Lesson 5
Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface
Human Impact
How do human actions change
the Earth’s surface?
1
Look carefully at the image above and choose which words from the list match
what you see.
Vocabulary
impact
human
clearing
built
transport
lessen
actions
activities
deforestation
dams
erosion
mining
reclaim
cities
soil
Year 3 / 4 Science Earth and Space Sciences
1
Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface
2
Watch the video Fly Over.
3
What can you see in the video
that is created by humans?
Lesson 5 Human Impact
Sketch and describe them below.
A hu ge da m b u i l t
t o ho l d wate r.
Example answers.
• High rise buildings
• Port
• Roads
• Railway
• Cut trees
• Open cast mine
• Theme park
• Mountain trail
• Farm
• Cropped fields
• School
Year 3 / 4 Science
Earth and Space Sciences
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2
Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface
Lesson 5 Human Impact
Humans have been changing the Earth’s surface for thousands of years.
People build dams and mines and clear land to grow food, feed their
animals and build their homes.
Human activity is expanding and the surface is changing in nearly every
part of the Earth.
Earth scientists compare old and new photos of the same places to gather
evidence of changes to the Earth’s surface.
4
Explore the Google Earth Timelapse website
and take some time to look closely at the images
(use the pause button if this helps!).
List the evidence of changes to the Earth’s
surface you saw.
• F i e l d s o f c ro p s p l a n t e d o n fa r m s .
Answers will vary.
Year 3 / 4 Science
Earth and Space Sciences
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3
Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface
5
Circle one time lapse title from below to watch again and investigate.
Dubai
6
Lesson 5 Human Impact
Las Vegas
Teles Pires River
Chuquicamata, Chile
Using these websites and information from the images, complete the chain of
events organiser below.
1. Sketch and describe what the place looked like in 1984.
Answers will vary.
2. Describe the human actions that have changed the
Earth’s surface.
3. Sketch and describe what the place looked like in 2018.
Year 3 / 4 Science
Earth and Space Sciences
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4
Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface
Lesson 5 Human Impact
Clearing and spoiling natural land leads to the erosion (taking away) of soil
and rock. Good growing soil can take over 500 years to form. Geologists
believe that human actions now erode more of the Earth’s surface than
natural processes like the wind and rain.
7
What can people do to lessen our erosion of the Earth’s surface?
Read the problems on the footprints, then, sketch and label a possible solution.
Example answers.
ob
r
P
l em
Jet skis and
boats cause
waves which
erode the
seashore.
ob
r
P
Year 3 / 4 Science
on
Pu t buoys near
the shore to
keep water
craf ts
away.
l em
Using a fast
flowing hose
pipe in your
garden
erodes
good
topsoil.
S ol uti
S ol uti
Use a
on
sprinkler or
watering
can.
Earth and Space Sciences
ob
r
P
S ol uti
l em
Trees and plants
are cut to clear
land for new
houses.
ob
r
P
l em
People walking
along the river
bank erodes
the soil.
on
Plant new
trees
close by.
S ol uti
on
Build board
walks above
the bank.
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5
Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface
8
Lesson 5 Human Impact
Using the website links provided, investigate these interesting places where
human actions have changed the Earth’s surface.
Write a sentence, phrase and word to explain what you now know about
each place.
Answers will vary.
Door to Hell
Turkmenistan
Sentence Phrase Word A treeless land
Iceland
Sentence Phrase Word A port without
water
Sentence Muynak
Phrase Word Year 3 / 4 Science
Earth and Space Sciences
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6
Unit 2 Earth’s Changing Surface
9
Lesson 5 Human Impact
Be the judge
Find out what land reclamation is.
Make your own evaluation about it.
Do you think this human action is
a bad or good thing? Explain why
you think this.
Answers will vary.
Year 3 / 4 Science
Earth and Space Sciences
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7