Human-Environmental Inter action

Adaptation
What does it mean to “adapt” to something?
Humans must adapt to the climate, landforms, vegetation, and natural resources that are around them.
Use your Adaptation graphic organizer

Bodies of Water
The environment affects people’s choice of food, shelter, clothing, and general way of life.
Fresh water is essential to human life.
How does this affect where people choose to live?

How has the Nile River affected life in Egypt?

What bodies of water do we have around us?
Where does our fresh water come from?

Landforms
People are affected by landforms. Where would you live?

How do you think the land affects the way the Berbers live in North Africa?

How did this land affect how the Incas lived?

Climate
How do you think this climate affects how people live?
Food?
Shelter?
Clothing?
Plants?

Plant & Animal Life
Types of vegetation and animals in an area affect human lifestyles.
Plants and animals are sources of food, clothing, and building materials.

Modification
People “modify” their environment.
Culture and technology often influence how people modify nature.
Why do you think that is?

Agriculture
Agriculture is farming, or the growing of food.
Many civilizations clear land to cultivate crops and irrigate fields to increase food production.

Agriculture
How have we used technology to do this?

Agriculture
How does culture affect what foods we grow?

Urban Growth
People modify nature by building towns and cities.
Urbanization: concentration of people from rural (country) to urban (city) areas

"Satellite Photo of Earth at Night." Geology.com. Web. 29 Apr 2011. >.

Urban Growth
How does culture affect urban growth?

The Building of Dams
People construct dams to:
Drain swamps
Prevent floods
Store water for drinking and irrigation
Generate electric power

Aswan Dam
Captures the Nile River in the world’s 3rd largest reservoir, Lake Nasser.
Before it was built, the Nile overflowed once a year and deposited nutrient-rich silt on the valley floor, making Egypt’s otherwise dry land fertile.
Purpose: flood control, hydroelectric power, irrigation
"Aswan High Dam." PBS: Building Big: Wonders of the World. Web. 29 Apr 2011.
.

Three Gorges Dam
The world’s largest hydroelectric dam
Purpose: flood control, hydroelectric power, irrigation, navigation
Located in China on the Yangtze River
More than one million people had to move.
The reservoir submerged villages, ancient temples, and burial grounds.
"Three Gorges Dam." Wikipedia. Web. 29 Apr 2011.
.

Energy
Humans modify the environment to provide energy for their needs.
Humans burn coal, whale oil, and forms of petroleum for light, heat, and power.

Energy
Humans also use renewable resources for energy. These can be renewed after a period of time.
Trees
Wind
Sun