Rationale
This unit is timely and essential given the continued impacts of climate change on the global society. Record high temperatures were observed across all areas studied by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 2024. Extreme weather events in 2024 led to the highest number of human displacements since 2008. Greenhouse gases reached their highest levels in 800,000 years with human actions as the largest driver of climate change, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation. In addition, the Earth as a whole saw its warmest year, record sea level rise, and record sea level temperatures2. These changes could lead to catastrophic changes to the existence of current ecosystems and organisms, including humans, on the planet Earth.
This unit supports the central idea provided in the Virginia Curriculum Framework which states that “our natural resources, including clean water, clean air, and undeveloped land, are limited. If we want to enjoy these resources in the future, we need to take care of them now”3.
Through close observation, students will gain a contextual understanding of natural resources within their own communities, the state, and the globe. Students will think critically about the ways in which humans have contributed to the conservation and destruction of natural resources. Through this study and discussion, students come to understand, through their own investigation, the ways in which they can appreciate and impact Earth’s resources.
This unit will provide an opportunity for students to go beyond simply naming Earth’s resources. By connecting deeply with the resources in their own communities, students will develop a sense of ownership and accountability of their own impact on the world around them. First Graders are often expected to name reducing, reusing, and recycling as primary modes of conserving. While these are important daily tasks that students should learn and engage with, students need to understand the interconnectedness of Earth’s natural resources and the need for bigger actions, such as advocacy and technology change, in order to make a global change toward conservation. They can also explore the small ways in which they can influence bigger change such as talking with neighbors, submitting writings to local newspapers, writing to elected officials, and volunteering with local environmental organizations.
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