This unit, designed for upper elementary school students, examines the role of the individual in society in determining the status of the environment. Viewing the earth as an ecosystem, it looks at past and present human events that have influenced the quality of the environment and attempts to provide students with an awareness of the knowledge necessary to plan for the future. Seven general ecological concepts are presented for use with the total group. There is an additional group of concepts that are suggested for individual projects with such topics as: major forms of government, farming methods, educational changes, and city planning to increase understanding of how these factors influence human life and the environment. The unit includes the behavioral objectives and the expected student criteria for evaluation, pretests and posttests, suggested methodologies for teaching each concept, suggested student data sheets, and a bibliography of both teacher and student resources. (MLB)