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Unit Six: Our Environment
Lesson 1
The environment and the ecosystem
Objectives: By the end of the lesson you will have
• thought about and discussed the environment
• read a passage about the environment and the ecosystem and completed a table
• made a poster giving advice
A Discuss in pairs what you know about the environment. Then read the following part of a text from a recent geographical magazine. Discuss with a partner what 'ecosystem' and 'ecology' mean.
Humans arc only one factor in the ecosystem but it is mainly they who are responsible for the changes in the ecology. When the harmony between the elements of the environment is disturbed, life becomes difficult or sometimes impossible.
Now draw a table like the one below. Write down as many elements of the ecosystem as you can think of in the left-hand column. Then write down examples of how those elements are being changed in the middle column. Finally write down the consequences of the changes in the right-hand column.
The Ecosystem
Elements.
Forests Rivers.
....................
....................
.................... Changes.
destroyed by man.
.............................
.............................
............................. Consequences.
erosion of soil.
........................
........................
........................
B Now read the rest of the text to learn more about the environment and the ecosystem.
The environment refers to the air, water and land in which people, animals, and plants live. So human beings, animals, plants, air, water and soil are the main elements of the environment. The natural forces such as storms, cyclones and earthquakes arc also a part of this environment. Climate is thus a condition of the environment.
All things that make up the environment-are interrelated. The way in which people, animals and plants arc related to each other and to their surroundings is known as ecology. The ecosystem is a complex web that links animals, plants and every other life form in the biosphere. All these things hang together. The system is in a steady state of dynamic balance which means that by altering any one part of the web you can affect all the other pans. For example, the destruction of forests may have serious ecological consequences on humans and animals.
It is the responsibility of human beings to prevent the environment from being spoilt. To make life healthy and comfortable we should keep the environment clean and danger-free. But often people spoil the environment by doing unwise things and, as a result, endanger their own lives. It is the ecological imbalance that causes changes in the world's climate and brings about different kinds of natural disasters.
Now discuss the following questions in pairs.
1 What elements make up the environment?
2 How are the elements interrelated?
3 What do you understand by ecological balance? Is the ecological balance in our country satisfactory?
C Discuss in groups what we should and should not do to protect our environment. Make a poster for people in your area giving advice about protecting the environment.
Focus :
Skills.
Discussion, reading,
poster-making.
Functions.
Completing a table, expressing obligations,
giving advice, making a poster. Grammar/Structure.
Relative clause introduced by
who/which/that.
Vocabulary.
ecology, ecosystem, biosphere, dynamic, imbalance, endanger.
This text will be replaced
Unit Six: Our Environment
Lesson 1
The environment and the ecosystem
Objectives: By the end of the lesson you will have
• thought about and discussed the environment
• read a passage about the environment and the ecosystem and completed a table
• made a poster giving advice
A Discuss in pairs what you know about the environment. Then read the following part of a text from a recent geographical magazine. Discuss with a partner what 'ecosystem' and 'ecology' mean.
Humans arc only one factor in the ecosystem but it is mainly they who are responsible for the changes in the ecology. When the harmony between the elements of the environment is disturbed, life becomes difficult or sometimes impossible.
Now draw a table like the one below. Write down as many elements of the ecosystem as you can think of in the left-hand column. Then write down examples of how those elements are being changed in the middle column. Finally write down the consequences of the changes in the right-hand column.
The Ecosystem
Elements.
Forests Rivers.
....................
....................
.................... Changes.
destroyed by man.
.............................
.............................
............................. Consequences.
erosion of soil.
........................
........................
........................
B Now read the rest of the text to learn more about the environment and the ecosystem.
The environment refers to the air, water and land in which people, animals, and plants live. So human beings, animals, plants, air, water and soil are the main elements of the environment. The natural forces such as storms, cyclones and earthquakes arc also a part of this environment. Climate is thus a condition of the environment.
All things that make up the environment-are interrelated. The way in which people, animals and plants arc related to each other and to their surroundings is known as ecology. The ecosystem is a complex web that links animals, plants and every other life form in the biosphere. All these things hang together. The system is in a steady state of dynamic balance which means that by altering any one part of the web you can affect all the other pans. For example, the destruction of forests may have serious ecological consequences on humans and animals.
It is the responsibility of human beings to prevent the environment from being spoilt. To make life healthy and comfortable we should keep the environment clean and danger-free. But often people spoil the environment by doing unwise things and, as a result, endanger their own lives. It is the ecological imbalance that causes changes in the world's climate and brings about different kinds of natural disasters.
Now discuss the following questions in pairs.
1 What elements make up the environment?
2 How are the elements interrelated?
3 What do you understand by ecological balance? Is the ecological balance in our country satisfactory?
C Discuss in groups what we should and should not do to protect our environment. Make a poster for people in your area giving advice about protecting the environment.
Focus :
Skills.
Discussion, reading,
poster-making.
Functions.
Completing a table, expressing obligations,
giving advice, making a poster. Grammar/Structure.
Relative clause introduced by
who/which/that.
Vocabulary.
ecology, ecosystem, biosphere, dynamic, imbalance, endanger.