GR 2 E. Science Chapter 3

Environmental Science Student's Book 2nd Grade
Chapter three
Natural Environment
Learning outcomes expected from the chapter
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
֍ Describe the nature of the weather.

֍ List examples of weather conditions.
֍ Describe the nature of climate.
֍ Describe the effect of climate on lifestyle.
֍ Distinguish between healthy and unhealthy foods.
֍ Identify plants are widely available in our area.
֍ Identify the things needed for plant growth.
֍ List the various benefits of plants.
֍ List the things that animals need to live.
֍ State that food is a source of energy.
֍ Classify Animals such as mammals, birds, fishes,
reptiles and amphibians by their external
appearances.
֍ Identify renewable and recyclable resources.
֍ Guessing useful things that can be made from waste
things.
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Main contents of the chapter
3.1. Weather and climate
3.2. Plants in our district
3.3. Animals in our district
3.4. Material resources available in our district
3.5. Preservation of our area
3.1. Weather and climate

Learning outcomes expected from the sub-topic
After studying this subtopic, you will be able to:

֍ Describe weather.
֍ List examples of weather.
֍ Describe the nature of climate.
֍ Explain the impact of climate on
lifestyle.
Key words
↣ Air
↣ Weather
↣ Climate
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Students! You learned about weather and the nature of

climate in grade one environmental science.
Motivation question:
1. Explain what the nature of weather is.
2. List examples of weather.
3. Discuss the influence of climate on lifestyle.
A. Weather
Air is colorless, odorless, and invisible to the eye and
has space and weight, and is an essential natural
resource for living things. We can easily verify that air is
available around the environment. For example, by
inflating a balloon, ball, tire, etc., it is easy to check that
there is air and that it occupies space.
Weather is a description of rain, temperature, wind
conditions, etc. that can be seen in an area every day.
Weather is the daily change in weather in a limited area
for a short period of time and it is known as daily weather
condition.
B. Examples of weather
List examples of weather:
Examples of weather are sunny, rainy, windy, dry, hot,
and cold.
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Figure 3.1 Examples of weather
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Group Discussion 1
Discuss the following questions as a group

and present your answers to your teacher.
1. Refer to picture 3.1 which show sunny,

rainy, windy and hot weather and present it
to your teacher.
2. Which one is the weather in your district

similar to the picture given above?
C. Climate
What is climate?
Climate is the average result of long-term weather

conditions in an area. Climate is the average result
obtained by calculating data such as temperature,
rainfall, air humidity, wind speed, etc. recorded over a
long period of time. According to this, it is possible to
describe the climate as humid climate, dry climate, cold
climate, hot climate.
For example: Addis Ababa's climate is dry and hot

insummer and rainy and cold in winter.
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Group discussion 2
After discussing the following questions in a group, present

your answers to your classmates.
a. What is climate?
b. Describe the climate of your district in writing.
Figure 3.2 Climate (desert, cold, rainy)
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Seasons
There are four seasons in our country Ethiopia. They are: spring,
winter, summer and autumn.
In Ethiopia, for example: June, July and August are winter months;
September, October and November are spring seasons; December,
January and February summer months; March, April and May are
autumn months.
Task 1 Group work
As a group, discuss the questions below and submit your answers

to your teacher in writing.
1. Using a graph showing the main rainy months in your district,

indicate to your teacher which months in your district receive
the most rain.
2. Explain the difference between winter and summer.
Winter is usually rainy and cold, while summer is hot and dry.
Also, spring is the windy and humid flowering season. Autumn
is a season with hot and humid weather.
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Picture 3.3 Sunny and rainy, windy and dry
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D. The effect of climate on

lifestyle
The climate of an area has various effects on people's lifestyle,
activities, diet and clothing.
Group discussion 3
After discussing the following questions in groups, submit

your answers to your teacher.
1. List the impact of climate on lifestyle.

