Mississippi Science ESS.4

ESS.4 is a cluster heading. These are the individual standards under it.

• ESS.4.1

  Research, evaluate, and communicate about how human life on Earth shapes Earth’s systems and responds to the interaction of Earth’s systems (e.g., geosphere, hy...

• ESS.4.2

  Research, assess, and communicate how Earth’s systems influence the distribution of life, including how various natural hazards and geologic events (e.g., volca...

• ESS.4.3

  Analyze earthquake and volcanic data to determine patterns that can lead to predicting such hazards and mitigating impact to humans.

• ESS.4.4

  Enrichment: Use an engineering design process to research, develop, and test models to aid in the responsible management of natural resources (e.g., recycling, ...

• ESS.4.5

  Enrichment: Research and communicate information regarding geoscience career options (e.g., geologist, petroleum engineer, meteorologist, paleontologist, astron...

01

What Students Need to Do

Track carbon or water through land, air, water, and living things, then explain how human actions change those flows. Use maps and hazard records to explain where risks are higher and how communities can reduce harm.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

Given a land-use change, students can explain how it affects runoff or carbon storage. They can identify earthquake and volcano clusters on a map, cite the pattern, and suggest a safety measure without claiming to predict an exact date.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may think matter disappears when fuel burns or that trees affect only living things, not soil and air. They may think earthquakes occur at random or that a cluster reveals when the next one will happen.

04

How to Assess It

Give students a map with plate boundaries, earthquake locations, and volcanoes. Ask them to circle one hazard cluster, explain the pattern, and name one action a nearby town could take.

1. 01

   Set bare soil and mulched soil trays at the same angle, pour one cup of water over each, and compare the runoff.

2. 02

   Show a photo of a paved lot after rain and ask, 'Where did the water go, and what might it carry?'

3. 03

   Give pairs an earthquake map and a plate-boundary map, then have them rank three marked towns by risk and defend their choices.

4. 04

   Use a local flood-risk map to pick a site for a new school and explain how nearby land use could change its risk.

• ESS.3

  Students will develop an understanding of Earth’s systems and cycles.

• E.2.10

  Students will demonstrate an understanding of how humans use Earth’s resources.

• E.5.10

  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the effects of human interaction with Earth and how Earth’s natural resources can be protected and conserved.

• E.K.10

  Students will demonstrate an understanding of how humans use Earth’s resources.