Earth and Space Science · California Grade 8

MS-ESS3-4

Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.

Clarification statement: Examples of evidence include grade-appropriate databases on human populations and the rates of consumption of food and natural resources (such as freshwater, mineral, and energy). Examples of impacts can include changes to the appearance, composition, and structure of Earth’s systems as well as the rates at which they change. The consequences of increases in human populations and consumption of natural resources are described by science, but science does not make the decisions for the actions society takes.

Source: California Department of Education, NGSS Preferred Integrated Course Model, Grade 8 (accessed 2026-10-18)

Chapters

Chapter 29: Engineering Solutions for Protecting Ecosystemssupports

This is a California Grade 8 performance expectation. In this Grade 7 chapter students only build background for it: they calculate per capita use, compare population growth with growth in use per person in the Lab 1 model, and read real population milestones. Constructing the full evidence-based argument about Earth's systems belongs to Grade 8.

Worksheets (7)

Chapter	Worksheet	Role	How it connects
Ch. 19	W5 · Tap Versus Drain: Aquifer Balance and Ore Grade by the Numbers Data and graphing	supports	Rising pumping and falling ore grade are consumption data of the kind this Grade 8 PE in the California sequence uses; this sheet only touches it as background and does not ask for the population argument.
Ch. 29	W1 · Two Graphs, Two Stories: Wild Cycles and a Rising Line Phenomenon exploration	supports	Students read real United Nations population milestones, the kind of evidence the Grade 8 PE uses. In California this is a Grade 8 performance expectation; here it is background only, and no argument about Earth's systems is assessed.
Ch. 29	W2 · Six Pressures and the Words Engineers Use Vocabulary in action	supports	The per capita calculation in Part D is a skill the Grade 8 PE relies on (population times use per person). In California MS-ESS3-4 is a Grade 8 performance expectation; it is background here and is not assessed.
Ch. 29	W5 · Reading the Fur Ledger: Peaks, Lags and a Rising Line Data and graphing	supports	Part C has students compute intervals from real United Nations population estimates and test the claim that growth is speeding up. In California this is a Grade 8 performance expectation; the sheet builds the data skills it relies on but does not assess the argument about Earth's systems.
Ch. 29	W7 · Checking Riley's Notes: Cycles, Counts and Who Decides Error analysis	supports	Students correct outdated population numbers and a per capita error using real UN data. In California this is a Grade 8 performance expectation; it is background here and no argument about Earth's systems is assessed.
Ch. 29	W8 · Six Pressures Jigsaw: Weighing Solutions Three Ways Collaborative investigation	supports	Several cards link a pressure to growing human populations and resource use. In California this is a Grade 8 performance expectation; the connection is background and is not assessed here.
Ch. 29	W10 · Checkpoint: People, Populations and Protecting Ecosystems Retrieval and mastery check	supports	Items 1, 4 and 5 use real population facts and the population times per capita idea. In California MS-ESS3-4 is a Grade 8 performance expectation; it is background here and is not assessed.

Labs (1)

Chapter	Lab	Role	How it connects
Ch. 29	Lab 1 · The Lake Can Give Ten: A Token Model of People, Fish and Fixes Collaborative systems modeling	supports	This is a California Grade 8 performance expectation. Part B gives Grade 7 students background for it by comparing growth in the number of families with growth in fish used per family; the full argument about Earth's systems is left for Grade 8.