Human Modification of the Environment

Transcription

1 Graphic Organizer Human Modification of the Environment Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum Page 1 of 9

2 Big Idea Card Big Ideas of Lesson 7 Unit 5 People modify the environment in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons. Modifications often result when people add things to land, air or water. Modifications also result when people remove things from land, air or water. Examples of significant modifications include mountaintop removal, the depletion of the ozone layer and overfishing. Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum Page 2 of 9

3 Word Cards Word Cards from previous lessons used in this lesson: human/environment interaction Word Card #3 from Lesson 1 natural resources Word Card #4 from Lesson 2 fossil fuels Word Card #7 from Lesson 2 extraction Word Card #11 from Lesson 3 greenhouse gases Word Card #20 from Lesson 4 modification Word Card #22 from Lesson 6 23 mountaintop removal a surface mining technique in which explosives are used to remove large areas of mountaintops in order to access underlying coal seams Example: Mountaintop removal is commonly used by mining companies in Appalachia. () 25 acid rain a broad term that refers to a mixture of wet and dry deposited material from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids Example: Acid rain is caused by the release of chemicals from aerosol cans into the atmosphere. () 24 deforestation the cutting, clearing and removal of trees in a forest Example: Deforestation often occurs as people clear more land for farming. 26 ozone ozone is a gas that occurs naturally in our atmosphere () Example: Ozone can be found in the ozone layer in the atmosphere. () Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum Page 3 of 9

4 27 ozone layer a region located in the atmosphere several miles above the surface of the Earth Example: The ozone layer helps protect life on earth from the sun s harmful ultraviolet rays. 28 ocean acidification the process by which oceans are becoming more acidic Example: Ocean acidification is the result of increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum Page 4 of 9

5 Mountaintop Removal Cuts Through Southern Forests Mountaintop removal has become an increasingly contentious issue over the past several decades, particularly in the southern United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that by the end of 2010, 1.4 million acres of Appalachian forests had been disturbed or cleared by mountaintop removal, an area larger than Delaware. What is Mountaintop Removal? Mountaintop removal is a surface mining technique in which explosives are used to remove large areas of mountaintops in order to access underlying coal seams. Before explosives can be used, however, the land must be cleared of all vegetation, including trees and topsoil. After the vegetation is removed, excess rock, debris, and mining byproducts are pushed into adjacent valleys, where they bury existing streams. Coal companies employ this mining method because it allows for almost complete recovery of coal seams and requires fewer workers than conventional mining. In the United States, mountaintop removal is concentrated in the central Appalachians. This region of the Appalachian Mountains includes southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia, and eastern Tennessee. The area produces 33% of all U.S. coal, 40% of which comes from surface mining. Adapted from: Forest Loss Due to Mining. World Resources Institute. 12 December 2013 < How are people modifying the environment according to this text selection? Why are they modifying the environment? Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum Page 5 of 9

6 Sample Answers Mountaintop Removal Cuts Through Southern Forests Mountaintop removal has become an increasingly contentious issue over the past several decades, particularly in the southern United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that by the end of 2010, 1.4 million acres of Appalachian forests had been disturbed or cleared by mountaintop removal, an area larger than Delaware. What is Mountaintop Removal? Mountaintop removal is a surface mining technique in which explosives are used to remove large areas of mountaintops in order to access underlying coal seams. Before explosives can be used, however, the land must be cleared of all vegetation, including trees and topsoil. After the vegetation is removed, excess rock, debris, and mining byproducts are pushed into adjacent valleys, where they bury existing streams. Coal companies employ this mining method because it allows for almost complete recovery of coal seams and requires fewer workers than conventional mining. In the United States, mountaintop removal is concentrated in the central Appalachia, an area that includes southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia, and eastern Tennessee. This area produces 33% of all U.S. coal, 40% of which comes from surface mining. Adapted from: Forest Loss Due to Mining. World Resources Institute. 12 December 2013 < How are people modifying the environment according to this text selection? People are clearing vegetation and topsoil away from a mountain top and then using explosives to remove the mountaintop itself. Why are they modifying the environment? This is being done in order to make it easier to mine coal. Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum Page 6 of 9

7 Acid Rain. Environment Canada. 12 December 2013 < Acid Rain Diagram. Acid Rain Lesson Plan. National Park Services. 12 December 2013 < Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum Page 7 of 9

8 Advances in Fishing Technology Overfishing High-Efficiency Fishing Practices Need for Greater Efficiency Fish Populations Fish Populations Higher Catches Profits Wasteful Usage Wasteful Usage Greater Food Abundance Market Prices for Fish Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum Page 8 of 9 Oakland Schools December 19, 2013

9 Wasteful Usage Higher Catches Greater Food Abundance Advances in Fishing Technology Need for Greater Efficiency High-Efficiency Fishing Practices Fish Populations Market Prices for Fish Profits Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum Page 9 of 9 Oakland Schools December 19, 2013