PEI SOLS Middle School Coastal Hazards: Sea Level Rise

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Sea level is rising due to climate changes that result from increased emissions of greenhouse gases. In this storyline, students will explore mechanisms of sea level rise and the impacts on Indigenous peoples along with other groups such as urban communities. Natural hazards such as erosion, storm surges, and flooding are intensified by sea level rise. The effects on natural resources, the economies built from those natural resources, and land usage in general can be predicted by utilizing current and historical data.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Authors: Pacific Education Institute, Washington OSPI OER Project

PEI SOLS 3rd Grade Coastal Hazards: Flooding

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The Washington State coastline is a culturally important place and valuable resource for communities of people, animals, and plants throughout Washington and the United States. As coastal flooding from storms and erosion threatens our coastal environments, communities are forced to make difficult decisions about how to protect themselves, their history, and their livelihoods. In this Storyline, students will learn what coastlines are and why they are important to humans and other types of natural communities. Given the specific weather hazard of coastal flooding, they will test materials and design structures that could be used to help reduce the impacts caused by this hazard.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Authors: Pacific Education Institute, Washington OSPI OER Project

PEI SOLS 2nd grade Coastal Hazards: Erosion

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Erosion is a natural hazard that causes major damage and can cause homes to collapse. In this storyline, students are introduced to weathering and erosion. Students will gain an understanding of coastal erosion by experimenting with different types of erosion control practices, including seawalls and riprap.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Authors: Pacific Education Institute, Washington OSPI OER Project

PEI SOLS High School Coastal Hazards: Sea Level Rise

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As the climate is changing, one of the many consequences is sea level rise, which is not a standalone factor, but is closely related to erosion and extreme weather/storm conditions. The majority of coastal houses, recreational parks, and other coastal buildings were built as sturdy but stagnant structures that do not adjust well to the changing elements. Coastal homes have been collapsing into the ocean and restaurants have been destroyed by storm waves. The economic damage has been accumulating. In this storyline, students will explore the reasons behind sea level rise looking at thermal expansion, glacial ice melt, and sea ice melt. Students will examine real scenarios of coastal damage in Washington state and evaluate current city and tribal resilience plans. Finally, students will evaluate the constraints of existing challenges and propose strategies for solving these challenges.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Authors: Pacific Education Institute, Washington OSPI OER Project

PEI SOLS HS Fire: Forest Management

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The students will be introduced to a historical account of global climate change and the human events that may have impacted those changes. Fire has been used by humans throughout history to modify their environment, particularly forests, for human benefit. Over time, the management of forests has changed and the result is an increase in catastrophic wildfires. This storyline explores the use of fire as a forest management tool to improve the health of forests thereby decreasing the incidence of catastrophic fires and the role fire plays in climate change. 

Material Type: Unit of Study

Authors: Hattie Osborne, Pacific Education Institute

PEI SOLS MS Fire: Forest Management

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Wildfires are a contributing factor to greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists estimate that wildfires emitted 8 billion tons of CO2 per year for the past 20 years. Wildfires have risks and benefits that humans are impacted by. In this storyline, students will learn about the risks and benefits of wildfires, the science behind how fire occurs and the conditions that make a fire catastrophic. Students will evaluate local/regional fires to determine how human activities contribute to wildfires. Students will research how forest management decisions are made to decrease the negative impacts of wildfires and to decrease the amount of CO2 that is emitted from those fires. 

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Pacific Education Institute

PEI SOLS Kindergarten Fire: Humans and Wildfire (Spanish)

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Los incendios forestales están ocurriendo a un ritmo creciente en el estado de Washington. Los estudiantes a menudo tienen preguntas sobre los hábitats forestales, la seguridad y la prevención de incendios forestales. En este caso, los estudiantes aprenderán sobre las formas nativas de conocer a través de la narración oral, los árboles como parte de los hábitats locales para ellos y la prevención de incendios forestales. Los estudiantes participarán en lecciones integradas de ciencia y literatura para desarrollar su comprensión de cómo los incendios forestales están conectados al clima, y para comunicar soluciones para prevenir incendios forestales iniciados por humanos.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Pacific Education Institute

PEI SOLS Middle School Fire: Forest Management (Spanish)

