ESS2.5 Impacts on Landforms and Atmospheric Systems

​ESS2.5 Analyze and interpret data to determine the impact of humans and other organisms on the water cycle, landforms (rain shadow effect) and atmospheric systems.

By Katherine Leonard

Essential Question:
How do humans and other organisms impact the water cycle, landforms, and atmospheric systems?

​ Engage: What Changed This Land?

1) What might have caused these changes?
2) Were they caused by humans or animals?
3) How do these changes affect the land and air?

​Observe the pictures and answer the questions with your table group. Be ready to discuss!

​Explore: Data Detectives

​Set 1: What is the relationship between tree cover and the erosion rate?

Set 2: How do human activities affect air quality?

Discuss with your table group and be ready to share!

​Explain: How do humans and other organisms impact landforms and atmospheric systems?

Both humans and organisms change Earth's land and air systems. These changes are mostly due to differences in erosion, pollution, and vegetation. Humans need land to grow and live. When humans use the land for these purposes, they often change the land in the process. We've previously discussed deforestation and agricultural/industrial waste. Today's focus is dams, desertification, rain shadow effect, and organism impacts.

​Explain: Dams

​Explain: The Rain Shadow Effect

Remember that the rain shadow effect is caused by mountains. Moist air rises up the windward side, cools, drops rain, then the dry air moves down the leeward side, creating desert-like conditions.

So how can humans impact the rain shadow effect?

1) Deforestation
2) Urbanization
3) Air pollution
4) Large-scale agriculture
5) Climate Change

​Rain Shadow continued...So what does this mean?

​1) Deforestation - when forests are cut down, this can weaken cloud formation and rainfall before air crosses the mountains
2) Urbanization - cities heat up the air around them causing rainfall to decrease and a drier leeward side
3) Air Pollution - Pollutants in the air can interfere with cloud formation causing less rain
4) Large-scale Agriculture - big farms change soil moisture levels and evaporation

5) Climate Change - changes precipitation amounts leading to more extreme rain shadows

​Explain: Desertification

Desertification is when he​althy land slowly turns into desert because of drought, climate change, or human activities.
It impacts landforms by:

• removing plant cover

• increasing erosion

• causing soil to turn dry and dusty

​Explain: Organism impacts

Beavers cut down trees and build dams across streams to create ponds for protection and shelter.

How does this change the land?

• floods areas upstream

• slows water flow

• creates new habitats

• dries out areas downstream

​Elaborate: Data Analysis Worksheet
Landform Changes

​Elaborate: Rainshadow Effect

​Elaborate: Beaver Dams

Fast water vs. slow water

Open Ended

Describe one way in which humans or other organisms can impact landforms and/or atmospheric systems.