HS-LS2-7

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Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.

Clarification statement: Examples of human activities could include urbanization, building dams, and dissemination of invasive species. Examples of solutions could include simulations, product development, technological innovations, and/or legislation.

Assessment

What assessment of HS-LS2-7 might look like on a NY state exam.

Exam	Cluster	Question
August 2026	Star of the Tide Pool	Question 4
	A Tale of Two Squirrels	Question 25
June 2026	The Forest Gardener	Question 34
	Mercury Rising	Question 46
	Mercury Rising	Question 49
January 2026	Keystone Species Rule	Question 12
	Zebra Coat Patterns	Question 45

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.

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Level 1: Identify, from those provided, the best design solution for reducing the impact(s) of human activity on the environment and biodiversity.

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Level 2: Evaluate a given design solution for how well it reduces the impact(s) of a human activity on the environment and/or biodiversity.

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Level 3: Refine a design solution for reducing the impact(s) of a human activity on the environment and/or biodiversity.

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Level 4: Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.

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Level 5: Design, evaluate, and refine solutions, including tradeoffs, for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.

Vocabulary

Terms from the Biology Glossary that come from this standard or from the released exam questions that assess it.

From this standard

• anthropogenic changes
• biodiversity
• claim
• climate change
• constraint
• correlation (versus cause)
• cost, safety, reliability and aesthetics
• criteria
• cultural impacts
• dam
• design solution
• ecosystem
• empirical evidence
• environmental impacts
• environmental sustainability
• extinction
• habitat destruction
• human activity
• human impact
• invasive species
• legislation
• overexploitation
• overpopulation
• pollution
• productivity
• resources
• social impacts
• speciation
• species
• stability and change
• survival
• sustaining biodiversity
• trade-off
• urbanization

From released exam questions

• atmosphere – June 2026
• breeding – Aug 2026
• colony – Jan 2026
• compound – June 2026
• conservation – Jan 2026
• fertilizer – June 2026
• fishing – June 2026
• genetic diversity – Jan 2026
• habitat – Aug 2026, Jan 2026
• habitat fragmentation – Aug 2026, Jan 2026
• hunting – Aug 2026
• keystone species – Jan 2026
• land use – Jan 2026
• leaf – Aug 2026
• mammal – Jan 2026
• ocean – Aug 2026
• population – Aug 2026, June 2026, Jan 2026
• population size – Aug 2026, June 2026
• predation – Jan 2026
• predator – Jan 2026
• prey – Aug 2026
• protected area – Jan 2026
• regeneration – Aug 2026
• reintroduction – June 2026, Jan 2026
• remediation – June 2026
• restoration – June 2026
• runoff – June 2026
• soil – June 2026, Jan 2026
• trend – Aug 2026
• waste – June 2026
• wildlife corridor (wildlife bridge) – Aug 2026, Jan 2026

Resources

Examples and discussion of resources for the learning, teaching, and assessment of HS-LS2-7.

This section could be expanded upon. You can help out by adding to this section.

NGSS Dimensions

Performance expectation HS-LS2-7 was developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:

Science and Engineering Practices

• Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
  • Create or revise a simulation of a phenomenon, designed device, process, or system.
• Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions:
  • Design, evaluate, and refine a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

• LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
  • Moreover, anthropogenic changes (induced by human activity) in the environment – including habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, overexplotation, and climate change – can distrupt an ecosystem and threaten the survival of some species.
• LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
  • Biodiversity is increased by the formation of new species (speciation) and decreased by the loss of species (extinction). (secondary to HS-LS2-7)
  • Humans depend on the living world for the resources and other benefits provided by biodiversity. But human activity is also having adverse impacts on biodiversity through overpopulation, overexploitation, habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, and climate change. Thus sustaining biodiversity so that ecosystem functioning and productivity are maintained is essential to supporting and enhancing life on Earth. Sustaining biodiversity also aids humanity by preserving landscapes of recreational or inspirational value. (secondary to HS-LS2-7)
• ETS1.B: 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. (secondary to HS-LS2-7)

Crosscutting Concepts

• Cause and Effect
  • Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.
• Stability and Change
  • Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable.

Page contributors: Conrad Richman, Caroline Leonard

Biology | HS. Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems