Land Use Lesson 8 : Investigating Land Use, Water, and Air Relationships
Students synthesize information about land use, water, and air from a poster. In this lesson, students are asked to use prior knowledge about water and air issues and combine those with what they have been studying about land use. They study the interactions of land use, air, and water that result in an ecosystem that includes both human and natural impacts on land use. They discuss and identify ways in which land, water, and air affect ecosystems and the larger environment. Michigan has a large number of land use changes that have occurred in the past. One of the most interesting is the story of copper. While the copper was underground, it had immense impacts on the land use on the surface. The economic influence of mineral wealth on land use is very important and is presented in an extension lesson.
The students answer two essential questions:
What is the relationship between land use, water, and air?
How does a change in land use affect water and air?
Subject/Target Grade
Social Studies and Science/ Upper Elementary (4-6)
Duration
50 minutes – Classroom setting
Materials
per class
• Michigan’s Land, Air and Water poster
• Mini-Poster: Obtaining Information (answer key)
• Land Use Effects on Water and Air (answer key)
• Scoring Small Group Discussions (teacher resource)
• Performance Criteria for Assessing Discussion (teacher resource)
per class for pollution demonstrations
• 2 jars – one for water pollution and one for air pollution
• dish detergent, dirt
• matches and strips of paper
• safety glasses
• table salt, spoon, jar or glass
per small group
• self-adhesive notes (4 different colors, 6 notes per group)
• Michigan’s Land, Air, and Water poster (desktop)
• Mini-Poster: Obtaining Information (student activity)
• Land Use Effects on Water and Air (student activity)
• Score Sheet for Group or Individual Student Discussion (student resource)
• Michigan’s Land, Air, and Water mini-poster
per student
• Tell the Story of a Pollutant (student activity)
• Comparing Land Use, Air, and Water Assessment (student assessment)