Pennsylvania Bulletin

PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 01-681c

[31 Pa.B. 2136]

[Continued from previous Web Page]

IX.  GLOSSARY

Allele: Any of a set of possible forms of a gene.

Biochemical conversion: The changing of organic matter into other chemical forms.

Biomass conversion: The changing of organic matter that has been produced by photosynthesis into useful liquid, gas or fuel.

Biomedical technology: The application of health care theories to develop methods, products and tools to maintain or improve homeostasis.

Biomes: A community of living organisms of a single major ecological region.

Biotechnology: The ways that humans apply biological concepts to produce products and provide services.

Carbon chemistry: The science of the composition, structure, properties and reactions of carbon based matter, especially of atomic and molecular systems; sometimes referred to as organic chemistry.

Construction technology: The ways that humans build structures on sites.

Desalinization: To remove salts and other chemicals from sea or saline water.

Dichotomous: Divided or dividing into two parts or classifications.

Electronic communication: System for the transmission of information using electronic technology (e.g., digital cameras, cellular telephones, Internet, television, fiber optics).

Embryology: The branch of biology dealing with the development of living things from fertilized egg to its developed state.

Engineering: The application of scientific, physical, mechanical and mathematical principles to design processes, products and structures that improve the quality of life.

Enzyme: A protein that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being changed by the reaction; an organic catalyst.

Ergonomical: Of or relating to the design of equipment or devices to fit the human body's control, position, movement and environment.

Geologic hazard: A naturally occurring or man-made condition or phenomenon that presents a risk or is a potential danger to life and property (e.g., landslides, floods, earthquakes, ground subsidence, coastal and beach erosion, faulting, dam leakage and failure, mining disasters, pollution and waste disposal, sinkholes).

Geologic map: A representation of a region on which is recorded earth information (e.g., the distribution, nature and age relationships of rock units and the occurrences of structural features, mineral deposits and fossil localities).

Hydrology: The scientific study of the properties, distribution and effects of water on the earth's surface, in the soil and underlying rocks and in the atmosphere.

Information technology: The technical means that humans create to store and transmit information.

Inquiry: A systematic process for using knowledge and skills to acquire and apply new knowledge.

Instructional technology: Any mechanical aid (including computer technology) used to assist in or enhance the process of teaching and learning.

Manufacturing technology: The ways that humans produce goods and products.

Mitosis: The sequential differentiation and segregation of replicated chromosomes in a cell's nucleus that precedes complete cell division.

Model: A description, analogy or a representation of something that helps us understand it better (e.g., a physical model, a conceptual model, a mathematical model).

Nova: A variable star that suddenly increases in brightness to several times its normal magnitude and returns to its original appearance in a few weeks to several months or years.

Patterns: Repeated processes that are exhibited in a wide variety of ways; identifiable recurrences of the element and/or the form.

Physical technology: The ways that humans construct, manufacture and transport products.

Radioactive isotope: An atom that gives off nuclear radiation and has the same number of protons (atomic number) as another atom but a different number of neutrons.

Relationship between science and technology: Science builds principles or theories while technology is the practical application of those principles or theories.

Scale: Relates concepts and ideas to one another by some measurement (e.g., quantitative, numeral, abstract, ideological); provides a measure of size and/or incremental change.

Science: Search for understanding the natural world using inquiry and experimentation.

System: A group of related objects that work together to achieve a desired result.

Open Loop system: A group of related objects that do not have feedback and cannot modify themselves.

Closed Loop system: A group of related objects that have feedback and can modify themselves.

Subsystem: A group of related objects that make up a larger system (e.g., automobiles have electrical systems, fuel systems).

Technology education: The application of tools, materials, processes and systems to solve problems and extend human capabilities.

Technological design process: Recognizing the problem, proposing a solution, implementing the solution, evaluating the solution and communicating the problem, design and solution.

Topographic map: A representation of a region on a sufficient scale to show detail, selected man-made and natural features of a portion of the land surface including its relief and certain physical and cultural features; the portrayal of the position, relation, size, shape and elevation of the area.

Transportation systems: A group of related parts that function together to perform a major task in any form of transportation.

Transportation technology: The physical ways humans move materials, goods and people.

Tool: Any device used to extend human capability including computer-based tools.

Proposed Academic Standards for Environment and Ecoogy

X.  TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction XI.

THE PROPOSED ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Watersheds and Wetlands 4.1.

   Cycles

   Physical Factors

   Organisms and Ecosystems

Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources 4.2.

   Uses

   Availability

   Management

   Influential Factors

Environmental Health 4.3.

   Environmental Health Issues

   Human Actions

   Biological Diversity

Agriculture and Society 4.4.

   Society's Needs

   Agricultural Systems

   Technology

Integrated Pest Management 4.5.

   Effects, Benefits and Impacts

   Health Risks

   Management Practices

   Balance

Ecosystems and their Interactions 4.6.

   Living and Nonliving Components

   Cycles

   Change over Time

Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species 4.7.

   Diversity

   Adaptation

   Management Strategies

Humans and the Environment 4.8.

   Societal Needs

   Sustainability

   Human Impacts

   Supply and Demand

Environmental Laws and Regulations 4.9.

   Environmental Laws and their Impact

   Factors Affecting Laws

Glossary XII.

XI.  INTRODUCTION

   This document includes Environment and Ecology standards that describe what students should know and be able to do in these areas:

*  4.1.  Watersheds and Wetlands

*  4.2.  Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

*  4.3.  Environmental Health

*  4.4.  Agriculture and Society

*  4.5.  Integrated Pest Management

*  4.6.  Ecosystems and their Interactions

*  4.7.  Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species

*  4.8.  Humans and the Environment

*  4.9.  Environmental Laws and Regulations

   The Declaration of Rights, Article l of the Pennsylvania Constitution states in Section 27: ''The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and aesthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.'' To this end it is our responsibility to develop a citizenry that is aware of and concerned about the total environment and has the knowledge and skills to work toward solutions to current problems and the prevention of new ones.

