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3rd grade · Social Studies · Unit 6 of 10

People & the Environment

Storms, droughts and caring for the land

What your child practices

Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and droughts and their effects on Alabama over time, and how people have helped and harmed Alabama's environment (forests, rivers, pollution and conservation).

Alabama Course of Study content standard: 3.5; 3.6 · the effects of natural disasters, and how human activity has helped and harmed Alabama's environment

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Alabama faces hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and droughts.
  2. People can harm the environment through pollution or deforestation (cutting down forests).
  3. Conservation means protecting forests, rivers and wildlife.

Example: Cutting down large areas of forest is called what? “De” means to take away. Taking away forest is deforestation. Answer: deforestation

People & the Environment in Alabama

In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 6 of 10 in 3rd grade Social Studies, after Parks, Symbols & Landmarks and before Digging Up the Past.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Why do people still live near the coast even with hurricanes?

    • there is no water
    • jobs, fishing, the port and beaches
    • it is the coldest place
    • hurricanes never happen

  2. Question 2

    On April 27, 2011, Alabama was hit by a huge outbreak of…

    • earthquakes
    • hurricanes
    • tornadoes
    • snowstorms

  3. Question 3

    State workers put young fish into lakes to…

    • feed the birds only
    • make the lake dry
    • restock fish so there are enough to catch
    • get rid of all the fish

  4. Question 4

    Planting new trees where forests were cut is called…

    • erosion
    • pollution
    • reforestation
    • deforestation

  5. Question 5

    Why is replanting longleaf pine forests good for wildlife?

    • many animals, like gopher tortoises, live only in those forests
    • it removes all the birds
    • no animals live in pine forests
    • it dries up rivers

  6. Question 6

    Wetlands like the Mobile-Tensaw Delta help during storms because they…

    • make winds stronger
    • cause tornadoes
    • soak up floodwater like a sponge
    • block all rain

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