HS-ESS3-4

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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).

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: Given a technological solution, identify the natural system that is being impacted by human activity or identify how the solution reduces the impact on a natural system.

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Level 2: Given a technological solution to a geoscience problem, identify how the solution reduces impacts of human activities on the natural system or identify how the solution reduces the impact on humans.

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Level 3: Given a technological solution, describe the geoscience problem being addressed and how the solution reduces the impact of human activities on a natural system.

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Level 4: Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.

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Level 5: Use scientific information to generate a number of possible refinements to a technological solution. Describe and quantify the criteria, constraints, and tradeoffs of the solution to the problem that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.

Resources

Examples and discussion of resources for the learning, teaching, and assessment of HS-ESS3-4.

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

Assessment

What assessment of HS-ESS3-4 might look like on a NY state exam.

Exam	Cluster	Question
August 2026	Dams on the Colorado River	Question 22
June 2026	The Slow Carbon Cycle	Question 13
	Lake Nyos	Question 36
January 2026	Mined and Mineral Resources of New York State	Question 16
	Mined and Mineral Resources of New York State	Question 18
August 2025	The Power of Water	Question 8
	Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide	Question 50
June 2025	New York State's Hudson River	Question 24
	Tectonics of Hawaiian Islands	Question 50

NGSS Dimensions

Performance expectation HS-ESS3-4 was developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:

Science and Engineering Practices

• 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.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

• 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.

Crosscutting Concepts

• 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.

Page contributors: Conrad Richman, Caroline Leonard

Earth and Space Science | HS. Human Sustainability