2. Explained the influence of climate on clothing and travel.
Influence of climate on diet: Foods vary according to the

climate. For example: In cold areas, it is necessary to eat high-
carbohydrate foods such as bread, potatoes, honey and
porridge.
The influence of climate on clothing: The types of clothing that

people choose to protect themselves from cold and heat and
to cover their bodies are different depending on the climate.
For example, they wear clothes made of wool, cotton and
leather to withstand the cold in colder areas. In low-lying and
desert areas with high temperatures, it is necessary to wear
light clothes made of cotton and silk.
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Effect of climate on movement: - The time for people

to move from place to place depends on the climate.
Figure 3.4 The effect of climate on clothing
E. Climate change and human impact

Climate change is caused by emissions of smoke
into the atmosphere. The main causes of climate
change are deforestation and forest fires; emissions
of gasses from vehicles and industries are major
contributors to climate change. Humans have many
different impacts on our natural environment.
Climate change is caused by natural phenomena
and human influence.
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Figure 3.5 Deforestation, fires and factory smoke
Group discussion 4
After discussing the following questions in groups, present your

answers to your teacher .
1. Describe the speed and impact of climate change in your district.
2. How can you know the changing of climate?
Climate change causes increase temperature, less rainfall, droughts

and floods. To prevent climate change, it is necessary to plant and
take care of plants, protect animals and parks, and avoid burning
garbage everywhere.
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Task 2 Group work
Objective: To understand human influence on climate.
1. Present human influences on climate to your teacher.
2. What can be done to prevent climate change in your district?

Present your answer to your teacher.
Exercise 3.1
A. Answer the following questions "True" if they are correct and

"False" if they are not correct.
1. Sunny, rainy and dry are examples of weather.
2. Climate has no influence on lifestyle.
3. Weather and climate are not different.
4. Winter is cold and rainy months.
b. Choose the correct answer from the given alternative answers

to the following questions.
1. One of the following refers to weather.
A. Rainy B. Windy C. Warm D. All of them
2. Which one is not a cause of climate change?
A. Smoke from industries C. Planting trees
B.Deforestation D. All are the answer
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3. Which of the following is an example of weather?
A. Rainy B.Sunny C. Dry D. All of them
4. Fill in the following blanks with the appropriate words or phrases.
1. shows daily rainfall per area, temperature and

wind conditions.
2. is a windy and humid season.
5. Give short answers to the following questions.
1. Explain the nature of climate.
2. Explain the difference between weather and climate.
3. Make a graph of the main rainy months in your district area.
4. Describe the impact of climate on lifestyle.
3.2. Plants in our district

֍ Describe plants that are widely available in your district.
֍ Identify the elements needed for plant growth.
֍ List the various benefits of plants.
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Key words
↣ Herbs
↣ Species
↣ Depletion
Stimulation question
1. Name the plants that are widely available in your district.
2. List the factors required for plant growth.
3. Describe the importance of plants in your district.
Plants are living, stationary, breathing air, making their own

food, reproducing and growing natural resources. Plants vary in
size, stem shape, leaf shape and size. Plants in your area can
beclassified according to different criteria.
A. Plant body parts and their functions

List the main parts of plants.
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Leaf
Flower
Fruit
Stem
Root
Figure 3.6 Plant parts
Personal work 2
Do the following questions and show them to your teacher.
1. Draw the parts of plants and write their names.
2. Explain the difference between plant root, stem and leaf.
Plant body parts vary in size, shape, and function. Plants have different
parts. They are: stem, leaf, root and flower. The upper parts of the plant
are the stem, leaves, and flowers found above the ground, while the root
is the lower part of the plant found below the ground.
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Leaf and its function
A leaf is a part of a plant that is mostly green in color.Its main function

is to prepare food for the plants.
Figure 3.7 Different types of leaf

Stem and its function
The stem transfers prepared food from the leaves to other parts of the
plant; It transports water and minerals to the leaves and branches,
carries the leaves and branches of the plant. Some of the stems of
plants also used as foodstorage.
Figure 3.8 Different types of stems
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Root and its function

