Materials

• Video, slides, or photographs that illustrate dams, canals, reservoirs, irrigation, polders, terracing, deforestation, desertification, acid rain, and pollution
• A political map of the world that has very little information, thus providing room for students to enter information

Instructional Activities

1. Review the information from the previous session.
   
   
2. Explain that although nature impacts the physical features of the Earth’s surface greatly, humans also have a significant impact on the environment. Ask students to suggest ways human activities may affect the physical features of the Earth.
   
   
3. Provide an unlabeled outline map of the world to each student. Instruct students to indicate on their map the following impacts of humans on the environment. You may wish to assign a key or color for students to use when they mark their maps. As you display each impact on the board or overhead, show the location on a map in the front of the room. NOTE: This may take more than one session.
   • Water diversion/management
      - Aral Sea
      - Colorado River
      - Aswan High Dam
      - Canals
      - Reservoirs
      - Irrigation
   • Landscape alteration
      - Agricultural terracing (e.g., China, Southeast Asia)
      - Polders (e.g., Netherlands)
      - Deforestation (e.g., Nepal, Brazil, Malaysia)
      - Desertification (e.g., the Sahara in Africa, desert regions in India)
   • Environment alteration
      - Acid rain (e.g., forests in Germany, Scandinavia, China, and Eastern North America)
      - Pollution (e.g., Mexico City, Chernobyl, oil spills)
   
   
4. Use videos, slides, and/or photographs to provide visual examples of the effect of humans on the environment.
   
   
5. Assign a teacher-selected reading, worksheet, or other reinforcement activity, using available teacher resources.