CONCEPT: Increasing population impacts the natural resources of the earth.
CONTENT OBJECTIVE: 6G2.00 To understand the relationship among population size, life-style and consumption of natural resources
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: The learner will
2.01 point out ways that population growth, both human and animals, impacts consumption of natural resources
2.02 identify characteristics of the personal and family life-styles of the students which impacts consumption of natural resources
2.03 plot changes in the personal life-style that would impact on the environment in positive ways
OUTLINE OF CONTENT:
I. Population growth and the environment
II. Life-styles and natural resources
III. Ideas on conservation and renewal of resources
TN COMPONENT OF SCIENCE: Science In Society
TN GOAL:
To enable students to demonstrate attitudes toward science in solving problems and making personal decisions about issues affecting the individual, society, and the environment.
TN THEME:
4.1 ATTITUDES - The progress of science and the attitudes of society influence one another.
TN STANDARD(S): The learner will understand that:
4.1c The perceived value of any technology may vary for different groups of people and at different times.
BENCHMARK: Individual views of technology are affected by culture and need.
CLASSROOM CONNECTOR
TIME REQUIRED:
45 minutes
MATERIALS:
Five paper cups, beans, potting soil, magazines
SET:
Raise your hand if you will share with us the type of life-style you and your family enjoy. (Allow time for several responses ) Now that you have heard about some life-styles, think of your own and ask yourselves these questions
1. Would your life-style change if there were more or fewer people in your family? (pause)
2. Would your life-style change if your family made more or less money? (pause)
3. Would your life-style change if you moved from where you live now? (pause)
Today we will try to understand the relationship among population size, life-style and consumption of natural resources.
INSTRUCTION:
Ecology is the study of the environment and how living things house themselves in it. You may not realize that just like people, individual organisms or parts of organisms that may look just alike, do in fact, have variations. If you brought to class ten leaves from the same tree, none of the leaves would be the same. All living things have variations. These variations set the stage for ecosystems. If any of these variations change, the change can put stress on the natural resources of that system. What are natural resources? (Items from nature that meet the needs of organisms for survival or to maintain a certain lifestyle.)
There are two kinds of natural resources, renewable and nonrenewable. What are nonrenewable resources? (Natural resources that, once used, can never be replenished.) What are renewable resources? (Those resources that can be replenished.)
Population growth impacts natural resources. More people in the cooler climates of India and Korea would make necessary the use of more trees for fuel. There would be few trees left in these countries. The over population of species creates pressures on natural habitats, food, water, shelter and space. Life-style activities that impact natural resources include the use of electrical appliances, toys, school paper, plastic, paper product consumption, hot water, throw away containers, recycling and the attitudes toward non-renewable resources. (Discuss these effects.)
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION:
(The following activities are suggested:
1. Conduct an activity inferring the carrying capacity of an ecosystem. Label five paper cups with a 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10. Place the same number of beans as on the label in each cup along with three centimeters of soil. Water and maintain for one week. Record the growth and compare the results. Discuss findings.
2. Make a chalk board list of characteristics and possible alternatives for selected lifestyle activities.
3. Prepare a bulletin board showing the changes which have taken place by decade.)
CLOSURE:
Today we have learned how our life-styles effect our natural resources. On a sheet of paper, write two changes you could make in your life-style that would help make our resources last longer. (pause, then summarize)
ENRICHMENT:
Make a time line on adding machine tape. (Use 4.5 meters of tape. This will allow for a scale of 1 millimeter for every 1,000 years. Put a pencil line at the left, at the very end of the tape. Write 4.5 billion years ago. This represents the origin of the earth. Put a mark 35 centimeters from the left end of the tape. Write 4.5 billion years ago. This represents the origin of the earth. Put a mark 35 cm from the left end of the tape. Write 350,000,000 years ago. This represents the time when fossil fuels began forming. Put a mark at the right, at the very end of the tape. Write 100 years ago. This represents the time when people began to use fossil fuels extensively.)
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