5th - Science Unit 5 Lesson 5

Question 0

What does soil contain?

Answer 0

Nutrients and microorganisms

Question 1

Is a mixture of rock and bits of once living parts of plants and animals that cover most of Earth’s land masses?

Answer 1

Soil

Question 2

What factors pollute soil?

Answer 2

Chemicals, biological materials or trash

Question 3

Name some examples of soil pollution.

Answer 3

1. Can occur when substances such as oil or gas spills or is not disposed of properly.
2. Can occur when farmers apply herbicides and pesticides used to control weeds and insects reach the soil.
3. Can occur when litter is disposed of in landfills that are not properly built allowing harmful substances to leak into the soil.

Question 4

What are consequences of soil pollution?

Answer 4

1. Harmful substances can leak into soil and then be washed into streams and rivers by the rain.
2. When even small amounts of pollution stay in the soil they can cause changes to the soil harming the ecosystem. (Killing or harming the insects and decomposers - if decomposers do not return nutrients to the ecosystem, producers cannot grow.)
3. Polluted soil will often produce smaller crops yields.
4. Toxic materials or dangerous biological materials can even pose health risks to humans and other organisms.

3.

Question 5

What holds the gases we need to stay alive?

Answer 5

Earth’s atmosphere

Question 6

What are the gases in the Earth’s atmosphere?

Answer 6

Oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen

Question 7

How are the gases in the Earth’s atmosphere used?

Answer 7

1. Plants use carbon dioxide to make food.
2. Animals and plants use oxygen to get energy
3. Some bacteria turn nitrogen into chemicals that plants use to grow.

Question 8

What are factors of air pollution?

Answer 8

Particles of polluting materials build up in the air:

1. They are produced when fossil fuels or trash are burnt.
2. Dust from plowed fields, construction sites or mines.
3. Chemicals that are produced by factories.

Question 9

What are consequences of air pollution?

Answer 9

1. Smog (a yellow haze in the air over cities) causes eye irritation and makes it difficult to breathe.
2. Ozone holes (caused by chemicals in aerosol cans and air conditioners escape into the atmosphere damaging the ozone layer - these are no longer used today) cause increased chances of getting skin cancer.
3. Acid rain (caused by smoke and gases that pour into the air from factories that combine with rain) can kill trees and wear away stone building and statues.