   Environment and Ecology is grounded in the complexity of the world we live in and our impact on its sustainability. The human interactions with the ecosystem and the results of human decisions are the main components of this academic area. Environment and Ecology examines the world with respect to the economic, cultural, political and social structure as well as natural processes and systems. This integration across systems is what sets this academic area apart from all others.

   Environment and Ecology places its main emphasis in the real world. It allows students to understand, through a sound academic content base, how their everyday lives evolve around their use of the natural world and the resources it provides. As we move into a more technologically driven society, it is crucial for every student to be aware of his/her dependence on a healthy environment. The 2lst century will demand a more sophisticated citizen capable of making sound decisions that will impact our natural systems forever.

   These standards establish the essential elements of what students should know and be able to do at the end of grades four, seven, ten and twelve. The sequential nature of this document reflects the need for rigorous academic content that students will be expected to achieve. The standards will help students understand decision-making processes, the art of compromise and problem solving skills. The document reinforces all areas across the grade levels with increasing degrees of difficulty as the students mature intellectually.

   Environment and Ecology is a very engaging academic area that captivates students' innate interests in their surroundings of the natural and built environment. The skills and knowledge that are addressed in this area of study will serve as tools for student participation in a democratic world of constantly evolving issues and concerns. As they achieve these standards, students will become aware of the role they play in the community in reaching decisions related to the environment.

   The study of Environment and Ecology will allow students to be active participants and problem solvers in real issues that affect them, their homes, schools and communities.

   A glossary is included to assist the reader in understanding terminology contained in the standards.

4.1.  Watersheds and Wetlands

4.1.4.  GRADE 4 4.1.7.  GRADE 7 4.1.10.  GRADE 10 4.1.12.  GRADE 12

Pennsylvania's public schools shall teach, challenge and support every student to realize his or her maximum potential and to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to:

A. Identify various types of water environments.
*  Identify the lotic system (e.g., creeks, rivers, streams).
*  Identify the lentic system (e.g., ponds, lakes, swamps).
A. Explain the role of the water cycle within a watershed.
*  Explain the water cycle.
*  Explain the water cycle as it relates to a watershed.
A. Describe changes that occur from a stream's origin to its final outflow.
*  Identify Pennsylvania's major watersheds and their related river systems.
*  Describe changes by tracing a specific river's origin back to its headwaters including its major tributaries.
A. Categorize stream order in a watershed.
*  Explain the concept of stream order.
*  Identify the order of watercourses within a major river's watershed.
*  Compare and contrast the physical differences found in the stream continuum from headwater to mouth (e.g., the velocity; volume of water).

B. Explain the differences between moving and still water.
*  Explain why water moves or does not move.
*  Identify types of precipitation.
B. Understand the role of the watershed.
*  Identify and explain what determines the boundaries of a watershed.
*  Explain how water enters a watershed.
*  Explain factors that affect water quality and flow through a watershed.
B. Explain the relationship among landforms, vegetation and the amount and speed of water.
*  Analyze a stream's physical characteristics.
*  Describe how topography influences streams.
*  Explain the influence of mountains on precipitation.
*  Explain how vegetation affects storm water runoff.
*  Delineate the boundaries of a watershed.
*  Describe factors that affect the quality of groundwater.
*  Explain how the speed of water and vegetation cover relates to erosion.
B. Explain the relationships that exist within watersheds in the United States.
*  Understand that various ecosystems may be contained in a watershed.
*  Examine and describe the ecosystems contained within a specific watershed.
*  Identify and describe the major watersheds in the United States.

C. Identify living things found in water environments.
*  Identify fish, insects and amphibians that are found in fresh water.
*  Identify plants found in fresh water.
C. Explain the effects of water on the life of organisms in a watershed.
*  Explain how water is necessary for all life.
*  Explain how the physical components of aquatic systems influence the organisms that live there in terms of size, shape and physical adaptations.
*  Describe the life cycle of organisms that depend on water.
*  Identify organisms that have aquatic stages of life and describe those stages.
C. Describe the physical characteristics of a stream and determine the types of organisms found in aquatic environments.
*  Describe and explain the physical factors that affect a stream and the organisms living there.
*  Identify terrestrial and aquatic organisms that live in a watershed.
*  Categorize aquatic organisms found in a watershed continuum from headwater to mouth (e.g., shredder, predator, decomposer).
*  Identify the types of organisms that would live in a stream based on the stream's physical characteristics.
*  Explain the habitat needs of specific aquatic organisms.
C. Analyze the parameters of a watershed.
*  Interpret physical, chemical and biological data as a means of assessing the environmental quality of a watershed.
*  Apply appropriate techniques in the analysis of a watershed (e.g., water quality, biological diversity, erosion, sedimentation).

D. Identify a wetland and the plants and animals found there.
*  Identify different kinds of wetlands.
*  Identify plants and animals found in wetlands.
*  Explain wetlands as habitats for plants and animals.
D. Explain and describe characteristics of a wetland.
*  Identify specific characteristics of wetland plants and soils.
*  Recognize the common types of plants and animals.
*  Describe different types of wetlands.
*  Describe the different functions of a wetland.
D. Describe the multiple functions of wetlands.
*  Describe wetlands in terms of their effects (e.g., habitat, flood, buffer zones, prevention areas, nurseries, food production areas).
*  Explain how a wetland influences water quality, wildlife and water retention.
*  Analyze wetlands through their indicators (e.g., soils, plants, hydrology).
D. Analyze the complex and diverse ecosystems of wetlands.
*  Explain the functions of habitat, nutrient production, migration stopover and groundwater recharge as it relates to wetlands.
*  Explain the dynamics of a wetland ecosystem.
*  Describe and analyze different types of wetlands.

