HS-ESS3-4 | Reducing Human Impact on Natural Systems
Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.
Clarification statement: Examples of data on the impacts of human activities could include the quantities and types of pollutants released, changes to biomass and species diversity, or areal changes in land surface use (such as for urban development, agriculture and livestock, or surface mining). Examples for limiting future impacts could range from local efforts (such as reducing, reusing, and recycling resources) to large-scale geoengineering design solutions (such as altering global temperatures by making large changes to the atmosphere or ocean).
Assessment
What assessment of HS-ESS3-4 might look like on a NY state exam.
Performance Level Descriptions
PLDs communicate the knowledge and skills expected of students to demonstrate proficiency in each Learning Standard. NYS assessments classify student performance into one of five levels.
Vocabulary
Terms from the Earth & Space Science Glossary that come from this standard or from the released exam questions that assess it.
- atmosphere
- biomass
- complex real-world problem
- constraints
- cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics
- criteria
- design solution
- Earth
- ecosystem degradation
- feedback
- geoengineering
- geoscience problem
- global temperatures
- human activity
- human impacts
- impacts of human activities
- land surface use
- livestock
- natural systems
- ocean
- pollutants
- pollution
- prioritized criteria
- recycling
- social, cultural, and environmental impacts
- species diversity
- surface mining
- technological solution
- urban development
- alkaline – June 2026
- atmospheric oxygen – Aug 2025
- blending ratio – Jan 2026
- canyon – Aug 2026
- carbon – Aug 2025
- carbon dioxide – June 2026, Aug 2025
- carbon emissions – Jan 2026
- carbon mineralization – June 2026
- contaminated sediments – June 2025
- dams – Aug 2026
- degassing pipes – June 2026
- deposition – Jan 2026
- dredging – June 2025
- drinking water – Jan 2026
- enhanced rock weathering – June 2026
- erosion – June 2025
- fossil fuels – June 2026, Aug 2025
- geologic time – Aug 2025
- global warming – Jan 2026
- hydrogen – Aug 2025
- hydrosphere – Aug 2025
- mafic – June 2026
- magma – June 2026
- mineral weathering – Aug 2025
- minerals – June 2026
- model – Aug 2026, June 2026, Aug 2025, June 2025
- ocean acidification – Aug 2025
- ocean floor – Aug 2025
- outgassing – June 2026
- pumped storage reservoir – Aug 2025
- reclamation – Jan 2026
- renewable resource – Aug 2025
- river – Aug 2026, Jan 2026, Aug 2025, June 2025
- runoff – Jan 2026
- sea level rise – June 2025
- seawall – June 2025
- sediment – Jan 2026, Aug 2025, June 2025
- shoreline – Aug 2025, June 2025
- Superfund site – June 2025
- ultramafic – June 2026
- volcanic eruptions – June 2026
- water quality – June 2025
- water vapor – Aug 2025
Resources
Examples and discussion of resources for the learning, teaching, and assessment of HS-ESS3-4.
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NGSS Dimensions
Performance expectation HS-ESS3-4 was developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:
- Constructing explanations and designing solutions: Design or refine a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations.
- Human impacts on Earth systems: Scientists and engineers can make major contributions by developing technologies that produce less pollution and waste and that preclude ecosystem degradation.
- Developing possible solutions: When evaluating solutions, it is important to take into account a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, and to consider social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
- Stability and change: Feedback (negative or positive) can stabilize or destabilize a system.
- Influence of Engineering, Technology, and Science on Society and the Natural World: Engineers continuously modify these systems to increase benefits while decreasing costs and risks.