Where do humans live?

1. Look at the three photos.

a. Describe the area in each photo (useful vocabulary: mountainous, flat, plain, plateau, river, fertile, desert, hot/cold/moderate climate)

b. Choose the best place to live and make a list of reasons.

c. Write a list of reasons why the other two places aren't good.

d. Can you think of any disadvantages of living by a river?

e. It is easier to build on flat land, but many old towns are on hills – why?

2. Follow your teacher's introduction.

Activity: follow the mind map above and explain where the majority of humans live. Write a paragraph in your notebook.

Case study: THE AMAZON RAINFOREST

Warm up activity.

a. Where is the Amazon rainforest? ......

b. How do people live in the Amazon forest? Consider the graph and the photos below.

Physical environment: …......

Human factors: …......

The Amazon rainforest is:

- A HUGE (BIG) FOREST

- IN THE EQUATORIAL AREA (BRASIL, PERU, ECUADOR, COLUMBIA, VENEZUELA)

Characteristics

- AN EQUATORIAL CLIMATE (HIGH TEMPERATURES, A LOT OF RAINFALL, REDUCED TEMPERATURE RANGE AND ONE SEASON)

- DENSE VEGETATION AND FROM DIFFERENT SPECIES

- A LOT OF DIFFERENT ANIMALS (REPTILES, INSECTS, SPIDERS, BIRDS, MAMMALS SUCH AS MONKIES)

- A FERTILE SOIL DUE TO THE AMAZON RIVER

-LOTS OF MINERALS AND ROW MATERIALS (IRON, DIAMOND, GOLD, WOOD)

- FEW INDIGENOUS TRIBES LIVING THERE; THEY LIVE ON HUNTING AND SHIFTING AGRICULTURE

How does shifting cultivation work?

Farmers cut down the trees and burn vegetation to have space for fields. Then, they grow crops. Without trees the soil is no longer protected from rainfall and hot sun and it gets dry so it isn’t fertile anymore. Farmers move to find another place where they can grow crops.

Deforestation

In the Amazon rainforest people cut trees for these reasons:

-TO HAVE WOOD FOR BUILDING

-TO HAVE SPACE FOR SMALL FIELDS (SUBSISTENCE FARMING) AND ANIMALS (PASTURES)

- TO FIND ROW MATERIALS AND MINERALS (MINES)

-TO GROW A HUGE QUANTITY OF AGRICULTURE PRODUCTS AND SELL THEM ABROAD (MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES)

Without trees the soil is no longer protected from the violent rainfall and sun. So rain carries all the nutritive substances away and the sun dries up the soil which gets infertile.

The effects of desertification

-THE LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY

-GLOBAL WARMING, BECAUSE WHEN MEN BURN TREES CARBON DIOXIDE IS RELEASED IN THE AIR AND TEMPERATURE GOES UP

-LESS FOOD FOR PEOPLE

Activity 1: Look at the climate chart for Iquitos and describe the climate in your notebook.

Write at least two differences between the climate in Iquitos and the climate where you live.

Activity 2: What are the causes of deforestation? Don’t list them, but try to explain

Activity 3: What are the effects of deforestation? Don’t list them, but try to explain

Case study: THE INUIT

The Inuit live inside the Arctic Circle in northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland and eastern Asia. These areas have a polar climate and snow and ice cover the ground for most of the year.

Activity 1. Is the Inuits’ life comfortable or hard? Why?

Activity 2. In your opinion, what are the most important activities for the Inuit? Look at the list and tick the correct ones.

  • cattle breeding ….
  • farming ….
  • fishing ….
  • dog breeding ….
  • hunting ….
  • commerce ….

Whale, walrus and seal hunting are very important for the Inuits' survival but nowadays these activities are not always allowed. So life is very difficult because they can’t fish and hunt so much. Most of the people are unemployed and for this reason depression is common among the Inuit. Alcoholism and suicide are also frequent. Today, the Inuit are in serious danger of extinction.

THE INUIT TOWNS

About 50 years ago the Inuit were still nomadic people but now they live in modern and permanent houses.

Activity 3.Try to imagine an Inuit town in Greenland and describe it (houses, other buildings, roads, transport, facilities…)

Self evaluation. Now find a picture on the Internet and compare it with your description. Was it correct?

INSERT YOUR PICTURE HERE: ...

Houses - incorrect: 0; right but incomplete: 1; right and complete: 2

Other buildings - incorrect: 0; right but incomplete: 1;right and complete: 2

Roads - incorrect: 0; right but incomplete: 1; right and complete: 2

Transport - incorrect: 0; right but incomplete: 1; right and complete: 2

Facilities - incorrect: 0; right but incomplete: 1; right and complete: 2

TOTAL POINTS:______/10

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