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Human Impact on Earth Systems

Science Starter - Table Talk


1. On your drive to school today did you pass any natural areas?
a. If so, what were they?
b. What makes something a natural area?

1. On your drive to school today did you pass any areas that have been altered
by humans? If so, what were they?

1. Brainstorm: What are some ways humans impact the Earth negatively?
Learning Targets -
Humans Use the Land
The Other Inconvenient Truth!
Two Other Ways Humans Use the Earth
Urban Sprawl Deforestation
Definition

Causes

Effects
Humans Produce Trash
Trash Sort!
Sort the items at your stations into the four piles (compost, recycling, hazardous
waste, and landfill) using prior knowledge to determine where they should go.
Trash Sort!
Trash Sort!
What is the problem?
1. What is trash? -Trash is
anything that homes and
businesses throw away.
a. Old Food
b. Bags
c. Boxes
d. Jars
e. Toys
f. Clothes
g. Furniture
What is the problem?
2. What are the top three
types of trash that end
up in landfills? Please
give their percentages.
What is the problem?
3. What do we do with our trash in today’s
world? Please give a list and tell the
percentage of trash that ends up in each
place.
What is the problem?
4. How many pounds of trash
does the average United States
citizen create in one day? How
does this compare to people in
other countries?
Action What does this action entail?
What is the solution? Reduce

Read - Taking Action: What You Can


Do Reuse

Repair

Recycle

Compost
Humans Pollute the Air
Read: Air Pollution In China Is
Estimated To Kill Around 1.6 Million
People Each Year
What is the problem?
1. What is a pollutant? - Anything that 3. What are some smaller
causes harm to plants, animals or contributors?
materials or will change the a. Dry cleaning
climate. b. Filling your car with gas
2. What are the major contributors of c. Painting
air pollution in the United States?
a. Driving Cars
b. Burning coal, oil or other fossil
fuels ← We will talk much
more about this in our next
lesson.
c. Manufacturing chemicals
What is the problem?
4. What are some effects of air pollution?
a. Causes lung disease
b. Stunts plants growth
c. Depletes the ozone layer
d. Causes eye irritation
e. Reduces agricultural crop yields
f. Reduces visibility
g. Destroys building materials
What is the solution?
1. Brainstorm: What are some simple things you can do to reduce air
pollution?
What is the solution?
2. How have federal laws, regulations and agencies helped deal with the
pollution problem?
a. As early as the 1300’s some countries put laws in place to help clean the
air.
b. Today, the United States has the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
This agency helps to regulate pollution by suggesting methods and laws
designed to reduce air pollution. The EPA helps to establish car fuel-
efficiency guidelines as well as limits to factory pollution output, waste
water regulations and many other pollution related issues.

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