E. Recognize the impact of watersheds and wetlands on animals and plants.
*  Explain the role of watersheds in everyday life.
*  Identify the role of watersheds and wetlands for plants and animals.
E. Describe the impact of watersheds and wetlands on people.
*  Explain the impact of watersheds and wetlands in flood control, wildlife habitats and pollution abatement.
*  Explain the influence of flooding on wetlands.
E. Identify and describe natural and human events on watersheds and wetlands.
*  Describe how natural events affect a watershed (e.g., drought, floods).
*  Identify the effects of humans and human events on watersheds.
E. Evaluate the trade-offs, costs and benefits of conserving watersheds and wetlands.
*  Evaluate the effects of natural events on watersheds and wetlands.
*  Evaluate the effects of human activities on watersheds and wetlands.

4.2.  Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

4.2.4.  GRADE 4 4.2.7.  GRADE 7 4.2.10.  GRADE 10 4.2.12.  GRADE 12

Pennsylvania's public schools shall teach, challenge and support every student to realize his or her maximum potential and to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to:

A. Identify needs of people.
*  Identify plants, animals, water, air, minerals and fossil fuels as natural resources.
*  Explain air, water and nutrient cycles.
*  Identify how the environment provides for the needs of people.
A. Know that raw materials come from natural resources.
*  Identify resources used to provide humans with energy, food, housing and water.
*  Explain how plants and animals may be classified as natural resources.
*  Compare means of growing or acquiring food.
*  Identify fiber and other raw materials used in clothing and shelter production.
*  Identify types of minerals and fossil fuels used by humans.
A. Explain that renewable and nonrenewable resources supply energy and materials.
*  Identify alternative sources of energy.
*  Identify and compare fuels used in industrial and agricultural societies.
*  Compare and contrast the cycles of various natural resources.
*  Explain food and fiber as renewable resources.
A. Analyze the use of renewable and nonrenewable resources.
*  Explain the effects on the environment and sustainability through the use of nonrenewable resources.
*  Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of reusing our natural resources.

B. Identify products derived from natural resources.
*  Identify products made from trees.
*  Identify by-products of plants and animals.
*  Identify the sources of manmade products (e.g., plastics, metal, aluminum, fabrics, paper, cardboard).
B. Examine the renewability of the resources.
*  Identify renewable resources and describe their uses.
*  Identify nonrenewable resources and describe their uses.
*  Compare finished products to their original raw material.
*  Identify the water derived from the use of renewable and nonrenewable resources.
*  Determine how consumption may impact the availability of resources.
*  Compare the time spans of renewability for fossil fuels and alternative fuels.
B. Evaluate factors affecting availability of natural resources.
*  Describe natural occurrences that may affect the natural resources.
*  Analyze technologies that affect the use of our natural resources.
*  Evaluate the effect of consumer desires on various natural resources.
B. Analyze factors affecting the availability of renewable and nonrenewable resources.
*  Evaluate the use of natural resources and offer approaches for using them while diminishing waste.
*  Compare the economics of different areas based on the availability and accessibility of the natural resources.

C. Know that some natural resources have limited life spans.
*  Identify renewable and nonrenewable resources used in the local community.
*  Identify various means of conserving natural resources.
*  Know that natural resources have varying life spans.
C. Explain natural resource distribution.
*  Distinguish between readily available and less accessible resources.
*  Identify the locations of different concentrations of fossil fuels and mineral resources.
*  Analyze the effects of management practices on air, land and water in forestry, agriculture, fisheries, wildlife, mining and food and fiber production that is unique to different climates.
C. Analyze how man-made systems have impacted the management and distribution of natural resources.
*  Explain the complete cycle of a natural resource, from extraction to disposal, detailing its uses and effects on the environment.
*  Analyze energy uses and energy conservation in different regions.
*  Examine conservation practices in different countries.
*  Analyze the costs and benefits of different man-made systems and how they use renewable and nonrenewable natural resources.
*  Analyze the impact of information systems on management and distribution of natural resources.
C. Analyze factors that influence the availability of natural resources.
*  Compare the use of natural resources in different countries.
*  Determine how delivery systems influence the availability of resources at the local, regional and national level.

D. Identify by-products and their use of natural resources.
*  Understand the waste stream.
*  Identify those items that can be recycled and those that can not.
*  Identify use of reusable products.
*  Identify the use of compost, landfills and incinerators.
D. Describe the role of recycling and waste management.
*  Identify materials that can be recycled in the community.
*  Explain the process of closing the loop in recycling.
*  Compare the decomposition rates of different organic materials.
*  Describe methods that could be used to reuse materials for new products.
*  Evaluate the costs and benefits of disposable products.
D. Explain different management alternatives involved in recycling and solid waste management.
*  Analyze the manufacturing process (before, during and after) with consideration for resource recovery.
*  Compare various methods dealing with solid waste (e.g., incineration, compost, land application).
*  Differentiate between pre/post-consumer and raw materials.
*  Illustrate how one natural resource can be managed through reduction, recycling, reuse or use.
D. Evaluate solid waste management practices.
*  Examine and explain the path of a recyclable material from collection to waste, reuse or recycling identifying the market forces.
*  Understand current regulations concerning recycling and solid waste.
*  Research new technologies in the use, reuse or recycling of materials.

