Clarification Statement - S.HS.LS.4.5.CS:
Emphasis is on determining cause and effect relationships for how changes to the environment such as deforestation, fishing, application of fertilizers, drought, flood, and the rate of change of the environment affect distribution or disappea

Science and Engineering Practices - 9-12.SEP7.2:
Evaluate the evidence behind currently accepted explanations or solutions to determine the merits of arguments.

Disciplinary Core Ideas - S.HS.LS.4.5.DCI:
LS4.C: Adaptation •Changes in the physical environment, whether naturally occurring or human induced, have thus contributed to the expansion of some species, the emergence of new distinct species as populations diverge under different conditions, and the decline–and sometimes the extinction–of some species. •Species become extinct because they can no longer survive and reproduce in their altered environment. If members cannot adjust to change that is too fast or drastic, the opportunity for the species’ evolution is lost.

Crosscutting Concepts - CC2.8:
Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.