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Kindergarten Science (Next Generation Science Standards) • Earth and Human Activity

Identify a way people affect the local environment.

People change the world around them every single day!

Explore the lesson 7 min read
A microscope with leaf and experiment flask for elementary science discovery
Inside this lesson 10 sections 5 questions 4 figures

SECTION 1

Why Do We Care About Our Environment?

The environment is everything around us. That means the air, water, land, plants, and animals.

People have always changed the places where they live. Let's see how that happened over time!

Long Ago • People Picked Plants

Long ago, people picked berries and plants for food. They only took a little bit.

Later • People Built Farms

People learned to grow food in farms. They cut down trees to make room.

Even Later • People Built Towns

People built houses and roads. The land changed a lot!

Today • People Help and Hurt

Today people build big cities. But we also plant gardens and clean up parks!

So how do people change the land, water, and air around us? Let's find out together!

SECTION 2

Big Ideas About People and the Environment

Let's learn some big ideas! These help us understand how people change the world.

1

People Use Land

We build houses and schools on the land. That changes where plants and animals can live.
2

People Use Water

We drink water and use it to grow food. Sometimes trash gets into the water.
3

People Make Trash

We throw away things every day. Trash can pile up and hurt the environment.
4

People Can Help!

We can also plant trees and pick up litter. People can make the environment better!
🌍

KEY TAKEAWAY

Think about your bedroom. When you play, it gets messy. When you clean up, it looks nice again! The environment is like that. People can make it messy or clean it up. Everything we do changes the world around us.

SECTION 3

See How People Change a Place

Let's look at a picture! It shows a place before and after people came.

BEFORE PeopleAFTER People🌳 Trees, grass, animals🏠 Houses, roads, 1 tree leftPeople cut trees and built a town.
On the left, you see a green place with trees and grass. On the right, people built houses and roads. Most trees are gone. Only one tree is left!

Do you see the difference? People cut down trees to build houses. The land looks very different now. Building things changes the environment.

SECTION 4

How Do People Change the Environment?

Anchoring Phenomenon: The Empty Lot

Imagine an empty lot near your school. It has tall grass and butterflies. One day, workers come. They dig up the grass. They pour concrete. Now it is a parking lot!

What happened? The grass and butterflies lost their home. People changed the land.

Ways People Change the Environment

  • Building — People build homes, schools, and roads. That means they change the land.
  • Littering — That means dropping trash on the ground. It can hurt animals.
  • Pollution — That means putting bad stuff in the air or water. Smoke from cars is pollution.
  • Planting — People plant trees and flowers. That helps animals find food and homes!
  • Recycling — That means using old things to make new things. It makes less trash!
💡

Think Like a Scientist!

Scientists ask questions about what they see. Look outside your window. What did people build? What plants do you see? You are observing your environment!

SECTION 5

Helping and Hurting the Environment

Some things people do hurt the environment. Some things help the environment. Let's sort them out!

How Do People Affect the Environment?😟 Hurts😊 Helps🚮 Dropping litterTrash hurts animals🪓 Cutting down treesAnimals lose their homes💨 Smoke in the airMakes air dirty🏗️ Paving over grassPlants can not grow🌱 Planting treesGives animals homes♻️ RecyclingMakes less trash🧹 Picking up litterKeeps parks clean🚲 Riding a bikeNo smoke in the airWe can choose to help the environment every day!
The red side shows things that hurt the environment. The green side shows things that help. Can you think of more examples for each side?

You can be an environment helper! Even small things matter.

SECTION 6

Let's Think It Through Together

Let's practice thinking like scientists! We will look at a story and figure out how people changed the environment.

The New Playground

  1. 1

    Step 1 — Read the Story

    A school wanted a new playground. Workers came and cut down five big trees. They put down rubber and built swings and slides.
  2. 2

    Step 2 — Ask: What Changed?

    The trees are gone now. The ground is different. Animals that lived in the trees had to move.
    The land changed. Trees and animal homes were removed.
  3. 3

    Step 3 — Ask: Did It Help or Hurt?

