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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
Graphic Organizer
Using
the
Environment
Human Environment
Interaction
Adapting
to the
Environment
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Modifying
the
Environment
Page 1 of 25
December 19, 2013
6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
Big Idea Card
Big Ideas of Lesson 1, Unit 5
• Human-environment interaction is one of the five themes of geography.
• Under the theme of human-environment interaction, geographers investigate how
people use, adapt to, and modify the environment.
• Human-environment interactions take place at all spatial scales from the local to
the global.
• Global problems such as climate change, deforestation, pollution, and resource
depletion can be investigated through the geographic theme of humanenvironment interaction.
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December 19, 2013
6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
Word Cards
1
cultural adaptation
2
cultural
landscape
patterns of behavior that
enable a culture to cope with its
surroundings or when an individual
modifies his/her customs to fit in to a
particular culture
Example: Cultural adaptation is
reflected in the types of housing people
use because of their surroundings or
when individuals change their clothing
to fit in with a different culture.
the visible
features of an
area of land as modified by humans
showing the imprint of a cultural group
Example: Buildings, bridges, cell
towers, and other human features make
up cultural landscapes.
(SS060501)
(SS060501)
3
human-environment
interaction
the geographic theme that explores
how people use, adapt to, and modify
the environment.
Example: Human/environment
interaction can be used to explain what
caused the drying of the Aral Sea.
(SS060501)
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
Reviewing Human-Environment Interaction
Using the Environment
Modifying the Environment
Our Community
Michigan
The United States
The World
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December 19, 2013
6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
PowerPoint Notes
page 1
1. Describe what you see in this photograph (SLIDE 2)
2. Where do you think this place is? (SLIDE 2)
3. What do you think caused the Aral Sea to shrink? (SLIDE 4)
4. On what continent is the Aral Sea? ______________________________ (SLIDE 5)
5. In what country or countries is the Aral Sea? (SLIDE 5)
6. How might the fact that the Aral Sea is shared by two countries make it challenging to solve the
problem of the drying up of the sea? (SLIDE 5)
7. Describe what is happening to the Aral Sea between 2000 and 2009 (SLIDES 6-15)
8. What might have caused the Aral Sea to have more water in 2010? (SLIDE 16)
9. What might have caused the Northern Aral Sea to have more water in 2006? (SLIDES 19 AND 20)
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
The Shrinking of the Aral Sea
In the 1960s, the Soviet Union undertook a major water diversion project on the arid plains of
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The region’s two major rivers, fed by snowmelt and
precipitation in faraway mountains, were used to transform the desert into farms for cotton and other
crops. Before the project, the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya rivers flowed down from the mountains, cut
northwest through the Kyzylkum Desert, and finally pooled together in the lowest part of the basin. The
lake they made, the Aral Sea, was once the fourth largest in the world.
Although irrigation made the desert bloom, it devastated the Aral Sea. In 2000, the lake was
already a fraction of what it was in 1960. The Northern Aral Sea
(sometimes called the Small Aral Sea) had separated from the Southern
(Large) Aral Sea. The Southern Aral Sea had split into eastern and
Northern (Small)
western lobes that remained tenuously connected at both ends.
Aral Sea
By 2001, the southern connection had been severed, and the
shallower eastern part retreated rapidly over the next several years.
Especially large retreats in the eastern lobe of the Southern Sea appear
Southern (Large) Aral Sea
to have occurred between 2005 and 2009, when drought limited and
then cut off the flow of the Amu Darya.
Aral Sea in 2000
As the lake dried up, fisheries and the communities that depended on them collapsed. The
increasingly salty water became polluted with fertilizer and pesticides. The blowing dust from the exposed
lakebed, contaminated with agricultural chemicals, became a public health hazard. The salty dust blew off
the lakebed and settled onto fields, degrading the soil. Croplands had to be flushed with larger and larger
volumes of river water. The loss of the moderating influence of such a large body of water made winters
colder and summers hotter and drier.
