?
- Why does it matter to take care of the places where plants, animals, and people live?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify examples of human actions that harm or help the environment (land, water, air, living things).
- Describe (in simple language) how a harmful action can cause a problem (e.g., litter → animals/places harmed).
- Generate at least two possible solutions that reduce a harmful impact (e.g., recycle, pick up litter, save water).
- Choose one solution and create a clear message (poster/sign/PSA) telling others what to do and why.
- Use pictures, labels, and simple sentences to communicate solutions to a real audience (class, school, families).
Standards Alignment — Kindergarten (NGSS-Aligned)
- K-ESS3-3 — Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.
- Example: Create a class “Help the Earth” message (poster/announcement) promoting actions like recycling, saving water, or cleaning up litter.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can tell if an action hurts or helps the environment.
- I can explain a problem people can cause to land, water, air, or living things.
- I can name a solution that makes the problem smaller.
- I can make a poster/sign/PSA that tells others what to do and why it helps.
- I can share my idea so others understand and can try it too.