Performance Expectations

ESS3 help students formulate an answer to the question: “How do Earth’s surface processes and human activities affect each other?” The ESS3 Disciplinary Core Idea from the NRC Framework is broken down into four sub-ideas: natural resources, natural hazards, human impact on Earth systems, and global climate change. Students understand the complex and significant interdependencies between humans and the rest of Earth’s systems through the impacts of natural hazards, our dependencies on natural resources, and the significant environmental impacts of human activities. Engineering and technology figure prominently here, as students use mathematical thinking and the analysis of geoscience data to examine and construct solutions to the many challenges facing long-term human sustainability on Earth. The crosscutting concepts of cause and effect, systems and system models, and stability and change are called out as organizing concepts for these disciplinary core ideas. In the ESS3 performance expectations, students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in developing and using analyzing and interpreting data, mathematical and computational thinking, constructing explanations and designing solutions and engaging in argument; and to use these practices to demonstrate understanding of the core ideas.

Calculation Method for DCI

Disciplinary Core Ideas are larger groups of related Performance Expectations. So the Disciplinary Core Idea Grade is a calculation of all the related Performance Expectations. So click on the Performance Expectation name below each Disciplinary Core Idea to access the learning targets and proficiency scales for each Disciplinary Core Idea's related Performance Expectations.