Course Standards
Occupational Awareness & Safety
1) Review common laboratory safety procedures for tool and equipment operation in the
natural resource management laboratories, including but not limited to accident prevention
and control procedures. Demonstrate the ability to follow safety and operational procedures
in a lab setting and complete a safety test with 100 percent accuracy.
2) Investigate opportunities to expand and diversify a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE)
program in the area of natural resource management. Demonstrate the ability to prepare
basic personal and business records to complete employment, taxes, and SAE related
applications, including resume, budgets, income statements, balance sheets, cash flow
statements, profit and loss statements, and equity statements.
3) Use local news media, organizational websites, and real-time labor market information to
investigate occupations in natural resource management. Compare and contrast the
knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for employment, as well as the typical level of
education required.
Managing Water Resources
4) Research the physical and chemical properties of fresh and salt water. Create a chart or
graph depicting the essential uses of water, differentiating the amount of water available for
human use from that which is inaccessible to humans.
5) Research major issues with water quantity and quality impacting global water supply using
government reports and news media. Distinguish between point source and non-point
source pollution. Debate benefits and costs of various management strategies that have
been implemented to solve water quality and quantity issues by creating a rubric that can be
used to judge each technique, citing specific textual evidence.
6) Evaluate water sources and uses in the local community. Compare and contrast how various
water uses (such as agricultural, industrial, power-plant cooling, recreational, and public)
impact overall water quality and quantity. Describe how legal issues and water costs impact consumption in an informational narrative.
Managing Mineral Resources
7) Research the global distribution of mineral resources. Compare the distribution of various
minerals to the regions of the world with the highest demand and/or usage. Investigate
current and projected rates of depletion and assess the extent to which reasoning and
evidence presented by news media on the consequences of the depletion of readily
available reserves support claims or recommendations for management of resources.
8) Describe the four step process of extracting minerals for human consumption (locating a
mineral deposit, mining the mineral, processing/refining the mineral, and using the mineral
to make a product) using domain-specific words and phrases. Develop an argument about
the environmental impact of one, or more, steps in the process, supporting claim(s) and
counterclaim(s) with valid evidence and reasoning from research.
9) Using the Copper Basin Mine in Tennessee as an example, research claims made about the
environmental impact of the mining operation and the methods and processes that have
been used to restore the land to its present state. Prepare a presentation of lessons learned
from Copper Basin, or another major mining site in modern or contemporary times, citing
specific textual evidence that supports or refutes investigated claims.
Managing Plant and Animal Resources
10) Apply concepts of scientific taxonomy and industry-specific terminology to distinguish
different species and types of plants (such as trees, grasses, legumes, food crops). Create a
graphic illustration or fact sheet that compares and contrasts common plant species used in
the management of environmental and natural resources by classification, care, and use.
11) Using information presented by local, state, and national government agencies, prepare a
presentation on the importance of fish and wildlife as it pertains to such topics as ecosystem
stability, genetic reserves, and medicinal, agricultural, aesthetic, recreational, and industrial
uses.
12) Investigate research-based practices in wildlife management and conservation used by
governmental agencies and non-profit organizations dedicated to wildlife preservation.
Compose a persuasive essay justifying the use of one such practice (including but not limited
to carrying capacity, population control, and habitat management), and make
recommendations for scaling the practice to vulnerable regions or habitats, citing specific
textual evidence to develop reasoning.
13) Using news media and academic journal articles, research the accidental or intentional
introduction of exotic species into an environment. Citing specific textual examples, describe
the environmental and economic impact associated with their introduction, including the
management and eradication of exotic plant and animal species.
14) Research, discuss, and evaluate the effects of fish and game laws and their enforcement on maintaining sustainable wildlife populations. Complete and pass student certification
program(s) for appropriate fish and game certification (i.e. Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), Boating Safety, and/or ATV Safety). Compare and
contrast specific case studies describing both successful and failed legislation. Analyze how
ecological principles are used to inform game management regulation by investigating
environmental challenges a specific law is meant to address. Describe unique issues that
arise in managing migratory species.
Managing Land Resources
15) Create a presentation to defend the need for public, state, and federal lands and forest
resources, including but not limited to forests, resource areas, wildlife refuges, parks, and
wilderness preservation areas, developing claim(s) and counterclaim(s) with valid reasoning
and evidence. Describe the increasing pressures being placed on the agencies managing
these lands to open them for various forms of development, citing specific examples from
news media.
16) Explain the importance and impact of state park systems, and justify the use of tax dollars to
support them. Differentiate between state parks and state natural areas, their uses, and the
ways each are managed.
17) Compare and contrast various forest management methods for monitoring ecosystems,
harvesting trees, protecting forests from pathogens and insects, managing fire, managing
wildlife, and implementing sustainable forestry practices. Draw conclusions about important
wildlife management practices after evaluating case studies of recent natural disasters, such
as large wildfires in the western United States, citing specific textual evidence.
18) Describe, in detail, the thirteen components required in developing an environmental
forestry stewardship plan, including how the components relate to, and impact, one
another. Develop, edit, and revise an environmental forestry stewardship plan for a specific
plot of land with peer reviews.
19) Referencing maps that indicate the distribution of the world’s rangeland resources, create
informational materials that describe the characteristics of rangeland vegetation, the
concept of carrying capacity, and the consequences of overgrazing. Based on this research,
assess the general quality of the world’s rangelands, and outline specific strategies for their
management.
Impact of Technology on the Management of Natural Resources
20) Research the application of geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning
systems (GPS), including GIS software, GPS receivers, data acquisition, and spatial analysis of
data, to solve problems and increase efficiency in the management of natural resources.
Develop an informational text explaining the process of how GIS and GPS are used in the
environment and natural resource industry.
21) Compare and contrast the types and functions of precision and advanced technologies (such as GIS, GPS, and unmanned aerial vehicles) available to the agriculture industry. Citing
technical data and academic research, debate the legal, ethical, and economic impact of using emerging technologies to improve efficiency and efficacy within the environment and
natural resource industry by making a claim about the implications of technology use,
developing it with reasoning and evidence from the text.
Policy and Governance
22) Compare and contrast Tennessee policies and regulations pertaining to natural resource
preservation and management with those of the federal government and international
organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Articulate the United States’
responsibility to cooperate with the global community to solve issues related to natural
resource quality and quantity.