4.3.  Environmental Health

4.3.4.  GRADE 4 4.3.7.  GRADE 7 4.3.10.  GRADE 10 4.3.12.  GRADE 12

Pennsylvania's public schools shall teach, challenge and support every student to realize his or her maximum potential and to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to:

A. Know that plants, animals and humans are dependent on air and water.
*  Know that all living things need air and water to survive.
*  Describe potentially dangerous pest controls used in the home.
*  Identify things that cause sickness when put into the air, water or soil.
*  Identify different areas where health can be affected by air, water or land pollution.
*  Identify actions that can prevent or reduce waste pollution.
A. Identify environmental health issues.
*  Identify various examples of long-term pollution and explain their effects on environmental health.
*  Identify diseases that have been associated with poor environmental quality.
*  Describe different types of pest controls and their effects on the environment.
*  Identify alternative products that can be used in life to reduce pollution.
A. Describe environmental health issues.
*  Identify the effects on human health of air, water and soil pollution and the possible economic costs to society.
*  Describe how indoor pollution may affect human health (e.g., dust mites, fumes, cat dandruff).
*  Explain the costs and benefits of cleaning up contaminants.
*  Explain how common household cleaning products are manufactured and how to dispose of their by-products after use.
A. Analyze the complexity of environmental health issues.
*  Identify environmental health issues and explain how they have been addressed on a worldwide level.
*  Analyze efforts to prevent, control and/or reduce pollution through cost and benefit analysis and risk management.
*  Describe the impact of occupational exposures as they relate to environmental health issues.
*  Identify invisible pollutants and explain their effects on human health.
*  Explain the relationship between wind direction and velocity as it relates to dispersal and occurrence of pollutants.
*  Explain the different disposal methods used for toxic and hazardous waste.

B. Identify how human actions affect environmental health.
*  Identify pollutants.
*  Identify sources of pollution.
*  Identify litter and its effect on the environment.
*  Describe how people can reduce pollution.
B. Describe how human actions affect the health of the environment.
*  Identify land use practices and their relation to environmental health.
*  Explain how natural disasters affect environmental health.
*  Identify residential and industrial sources of pollution and their effects on environmental health.
*  Explain the difference between point and nonpoint source pollution.
*  Explain how nonpoint source pollution can affect the water supply and air quality.
*  Explain how acid deposition can affect water, soil and air quality.
*  Explain the relationship between resource use, reuse, recycling and environmental health.
B. Explain how multiple variables determine the effects of pollution on environmental health, natural processes and human practices.
*  Explain how human practices affect the quality of the water and soil.
*  Identify evidence of natural events around the world and their effects on environmental health (e.g., Yellowstone National Park fires).
*  Identify local and state environmental regulations and their impact on environmental health.
*  Analyze data and explain how point source pollution can be detected and eliminated.
*  Identify and explain ways of detecting pollution by using state-of-the-art technologies.
B. Analyze the local, regional and national impacts of environmental health.
*  Analyze the cost of natural disasters in both dollars and loss of natural habitat.
*  Research and analyze the local, state and national laws that deal with point and nonpoint source pollution; evaluate the costs and benefits of these laws.
*  Explain mitigation and its role in environmental health.
*  Explain industry's initiatives to meet state and federal mandates on clean air and water.
*  Describe the impacts of point and nonpoint source pollution on the Chesapeake Bay.
*  Identify and evaluate the costs and benefits of laws regulating air and water quality and waste disposal.

C. Understand that the elements of natural systems are interdependent.
*  Identify some of the organisms that live together in an ecosystem.
*  Understand that the components of a system all play a part in a healthy natural system.
*  Identify the effects of a healthy environment on the ecosystem.
C. Explain biological diversity.
*  Explain the complex, interactive relationships among members of an ecosystem.
*  Explain how diversity affects ecological integrity of the natural resources.
C. Explain biological diversity as an indicator of a healthy environment.
*  Explain species diversity.
*  Analyze the effects of species extinction on the health of an ecosystem.
C. Analyze the need for a healthy environment.
*  Research the relationship of some chronic diseases to an environmental pollutant.
*  Explain how man-made systems may affect the environment.

4.4.  Agriculture and Society

4.4.4.  GRADE 4 4.4.7.  GRADE 7 4.4.10.  GRADE 10 4.4.12.  GRADE 12

Pennsylvania's public schools shall teach, challenge and support every student to realize his or her maximum potential and to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to:

A. Know the importance of agriculture to humans.
*  Identify people's basic needs.
*  Explain the influence of agriculture on food, clothing, shelter and culture from one area to another.
*  Know how people depend on agriculture.
A. Explain society's standard of living in relation to agriculture.
*  Compare and contrast agricultural changes that have been made to meet society's needs.
*  Compare and contrast how animals and plants affect agricultural systems.
*  Compare several technological advancements and their effect(s) on the historical growth of agriculture.
*  Compare different environmental conditions related to agricultural production, cost and quality of the product.
A. Describe the importance of agriculture to society.
*  Identify the major cash crops of Pennsylvania.
*  Identify what percentage of the United States' population is involved in the food and fiber industry.
*  Compare and contrast the influence of agriculture on a nation's culture, standard of living and foreign trade.
*  Identify laws that affect conservation and management of food and fiber production in the local area and analyze their impact.
*  Compare a contemporary economic issue in agriculture to its historical origin.
A. Analyze the management practices in the agriculture business.
*  Define the components of an agriculture system that would result in a minimal waste of resources.
*  Identify the diversity in crop production and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of such diversity.
*  Research and analyze environmental practices related to agricultural systems.
*  Analyze the effects of agricultural practices on the economy.
*  Analyze the impact of nutrient management laws on Pennsylvania agriculture.
*  Assess the role of agriculture cooperatives.

