AIM: People in the Ecosystem

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AIM People in the Ecosystem DN Read passage
and answer questions HW Article
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• The portrait of Earth is one of systems and
  connections. Some of these systems are plate
  tectonics, ocean circulation, and ecosystems.
  The systems are connected by biotic and abiotic
  interactions. Every living and nonliving thing
  on Earth is a part of these systems.
• There are two viewpoints concerning the
  portrait of Earth. The first, the modern
  industrial view, states that humans are apart
  form nature. Nature is something to be
  controlled and consumed. People are not part of
  the systems that govern the rest of the
  biosphere. The second viewpoint states that
  Earth is a single, living organism that regulates
  itself to maintain life. This hypothesis views
  the portrait of Earth as a whole.

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1. Can you find statements of fact in each
   viewpoint? List them.
2. Can you find statements of opinion in each
   viewpoint? List them.
3. Which viewpoint do you think is more valid? Why?
4. Can either viewpoint be supported by evidence?
   How?

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Earth

• Made of systems
• Plate tectonics
• Ocean circulation
• ecosystems
• Climate is determined by the interaction between
  ocean, air and land
• All systems are powered by the sun

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ALL SYSTEMS ARE CONNECTED!!!!

• Example
• A shift in a plate can change the movement of the
  ocean
• The movement in the ocean can cause a change in
  the climate
• A change in the climate can cause a change in the
  ecosystem

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(No Transcript)
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Parts of the Earth

• Hydrosphere Ocean
• Atmosphere
• air
• Lithosphere land

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Biosphere

• Part of the Earth that contains living things

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Human Activities

• Dumping wastes
• Deforestation
• Pollution
• Building cites
• All of these activities can change the climate

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The Gaia Hypothesis

• Earth functions like a single, living organism
  that regulates itself to maintain life.
• A change in one system can cause changes in others

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1. Identify and describe four systems of the Earth.
2. How are all the systems connected? Give an
   example.
3. What energy source powers many of these systems?
4. Do you agree with the Gaia Hypothesis? Give
   reasons for your answer.
5. How does the industrial view of nature compare to
   the view of the Earth in the Gaia Hypothesis?