Grade 3 - 3-ESS3 Earth and Human Activity

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Disciplinary Core Ideas

ESS3.B: Natural Hazards
• A variety of natural hazards result from natural processes. Humans cannot eliminate natural hazards but can take steps to reduce their impacts. (3-ESS3-1)

Performance Expectations  Students who demonstrate understanding can:
3-ESS3-1. Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.  [Clarification Statement: Examples of design solutions to weather-related hazards could include barriers to prevent flooding, wind resistant roofs, and lightning rods.

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Use the Template and Resource Links to Fulfill NGSS

l. Goals:

1. Understand that natural processes sometimes cause natural hazards (floods, lightning, fires, etc.)
2. Understand that humans cannot stop natural hazards.
3. Understand that we can take steps to reduce the risks from natural hazards.

Essential Questions:

1. How do natural processes, like storms, create natural hazards that can harm people?
2. What can we do to reduce the risks of natural hazards?

NGSS Note: Think, question, entertain ideas.

ll. Introductory Activities to Assess Prior Knowledge

A. Simple Activities - that assess students’ understanding of natural hazards that are created by natural processes.
Understanding snowstorms:
Name the Storm Matching Activity
Understanding the Effects of Rainstorms:
Erosion Activity

A. Brainstorming Session
Question: What kinds of natural hazards can result from natural processes?

1. Break students up into groups of 304.
2. Ask students to generate a list of natural processes that might create natural hazards.
3. Discuss.

lll. New Knowledge - Text
Read about natural hazards that can result from natural processes.
Storms - Thunderstorms
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Winter Storms

Examples of Models (depicts the concept expressed in the reading):

Ask students to look at the model of a thunderstorm and explain how it illustrates the concept.
Thunderstorm Model

Assessment:
Winter Storm - Matching
Winter Strom Multiple Choice

lV. Experiments, Activities, Model-making (Critical Thinking)
Inquiry related to natural processes that might create natural hazards:
Rain-making Activity
Smog-making Activity

Use critical thinking to devise ways to protect people from natural hazards. Read about wetlands and how they protect us from natural processes (storms) that produce natural hazards (flooding). Knowing this, what actions do you think we should take to help protect us from storms flooding?
Wetlands - Their Important and Why

Human Actions: Sometimes human actions combine with natural processes to create new natural hazards. Read about acid rain and its effect on us. Use critical thinking about ways we can reduce this hazard.

Authentic Performance - Understanding by Design (UbD) assessment tool.
Wetlands Value - Authentic Performance
Use critical thinking to complete this Authentic Performance Activity and deepen understanding about the how wetland naturally reduce the natural hazards of natural processes like: storms, tides and wave action.

ESS3.B: Natural Hazards
• A variety of natural hazards result from natural processes. Humans cannot eliminate natural hazards but can take steps to reduce their impacts. (3-ESS3-1) (Note: This Disciplinary Core Idea is also addressed by 4-ESS3-2.)

Performance Expectations
Students who demonstrate understanding can:

3-ESS3-1. Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.  [Clarification Statement: Examples of design solutions to weather-related hazards could include barriers to prevent flooding, wind resistant roofs, and lightning rods.

Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy
W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. (3-ESS3-1)
W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. (3-ESS3-1)

Mathematics
MP.2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (3-ESS3-1)
MP.4 Model with mathematics. (3-ESS3-1)