Human Impacts on Earth Systems
Provided by: The Wonder of Science|Published on: April 27, 2021
Grades: K-12
Type: Videos
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, Health
Authors: The Wonder of Science, Paul Andersen
Region: Global
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video describes the many ways humans influence the four major Earth systems: the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere.
- The first 4 minutes and 41 seconds are appropriate for students to watch, while the last segment discusses the grade-level appropriateness of each topic and provides teaching suggestions for different grade levels.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This video provides a good overview to start a lesson on ecosystems, global cycles, or the Anthropocene.
- It is brief and easy to understand.
Additional Prerequisites
- At 3 minutes, Paul says, "We're increasing the amount of fossil fuels we put into the atmosphere." but he meant to say "emissions" instead of "fossil fuels."
- Stopping the video at 4 minutes and 41 seconds is suggested when showing this to your class.
Differentiation
- The beginning of the video is only appropriate for some grades, as it is likely too advanced for young learners.
- Cross-curricular connections could be made with history and social studies classes when discussing the advancements made in our standards of living and how our population and development have rapidly increased over time.
- Students could work in groups to come up with sustainable solutions for each Earth system discussed.
- Other resources related to this topic include this interactive data resource about the Drivers of CO2 Emissions, this video lecture about biodiversity loss, and this video about the importance of natural ecosystems.
Students can learn the basics in sustainability and ways to protect the Earth's natural resources from overexploitation. There is no misconception in the resource, and it is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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