Grade 1: Human Impact on the Environment

1.ESS3.1 Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment. *

In a Nutshell

Students will communicate things that humans do every day to live can affect the world around them. However, humans can make choices that can reduce their impact on the land, water, air, and/or other living things.

Student Actions

Teacher Actions 

• Evaluate and communicate, oral or written, information about how human choices impact the world around them.

• Obtain evidence to determine how human choices impact the world around them.

• Evaluate and communicate, oral or written, solutions that will reduce human impact on the world around them through sketches, drawings, or physical models. 

• Scaffold and assist students in communicating information from their investigations that human choices impact the world around them.

• Provide materials and opportunities to obtain evidence to determine how human choices impact the world around them.

• Support students in using their models to  communicate solutions that will reduce human impact on the world around them.

• Assist students in evaluating solutions that will reduce human impact on the world around them through sketches, drawings, or physical models.  

Key Concepts 

Misconceptions 

Human Impacts on Earth Systems 

• Things that people do to live comfortably can affect the world around them. But, they can make choices that reduce their impacts on the land, water, air, and other living things. 

Developing Possible Solutions 

• Designs can be conveyed through sketches, drawings, or physical models. These representations are useful in communicating ideas for a problem’s solutions to other people.  

• Plants are dependent on humans.

• Ecosystems change little over time.

• Species coexist in ecosystems because of their compatible needs and behaviors; they need to get along.  

Instructional Resources 

Unit 6: Human Impact on the Environment