B. Know that food and fiber originate from plants and animals.
*  Define and identify food and fiber.
*  Identify what plants and animals need to grow.
*  Identify agricultural products that are local and regional.
*  Identify an agricultural product based on its origin.
*  Describe several products and tell their origins.
*  Describe the journey of a local agricultural product from production to the consumer.
B. Explain agricultural systems' use of natural and human resources.
*  Analyze the needs of plants and animals as they relate to climate and soil conditions.
*  Identify the plants and animals that can be raised in the area and explain why.
*  Identify natural resources necessary for agricultural systems.
*  Compare the need for crop production to the need for animal production.
*  Define issues associated with food and fiber production.
B. Explain the functions of the components of the food and fiber system.
*  Compare and analyze different growing conditions throughout the United States to determine which plants and animals are most suitable to each region.
*  Compare the different management practices needed for a commodity including production, processing, research and development, marketing, distribution and regulations.
*  Identify a commodity, its origin and its steps of production.
*  Compare and analyze the cost of a commodity to its production cost.
*  Identify and describe how food safety issues have impacted production in agriculture.
B. Analyze and research the social, political and economic factors that affect agricultural systems.
*  Analyze the costs and benefits associated with agriculture practices and how they affect economic and human needs.
*  Analyze the costs and benefits of agriculture research practices in society.
*  Research the use of by-products that are the results of agriculture production (e.g., manure handling, bird feathers).

C. Identify technology and energy use associated with agriculture.
*  Identify the various tools and machinery necessary for farming.
*  Identify the types of energy used in producing food and fiber.
*  Identify tools and machinery used in the production of agricultural products.
C. Explain the improvement of agricultural production through technology.
*  Compare the technologies that have advanced agricultural production.
*  Explain how energy sources have changed to meet agricultural technology.
C. Analyze the efforts of increased efficiency in agriculture through technology.
*  Compare various technological advancements and analyze each for its contribution toward labor and cost efficiency.
*  Compare the current market value of both natural and alternative energy sources involved in the production of food and fiber.
C. Analyze research and development activities as they relate to agriculture.
*  Analyze the role of research, development and technology as it relates to the food and fiber system.
*  Research and analyze energy sources used and/or generated by producing, processing and marketing agricultural products.

[Continued on next Web Page]

No part of the information on this site may be reproduced for profit or sold for profit.

This material has been drawn directly from the official Pennsylvania Bulletin full text database. Due to the limitations of HTML or differences in display capabilities of different browsers, this version may differ slightly from the official printed version.

Allele:	Any of a set of possible forms of a gene.
Biochemical conversion:	The changing of organic matter into other chemical forms.
Biomass conversion:	The changing of organic matter that has been produced by photosynthesis into useful liquid, gas or fuel.
Biomedical technology:	The application of health care theories to develop methods, products and tools to maintain or improve homeostasis.
Biomes:	A community of living organisms of a single major ecological region.
Biotechnology:	The ways that humans apply biological concepts to produce products and provide services.
Carbon chemistry:	The science of the composition, structure, properties and reactions of carbon based matter, especially of atomic and molecular systems; sometimes referred to as organic chemistry.
Construction technology:	The ways that humans build structures on sites.
Desalinization:	To remove salts and other chemicals from sea or saline water.
Dichotomous:	Divided or dividing into two parts or classifications.
Electronic communication:	System for the transmission of information using electronic technology (e.g., digital cameras, cellular telephones, Internet, television, fiber optics).
Embryology:	The branch of biology dealing with the development of living things from fertilized egg to its developed state.
Engineering:	The application of scientific, physical, mechanical and mathematical principles to design processes, products and structures that improve the quality of life.
Enzyme:	A protein that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being changed by the reaction; an organic catalyst.
Ergonomical:	Of or relating to the design of equipment or devices to fit the human body's control, position, movement and environment.
Geologic hazard:	A naturally occurring or man-made condition or phenomenon that presents a risk or is a potential danger to life and property (e.g., landslides, floods, earthquakes, ground subsidence, coastal and beach erosion, faulting, dam leakage and failure, mining disasters, pollution and waste disposal, sinkholes).
Geologic map:	A representation of a region on which is recorded earth information (e.g., the distribution, nature and age relationships of rock units and the occurrences of structural features, mineral deposits and fossil localities).
Hydrology:	The scientific study of the properties, distribution and effects of water on the earth's surface, in the soil and underlying rocks and in the atmosphere.
Information technology:	The technical means that humans create to store and transmit information.
Inquiry:	A systematic process for using knowledge and skills to acquire and apply new knowledge.
Instructional technology:	Any mechanical aid (including computer technology) used to assist in or enhance the process of teaching and learning.
Manufacturing technology:	The ways that humans produce goods and products.
Mitosis:	The sequential differentiation and segregation of replicated chromosomes in a cell's nucleus that precedes complete cell division.
Model:	A description, analogy or a representation of something that helps us understand it better (e.g., a physical model, a conceptual model, a mathematical model).
Nova:	A variable star that suddenly increases in brightness to several times its normal magnitude and returns to its original appearance in a few weeks to several months or years.
Patterns:	Repeated processes that are exhibited in a wide variety of ways; identifiable recurrences of the element and/or the form.
Physical technology:	The ways that humans construct, manufacture and transport products.
Radioactive isotope:	An atom that gives off nuclear radiation and has the same number of protons (atomic number) as another atom but a different number of neutrons.
Relationship between science and technology:	Science builds principles or theories while technology is the practical application of those principles or theories.
Scale:	Relates concepts and ideas to one another by some measurement (e.g., quantitative, numeral, abstract, ideological); provides a measure of size and/or incremental change.
Science:	Search for understanding the natural world using inquiry and experimentation.
System:	A group of related objects that work together to achieve a desired result.
Open Loop system:	A group of related objects that do not have feedback and cannot modify themselves.
Closed Loop system:	A group of related objects that have feedback and can modify themselves.
Subsystem:	A group of related objects that make up a larger system (e.g., automobiles have electrical systems, fuel systems).
Technology education:	The application of tools, materials, processes and systems to solve problems and extend human capabilities.
Technological design process:	Recognizing the problem, proposing a solution, implementing the solution, evaluating the solution and communicating the problem, design and solution.
Topographic map:	A representation of a region on a sufficient scale to show detail, selected man-made and natural features of a portion of the land surface including its relief and certain physical and cultural features; the portrayal of the position, relation, size, shape and elevation of the area.
Transportation systems:	A group of related parts that function together to perform a major task in any form of transportation.
Transportation technology:	The physical ways humans move materials, goods and people.
Tool:	Any device used to extend human capability including computer-based tools.