It transports water and minerals to the stem. For some plants, it is
used as food storage and to hold plants to theground.
Figure 3.9 Different roots
Flower and its function: Flowers vary in shape, size, color and
odor.Some plants do not have flowers.
Flowers are the reproductive parts of plants and the partsof plants
where seeds and fruits are formed.
Figure 3.10 Different types of flowers
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B. Classification of plants in our area

Plants in our area can be classified according to different
criteria. Plants are classified into three groups based on
their size. They are: small plants, medium plants
(shrubs), large plants (trees).
Small plants:
Include grasses and other small plants.
Figure 3.11 Small Plants

Medium Plants/Shrubs:-
They are medium sized plants.
Figure 3.12 Medium plants
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Large plants (trees):-

They are very large compared to others.
Figure 3.13 Large plants (trees)
Things needed for plant growth

What do plants need to grow?

The main things plants need for growth are air, soil,
water and sunlight. Plants obtain essential minerals
from the soil for their growth. Water is one of the things
that plants need to make their food. Plants need air to
make their food and to use the food they make.
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Group discussion 5
Form a group of three members and discuss the following questions.

2. What can happen if plants don't get sunlight and air?
The importance of plants
1. List the benefits of herbs.
2. Explain the importance of plants found in your district.
Plants have many benefits. For example: Plants serve for food, shelter
for wildanimals, beautifying the environment, preparing medicine and
making various household items.
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Figure 3.14 Importance of plants
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Exercise 3.2.
A. Answer the following questions ``True'' if they are

correct, ``False'' if they are incorrect.
1. Plants prepare their food with their leaves.
2. Root is an upper part of the plant body.
3. Sunlight and air are needed for plant growth.
B. Choose the correct answer from the given

alternative to the following questions.
1. What is needed for plant growth?

A. Soil B. Water C. Air D. All of them
2. Which of the following is not the use of root?

A. Preparing food
B. Food storage
C. Keeping the plant attached to the ground
D. Transfer water and minerals to the stem
3. Which part of the plant body is found underground?

A. Root B. Stem C. Leaf D. Flower
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C. Match the words in row "A" with the answers given in row "B".
"A" "B"
1. Food prepares A. Root

2. Transfers water to the B. Leaf
branch
3. Reproductive part C. Stem
4. Hold to the ground D. Flower
D. Fill in the following blanks with the appropriate words.
1. transports water and minerals to the stem.
2. Plants are natural resources.
3. is an underground part of the plant body.
E. Give short answers to the following questions.
2. List the upper parts of the plant part.
3. List the importance of plants to humans.
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3.3. Animals in our district

֍ Classify animals (mammals, birds, fish, amphibians andfrogs) by

listing their external appearance.
֍ List the things that animals need to live.
֍ Explain that food is a source of energy.
Key words
↣ Endemic animals
↣ Reptiles
↣ Amphibian
A. Animals in our district

1. List the existing animals in your district.
2. List animals in your district in their external appearance.
Animals are living natural resources. Animals eat, move from place
to place, reproduce and grow and also die. Different animals live in
your district.
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For example, sheep, goats, oxen, donkeys, dogs, cats and various
birds are among the animals that are widely available in your district.
Endemic animals are species of animals that live in small numbers

only incertain areas. Many endemic animals live in different parts of
our country.
For example: Walia, red fox, cheetah monkey and so on.
B. Classification of animals according to their appearance
Animals differ in their diet, movement, the way they live, reproduction,
external appearance and cover. Classification means categorizing
things based on unity and difference and putting together the similar
once together.
Group discussion 6
Grouping animals according to their appearance
1. List and sort the animals in your district by their external

appearance.
2. Name the animals in your district whose skin is covered with

feathers, hair and scales.
Animals are classified into three categories based on their skin. They
are: Skins covered with feathers, hair and scales
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Figure 3.15 Animals whose bodies are covered with feathers
Picture 3.16 Animals whose body is covered with a shell
Mammals: are those that reproduce by giving birth to

their own kind; most of their bodies are covered in hair.
Most of them are large in size. Example: Elephant,
waliya, human, rat, cat etc. are classified as mammals.
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Figure 3.17 Mammals

