Environmental issues in the polar regions

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 9

• Goal 6: Patterns of Social Order - The learner will investigate social and economic organization in various societies throughout time in order to understand the shifts in power and status that have occurred.
  • Objective 6.05: Analyze issues such as ecological/environmental concerns, political instability, and nationalism as challenges to which societies must respond.
• Goal 8: Patterns of History - The learner will assess the influence of ideals, values, beliefs, and traditions on current global events and issues.
  • Objective 8.05: Analyze how the changing and competing components of cultures have led to current global issues and conflicts, and hypothesize solutions to persistent problems.

Grades 11–12 — Geography in Action

• Goal 9: The learner will analyze how tourism affects the environmental/physical geography of a place, leading to both environmental deterioration and environmental conservation.
  • Objective 9.03: Identify the environmental costs of tourism such as increased use of resources and increased pollution.
  • Objective 9.06: Identify examples of ecotourism themes and locations around the world, the United States, and North Carolina.

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 9 — English I

• Goal 1: The learner will express reflections and reactions to print and non-print text and personal experiences.
  • Objective 1.02: Respond reflectively (individually and in groups) to a variety of expressive texts (e.g., memoirs, vignettes, narratives, diaries, monologues, personal responses) in a way that offers an audience:
    • an understanding of the student's personal reaction to the text.
    • a sense of how the reaction results from a careful consideration of the text.
    • an awareness of how personal and cultural influences affect the response.
• Goal 2: The learner will explain meaning, describe processes, and answer research questions to inform an audience.
  • Objective 2.01: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print informational texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
    • selecting, monitoring, and modifying as necessary reading strategies appropriate to readers' purpose.
    • identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
    • providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
    • demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
    • summarizing key events and/or points from text.
    • making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
    • identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
    • making connections between works, self and related topics.
    • analyzing and evaluating the effects of author's craft and style.
    • analyzing and evaluating the connections or relationships between and among ideas, concepts, characters and/or experiences.
    • identifying and analyzing elements of informational environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.
  • Objective 2.02: Explain commonly used terms and concepts that:
    • clearly state the subject to be defined.
    • classify the terms and identify distinguishing characteristics.
    • organize ideas and details effectively.
    • use description, comparison, figurative language, and other appropriate strategies purposefully to elaborate ideas.
    • demonstrate a clear sense of audience and purpose.
  • Objective 2.03: Instruct an audience in how to perform specific operations or procedures by:
    • considering the audience's degree of knowledge or understanding.
    • providing complete and accurate information.
    • using visuals and media to make presentations/products effective.
    • using layout and design elements to enhance presentation/product.
  • Objective 2.04: Form and refine a question for investigation, using a topic of personal choice, and answer that question by:
    • deciding upon and using appropriate methods such as interviews with experts, observations, finding print and non-print sources, and using interactive technology or media.
    • prioritizing and organizing the information.
    • incorporating effective media and technology to inform or explain.
    • report (in written and/or presentational form) the research in an appropriate form for a specified audience.