Common Planner
K–12 Standards

Grades 6-8

Other Maryland Environmental Literacy sets

Environmental Issue Investigation & Action: Environmentally literate students investigate environmental issues in order to develop and implement local actions that protect, sustain, or restore the natural environment.6-8.1

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    Community membership has rights and responsibilities in promoting environmental sustainability both locally and globally that requires an understanding of short- and long-term consequences of personal and group actions and acceptance of responsibility for these actions.

    1. A

      Identify and investigate a local or global environmental issue that impacts a variety of stakeholder groups.6-8.1.A

    2. B

      Research and explore the perspectives of the various stakeholder groups.6-8.1.B

    3. C

      Analyze evidence to construct explanations and use data to form conclusions.6-8.1.C

    4. D

      Develop an action plan to protect, sustain, or restore the natural environment and weigh the impact on various stakeholder groups.6-8.1.D

    5. E

      Implement the environmental action plan and reflect on the impact of the plan on the various stakeholder groups.6-8.1.E

Human Dependence on Earth Systems and Natural Resources: Environmentally literate students construct and apply understanding of how Earth’s systems and natural resources support human existence. 6-8.2

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    Natural resources, which are finite, rare, and varying in their renewability, support and sustain all life on earth by providing food, fuel, and raw materials. However, the unequal distribution of natural resources across the Earth may impact cultural and societal views on those resources and sustainability.

    1. A

      Identify how the availability of natural resources impacts human society. 6-8.2.A

    2. B

      Analyze how Earth’s systems and natural resources support and sustain all life. 6-8.2.B

    3. C

      Explain how the natural history of the region has produced features of the natural environment and how those features have supported human existence over time. 6-8.2.C

    4. D

      Evaluate how the local environment influences where people live and what they do.6-8.2.D

Environmental Impact of Human Activity: Environmentally literate students construct and apply understanding of the environmental impact of human activities on Earth’s systems and resources.6-8.3

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    Human impacts are cumulative and can develop over time into environmental problems which can interact on a local or global scale to affect the Earth’s systems and sustainability. Changes in human behavior at local levels can minimize, mitigate, and often remediate human impact.

    1. A

      Explain how human activities alter the balance of Earth’s systems and the environment over time.6-8.3.A

    2. B

      Define and apply the concept of sustainability to the environmental impact of human activity. 6-8.3.B

    3. C

      Analyze the local and global costs and benefits of meeting human needs with respect to their environmental impact. 6-8.3.C

    4. D

      Construct an explanation or model of the global impacts of local environmental issues. 6-8.3.D

    5. E

      Explain how changes in human behavior can minimize or mitigate human impact on the environment. 6-8.3.E

Consequences of Environmental Change on Human Health and Well-Being: Environmentally literate students construct and apply understanding of the consequences of human-induced environmental change on individual and collective health and well-being.6-8.4

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    Humans can measure and control environmental impacts, through laws and policies, but some communities’ human health is more impacted than others.

    1. A

      Analyze the implications of human-induced environmental issues on human health.6-8.4.A

    2. B

      Examine how physical engagement with the natural environment contributes to the wellbeing of individuals and societies.6-8.4.B

    3. C

      Identify the social and cultural issues associated with human-induced environmental changes that cause inequities in resource distribution, human health, and well-being. 6-8.4.C

    4. D

      Evaluate the need for actions associated with environmental justice. 6-8.4.D

Individual and Collective Responses to Environmental Change: Environmentally literate students construct and apply understanding of individual, collective, and societal responses to human-induced environmental change.6-8.5

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    All actions by individuals, society, and governments impact the environment, often affecting groups unequally and creating persistent environmental justice issues in local communities.

    1. A

      Determine if my personal actions have a positive or negative impact on environmental change.6-8.5.A

    2. B

      Identify current environmental justice issues created by policies and laws. 6-8.5.B

    3. C

      Debate the impact of environmental policies and laws related to their level of protection and involvement for all people.6-8.5.C

    4. D

      Evaluate several types of environmental action strategies and their effect on marginalized groups of people. 6-8.5.D

    5. E

      Research careers related to the environment and how these careers respond to human-induced environmental change.6-8.5.E

Frequently asked questions

What grade levels do these standards cover?
Grade 6, Grade 7, and Grade 8
Where can I read the official document?
Environmental Literacy Standards Framework March 2023

Keep exploring

Keep exploring Environmental Literacy standards

Sibling grade bands, other subjects in this jurisdiction, and the same subject across other states.

More Maryland Environmental Literacy sets

Environmental Literacy