Birds: Their bodies are covered with feathers. They
reproduce by laying eggs. They have wings that enable them
to fly.
Example: Birds, pigeons, etc.
Figure 3.18 Birds
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Fish: Lives in water. Their bodies are covered in

scales. Example: Fish
Figure 3.19 Fish

Reptiles: Their body is covered with a shell; they live in
land and water. Example: crocodile and snake
Figure 3.20 Snake and crocodile
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Frogs: They can live in land and water. They have

soft and moisturized skin. Example: Frogs
Figure 3.21 Frog asthenia
C. Necessary things for animals to live

List the things animals need to survive.
Animals need air, water, food and shelter.
Picture 3.22 Things needed for animals to live
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Food as a source of energy

Food is a source of energy. Food gives energy and heat to
our body.
Energy is the ability to do work. If we eat food in sufficient
quantity and variety, it will enable us to do our work properly.
For example, we need energy to play, read, run, breathe,

speak, etc.
Healthy and unhealthy food categories

Healthy food is a category of food that contains balanced
and important things for our body. Healthy food is food that
is not mixed with foreign substance and does not have any
sanitary defects, does not last long, and has low sugar, salt
and fat content.
On the other hand, foods that are spoiled and unhygienic,

with high levels of sugar, salt, and fat, and are mixed with
foreign substances are called unhealthy foods.
Group discussion 7
Objective: Identify healthy and unhealthy food categories
1. Define healthy and unhealthy foods.
2. List unhealthy foods.
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Figure 3.23 Healthy food categories
Figure 3.24 Unhealthy food categories
Figure 3.25 Spoiled foods
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Exercise 3.3
A. If the following questions are correct answer them as

"True" and "False" if they are incorrect.
1. Animals can be classified according to their external appearance.

2. Air is essential for animals to live.
3. Birds are not covered with feathers.
B. Choose the correct answer from the given alternative to the

following questions.
1. Which of the following is not true about animals?

A. Reproduction B. Movement
C. Preparing food D. Feeding
2. Animals where their bodies are covered with hair and

reproduce by giving birth are:
B. Fishes. B. Birds
C. Mammals. D. Frogs
3.Which of the following can live on land and in water?
A. Grasshoppers B. Amphibian
C. Fishes D. A and B
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C. Give short answers to the following questions.
1. After listing the animals in your district, classify them

according to their skin cover as feathers, hair and scales.
2. List the things animals need to live.
3. Write the names of mammals found in your district.
3.4. Material resources available in your district
After studying this sub-topic, you will be able to:
֍ Distinguish reused and recycled resources
֍ Guess useful things that can be made from waste things.
Key words
↣ Material wealth
↣ Reused resource
↣ Recycled resource
Material wealth
There are many types of material resources that

can be reused and recycled in our district. What
we call material resources are rock, soil, water, air,
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paper, scrap metal, cardboard, glass, cars, rubber and

plastic.
A. Reused material resources

Examples of reused materials: plastic water packet, paper,
plastics, scrap metal, cardboard,etc. These material resources
can be reclaimed and used to make different useful and similar
things.
Figure 3.26 Reused material resources
Group discussion 8
After discussing the following discussion questions, show

your answers to your teacher.
1. List the material resources that can be reused and recycled

in your district.
2. List useful things that can be made from things you like.
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B. Recycled material resources:
These are matters that we reuse them for other

purposes, for example: glass bottles, plastic bottles,
plastic jars and other items are material resources that
can be used repeatedly.
C. Useful things you can do with waste:
Compost can be made and used from fallen
leaves and food scraps. New and similar papers
and cartons can be made from fallen papers and
cartons.
Figure 3.27 Useful things that can be made from fallen objects
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Practical activity 2
1. With the help of your parents, sort out the things (materials)
in your environment that can be reused and recycled.
2. Choose two of the following and show it to your teacher.
A. Cycle B. Radio C. Glass D. Hour
Exercise 3.4
A. Answer the following questions as "True" if they are correct

and "False" if they are incorrect.
1. In our environment, there are many different reused and recycled

material resources are available.
2. Useful materials can be made using material

resources available in our area.
3. Different glass bottles cannot be recycled.
B. Choose the correct answer from the given alternative

answers to the following questions.
1. What is the material wealth that is easily available in our district?

