BHS Earth Science Guide

Human Impact on Resources

Earth Science

Quarter 4

McGraw Hill Module 20

pictorial, and kinesthetic.

Standard 4.3 Identifying the Design Solution and Supporting Evidence

Students describe* the nature of the problem each design solution addresses. Students identify the solution that has the most preferred cost-beneft ratios. Identifying any Additional Relevant Evidence Students identify evidence for the design solutions, including: ● Societal needs for that energy or mineral resource; ● The cost of extracting or developing the energy reserve or mineral resource; ● The costs and benefts of the given design solutions; and ● The feasibility, costs, and benefts of recycling or reusing the mineral resource, if applicable. Evaluating and Critiquing the Design Students evaluate the given design solutions, including: ● The relative strengths of the given design solutions, based on associated economic, environmental, and geopolitical costs, risks, and benefts; ● The reliability and validity of the evidence used to evaluate the design solutions; and ● Constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, aesthetics, cultural effects, environmental effects. Students use logical arguments based on their evaluation of the design solutions, costs and benefts, empirical evidence, and scientifc ideas to support one design over the other(s) in their evaluation. Students describe* that a decision on the “best” solution may change over time as engineers and scientists work to increase the benefts of design solutions while decreasing costs and risks. *When “describe” is referenced, any of the following descriptions could be used: written, oral, pictorial, and kinesthetic. Students describe* the system being impacted, identify the scientifc knowledge and reasoning on which the solutions are based, and describe* how the solutions function and may be stabilizing or destabilizing the natural system. Evaluating and Critiquing the Design In their evaluation of the complex real-world problem, students: ● Generate a list of three or more realistic criteria and two or more constraints, including such relevant factors as cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics that specifes an acceptable solution to a complex real-world problem; ● Evaluate effects on the overall stability of and changes in natural systems; ● Assign priorities for each criterion and constraint that allows for a logical and systematic evaluation of alternative solution proposals; ● Analyze (quantitatively where appropriate) and describe* the strengths and weaknesses of the solution with respect to each criterion and constraint, as well as social and cultural acceptability and environmental impacts; ● Describe* possible barriers to implementing each solution, such as cultural, economic, or other sources of resistance to potential solutions; and Standard 4.4 Identifying the Design Solution and Supporting Evidence