A STUDENT SHOULD KNOW THAT:

A. LIVING THINGS INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.

1. Plants and animals are dependent on other plants and animals.
   1. Animals depend on plants as:
      1. A source of food
      2. Material for shelter
      3. Shade from the hot sun
      4. Material to make cloth
      5. Material to make dyes
      6. Material for medicine
      7. Adornment for beauty
      8. Protection of soil against erosion
      9. Fuel
   2. Plants benefit from animals because:
      1. Their seeds are dispersed by some animals.
      2. The actions of some animals affect the number of other animals that are plant eaters.
      3. Earthworms aerate the soil.
   3. Animals depend upon other animals; for example, some animals eat other animals for food.
   4. Dependencies among plants and animals can be complex. A particular plant or animal may be eaten by different types of animals, each of which in turn may be eaten by more than one type of animal. This complex network of two or more food chains is called a food web.
2. Different kinds of plants and animals in an area may be dependent upon each other for food and other needs. A group of plants and animals that are dependent upon each other in an area is called a community.
   1. Plants in a given area provide the basic food supply for animals because only plants can manufacture food.
      1. Animals that eat plants for food may in turn become food for other animals. This sequence is called a food chain.
      2. Interdependencies among plants and animals can be complex. A particular plant or animal may be eaten by different types of animals, each of which in turn may be eaten by more than one type of animal. This complex network of two or more chains is called a food web.
   2. The population of a species in an area is affected by other plants and animals in the community.
      1. As the food supply changes, the population of the species depending on that food supply changes. For example:
         1. If the rabbit and mouse populations in a given area increase, the hawk population will tend to increase.
         2. If the clover population in a given area decreases, the rabbit population will tend to decrease.
      2. As the population of a species changes, the food supply of that species will tend to change. For example:
         1. If the deer population in a given area increases, populations of small trees and shrubs tend to decrease.
         2. If the fox population in a given area increases, the pheasant and rabbit populations tend to decrease.
3. Some animals move from place to place to meet their needs. For example, an animal may:
   1. Migrate with the seasons.
   2. Seek shade, food, or water.
   3. Escape.
4. Because a species depends on its surroundings to meet its needs, a change in the ecosystem may cause a species to become an endangered species.

B. HUMAN NEEDS IMPACT THE ENVIRONMENT IN WAYS THAT CAN BE EITHER BENEFICIAL OR 
     DETRIMENTAL.

1. Humans depend upon other organisms. For example:
   1. Humans make clothing from parts of some organisms.
   2. Humans make pets of some animals for enjoyment, protection, and assistance in compensating for disabilities.
   3. Humans use some animals to perform work and to provide recreation.
2. Humans are able to control some conditions around them to meet their needs. For example:
   1. Humans increase the amount of food produced by providing favorable conditions for its growth, that is, by farming.
   2. Humans can compensate for difficulties or disabilities by controlling their environment.

C. NATURAL RESOURCES ARE NOT ALWAYS RENEWABLE, E.G., FOSSIL FUELS.

A STUDENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO:

• Organize information into flow charts/concept maps to show how humans can impact the environment.
• Infer, through reading, observing, and/or analyzing data how meeting human needs affects the environment.
• Recognize, through reading, observing, and/or analyzing data, the interdependence of living things and their environment.