Part of the Florida Geographic Alliance's collection of lesson plans.

EARTH'S LITTLE APPLE

MARY LAWSON

Grade Level: K-12 (with adaptations)

Time: 1-3 one hour sessions

Theme

Man-Land Relationship

Purpose

The earth is made up of one-fourth land. Of this land one-eighth is land that cannot support human life, three thirty-seconds is land where resources are no longer available, and one thirty-second is land where resources are available for human life. Using an apple to illustrate this will give the students a hands-on experience in relating to this view.

Objectives

identify that 3/4 of the earth is water.
identify that 1/4 of the earth is land.
describe lands
1. that cannot support human life,
2. where resources are no longer available,
3. where resources are available for human life.
locate specific places that illustrate the three types of land.
list reasons why man's relationship to the land is important.
classify pictures of different environments to their type of land.
appreciate that it is important to protect the land where resources are available for human life.
list ways in which this land could be protected.

Materials

globe
blindfold
3 plastic bags per student
1 serrated picnic knife per student
paper towel
selected pictures
markers
chart paper
charts:
1. points
2. land not able to support human life
3. land where resources no longer available
4. earth's little apple

Procedures

Ask the students how geographers might have determined that the earth is three-fourths water and one-fourth land.
Bring out that they measured the surface areas of land and water, then calculated the ratio.
This fraction fact can be tested with an exercise in probability.
ACTIVITY: Have one student slowly spin the globe on its axis while a blindfolded student reaches out and touches the globe with an index finger. Repeat this several times and record the results on the "point chart."
After this is done explain that based on the laws of probability, the fraction of water "points" on the globe should equal the actual fraction of water on the earth.
Calculate the fraction the points represent by dividing the number of water points by the total number of points.
You'll find the fraction of water points is amazingly close to three-fourths. If the water points are close to three-fourths then the land points are close to one-fourth.
Take the apple and explain that it is going to represent the earth. The students will be dividing the apple into parts that represent the water and land for the next activity.
ACTIVITY: Pass out the zip lock bag (regular sandwich bag) that contains an apple, a knife, paper towel, and two more plastic bags.
Have the students take out the materials.
Place the apple bottom on the paper towel on the table and cut it carefully in half.
Looking at the cross section of the "Earth Apple" we can see the 3 layers of earth. The seed represents the core of the earth which is the hottest part. The meaty or fleshy part of the apple represents the mantle of the earth. The crust of the earth is represented by the skin of the apple.
You also have divided the "Earth Apple" into hemispheres - which ones?
Take your halves or hemispheres and cut each one carefully in half as if you were cutting on a longitudinal line. You now have four equal parts of the earth.
Remember from the globe activity we showed that the earth is made up of three-fourths water and one- fourth land. Now put three sections which stand for three-fourths of the "Earth Apple" in one of the plastic bags. This portion of the apple will represent the water on Earth. Label it 3/4 water and put it aside.
What is left? (one piece or one-fourth)
What does it represent? (land)
This is what everybody lives on - this small piece.
Let's look closer at our one-fourth which represents the land.
There are some geographical areas of land where people don't live because they can't. Can you think of these areas? (polar regions, mountain ranges, swamps, deserts)
Let's now cut this piece in half on a latitudinal line. We now have two-eighths which is equivalent to one-fourth so we still have the same amount.
Show one-eighth - this is the land you just described as not being able to support human life.
Show the chart with the pictures of those geographical features they have named. Have them give specific names to these places. Have them locate them on the world map.
Have them put the one-eighth of the apple in another plastic bag. This should be labeled 1/8 land not able to support human life.
Show the last one-eighth of the "Earth Apple" that is left. This is what people live on. Just because we live on it, doesn't mean we can use all of it.
What reasons might there be for not being able to use all of this land. (cities, roads, houses, buildings, not rotating crops, weather destroying crops, cutting down trees and letting the desert spread)
Let's look more carefully at the one-eighth of land that is left. It doesn't seem very big, but let's very carefully cut the apple into four equal parts. The easiest way would be to do it in cross sections.
We now have four thirty-seconds. Take one thirty-second and place it aside while grouping three thirty-seconds together. These 3 pieces or three thirty-seconds is where all the things you listed are located.
Show the chart with pictures that represent the cities, houses, malls, museums, schools, etc., on them. Ask how this affects the lives, occupations, economics of the people who live near or in these places.
Place these three pieces in the last plastic bag and label it 3/32 land where resources are no longer available. Set it aside.
You now have one thirty-second left. This is the amount of land where resources are available to support human life. Do we live on the core, mantle, or the crust? (crust) If we live on the crust, then we need only the part that represents it.
Very carefully you want to skin the piece of apple with your knife so that you have the small piece of skin. Put the fleshy part of the apple aside.
This very small piece of skin represents the one thirty-second of the earth where human life is supported. What would you find in this area? (farms, gardens, forests, etc.)
Show chart with pictures representing this land.
Because this area is so small what might we perceive from this? (1. We need to be careful in how we treat this remaining land. 2. What happens in one place to the geographical make-up of the land can affect other areas. 3. This one thirty-second could become smaller.)
Review the chart - "Earth's Little Apple."

Evaluation

Illustrate one of the areas of land discussed and write a statement explaining it.
Divide students into small groups. Give them several pictures. Have them discuss what part of land they would be found on and why. Have them share their decisions with the rest of the class.
Have student come up and select a picture and place it under the correct heading (land not able to support human life, land where resources no longer available, land where resources are available) on the board.
For a written exam show students a picture and have them write one of the following choices:
1. land where resources are available,
2. land where resources are no longer available
3. land not able to support human life.
Divide students into groups and provide magazines for them. Have them find four to five pictures of each land choice and make posters to share. They can be unlabeled so that the students can have their fellow classmates decide where they belong.
Have students write an essay, letter to the editor, or a letter to a congressman explaining the man-land relationship and the importance of protecting the one thirty-second of land where resources are available to support human life.