Environmental

Science Unit 1

Warm UpsMRS. HILLIARD

Vocabulary1. Environmental Science- the study of the

impact of humans on the environment.

2. Ecology- the study of the interactions of living

organisms with one another and with their

environment.

3. Agriculture- the raising of crops and livestock for food or other products that are useful for

humans.

4. Natural resources- any natural material that is

used by humans, such as water, petroleum

(oil/gas), minerals, forests, and animals.

5. Biodiversity- the variety of organisms or

species in a given area or the genetic

variation within a population.

6. Ecological footprint- a calculation that shows the productive area of Earth needed to

support one person in a particular country.

7. Sustainability- the condition in which human

needs are met in such a way that a human

population can survive indefinitely.

8. Hypothesis- a testable idea or explanation that leads to scientific investigation.

9. Observation- the process of obtaining

information by using the senses.

10. Control group- in an experiment, a group that

serves as a standard of comparison with

another group to which the control group is

identical except for one factor. (No change to

this group)

Vocabulary Cont.

11. Erosion- a process in which the materials of Earth’s surface are loosened,

dissolved, or worn away and transported from one place to another by natural agent, such as wind, water, ice, or gravity.

12. Tectonic plate- a block of lithosphere that consists of the crust and the rigid, outermost part of the mantle.

13. Atmosphere- a mixture of gases that surrounds a planet, such as Earth.

14. Ozone- a gas molecule that is made up of three oxygen atoms. O3

15. Greenhouse effect- the warming of the surface and lower atmosphere of Earth that occurs when carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases in

the air absorb and reradiate infrared radiation.

16. Biosphere- the part of Earth where life exists.

Early Time

1. What is the Industrial Revolution?

2. What is the Agricultural

Revolution?

3. What did Hunters and Gatherers

do?

Early Time1. What is the Industrial Revolution? A shift in energy

sources to using coal and oil. Pollution increased, due to factories and automobiles. More people began living in crowded cities and became workers.

2. What is the Agricultural Revolution? Practice of growing, breeding, and caring for plants and animals that are used for food, clothing, housing, and transportation purposes. Populations grew dramatically in cities where food could be moved in.

3. What did Hunters and Gatherers do? Obtained food by collecting plants and by hunting wild animals or scavenging their remains. Migrated around following food, set fire to keep prairies, may have over hunted animals.

Resources

4. List some renewable resources.

5. List some nonrenewable resources.

6. Choose 5 objects in the classroom (such as a pencil,

notebook, chair, desk, etc). Observe the objects

closely and list the resources that comprise (make)

them. Classify the resources as renewable or

nonrenewable.

7. What percentage of the resources you observed are

renewable? Nonrenewable?

Resources

4. List some renewable resources. Solar energy (sun), water, wood, soil, air

5. List some nonrenewable resources. Metals such as iron, aluminum, and copper. Oil

6. Choose 5 objects in the classroom (such as a pencil, notebook, chair, desk, etc). Observe the objects closely and list the resources that comprise (make) them. Classify the resources as renewable or nonrenewable. Pencil- wood, graphite, paint, aluminum, rubber, and pumice. Notebook- paper, aluminum, cardboard, paint. Desk- Particle board, paint/stain, wood, iron, aluminum. Chair- plastic, paint, aluminum, foam, leather/pleather. Book- plastic, wood, paint/ink. Board- metals, plastic. Plastic is mostly made from oil and natural gas. These are both non-renewable, so most plastic is non-renewable. A tiny bit of plastic is being made from vegetable organic material, so that bit is biodegradable, and renewable.

7. What percentage of the resources you observed are renewable? Nonrenewable?

Population Growth8. In which country would the population likely increase

rapidly? A. United States B. AustraliaC. Spain D. Ethiopia

9. What is an example of a biodegradable resource that could become a pollutant if it accumulated faster than it could decompose?

10. Give an example of a developing country.

11. A resident in which country would leave the largest ecological footprint?

12. Compared to developed nations, developing nations have

A. Faster population growth B. higher health standards C. greater personal wealth D. Slower population growth

Population Growth8. In which country would the population likely increase

rapidly? A. United States B. Australia C. Spain D. Ethiopia

9. What is an example of a biodegradable resource that could become a pollutant if it accumulated faster than it could decompose? Newspapers

10. Give an example of a developing country. Kenya, India, Pakistan, Peru

11. A resident in which country would leave the largest ecological footprint? United States, Australia, Canada, France

12. Compared to developed nations, developing nations have A. Faster population growth B. higher health standards C. greater personal wealth D. Slower population growth

Resources

13. What changed during the Industrial Revolution?

14. What are some ways we can overuse renewable energy

sources or materials?

15. “The Tragedy of the Commons” deals with conflicts

between what two groups?

16. Based on the Law of Supply and Demand, what would

happen to the price of corn if the demand went down

and supply stayed the same? If demand went up and

supply stayed the same? Supply went down and demand

stayed the same?

17. What is an ecological footprint?

Resources13. What changed during the Industrial Revolution? Switch to using fossil

fuels, cities grew, and the quality of life improved.

