HS-ESS3-3

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Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity.

Clarification statement: Examples of factors that affect the management of natural resources include costs of resource extraction and waste management, per-capita consumption, and the development of new technologies. Examples of factors that affect human sustainability include agricultural efficiency, levels of conservation, and urban planning.

Assessment boundary: Assessment for computational simulations is limited to using provided multi-parameter programs or constructing simplified spreadsheet calculations.

Regents Exam Questions

Released New York State Regents exam questions that assess HS-ESS3-3 are listed here by exam and question cluster. Each link opens the question with its answer key.

Exam	Cluster	Question
August 2026 Earth and Space Sciences Regents	The Aral Sea Region	Question 30
	The Gulf	Question 36
June 2026 Earth and Space Sciences Regents	The Influence of Volcanoes on Earth’s Systems	Question 26
January 2026 Earth and Space Sciences Regents	Rubber Ducks and Pacific Ocean Trash	Question 8
June 2025 Earth and Space Sciences Regents	Mining and Use of Lithium	Question 33
	Mining and Use of Lithium	Question 35
	Human Impact on Earth	Question 41
	Human Impact on Earth	Question 42

Vocabulary

Terms from the Earth & Space Science Glossary that come from this standard or from the released exam questions that assess it.

From this standard

• agricultural efficiency
• biodiversity
• computational simulation
• conservation
• Earth
• human impacts
• model
• natural resources
• new technologies
• per-capita consumption
• resource extraction
• resource management
• sustainability
• urban planning
• waste management

From released exam questions

• atmosphere – June 2026, June 2025
• barrier island – Aug 2026
• bioaccumulation – Jan 2026
• brine – June 2025
• carbon dioxide – June 2025
• climate change – June 2026, June 2025
• coal – June 2025
• deforestation – June 2025
• dunes – Aug 2026
• Earth’s surface – June 2026
• emissions – June 2025
• energy flow – June 2026
• erosion – Aug 2026
• evaporation – June 2025
• food chain – Jan 2026
• fossil fuel reserves – June 2025
• fossil fuels – June 2025
• fresh water – Aug 2026
• geothermal energy – June 2026
• greenhouse gas emissions – June 2025
• greenhouse gases – June 2025
• hurricanes – Aug 2026
• irrigation – Aug 2026
• kiln – June 2025
• lithosphere – June 2026
• mass – Jan 2026
• microplastics – Jan 2026
• minerals – June 2026
• mining – June 2025
• mitigate – Aug 2026, June 2026
• natural gas – June 2025
• ocean – Jan 2026
• open pit mine – June 2025
• peninsula – Aug 2026
• population growth – June 2025
• precipitation – June 2025
• river – Aug 2026
• saline aquifer – June 2025
• solar energy – June 2025
• solar evaporation ponds – June 2025
• storm surge – Aug 2026
• volcanic activity – June 2026
• volcano – June 2026
• wetland loss – June 2025
• wetlands – June 2025

Performance Level Descriptions

Every Regents exam question on HS-ESS3-3 is written to match one of the performance level descriptions (PLDs) below.

Level 1: Based on data (from a computational simulation), identify the relationship, from those provided, between two of the following: the management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity. June 2026 Question 26, June 2025 Question 41, June 2025 Question 42, June 2025 Question 33

Level 2: Given parameters /or data (in a computational simulation), describe a relationship between two of the following: the management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and/or biodiversity or identify how a solution to the management of natural resources or the sustainability of human populations, and/or biodiversity reduces the impact on humans. August 2026 Question 30, January 2026 Question 8, June 2025 Question 35

Level 3: Given parameters/data (from a computational simulation), describe a relationship among the management of natural resources, and the sustainability of human populations and biodiversity. August 2026 Question 36

Level 4: Create a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity.

Level 5: Create a computational simulation resulting in multiple data sets to illustrate relationships among the management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and/or biodiversity. Compare the outcomes with what is known about the real world.

Notice: PLD levels!

Resources

Examples and discussion of resources for the learning, teaching, and assessment of HS-ESS3-3.

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

NGSS Dimensions

Performance expectation HS-ESS3-3 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 a computational model or simulation of a phenomenon, designed device, process, or system.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

• Human impacts on Earth systems: The sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources.

Crosscutting Concepts

• Stability and change: Change and rates of change can be quantified and modeled over very short or very long periods of time. Some system changes are irreversible.
• Influence of Engineering, Technology, and Science on Society and the Natural World: Modern civilization depends on major technological systems.
• Influence of Engineering, Technology, and Science on Society and the Natural World: New technologies can have deep impacts on society and the environment, including some that were not anticipated.
• Science is a Human Endeavor: Scientific knowledge is a result of human endeavors, imagination, and creativity.

Page contributors: Conrad Richman, Caroline Leonard

Earth and Space Science | HS. Human Sustainability