GRADE: Second

CONTENT STANDARD: Environmental Science

CONTENT TOPIC: Environmental Education

CONCEPT: The environment is affected by the activities of its inhabitants.

CONTENT OBJECTIVE: 2I.00 To understand how various activities affect the environment

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: The learner will:

1.01 describe how selected choices of activities affect the environment.

I. How environment is affected by inhabitants
II. Pollution: Air, water, land

TN COMPONENT OF SCIENCE: Unifying Concepts of Science

TN GOAL:

To enable students to acquire scientific knowledge by applying concepts, theories, principles and laws from life/environmental, physical, and earth/space science.

2.4 INTERACTIONS - At all levels of living and non-living systems, matter and energy act and react to determine the nature of our environment.

2.4a Interactions occur on scales ranging from elementary particles to galaxies.

BENCHMARK: A pushing or a pulling force may alter a moving object.

TIME REQUIRED:

30 minutes

Magazines, pictures from magazines, poster board, Vaseline, and file cards

When you walk into the classroom in the morning everything is nice and neat. The floor is clean. Everything is in place. Look around the room now. Do you think the room looks different now? Tell your neighbor what happened. (response) Today we will learn how people's actions change the world around them.

The world around us is called our ENVIRONMENT. Any type of change that people make in our environment affects the animals, plants and the land. Some changes are helpful. Some may be harmful to the environment.

Clearing land for farming, construction of homes, roads, and shopping centers is helpful to people, but animal habitats and plants may be destroyed. Clearing of land may result in soil erosion and the eventual loss of topsoil.

Pollution is another way our environment is changed. There are many kinds of pollution: air, water, and land. Air pollution is caused by factories, cars, and burning leaves and trash. Water pollution occurs when sewage, chemicals, fertilizers, and trash are dumped into water. Oil spills in our oceans are a definite cause of water pollution. Litter is one of the ugliest kinds of pollution. It is everywhere! Waste materials need to be disposed of properly in specified areas.

Laws have been passed to help stop pollution. As people become more aware and more concerned our environment benefits.

(Divide the class into three groups, each dealing with one area of pollution: air, water, and land. Have children identify and discuss how the environment has been affected. Have them brainstorm ways to correct this type of pollution. They can evaluate ways in which pollution can be prevented or reduced. Each group needs to share their results with the class.)

Pollution is a problem that affects all people. Tell your neighbor the three types of pollution we have talked about today. (response - air, water, land) Everyone must use the air, water, and land. Everyone can help to clean up the earth.

(The following activities are suggested:

1. Spread a layer of Vaseline on file cards. Set around the classroom in different areas. Check in a few days to observe the foreign matter which as accumulated.

2. Interview an adult who has lived in your neighborhood for a long time. Find out what the area was like long ago. What changes have been made?

3. Take the class outdoors and record instances of land pollution.

4. Make a collage of pictures showing activities that can change our environment.)

This is the time this file has been accessed since 04/20/97.

The University of Tennessee at Martin is not responsible for the information or views expressed here.

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