In a last-ditch effort to save some of the lake, Kazakhstan built a
dam between the northern and southern parts of the Aral Sea. Completed
in 2005, the dam was basically a death sentence for the southern Aral Sea,
which was judged to be beyond saving. All of the water flowing into the
desert basin from the Syr Darya now stays in the Northern Aral Sea.
Between 2005 and 2006, the water levels in that part of the lake rebounded
significantly and very small increases are visible throughout the rest of the
time period. The differences in water color are due to changes in sediment.
Aral Sea in 2012
Adapted from: Shrinking of the Aral Sea. Earth Observatory. NASA. 3 December 2013
<http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/aral_sea.php>.
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December 19, 2013
6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
The Aral Sea
Identifying Causes and Effects
Cause
Cause
Drying Up of the Aral Sea
Effect
Effect
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Effect
Effect
Effect
Effect
Page 7 of 25
December 3, 2013
6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
The Aral Sea
Identifying Causes and Effects – Sample Answers
Cause
Cause
Diversion
of rivers for
irrigation
Drought
Drying Up of the Aral Sea
Effect
Effect
Effect
Effect
Effect
Effect
The fishing
industry
collapsed.
Communities
dependent on
fishing
collapsed.
Water
pollution
Soil
damage
from salty
dust
Health
problems
from dust
on the
lakebed
Local
climate
change
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
2004
This theme asked that we make a choice as to how we want to treat the
Earth’s seas and oceans.
Oceans cover 70 percent of the world´s surface and more than 90 percent
of the world´s living biomass - from seaweed to blue whales - is found in
the oceans.
More than 3.5 billion people depend on the seas for their primary source of
food. The numbers could double in 20 years.
More than 70 percent of the world´s marine fisheries are fished up to or
beyond their sustainable limit. Stocks of fish such as tuna, cod, swordfish
and marlin have declined by up to 90 percent in the past century.
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
2005
When roads and buildings replace natural land cover, urban air
temperatures can exceed those of the surrounding countryside by as much
as 41ºF (5ºC). Creation or preservation of green spaces in cities can lessen
this so-called heat-island effect. Green areas in urban settings also
produce oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, and enhance air quality; provide
storm water control; and provide habitat for urban wildlife. Well-managed
urban settlements can support growing urban populations by limiting their
impact on the environment and improving their health.
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
2006
This theme emphasized the importance of protecting drylands, which
cover more than 40% of the planet’s land area. This ecosystem is home to
one-third of the world’s people.
Desertification is defined by the UN Convention to Combat
Desertification as “land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid
areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and
human activities.” Land degradation in dry lands is defined as the reduction
or loss of the biological or economic productivity of dry lands. It affects one
third of the Earth’s surface and more than 1 billion people.
The consequences of desertification and drought include food
insecurity, famine and poverty. The ensuing social, economic, and political
tensions can create conflicts, cause more impoverishment, and further
increase land degradation. Growing desertification worldwide threatens to
increase by millions the number of poor forced to seek new homes and
livelihoods.
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
2007
The futures of hundreds of millions of people across the world will be
affected by declines in snow cover, sea ice, glaciers, permafrost, and lake
ice. Effects are likely to include significant changes in the availability of
water supplies for drinking and agriculture. Additionally, rising sea levels
may affect low lying coasts and islands. An estimated 40 percent of the
world's population could be affected by loss of snow and glaciers on the
mountains of Asia. Similar challenges are facing countries, communities,
farmers, and power generators in the Alps to the Andes and the Pyrenees.
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
2008
Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy
Recognizing that climate change was becoming the defining issue of our
era, this theme asked countries, companies, and communities to focus on
greenhouse gas emissions and how to reduce them. The World
Environment Day in 2008 highlighted resources and initiatives that
promoted low carbon economies and life-styles, such as improved energy
efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation, and eco-friendly
consumption.