    It helped kids have fun outside. But it hurt the trees and animals. Sometimes a change helps people but hurts nature.
    It was good for kids but not for the trees and animals.
  4. 4

    Step 4 — Ask: What Could Help?

    The school could plant new trees nearby. They could add a bird feeder. That would help the animals too!
    People can fix some changes by helping the environment in a new way!

SECTION 7

Comparing How People Change Places

People change places in many ways. Some changes are big. Some changes are small. Let's compare!

What People DoHelps EnvironmentHurts Environment
Build a housePeople have a safe place to liveTrees and plants may be removed
Plant a gardenBees and butterflies get food—
Drive a carPeople can get places fastSmoke goes into the air
Pick up trashAnimals stay safe and healthy—

Ways People Change the Environment

💡

KEY TAKEAWAY

Think about snack time. When you eat an apple, you can throw the core in the trash or put it in a compost bin. The choice you make changes the environment. Every choice matters!

SECTION 8

What Will You Learn Next?

You are learning so much! Right now you can see how people change a place. Later, you will learn even more.

What You Know NowWhat You Will Learn Later
People change the land by building thingsHow to design things that hurt the land less
Trash can pile up and hurt animalsHow to reduce, reuse, and recycle
Plants and animals need healthy placesHow living things depend on each other

Your Learning Journey

You are already a great observer! Keep looking at the world around you. Ask questions about what you see. That is what real scientists do.

SECTION 9

Practice Time!

Great job learning! Now let's practice. Read each question carefully. Think about what you learned.

ℹ

New Story: The Pond Near Town

There is a pretty pond near a town. Ducks swim in it. Frogs live by it. One day, people started throwing old bags and bottles near the pond. The water got dirty. Some ducks flew away.

Question 1: CONCEPTUAL

What did people do that changed the pond? (A) They planted flowers by the pond. (B) They threw trash near the pond. (C) They gave the ducks bread.
Show answer
The answer is (B). People threw trash near the pond. The bags and bottles made the water dirty. This is one way people hurt the environment. When trash gets in water, it is bad for the animals that live there.

Question 2: BASIC OBSERVATION

What happened to the ducks after the pond got dirty? (A) More ducks came. (B) The ducks built a nest. (C) Some ducks flew away.
Show answer
The answer is (C). Some ducks flew away. When people put trash in the water, it was not a good home for the ducks anymore. Animals need clean water to live and be healthy.

Question 3: INTERMEDIATE

Which of these would help the pond? (A) Throwing more bags in the water. (B) Picking up the trash and putting it in a bin. (C) Building a wall around the pond.
Show answer
The answer is (B). Picking up the trash and putting it in a bin would help clean the pond. When the water is clean again, the ducks and frogs can have a healthy home. People can fix the changes they make!

Question 4: APPLIED

Think and Share: Imagine you live near this pond. What is one thing you could do to help the ducks and frogs? Tell why your idea would help.
Show answer
There are many good answers! You could pick up trash near the pond. You could put up a sign that says 'Please do not litter.' You could tell your friends to keep the pond clean. All of these help because they keep the water healthy for the ducks and frogs.

Question 5: CRITICAL THINKING

Think and Share: Can you name one way people help the environment AND one way people hurt the environment in your own neighborhood? What did you observe?
Show answer
Answers will be different for everyone, and that is great! You might say people help by planting flowers in a garden. You might say people hurt by leaving trash on the sidewalk. The important thing is that you looked around, observed your environment, and thought about how people change it. That is exactly what scientists do!

SUMMARY

What Did We Learn?

Summary

The environment is everything around us — the air, water, land, plants, and animals. People change the environment every day. Building houses, littering, and pollution can hurt the environment. Planting trees, recycling, and picking up litter can help it.

You can be a scientist by observing the world around you and asking questions about what people do. Every choice we make matters. You can help take care of our world! 🌎

Varsity Tutors • Kindergarten Science (Next Generation Science Standards) • Identify a way people affect the local environment.