Florida SS.8.G.5.1

Social Studies8th GradeUnderstand how human actions can impact the environment.

The Standard

Describe human dependence on the physical environment and natural resources to satisfy basic needs in local environments in the United States.

Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards for Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students explain how people in different U.S. communities use land, water, plants, animals, minerals, and energy resources to meet basic needs. They connect specific resources to food, water, shelter, clothing, and energy.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students can use a map, image, or short case study to identify available resources and explain how people depend on them. They can compare how resource dependence differs between two U.S. communities.
Common Misconceptions: Students may confuse basic needs with wants or assume every community has the same resources nearby. They may also overlook resources used indirectly, such as water for farming or fuel for transporting food.
How to Assess It: Give students a map showing a coastal town, farmland, forests, and a river. Ask them to name three basic needs and explain which local resource could meet each need.

Lesson moves

Give pairs a U.S. resource map and community cards, then have them match each community's basic needs to nearby natural resources.
Write: How would a weeklong water shortage change daily life in your town? Name three needs and the resources each requires.
Play Resource Relay, where teams sort picture cards into food, water, shelter, clothing, and energy, then name the resource used.
Use a local water utility website to trace where the community's drinking water comes from and how residents depend on that source.

Keep exploring

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