Name ________________________________________ Date _____________

Habitats- The Choice is Yours

Purpose: To have students understand what habitats are and how new habitats are created.
Standards: Environmental Science: 4.6.10.A: Explain the biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem and their interaction 4.6.12.A: Analyze the interdependence of an ecosystem 4.6.12.B: Understand the concept of cycles Math: ME.1: Formulate or answer questions that can be addressed with data and/or organize, display, interpret or analyze data ME.4: Develop and/or evaluate inference and predictions or draw conclusions based on data or data displays

Background Information: All organisms need space in which to live. Fish neef water. Deer, birds, squirrels, and all other land animals, including humans, need land on which to build their homes and find or grow their food. There is a limited amount of land available for use by land animals. When people want build houses, industries, roads or recreational areas, land is needed. We use land to grow our crops. If underdeveloped or natural land is used, communites of organisms are going to be disturbed, and perhaps destroyed. In this acitivity, you are part of a land-use planning team. Your task is to plan how to use Muir Valley to support 10,000 people. At the conclusion of you planning time, you will present your proposal to other students in the class. For the sake of this activity, assume that all 10,000 people must live, work, shop and have their recreational needs met in the valley. Many species of plants and animals are either threatened with extinction or endangered. Many species have already become extinct. Some estimate that as many as 10,000 species of animals become extinct each year. Many wild animals hold great promise as sources of medicines, foods and fibers. Ecosystems are very complex arrangements of plants and animals, and what affects one species may ultimately affect many others. Finally there is the ethical question of whether mankind has the right to cause or hasten the extinction of other species. As you develop Muir Valley, keep in mind the many values of plants and animals that live
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there. Your planning team will be given (or will make) a map of an area. Your job is to plan a community in which 10,000 people will live, work, shop and will meet theyre recreational needs. When you have marked your plan on your map, you will present it to the rest of the class. You should be able to explain why you chose to use the land as you did. The numbers below are not intended to represent actual land-use needs. The actual amount of land needed for a given use varies widely because of differing lifestyles, quality of land and so forth. For the sake of the activity, use the space requirements given in the table below. Note that you have several choices to make. For example, what proportion of the population will live in single-family residences as opposed to apartments? How much land will be allowed for such things as stores or roads? Will you allow mire industry so that more money will come to Muir Valley? USE Housing (single-family residences for 1,000) 80 acres/1000 Dark Green Housing (single-family residences for 1,000) Industry/manufacturing plants Raw materials/mining Agriculture (food plants, animals) Other crops (fibers, lumber, etc.) Commercial stores Services (doctors, banks, offices) Public uses such as schools, police, fire, water
Public utilities, hospitals, waste disposal, government administration,

LAND NEEDED (acres) 80 acres/1000

COLOR Dark Green

20acres/1000 1,200 acres 6,000 acres 6,000 acres 3,200 acres 80 acres 40 acres 400 acres 1200 acres
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Dark Blue Orange Yellow Brown Purple Light Brown Light Blue Red

Name ________________________________________ Date _____________ post office (at least one of each) public recreation (sports, camps, parks, etc)

Roads and parking

800 acres

Black

Write a brief summary explaining certain aspects of your habitat. Did your protection and use of priorities differ from other groups Should you protect an endangered animal if they live in your community, How, Where? Discuss all things are interrelated and think globally and act locally

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