14. What are some ways we can overuse renewable energy sources or

materials? Over hunting/fishing, deforestation, overuse of farmland

that exhausts soil nutrients.

15. “The Tragedy of the Commons” deals with conflicts between what

two groups? Individuals and Society

16. Based on the Law of Supply and Demand, what would happen to

the price of corn if the demand went down and supply stayed the

same? Prices would drop. If demand went up and supply stayed the

same? Price would increase. Supply went down and demand

stayed the same? Price would increase.

17. What is an ecological footprint? The amount of land and ocean

needed to support one person.

Scientific Method

18.What are the steps of the scientific

method?

19.What are some characteristics of science

that we need to do in any type of

science?

20.What step in the scientific method is

being used if you look at the color of a

plant?

Scientific Method

18. What are the steps of the scientific method?

Problem/purpose, research, hypothesis,

experiment, analyze results, draw conclusions

19. What are some characteristics of science

that we need to do in any type of science?

Being Skeptical, accepting change as

scientific knowledge grows and changes,

curiosity, openness, safety, communication

information scientifically.

20. What step in the scientific method is being

used if you look at the color of a plant?

Observation

Resources21.What is sustainability?

22.Are we living in a sustainable world?

Why or why not?

Resources21.What is sustainability? A condition in which

human needs are met in such a way that

a human population can survive

indefinitely.

22.Are we living in a sustainable world? No.

Why or why not? Developed nations are

using 75% of the world’s resources. We use

resources fast than they can be replaced.

Spheres

23. What contains all the water on or

near Earth’s surface?

24.What is a mixture of gases that

surrounds a planet?

Spheres

23. What contains all the water on or

near Earth’s surface? Hydrosphere

24. What is a mixture of gases that

surrounds a planet? Atmosphere

Mountains and temperature

25.What process formed the

Himalayan Mountains?

26.What are the most geologically

active areas on the Earth?

27.What is the estimated temperature

of the inner core?

Mountains and temperature

25.What process formed the Himalayan Mountains? Colliding tectonic plates

26.What are the most geologically active areas on the Earth? Boundaries between tectonic plates

27.What is the estimated temperature of the inner core? 4000-5000°C

Earthquakes and Layers

28. What is the Richter scale used to

measure?

29. What is the molten rock in the upper

mantle called? (hint found in volcanoes)

30. What are all the layers of the Earth?

Earthquakes and Layers

28.What is the Richter scale used to measure? The magnitude of an earthquake

29. What is the molten rock in the upper mantle called? (hint found in volcanoes) Magma

30.What are all the layers of the Earth? Lithosphere, Asthenosphere, Mesosphere, Outer Core, and Inner Core.

Erosion/Loss of biodiversity31. What do wind and water

erosion affect?

32. How much more tropical rain forest did Indonesia lose in 1990 than in 1980?

33. What produces carbon dioxide? What produces oxygen?

34.In the stratosphere, what increases as altitude increases? What decreases?

Erosion/Loss of biodiversity

31. What do wind and water erosion affect? Soil is moved to another location, mountains are worn down, gorges are made from rivers digging deep beds, and rocks become rounded and smooth.

32. How much more tropical rain forest did Indonesia lose in 1990 than in 1980? 2000 sq. km

33. What produces carbon dioxide? Animals What produces oxygen? Plants

34. In the stratosphere, what increases as altitude increases? Temperature What decreases? Pressure

The atmosphere35. In what part of the atmosphere is the ozone

layer?

36. What does gravity do to the density of the air?

37. What is Earth’s least dense atmosphere? Most dense?

38. What would happen to Earth’s atmosphere if we did not have the greenhouse effect?

The atmosphere35. In what part of the atmosphere is the ozone

layer? Stratosphere

36. What does gravity do to the density of the air? It causes the air to be more dense at the surface of Earth

37. What is Earth’s least dense atmosphere? Thermosphere Most dense? Troposphere

38. What would happen to Earth’s atmosphere if we did not have the greenhouse effect? It would be too cold to live

Hydrosphere39. What causes the current at the

surface of the ocean?

40.Where is the majority of the fresh water on Earth located?

41.What causes surface currents to flow in certain directions?

42.Where do deep ocean currents flow?

Hydrosphere39. What causes the current at the surface

of the ocean? wind

40. Where is the majority of the fresh water on Earth located? Ice caps and glaciers

41. What causes surface currents to flow in certain directions? The hemisphere they are located in

42. Where do deep ocean currents flow? On the ocean floor

Earth43. What type of system is Earth in terms of

matter?

44. What part of Earth includes all the areas where organisms get their energy?

45.What is the layer of the ocean extending from the base of the thermocline to the bottom of the ocean? Top layer? Middle layer?

Earth43. What type of system is Earth in terms of

matter? A closed system

44. What part of Earth includes all the areas where organisms get their energy? Biosphere

45. What is the layer of the ocean extending from the base of the thermocline to the bottom of the ocean? Deep zone Top layer? Surface zone Middle layer? Thermocline

Oceans

46. What are the 3 largest oceans?

47. What is salinity?

Oceans

46. What are the 3 largest oceans?

Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans

47. What is salinity? A measure of the

amount of dissolved salts in a given

amount of liquid.