Local Habitats & Caring for Resources
Observe living things, basic needs, habitats, weather, water, simple food chains, clean environments, resources and stewardship.
Environment & Ecology / Grades 1–5
Understand ecosystems.
Follow the evidence.
Care for what sustains us.
A complete NYA pathway for ecosystems, habitats, biodiversity, food webs, water systems, pollution, climate and weather relationships, natural resources, conservation, sustainability, and the environmental effects of human decisions.
5Grade pathways
10Ecology domains
350Exam questions
10Eco investigations
Grade progression
Environmental literacy grows from observation to systems thinking.
Connections, Cycles & Choices
Compare habitats, adaptations, simple food webs, water-cycle processes, pollution prevention, renewable resources and conservation choices.
Ecosystems, Watersheds & Evidence
Use evidence about biodiversity, food webs, watersheds, pollution, resources, climate patterns, restoration and environmental stewardship.
Interdependence, Resilience & Trade-Offs
Analyze ecosystem connections, climate/weather relationships, resource decisions, conservation, water quality and human environmental impacts.
Sustainability & Environmental Systems
Evaluate resilience, energy flow, biodiversity, watersheds, climate, resource planning, sustainability strategies and evidence-based decisions.
Ten-domain Environment & Ecology framework
Living systems, resources, evidence and stewardship.
Ecosystems & Interactions
Living and nonliving parts of ecosystems, organism relationships, decomposition, ecological change and connected system effects.
Habitats & Adaptations
Food, water, shelter, space, life-stage needs, camouflage, specialized structures, habitat change and adaptation.
Biodiversity & Resilience
Species variety, native habitat, fragmentation, vulnerable species, restoration, monitoring and ecosystem resilience.
Food Chains, Food Webs & Energy
Producers, consumers, decomposers, energy transfer, trophic relationships, food-web disturbance and system connections.
Water Systems & Watersheds
Water cycle, runoff, infiltration, watersheds, wetlands, riparian zones, stormwater, nutrients and water-quality evidence.
Pollution & Environmental Health
Air, water, land and noise pollution, contaminants, environmental exposure, prevention, monitoring and health protection.
Climate, Weather & Earth Systems
Weather versus climate, long-term patterns, landform effects, heat, water-cycle relationships, adaptation and mitigation.
Natural Resources & Resource Use
Renewable and nonrenewable resources, energy, groundwater, conservation, repair/reuse, sustainable yield and trade-offs.
Conservation, Stewardship & Sustainability
Habitat protection, restoration, waste reduction, native plants, water conservation, monitoring and transparent decisions.
Human Impacts & Environmental Decisions
Development, agriculture, transportation, pollution prevention, stakeholders, alternatives and long-term sustainability.
Pennsylvania environmental literacy context
Built for modern environmental literacy.
Pennsylvania’s current K–5 STEELS framework integrates Environmental Literacy & Sustainability with science, technology and engineering. NYA’s independent pathway complements that direction through environmental systems and resources, evidence-based environmental literacy skills, sustainability and stewardship. Noble Youth Academy is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Attached eco investigations
Two investigations per grade.
The mastery examination measures environmental knowledge and reasoning. The Eco Investigation Lab adds observation, measurement, evidence, comparison, stewardship and reflection.
Schoolyard Habitat Hunt
Observe living and nonliving parts of a small outdoor area and identify organism needs.
Clean Water Choices
Sort everyday actions by whether they help keep local water clean.
Mini Food Chain Map
Build and explain a local producer-consumer-decomposer model.
Rain & Runoff Watch
Compare how water moves over soil, grass and a hard surface.
Biodiversity Count
Compare two small habitats using repeated species observations.
Watershed in a Tray
Model runoff, drainage and land-to-water connections with safe materials.
Heat & Shade Study
Measure surface or air temperatures in sunny and shaded locations and compare patterns.
Waste Audit
Measure common waste categories and propose a practical reduction strategy.
Streamside Decision Case
Evaluate a land-use proposal using habitat, water, cost and community criteria.
Sustainability Scorecard
Compare two resource plans with a transparent decision matrix.
NYA environmental learning cycle
Observe. Explain. Measure. Decide. Improve.
01Learn ecosystem concepts
02Observe local evidence
03Compare patterns & systems
04Investigate & measure
05Recommend stewardship actions
06Complete mastery assessment
Mastery assessment
350 original questions.
Five environmental pathways.
The final examination reports performance across all ten Environment & Ecology domains and connects to NYA Learning Intelligence for browser-local mastery, growth and next-step recommendations.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY MASTERY
Ready to assess?
Grade 1: 50 questions · Grade 2: 60 · Grade 3: 70 · Grade 4: 80 · Grade 5: 90.
Final Step: Open Mastery Examination