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
2009
Climate change will affect many aspects of the environment. Globally,
there will be more extreme weather including drought, flooding, disruption
and destruction of plant and animal species, the spread of diseases and
other natural disasters. These consequences make the issue of climate
change a major concern to all.
Halting climate change will require a commitment from everyone because
humans are causing the damage. Green technologies and habits should
replace carbon emitting, fuel-guzzling practices. Responsible use of water,
energy, and recycling on the part of individuals can go a long way in saving
our future from catastrophes and devastation.
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
2010
This theme echoed the urgent call to conserve the diversity of life on our
planet. A world without biodiversity is a very bleak prospect. Millions of
people and millions of species all share the same planet, and only together
can we enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.
A total of 17,291 species are known to be threatened with extinction –
from little-known plants and insects to charismatic birds and mammals. This
is just the tip of the iceberg; many species disappear before they are even
discovered.
The reason? Human activities. With our present approach to
development, we have caused the clearing of much of the original forest,
drained half of the world’s wetlands, depleted three quarters of all fish
stocks, and emitted enough heat-trapping gases to keep our planet warming
for centuries to come. We have put our foot on the accelerator, making
species extinctions occur at up to 1000 times the natural rate.
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December 3, 2013
6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
2011
Forests cover one third of the earth's land mass, performing vital functions
and services around the world which make our planet alive with possibilities. In
fact, 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods. They play a key role
in our battle against climate change, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere while
storing carbon dioxide.
Forests feed our rivers and are essential to supplying the water for nearly
50% of our largest cities. They create and maintain soil fertility. They help to
regulate the often devastating impact of storms, floods and fires. Forests are
home to more than half of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects.
They are the green lungs of the earth, vital to the survival of people everywhere - all seven billion of us.
Moreover, they embody so much of what is good and strong in our lives.
Yet despite all of these priceless ecological, economic, social and health
benefits, we are destroying the very forests we need to live and breathe.
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
2012
There were two components to this theme. The first tackled
the subject of the Green Economy. The UN Environment
Programme defines the Green Economy as one that results
in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly
reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. In its
simplest expression, a green economy can be thought of as one
which is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive.
The second part of the theme questioned what this all meant
for individuals. The idea was if the Green Economy is about social
equity and inclusiveness then technically it is all about you! The
question therefore asked one to find out more about the Green
Economy and assess whether, in their country, they were being
included in it.
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
2013
This theme is an anti-food waste and food loss campaign. According
to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 billion
tons of food is wasted. This is equivalent to the same amount produced in
the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in
the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of
5 die daily from hunger.
Given this enormous imbalance in lifestyles and the resultant
devastating effects on the environment, the year’s theme – Think. Eat.
Save – encouraged people to become more aware of the environmental
impact of the food choices they make and empowers them to make
informed decisions.
While the planet is struggling to provide us with enough resources to
sustain its 7 billion people, FAO estimates that a third of global food
production is either wasted or lost. Food waste is an enormous drain on
natural resources and a contributor to negative environmental impacts.
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
Identifying Global Problems Relating to Human/Environment Interaction
What global problem was the focus of
the year?
What is one reason it is a global
problem?
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
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December 3, 2013
6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
Identifying Global Problems Relating to Human/Environment Interaction
Sample Answers
What global problem was the focus
What is one reason it is a global problem?
of the year?
Ocean pollution
More than 70 percent of the world´s marine
fisheries are fished up to or beyond their
sustainable limit.
2005
Loss of green space in cities
When roads and buildings replace natural land
cover, urban air temperatures can exceed those
of the surrounding countryside by as much as
41ºF (5ºC).
2006
Desertification and other dry land
issues
The consequences of desertification and
drought include food insecurity, famine and
poverty.
2007
Effects that climate change was
having on polar ecosystems and
communities
Climate change can cause rising sea levels that
can affect low lying coasts and islands.
