SCIENCE ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE – SOL 3.10
3.10
The student will investigate and understand that natural events and
human influences can affect the survival of species. Key concepts
include
a) the interdependency of plants and animals;
b) the effects of human activity on the quality of air, water, and
habitat;
c) the effects of fire, flood, disease, and erosion on organisms; and
d) conservation and resource renewal.
 Earth’s supply of natural resources is limited. The use of
non-living resources (like water) by living things (like
animals) must be carefully balanced.
 Natural events like fires, floods, earthquakes, volcanoes,
diseases, and erosion help provide this balance.
 They control the size of the living populations in an
environment. That way, nonliving resources can cycle
and rebuild. So, though it seems like these natural events
hurt living things, they actually help their habitats and
help organisms survive.
ILLUSTRATIONS
 Earth’s supply of
_______________________
resources
is______________________.
 Natural events like
_________, floods,
earthquakes, volcanoes,
diseases, and
_________________ help
provide this ____________.
 So, though it seems like
these natural
events___________ living
things, they actually
____________their habitats
and help organisms
_____________.
 When _____________plow
land, topsoil ____________
more quickly than the Earth
can replace it. The loss of
topsoil can then make it
more
___________________for
plants to grow.
 However, human activities like farming change the
natural balance. When farmers plow land, topsoil erodes
more quickly than the Earth can replace it. The loss of
topsoil can then make it more difficult for plants to grow.

Human activity is having other harmful effects on Earth’s
natural resources. One of the biggest problems caused
by people is pollution.

When a resource becomes polluted, it is no longer
healthy or possible to use. Polluted air, water, and soil
can sicken or even kill plants, animals, and people in the
damaged environment.

One of the biggest
problems caused by
people is
______________________.

____________________ air,
water, and soil can
_______________ or even
_________ plants, animals,
and people in the
damaged environment.
ILLUSTRATIONS
 Air pollution is caused by harmful gases that are
released into the air by cars, factories, and other things.
 Water and soil pollution are caused by harmful
chemicals or materials that are released into the
environment.
 One of the ways harmful chemicals can get into oceans
and the drinking water supply is through run-off. Runoff is
actually a natural part of the water cycle. It allows the
water that falls on land as precipitation to get back to
the channels and bodies of water on the Earth’s surface.
 However, pollutants, like the fertilizers we put on the
grass, the oil that drips from our cars, and the waste that
people and animals produce, are carried by the runoff
into water sources.
 ________pollution is caused
by harmful ____________
that are released into the
air by cars, factories, and
other things.
 _____________and ______
pollution are caused by
harmful _______________ or
materials that are released
into the environment.
 One of the ways harmful
____________________ can
get into oceans and the
drinking water supply is
through ______________.
 However, ________________,
like the fertilizers we put on
the grass, the_______ that
drips from our cars, and the
waste that people and
animals produce, are
carried by the
______________ into water
sources.
 But often, once a resource
is polluted, it will
_____________ again be
reusable.
 If the _________ habitat of a
particular kind of plant or
animal becomes polluted,
that type of living thing
could ________________from
the Earth forever.
 Sometimes a polluted resource can be treated and
used again. But often, once a resource is polluted, it will
never again be reusable. This means the environment
and the living things in it may not be able to recover as
they would from a natural event (like a fire or flood).
 If the only habitat of a particular kind of plant or animal
becomes polluted, that type of living thing could
disappear from the Earth forever.
 It also means that the amount of resources available to
plants, animals, and people is getting smaller, while the
number of people who need those resources is getting
much larger.