Human Environment Interactions | Scientific Debate Set | Middle / High School

Studying human environment interactions in middle and high school science helps students understand how everyday choices and large scale human activities affect ecosystems, biodiversity, climate, water, and natural resources. A structured debate resource on human environment interactions gives students an engaging, evidence based way to explore real world questions about land use, energy, pollution, conservation, agriculture, and sustainability, while learning to separate opinions from scientific evidence.

With clear general debate guidelines and a suggested schedule, subject specific debate questions, one page primers to support students, a key vocabulary sheet, key evidence cards with short facts and sources, debate roles explained, sentence starters and topic specific sentence starters, graphic organizer templates, and a reflection sheet for after the debate, this debate pack turns complex environmental issues into organized, student friendly learning. It builds scientific literacy, critical thinking, and communication skills, while giving teachers a ready to use resource that fits smoothly into any middle school or high school unit on ecology, climate, or environmental science.

THIS HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS DEBATE SET CAN BE USED IN SO MANY WAYS:

• To extend students
• To increase scientific literacy and scientific argumentation (science related speechcraft + logical reasoning) in your class
• A entry point to a unit on this topic
• Great as a lesson filler when class goes too fast
• An exit point to a unit on this topic - for effective review
• Use a sub-topic to focus on a specific part of the unit you are covering

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS HUMAN ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS DEBATE SET:

• 1 Set of 15 page Google Slides, Powerpoint & PDF format of materials which contains:
• General debate guidelines + suggested schedule
• 15 proposed subject specific debate questions (on Land use & deforestation, Cities, wetlands & green spaces, Water, agriculture & pollution, Species loss & restoration, Responsibility & fairness)
• 3 one page primers (neutral in tone) on Land use change, deforestation and biodiversity, Agriculture, water use and ecosystem impacts, Urbanization, wetlands and green infrastructure.
• 1 page general neutral tone primer on this broader topic
• Key vocabulary with student friendly definitions
• A set of 12 short evidence cards for potential student use (1 fact + source)
• Explanation of debate roles
• Sentence starters for effective debate language + Sentence starters specifically on this subject.
• 3 graphic organizers (T-chart (for vs. against), Stakeholders (benefits / risks) & Claim-Evidence-Reasoning template
• 1 page reflection sheet for after the debate and more.