Activities

1. What is the difference between natural and human made?
   
   
2. Identify two variables that have caused natural changes over time.

3. Describe how natural processes have changed the landscape of the Earth over time.
   
   
4. Describe how human activities have changed rainforests over time.

5. Do you consider climate change a natural or human-related process? Use evidence to support your reasoning.
   
   
6. Define adaptation. Give examples of how animals have changed over time to adapt to their environment. Pick an animal and use its features to support this claim.

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Natural means something is created or exists in nature. Human made means people use either/both natural or synthetic materials to create an item.
   
   
2. Acceptable responses may include, but are not limited to: climate change, adaptation, creation of landforms, weather, rock formation, erosion, weathering, etc.

3. Acceptable responses may include, but are not limited to:

• Through the processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition, new rock layers have been created
• Plate tectonics defines landforms on the surface of the Earth, and creates ridges and trenches in the ocean
• Glaciers originally carved out geographical features such as the Great Lakes, and can also deposit large sediments
• Waves and tides can reshape coastlines
• Gravity causes rivers to flow from high elevations to low elevations, changing the landscape of the waterways and depositing sediments

4. Acceptable responses may include, but are not limited to:

• There are less trees since they have been cut down by humans
• The reduced tree space affects a species’ ability to thrive since it may lose its habitat and may cause a shortage of food
• Pollution can be linked to global climate change, and the increased carbon dioxide can affect the adaptability of plants and animals, and potentially cause a drought

5. Acceptable responses may include, but are not limited to:

Natural:

• there is not enough scientific evidence to prove greenhouse gases are elevated solely based on human activity
• before the abundance of humans on Earth, global temperatures were thought to be higher than they currently are
• The recent change in global temperature has fallen in the average rate
• Scientific evidence supports the Sun is responsible for temperature increase

Human:

• Humans cut down trees, which increases the carbon dioxide in the air, causing heat to become trapped
• Humans engage in polluting activities, such as driving cars, which adds greenhouse gases into the air

6. Adaptation means an organism has changed to be better suited for its environment. Adaptations include (but are not limited to) shape of a beak, the number of fingers, color and thickness of the fur, shape of the nose or ears, and change in size/height
   Sample response: A giraffe’s adaptations include a long neck to see prey far away ant to reach leaves high up, camouflaged coat to blend in with its surroundings, long, tongue to reach for and pull leaves, long eyelashes to keep out sand and dust in its dry surroundings, and a fringed tail to swat away flies.