Introduction	XI.
THE PROPOSED ACADEMIC STANDARDS
Watersheds and Wetlands	4.1.
Cycles
Physical Factors
Organisms and Ecosystems
Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources	4.2.
Uses
Availability
Management
Influential Factors
Environmental Health	4.3.
Environmental Health Issues
Human Actions
Biological Diversity
Agriculture and Society	4.4.
Society's Needs
Agricultural Systems
Technology
Integrated Pest Management	4.5.
Effects, Benefits and Impacts
Health Risks
Management Practices
Balance
Ecosystems and their Interactions	4.6.
Living and Nonliving Components
Cycles
Change over Time
Threatened, Endangered and Extinct Species	4.7.
Diversity
Adaptation
Management Strategies
Humans and the Environment	4.8.
Societal Needs
Sustainability
Human Impacts
Supply and Demand
Environmental Laws and Regulations	4.9.
Environmental Laws and their Impact
Factors Affecting Laws
Glossary	XII.

4.1. Watersheds and Wetlands
4.1.4. GRADE 4		4.1.7. GRADE 7		4.1.10. GRADE 10		4.1.12. GRADE 12
*Pennsylvania's public schools shall teach, challenge and support every student to realize his or her maximum potential and to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to:*
A.	Identify various types of water environments. * Identify the lotic system (e.g., creeks, rivers, streams). * Identify the lentic system (e.g., ponds, lakes, swamps).	A.	Explain the role of the water cycle within a watershed. * Explain the water cycle. * Explain the water cycle as it relates to a watershed.	A.	Describe changes that occur from a stream's origin to its final outflow. * Identify Pennsylvania's major watersheds and their related river systems. * Describe changes by tracing a specific river's origin back to its headwaters including its major tributaries.	A.	Categorize stream order in a watershed. * Explain the concept of stream order. * Identify the order of watercourses within a major river's watershed. * Compare and contrast the physical differences found in the stream continuum from headwater to mouth (e.g., the velocity; volume of water).
B.	Explain the differences between moving and still water. * Explain why water moves or does not move. * Identify types of precipitation.	B.	Understand the role of the watershed. * Identify and explain what determines the boundaries of a watershed. * Explain how water enters a watershed. * Explain factors that affect water quality and flow through a watershed.	B.	Explain the relationship among landforms, vegetation and the amount and speed of water. * Analyze a stream's physical characteristics. * Describe how topography influences streams. * Explain the influence of mountains on precipitation. * Explain how vegetation affects storm water runoff. * Delineate the boundaries of a watershed. * Describe factors that affect the quality of groundwater. * Explain how the speed of water and vegetation cover relates to erosion.	B.	Explain the relationships that exist within watersheds in the United States. * Understand that various ecosystems may be contained in a watershed. * Examine and describe the ecosystems contained within a specific watershed. * Identify and describe the major watersheds in the United States.
C.	Identify living things found in water environments. * Identify fish, insects and amphibians that are found in fresh water. * Identify plants found in fresh water.	C.	Explain the effects of water on the life of organisms in a watershed. * Explain how water is necessary for all life. * Explain how the physical components of aquatic systems influence the organisms that live there in terms of size, shape and physical adaptations. * Describe the life cycle of organisms that depend on water. * Identify organisms that have aquatic stages of life and describe those stages.	C.	Describe the physical characteristics of a stream and determine the types of organisms found in aquatic environments. * Describe and explain the physical factors that affect a stream and the organisms living there. * Identify terrestrial and aquatic organisms that live in a watershed. * Categorize aquatic organisms found in a watershed continuum from headwater to mouth (e.g., shredder, predator, decomposer). * Identify the types of organisms that would live in a stream based on the stream's physical characteristics. * Explain the habitat needs of specific aquatic organisms.	C.	Analyze the parameters of a watershed. * Interpret physical, chemical and biological data as a means of assessing the environmental quality of a watershed. * Apply appropriate techniques in the analysis of a watershed (e.g., water quality, biological diversity, erosion, sedimentation).
D.	Identify a wetland and the plants and animals found there. * Identify different kinds of wetlands. * Identify plants and animals found in wetlands. * Explain wetlands as habitats for plants and animals.	D.	Explain and describe characteristics of a wetland. * Identify specific characteristics of wetland plants and soils. * Recognize the common types of plants and animals. * Describe different types of wetlands. * Describe the different functions of a wetland.	D.	Describe the multiple functions of wetlands. * Describe wetlands in terms of their effects (e.g., habitat, flood, buffer zones, prevention areas, nurseries, food production areas). * Explain how a wetland influences water quality, wildlife and water retention. * Analyze wetlands through their indicators (e.g., soils, plants, hydrology).	D.	Analyze the complex and diverse ecosystems of wetlands. * Explain the functions of habitat, nutrient production, migration stopover and groundwater recharge as it relates to wetlands. * Explain the dynamics of a wetland ecosystem. * Describe and analyze different types of wetlands.
E.	Recognize the impact of watersheds and wetlands on animals and plants. * Explain the role of watersheds in everyday life. * Identify the role of watersheds and wetlands for plants and animals.	E.	Describe the impact of watersheds and wetlands on people. * Explain the impact of watersheds and wetlands in flood control, wildlife habitats and pollution abatement. * Explain the influence of flooding on wetlands.	E.	Identify and describe natural and human events on watersheds and wetlands. * Describe how natural events affect a watershed (e.g., drought, floods). * Identify the effects of humans and human events on watersheds.	E.	Evaluate the trade-offs, costs and benefits of conserving watersheds and wetlands. * Evaluate the effects of natural events on watersheds and wetlands. * Evaluate the effects of human activities on watersheds and wetlands.