A. Paper B. Highland C. Steel D. All
2. Which of the following can be made from waste material
resources?
A. Plastic B. Compost C. Paper D. All of them
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1. List materials resources that are available in your district and can
be reused.
2. List recycled materials.
3. Make things that can be done using material resources availablein

your district and show them to your teacher.
3.5. Taking care of our area

֍ List the natural resources available in your district.
֍ Describe the nature of the park.
֍ Identify the importance of the park in your district.
Key words
↣ Park ↣ Environment ↣ Preservation
A. Preservation of natural resources in our

district
Natural resources are anything that exists naturally in our
environment that is beneficial to humans. Caring for the
environment of our district means protecting and taking care of the
natural resources in your district from conditions that lead to waste
and damage. If we don’t care and protect for your environment,
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our natural resources could be damaged and destroyed.

But if we use them carefully and with care, they will give
us lasting service. Natural resources are air, water, soil,
plants and animals. Our local natural resources are being
severely damaged due to various reasons, so we must
protect and take care of them. So we have to take care
of our environment using different methods.
Figure 3.28 Environmental care
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The main ways of environmental care are planting and

preserving plants; proper disposal of waste; prevention forest
burning; participating in cleaning campaigns and creating
awareness among people about environmental care.
B. Parks in our district and their importance

A protected area that preserves various animals and plants is
called a park. A park provides a variety of benefits to an area.
These are used for entertainment, educational visit, source of
income, animal shelter, animal care and so on.
Picture 3.29 Friendship Park
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Group discussion 9
Discuss the following questions
1. What is the use of park in your area?

2. If a park didn’t exist, where would people have fun?
C. Importance of natural resources

The main benefits of natural resources are as follows. They are
used to make various utility materials and ornaments, for food
source, clothing, shelter, source of income, transportation,
entertainment, tourist attraction.
Group work 3
After doing the following questions in groups, present your

answers to your class.
1. Explain the relationship between man and nature by

focusing on the role of nature to meet human needs
2. List the benefits of natural resources.
3. Explain to your teacher what would happen if there were

no natural resources.
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Exercise 3.5
A. If the following questions are correct, answer them "True"and

"False" if they are incorrect.
1. Air, water, soil, plants and animals are natural resources

examples.
2. Proper care and protection for our environment is not needed.
3. Planting plants and properly removing waste from the environment

is known as preserving the environment.
4. Natural resources cannot help to meet the basic needs of

mankind.
B. Choose the correct answer from the given alternative answers

to the following questions.
1. Which of the following is a natural resource?

A. Air B. Water C. Soil D. All of them
2. Which one is the importance of natural resources?

A. For food B. For shelter
C. For income D. All of them
1. What is natural resource?

2. Describe the importance of natural resources.
3. Explain the importance of parks in your district.
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Summary of chapter three

• Weather means the amount of rain, temperature,
wind conditions, etc in an one area each day.
• Climate is the name given to the average effect of daily weather

changes observed in an area over a long period of time.
• The climate of an area has different effects on people's

lifestyle, diet and clothing culture.
• There are four main seasons in our country. They are:
spring, winter, summer and autumn.
• Plant body parts vary in size, shape, and function.
Stems, leaves, roots and flowers are the main parts of
plants.
• Things needed for plant growth include air, soil,

water and sunlight.
• Based on their external appearance, animals are
classified as mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and
reptiles.
• Animals need air, water, food and shelter.
• Natural resources are air, water, soil, plants and

animals. Our local natural resources are being severely
damaged due to various reasons, so we must protect
and take care of them.
86
Chapter three summary questions

A. If the following questions are correct answer them "True"and
"False" if they are incorrect.
1. Weather is a characteristic of air that changes daily.
2. Climate is the average weather recorded in an area over a long

period of time.
3. Air, water, food and shelter are essential for animals.
4. Flowers and roots are not included in the plant body part.
5. Our body gets energy from food.
B. Choose the correct answer from the given alternative

answers to the following questions.
1. Which part of the plant is used to prepare food?