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Los incendios forestales son un factor que contribuye a las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. Los científicos estiman que los incendios forestales emitieron 8 mil millones de toneladas de CO2 por año durante los últimos 20 años. Los incendios forestales tienen riesgos y beneficios que afectan a los seres humanos. En este caso, los estudiantes aprenderán sobre los riesgos y beneficios de los incendios forestales, la ciencia detrás de cómo ocurren los incendios y las condiciones que hacen que un incendio sea catastrófico. Los estudiantes evaluarán los incendios locales / regionales para determinar cómo las actividades humanas contribuyen a los incendios forestales. Los estudiantes investigarán cómo se toman las decisiones de manejo forestal para disminuir los impactos negativos de los incendios forestales y disminuir la cantidad de CO2 que se emite por esos incendios.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Pacific Education Institute

PEI SOLS High School Fire: Forest Management (Spanish)

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Se presentará a los estudiantes un relato histórico del cambio climático global y las acciones humanas que pueden haber afectado esos cambios. El fuego ha sido utilizado por los seres humanos a lo largo de la historia para modificar su entorno, en particular los bosques, en beneficio de los seres humanos. Con el tiempo, el manejo de los bosques ha cambiado y el resultado es un aumento de incendios forestales catastrófico. Este caso explora el uso del fuego como una herramienta de manejo forestal para mejorar la salud de los bosques, disminuyendo así la incidencia de incendios catastróficos y el papel que juega el fuego en el cambio climático.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Pacific Education Institute

PEI SOLS HS: Food Waste

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Food waste is a major contributor to greenhouse gas. Wasted food and the resources to produce that food are responsible for approximately 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In this storyline, students learn about the resources required to produce food through following the carbon cycle and discover how food waste contributes to climate change. They will also learn the farm to table transport chain as well as how to conduct a food waste assessment. Finally, the students will research solutions to the problem of food waste and, as a final project, present one solution that they have thoroughly researched that can be applicable to their community. For CTE teachers, this storyline provides the basic knowledge needed to develop a deep understanding of WHY reducing food waste is an important solution to climate change. There are several potential extensions that Family Consumer Science teachers can utilize as well as Ag teachers and even Business teachers. There is a partial list at the end of the learning progressions. 

Material Type: Unit of Study

Authors: Hattie Osborne, Pacific Education Institute

PEI SOLS Kindergarten Food Waste

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While food waste is not typically seen as contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, it is a major contributor. Reducing food waste ranks as the 3rd most beneficial drawdown solution. Wasted food, and the resources to produce that food, are responsible for approximately 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. When individuals and groups reduce food waste, it has a huge impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Food waste awareness is applicable to every person and community. In this storyline, students connect with cultural values around food, impacts of food waste and solutions to food waste issues.  

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Pacific Education Institute

PEI SOLS MS Food Waste

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Food waste is a major contributor to greenhouse gas. Wasted food and the resources to produce that food are responsible for approximately 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In this storyline, students learn about the resources required to produce food through following the carbon cycle and discover how food waste contributes to climate change. They will also learn the farm to table transport chain as well as how to conduct a food waste audit. Finally, the students will research solutions to the problem of food waste that can be applicable to their own lives, their school, and their community. 

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Pacific Education Institute

PEI SOLS 5th grade Food Waste (Spanish)

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Mientras que el desperdicio de comida no es típicamente visto como un contribuyente de emisiones de gas de efecto invernadero, es un contribuyente mayor. Reducir el desperdicio de comida es la 3era solución más beneficiosa para la reducción de dichos gases. La comida desperdiciada y los recursos para producirla, son responsables del aproximadamente 8% de las emisiones globales de gases de efecto invernadero. Cuando los individuos y grupos reducen el desperdicio de comida, esto tiene un gran impacto en la reducción de emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. La conciencia del desperdicio de comida es aplicable a cada persona y comunidad. En este caso, los estudiantes van a conducir una “auditoría de desperdicio de comida”. Cada clase de estudiantes participantes recolecta, clasifica y mide su desperdicio de comida por un día durante el almuerzo. Los estudiantes discuten las causas locales y globales y los efectos del desperdicio de comida en el ambiente. Los estudiantes también aprenden las conexiones culturales alrededor del desperdicio de comida de los expertos o gente mayor de las tribus locales, e indagan cómo las diferentes agencias en la comunidad lidian con el desperdicio de comida (e.g. tiendas de abarrotes, bancos de comida, la ciudad). Los estudiantes presentan sus resultados y crean un plan de acción.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Pacific Education Institute

PEI SOLS Middle School Food Waste (Spanish)

