Student book answers

2.1 Understanding environmental change

Pages 42–43

Check your learning 2.1

Remember and understand

1 How have human activities impacted the land?

Humans have impacted the Earth in various ways, including:

• removing forests to give way to development and animal grazing

• building dams and diverting rivers to produce electricity and stable water resources

• digging for minerals in mountains and beneath the surface of the Earth

• polluting the air, land and waterways.

2 Why have human changes to the environment increased over the last 200 years?

Human changes have increased because the human population has increased greatly in this period, aided
by improved hygiene, better food sources, etc. The Industrial Revolution has also had a significant impact
on how humans have altered our environment.

Apply and analyse

3   Examine the image of Glen Canyon Dam. List all of the human impacts on this environment that you
can see.

Student answers may include:

• There are no trees or vegetation. This could be due to human activity, which has contributed to deserts
spreading.

• The dam is manmade.

• There are houses built in this desert landscape.

• There are roads built in the desert.

4   Sources 1 and 3 show the effects of environmental changes in desert areas. What factors do you think
make these areas particularly vulnerable to the effects of human activities?

Desert areas are extra vulnerable because they lack natural protection and coverage by trees and
vegetation. When humans cut down more trees and remove vegetation on the borders of desert areas, the
deserts are allowed to spread and expand through sand storms.

© Oxford University Press 2016 1

Big Ideas Humanities 10 Western Australian Curriculum Teacher obook assess ISBN 9780190307776
Permission has been granted for this page to be photocopied within the purchasing institution only.
Evaluate and create

5 Make a list of all of the environmental changes mentioned on these pages.

a   Rank them from the one you knowthe most about to the one youknow the least about.

b For the three at the bottom of your list, write one question you would like answered before you
have finished this unit.

c  Share your three questions with your classmates.

Student responses will vary.

© Oxford University Press 2016 2

Big Ideas Humanities 10 Western Australian Curriculum Teacher obook assess ISBN 9780190307776
Permission has been granted for this page to be photocopied within the purchasing institution only.