2008
Greenhouse gas emissions
Greenhouse gas emissions have led to climate
change.
2009
Climate change
Globally, there will be more extreme weather
including drought, flooding, disruption and
destruction of plant and animal species.
2010
Biodiversity
A total of 17,291 species are known to be
threatened with extinction.
2011
Destruction of forests
We need trees because they play a key role in
our battle against climate change.
2012
How a Green Economy can help
lower environmental risks
We have a lot of environmental problems that
could be reduced with a Green Economy.
2013
Food waste and food loss
Every year 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted.
2004
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
Analyzing Cartoons
#1
Polar Bear Earth Day Cartoon. Political Humor. About.com. 15 April 2013
<http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/environment/ig/Environment-Cartoons/Polar-Bear-Earth-Day.05Pg.htm>.
#2
Climate Change Cartoon. Mankind and Climate Change. Political Humor. About.com. 15 April 2013
<http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/globalwarming/ig/Global-Warming-Cartoons/Mankind-and-Climate-Change.0ywq.htm>.
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
#3
Dithering on Climate Change. Political Humor. About.com. 15 April 2013
<http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/globalwarming/ig/Global-Warming-Cartoons/Dithering-on-Climate-
#4
Global Warming Cartoon. Global Warming Myth. Political Humor. About.com. 15 April 2013
<http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/globalwarming/ig/Global-Warming-Cartoons/Global-Warming-Myth.05VG.htm>.
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
Analyzing Cartoons
Number
What point is the cartoonist trying to make?
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
ROBERTA BONDAR
My quiet epiphany took place as I floated
in space far removed from the sounds,
smells and tastes of Earth, touched only
by the clothes on my body. My first view
of the planet was, not surprisingly, over
water, the sunlight reflecting from the
glistening blue sheet of the Pacific
Ocean, though I couldn’t hear the surf or
taste the salt in the air. The light was
piercing in its clarity with no atmosphere
to soften the sun’s rays. The earth’s blue
sky had been replaced by black,
bordered by a thin band of fuzzy bright blue around the edge of the
planet itself.
SS060501
Lesson 1
Dr. Roberta Bondar —
the first neurologist in
space and Canada’s
first woman astronaut
— flew in the space
shuttle in January
1992. For the next ten
years she headed an
international space
medicine research
team working with
NASA to support two
dozen missions on the
space shuttle and the
MIR space station and
now has her own
foundation which aims
to inspire environmental learning
through the art of
photography.
After observing the planet for eight days from space, I have a deeper interest and respect for the
forces that shape our world. Each particle of soil, each plant and animal is special. I also marvel at
the creativity and ingenuity of our own species, but wonder why we all cannot see that we create
our future each day, and that
our local actions affect the
global community, today as
well as for generations to
come.
From space, to see the planet
without humans certainly can
be disconcerting. But we must
come back to Earth changed,
for only when we are on its surface can we see precious plants, trusting animals, and delicate
butterflies. Humans should show their respect and admiration rather than bring destruction and
extinction. Because we have developed frightening technologies and evolved quickly into a
resource-depleting species, we have the ultimate responsibility of protecting others from ourselves.
We must understand that, though an integral part of the environment, we are observers and
change-agents. We can induce and produce change in the environment, positively or negatively.
Adapted from: Roberta Bondar. Our Planet: Global Commons – The planet we share. United Nations Environment Programme. Pp. 34-36. 3
December 2013 <http://www.unep.org/pdf/op_sept_2011/EN/OP-2011-09-EN-FULLVERSION.pdf>.
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December 3, 2013
6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 5: Human/Environment Interaction
SS060501
Lesson 1
Comprehending Text
Explain the meaning of these vocabulary terms in your own words:
epiphany
particle
disconcerting
integral
Explain the main idea of each of the paragraphs in the text selection:
1
2
3
4
What led Dr. Roberta Bondar to have the opinions she expresses in this text selection?
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