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El desperdicio de comida es un contribuyente mayor a los gases de efecto invernadero. La comida desperdiciada y los recursos usados en su producción son responsables por aproximadamente 8% de las emisiones globales de gases de efecto invernadero. En este caso, los estudiantes aprenderán sobre los recursos requeridos para producir comida siguiendo el ciclo del carbón y descubrirán cómo el desperdicio de comida contribuye al cambio climático. También aprenderán sobre la cadena de transporte de la granja a la mesa y cómo conducir una auditoría de desperdicio de comida. Finalmente, investigarán soluciones al problema de desperdicio de comida que pueden aplicar a sus propias vidas, su escuela y su comunidad.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Pacific Education Institute

PEI SOLS High School Food Waste (Spanish)

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El desperdicio de comida es uno de los principales contribuyentes a los gases de efecto invernadero. Los alimentos desperdiciados y los recursos para producirlos son responsables de aproximadamente el 8% de las emisiones mundiales de gases de efecto invernadero. En este caso, los estudiantes aprenden sobre los recursos necesarios para producir alimentos a través del ciclo del carbono y descubren cómo el desperdicio de alimentos contribuye al cambio climático. También aprenderán la cadena de transporte de la granja a la mesa y cómo llevar a cabo una evaluación de desperdicio de comida. Finalmente, los estudiantes investigarán soluciones al problema del desperdicio de comida y, como proyecto final, presentarán una solución que han investigado a fondo que puede ser aplicable a su comunidad. Para los maestros de CTE, este caso proporciona el conocimiento básico necesario para desarrollar una comprensión profunda de POR QUÉ reducir el desperdicio de comida es una solución importante para el cambio climático. Hay varias extensiones potenciales que los maestros de ciencias del consumo familiar pueden utilizar, así como los maestros de Agricultura e incluso los maestros de Negocios. Hay una lista parcial al final de las progresiones de aprendizaje.

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Pacific Education Institute

PEI SOLS HS Forests: Carbon Sequestration

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The goal of the high school carbon sequestration in forests storyline is to build on the science of carbon sequestration from the middle school storyline. In this storyline, carbon sequestration refers to the removal of carbon (in the form of carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis. Carbon storage refers to the amount of carbon bound up in woody material above and below ground. High school students will develop an understanding of the variables and considerations that arise from managing forests for different purposes including carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services. 

Material Type: Unit of Study

Authors: Hattie Osborne, Pacific Education Institute

PEI SOLS MS Forests: Carbon Sequestration

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Students explore the phenomena of how a tree gets its mass. They are encouraged to think back to what they know about photosynthesis and explain what they know and what they wonder about the phenomena of a seed transforming into a large tree and having mass. Specifically, carbon is taken in from the atmosphere in the form of CO2 and transformed into glucose to provide energy and ultimately building material (cellulose). In this storyline, carbon sequestration refers to the removal of carbon (in the form of carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis. Carbon storage refers to the amount of carbon bound up in woody material above and below ground.  Carbon sequestration occurs in trees, other plants, the ocean, and soil. Not all plants sequester the same amount of carbon, for example, there’s a difference in the amount of carbon sequestered between young and old trees, and between different species of trees. This has implications for working forests and old growth forests. Using information from this storyline, students will draw conclusions about the value of managing forests to benefit human needs and natural needs.  

Material Type: Unit of Study

Authors: Hattie Osborne, Pacific Education Institute

PEI SOLS 5th grade Forests: Forest Ecosystem Benefits

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The goal of the fifth grade Forests: Forest Ecosystem Benefits storyline is to build on students’ previous knowledge of plant/animal needs, ecosystems, and protection of Earth’s resources. In this storyline students develop an understanding of forest ecosystems, tree benefits including carbon sequestration, and what trees need to grow/gain mass. 

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Pacific Education Institute

PEI SOLS: 5th grade Forests: Ecosystem Benefits

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El objetivo del caso de quinto grado, Bosques: Beneficios del ecosistema forestal, es aprovechar el conocimiento previo de los estudiantes sobre las necesidades de las plantas / animales, los ecosistemas y la protección de los recursos de la Tierra. En este caso, los estudiantes desarrollan una comprensión de los ecosistemas forestales, los beneficios de los árboles, incluyendo la captura de carbono, y lo que los árboles necesitan para crecer/ agregar masa. 

Material Type: Unit of Study

Author: Pacific Education Institute