A. Leaf B. Root C. Flower D. Trunk
2. Which of the following is not the use of root?
A. Storing food
B. Transfer water to the stem
C. Preparing food
D. Keep the plants attached to the soil
3. Which of the following is required for plant growth?

A. Soil B. Water C. Air D. All of them
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4. Which of the following is necessary for animals to live?
A. Air B. Water C. Food D. All of them
C. Match the phrases in row "A" with the animals listed

inrow "B".
"A" "B"
1. Their bodies are covered with feathers A. Mammals
2. Their body is covered with a shell . B. Birds

3. Those who give birth to their kind C. Reptiles
D. Give short answers to the following questions.
1. Explain the nature of weather and climate.
2. Draw and show the parts of the plant body.
3. List the things required for plant growth.
4. What is endemic animal means? Give examples of rare

animals.
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Inspection
Indicate the activities you can perform by placing an “X”

sign in the boxes
1. I can define the nature of weather.
2. I can give examples of weather.
3. I can define the nature of climate.
4. I can describe the effect of climate on lifestyle.
5. I can distinguish between healthy and unhealthy food categories.
6. I can identify plants that are widely available in our area.
7. I can identify the things that are needed for plant growth.
8. I can list the various benefits of plants.
9. I can list the things that animals need to live.
10. I can explain that food is a source of energy.
11. I can classify animals (mammals, birds, fish,

amphibians and frogs) by their external appearance.
12. I can distinguish between reusable and

recyclable materials.
13. I can guess useful things that can be made from
waste things.
89

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Environmental Science Student's Book 2nd Grade

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

֍ Describe the nature of the weather.

Main contents of the chapter

3.1. Weather and climate

3.2. Plants in our district

3.3. Animals in our district

3.4. Material resources available in our district

3.5. Preservation of our area

3.1. Weather and climate

After studying this subtopic, you will be able to:

֍ List examples of weather.

֍ Describe the nature of climate.

֍ Explain the impact of climate on

Students! You learned about weather and the nature of

1. Explain what the nature of weather is.

2. List examples of weather.

3. Discuss the influence of climate on lifestyle.

Figure 3.1 Examples of weather

Discuss the following questions as a group

1. Refer to picture 3.1 which show sunny,

2. Which one is the weather in your district

Climate is the average result of long-term weather

For example: Addis Ababa's climate is dry and hot

After discussing the following questions in a group, present

b. Describe the climate of your district in writing.

Figure 3.2 Climate (desert, cold, rainy)

Task 1 Group work

As a group, discuss the questions below and submit your answers

1. Using a graph showing the main rainy months in your district,

2. Explain the difference between winter and summer.

Picture 3.3 Sunny and rainy, windy and dry

D. The effect of climate on

After discussing the following questions in groups, submit

1. List the impact of climate on lifestyle.

Influence of climate on diet: Foods vary according to the

The influence of climate on clothing: The types of clothing that

Effect of climate on movement: - The time for people

Figure 3.4 The effect of climate on clothing

E. Climate change and human impact

Figure 3.5 Deforestation, fires and factory smoke

After discussing the following questions in groups, present your

1. Describe the speed and impact of climate change in your district.

2. How can you know the changing of climate?

Climate change causes increase temperature, less rainfall, droughts

Task 2 Group work

Objective: To understand human influence on climate.

1. Present human influences on climate to your teacher.

2. What can be done to prevent climate change in your district?

A. Answer the following questions "True" if they are correct and

1. Sunny, rainy and dry are examples of weather.

2. Climate has no influence on lifestyle.

3. Weather and climate are not different.

4. Winter is cold and rainy months.

b. Choose the correct answer from the given alternative answers

1. One of the following refers to weather.

A. Rainy B. Windy C. Warm D. All of them

2. Which one is not a cause of climate change?

A. Smoke from industries C. Planting trees

B.Deforestation D. All are the answer

3. Which of the following is an example of weather?

A. Rainy B.Sunny C. Dry D. All of them