4.2. Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
4.2.4. GRADE 4		4.2.7. GRADE 7		4.2.10. GRADE 10		4.2.12. GRADE 12
*Pennsylvania's public schools shall teach, challenge and support every student to realize his or her maximum potential and to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to:*
A.	Identify needs of people. * Identify plants, animals, water, air, minerals and fossil fuels as natural resources. * Explain air, water and nutrient cycles. * Identify how the environment provides for the needs of people.	A.	Know that raw materials come from natural resources. * Identify resources used to provide humans with energy, food, housing and water. * Explain how plants and animals may be classified as natural resources. * Compare means of growing or acquiring food. * Identify fiber and other raw materials used in clothing and shelter production. * Identify types of minerals and fossil fuels used by humans.	A.	Explain that renewable and nonrenewable resources supply energy and materials. * Identify alternative sources of energy. * Identify and compare fuels used in industrial and agricultural societies. * Compare and contrast the cycles of various natural resources. * Explain food and fiber as renewable resources.	A.	Analyze the use of renewable and nonrenewable resources. * Explain the effects on the environment and sustainability through the use of nonrenewable resources. * Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of reusing our natural resources.
B.	Identify products derived from natural resources. * Identify products made from trees. * Identify by-products of plants and animals. * Identify the sources of manmade products (e.g., plastics, metal, aluminum, fabrics, paper, cardboard).	B.	Examine the renewability of the resources. * Identify renewable resources and describe their uses. * Identify nonrenewable resources and describe their uses. * Compare finished products to their original raw material. * Identify the water derived from the use of renewable and nonrenewable resources. * Determine how consumption may impact the availability of resources. * Compare the time spans of renewability for fossil fuels and alternative fuels.	B.	Evaluate factors affecting availability of natural resources. * Describe natural occurrences that may affect the natural resources. * Analyze technologies that affect the use of our natural resources. * Evaluate the effect of consumer desires on various natural resources.	B.	Analyze factors affecting the availability of renewable and nonrenewable resources. * Evaluate the use of natural resources and offer approaches for using them while diminishing waste. * Compare the economics of different areas based on the availability and accessibility of the natural resources.
C.	Know that some natural resources have limited life spans. * Identify renewable and nonrenewable resources used in the local community. * Identify various means of conserving natural resources. * Know that natural resources have varying life spans.	C.	Explain natural resource distribution. * Distinguish between readily available and less accessible resources. * Identify the locations of different concentrations of fossil fuels and mineral resources. * Analyze the effects of management practices on air, land and water in forestry, agriculture, fisheries, wildlife, mining and food and fiber production that is unique to different climates.	C.	Analyze how man-made systems have impacted the management and distribution of natural resources. * Explain the complete cycle of a natural resource, from extraction to disposal, detailing its uses and effects on the environment. * Analyze energy uses and energy conservation in different regions. * Examine conservation practices in different countries. * Analyze the costs and benefits of different man-made systems and how they use renewable and nonrenewable natural resources. * Analyze the impact of information systems on management and distribution of natural resources.	C.	Analyze factors that influence the availability of natural resources. * Compare the use of natural resources in different countries. * Determine how delivery systems influence the availability of resources at the local, regional and national level.
D.	Identify by-products and their use of natural resources. * Understand the waste stream. * Identify those items that can be recycled and those that can not. * Identify use of reusable products. * Identify the use of compost, landfills and incinerators.	D.	Describe the role of recycling and waste management. * Identify materials that can be recycled in the community. * Explain the process of closing the loop in recycling. * Compare the decomposition rates of different organic materials. * Describe methods that could be used to reuse materials for new products. * Evaluate the costs and benefits of disposable products.	D.	Explain different management alternatives involved in recycling and solid waste management. * Analyze the manufacturing process (before, during and after) with consideration for resource recovery. * Compare various methods dealing with solid waste (e.g., incineration, compost, land application). * Differentiate between pre/post-consumer and raw materials. * Illustrate how one natural resource can be managed through reduction, recycling, reuse or use.	D.	Evaluate solid waste management practices. * Examine and explain the path of a recyclable material from collection to waste, reuse or recycling identifying the market forces. * Understand current regulations concerning recycling and solid waste. * Research new technologies in the use, reuse or recycling of materials.

