When Environments Change

Science · Ecosystems & Habitats · ages 8-9

Name ______________________ Date ____________

People cause every change that happens in an environment.
Circle one: True False
Which of these is a slow, natural change in an environment?
- People building a new road
- The seasons turning from summer to winter
- A wildfire burning a forest
Which of these is NOT a change in an environment?
- A drought drying up a pond
- A flood covering a field
- A bird building a nest in a tree
Which of these is an environmental change caused by people?
- A flood
- Cutting down a forest to build houses
- A volcano erupting
The chart shows a pond's water level before and after a drought. By how much did the water level drop?
Answer: ______________
A change caused by people, like building a road, can happen much faster than a slow natural change, like the seasons turning.
Circle one: True False
A forest is cut down to build a shopping mall. What most likely happens to the birds that lived in the trees?
- They lose places to build nests and find food
- They are not affected because they can fly away easily
- They will build nests inside the new mall instead
A pond dries up in a drought. Which animal will have the hardest time leaving the pond?
- The fish, because it cannot travel across land
- The frog, because it lives in the water too
- The bird, because its nest is by the pond
Sam says a slow change is always safe for every living thing. Why might he be wrong?
- Even a slow change means living things must adapt or move, and some may not manage it
- Slow changes never happen in nature
- He is right, because slow changes cannot hurt anything
People build new houses on a field of wildflowers. What most likely happens to the wildflowers?
- They walk to a new field and plant themselves there
- Nothing happens, because plants do not need a home
- They are dug up or covered, and they cannot move away to survive

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

When Environments Change W1-mt_Wyd-l-6H7G-s1

False · Many changes come from nature, like droughts, floods, and wildfires. People cause some changes, but not all of them.
The seasons turning from summer to winter · The seasons turn slowly over months, and no person makes them happen. A wildfire is fast, and a road is built by people.
A bird building a nest in a tree · A drought and a flood change the land and water that living things depend on. A bird building a nest is something an animal does, the environment stays the same.
Cutting down a forest to build houses · Cutting down a forest for houses happens because of people, not nature.
5 · The water level went from 9 down to 4, and 9 minus 4 is 5, so it dropped by 5.
True · People with machines can build a road in months, while the seasons take a whole year to turn. Human changes are often the fast ones.
They lose places to build nests and find food · Without trees, birds lose the places where they built nests and searched for food.
The fish, because it cannot travel across land · Frogs can hop to a new pond and birds can fly away. Fish need water to live and cannot cross land, so they are stuck when the pond dries.
Even a slow change means living things must adapt or move, and some may not manage it · Slow changes give more time, but living things still must adapt or move as their home changes. Some may still not survive.
They are dug up or covered, and they cannot move away to survive · Wildflowers cannot hop or fly away like animals can. When their field is built on, the plants are dug up or covered and cannot survive.