4.3. Environmental Health
4.3.4. GRADE 4		4.3.7. GRADE 7		4.3.10. GRADE 10		4.3.12. GRADE 12
*Pennsylvania's public schools shall teach, challenge and support every student to realize his or her maximum potential and to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to:*
A.	Know that plants, animals and humans are dependent on air and water. * Know that all living things need air and water to survive. * Describe potentially dangerous pest controls used in the home. * Identify things that cause sickness when put into the air, water or soil. * Identify different areas where health can be affected by air, water or land pollution. * Identify actions that can prevent or reduce waste pollution.	A.	Identify environmental health issues. * Identify various examples of long-term pollution and explain their effects on environmental health. * Identify diseases that have been associated with poor environmental quality. * Describe different types of pest controls and their effects on the environment. * Identify alternative products that can be used in life to reduce pollution.	A.	Describe environmental health issues. * Identify the effects on human health of air, water and soil pollution and the possible economic costs to society. * Describe how indoor pollution may affect human health (e.g., dust mites, fumes, cat dandruff). * Explain the costs and benefits of cleaning up contaminants. * Explain how common household cleaning products are manufactured and how to dispose of their by-products after use.	A.	Analyze the complexity of environmental health issues. * Identify environmental health issues and explain how they have been addressed on a worldwide level. * Analyze efforts to prevent, control and/or reduce pollution through cost and benefit analysis and risk management. * Describe the impact of occupational exposures as they relate to environmental health issues. * Identify invisible pollutants and explain their effects on human health. * Explain the relationship between wind direction and velocity as it relates to dispersal and occurrence of pollutants. * Explain the different disposal methods used for toxic and hazardous waste.
B.	Identify how human actions affect environmental health. * Identify pollutants. * Identify sources of pollution. * Identify litter and its effect on the environment. * Describe how people can reduce pollution.	B.	Describe how human actions affect the health of the environment. * Identify land use practices and their relation to environmental health. * Explain how natural disasters affect environmental health. * Identify residential and industrial sources of pollution and their effects on environmental health. * Explain the difference between point and nonpoint source pollution. * Explain how nonpoint source pollution can affect the water supply and air quality. * Explain how acid deposition can affect water, soil and air quality. * Explain the relationship between resource use, reuse, recycling and environmental health.	B.	Explain how multiple variables determine the effects of pollution on environmental health, natural processes and human practices. * Explain how human practices affect the quality of the water and soil. * Identify evidence of natural events around the world and their effects on environmental health (e.g., Yellowstone National Park fires). * Identify local and state environmental regulations and their impact on environmental health. * Analyze data and explain how point source pollution can be detected and eliminated. * Identify and explain ways of detecting pollution by using state-of-the-art technologies.	B.	Analyze the local, regional and national impacts of environmental health. * Analyze the cost of natural disasters in both dollars and loss of natural habitat. * Research and analyze the local, state and national laws that deal with point and nonpoint source pollution; evaluate the costs and benefits of these laws. * Explain mitigation and its role in environmental health. * Explain industry's initiatives to meet state and federal mandates on clean air and water. * Describe the impacts of point and nonpoint source pollution on the Chesapeake Bay. * Identify and evaluate the costs and benefits of laws regulating air and water quality and waste disposal.
C.	Understand that the elements of natural systems are interdependent. * Identify some of the organisms that live together in an ecosystem. * Understand that the components of a system all play a part in a healthy natural system. * Identify the effects of a healthy environment on the ecosystem.	C.	Explain biological diversity. * Explain the complex, interactive relationships among members of an ecosystem. * Explain how diversity affects ecological integrity of the natural resources.	C.	Explain biological diversity as an indicator of a healthy environment. * Explain species diversity. * Analyze the effects of species extinction on the health of an ecosystem.	C.	Analyze the need for a healthy environment. * Research the relationship of some chronic diseases to an environmental pollutant. * Explain how man-made systems may affect the environment.

4.4. Agriculture and Society
4.4.4. GRADE 4		4.4.7. GRADE 7		4.4.10. GRADE 10		4.4.12. GRADE 12
*Pennsylvania's public schools shall teach, challenge and support every student to realize his or her maximum potential and to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to:*
A.	Know the importance of agriculture to humans. * Identify people's basic needs. * Explain the influence of agriculture on food, clothing, shelter and culture from one area to another. * Know how people depend on agriculture.	A.	Explain society's standard of living in relation to agriculture. * Compare and contrast agricultural changes that have been made to meet society's needs. * Compare and contrast how animals and plants affect agricultural systems. * Compare several technological advancements and their effect(s) on the historical growth of agriculture. * Compare different environmental conditions related to agricultural production, cost and quality of the product.	A.	Describe the importance of agriculture to society. * Identify the major cash crops of Pennsylvania. * Identify what percentage of the United States' population is involved in the food and fiber industry. * Compare and contrast the influence of agriculture on a nation's culture, standard of living and foreign trade. * Identify laws that affect conservation and management of food and fiber production in the local area and analyze their impact. * Compare a contemporary economic issue in agriculture to its historical origin.	A.	Analyze the management practices in the agriculture business. * Define the components of an agriculture system that would result in a minimal waste of resources. * Identify the diversity in crop production and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of such diversity. * Research and analyze environmental practices related to agricultural systems. * Analyze the effects of agricultural practices on the economy. * Analyze the impact of nutrient management laws on Pennsylvania agriculture. * Assess the role of agriculture cooperatives.
B.	Know that food and fiber originate from plants and animals. * Define and identify food and fiber. * Identify what plants and animals need to grow. * Identify agricultural products that are local and regional. * Identify an agricultural product based on its origin. * Describe several products and tell their origins. * Describe the journey of a local agricultural product from production to the consumer.	B.	Explain agricultural systems' use of natural and human resources. * Analyze the needs of plants and animals as they relate to climate and soil conditions. * Identify the plants and animals that can be raised in the area and explain why. * Identify natural resources necessary for agricultural systems. * Compare the need for crop production to the need for animal production. * Define issues associated with food and fiber production.	B.	Explain the functions of the components of the food and fiber system. * Compare and analyze different growing conditions throughout the United States to determine which plants and animals are most suitable to each region. * Compare the different management practices needed for a commodity including production, processing, research and development, marketing, distribution and regulations. * Identify a commodity, its origin and its steps of production. * Compare and analyze the cost of a commodity to its production cost. * Identify and describe how food safety issues have impacted production in agriculture.	B.	Analyze and research the social, political and economic factors that affect agricultural systems. * Analyze the costs and benefits associated with agriculture practices and how they affect economic and human needs. * Analyze the costs and benefits of agriculture research practices in society. * Research the use of by-products that are the results of agriculture production (e.g., manure handling, bird feathers).
C.	Identify technology and energy use associated with agriculture. * Identify the various tools and machinery necessary for farming. * Identify the types of energy used in producing food and fiber. * Identify tools and machinery used in the production of agricultural products.	C.	Explain the improvement of agricultural production through technology. * Compare the technologies that have advanced agricultural production. * Explain how energy sources have changed to meet agricultural technology.	C.	Analyze the efforts of increased efficiency in agriculture through technology. * Compare various technological advancements and analyze each for its contribution toward labor and cost efficiency. * Compare the current market value of both natural and alternative energy sources involved in the production of food and fiber.	C.	Analyze research and development activities as they relate to agriculture. * Analyze the role of research, development and technology as it relates to the food and fiber system. * Research and analyze energy sources used and/or generated by producing, processing and marketing agricultural products.