What is the environment?
The environment is all around us.
It is where people, animals and plants live.
In the United Kingdom, we live in a mixture of natural and built environments.
Watch - Explore ways to take care of the environment.
Join the Community Club friends on a litter-pick as they talk about the environment.
Sahera: Be careful everyone, litter picking can be dangerous if you don't look where you step.
Becky: Yuck! Where did all this mess come from?
Beth: Well, from people leaving or throwing their rubbish on the ground instead of putting it in the waste or recycling bin.
Lucy: Yeah, litter is so dangerous. It makes a mess that could hurt people and animals. My dog cut his paw on some broken glass once and needed an operation.
Beth: Sorry to hear that, Lucy. Litter isn't even always just on the ground - sometimes it ends up in the sea and that causes more problems for the environment.
Harry: Fish in the sea might eat it thinking it's food and get sick.
Sahera: It's really sad. Litter isn't the only thing that's harmful to our environment. There's also air pollution caused by fumes from factories and vehicles. Pollution is harmful to life on the planet.
Lucy: Yeah, humans, animals and plants all need clean air and water. Everyone has the right to live in a safe, clean and healthy environment, but cleaning up is just one way we can take care of the environment. Can you think of any others we could try?
Harry: Save electricity by turning things off when you're not using them.
Mo: We could plant more trees.
Lucy: Re-using water bottles and recycling.
Becky: We should walk more instead of always using cars.
Ariana: Keep learning about the Earth and what we can do to look after it.
Sahera: Our actions can have big effects, sometimes even in far away places. If you leave litter on the beach here, your rubbish could get washed into the sea and swept across the ocean. So cleaning up here can help the rest of the world.
Beth: I think you all deserve a snack after all your hard work.
All: Yay!
Sahera: Remember, if you're out and can't find a bin for your rubbish, you should take it home and put it in the bin there instead.
Why is the natural environment important?
The environment plays an important part in taking care of life on Earth because it provides us with air, food and water.
As responsible citizens, we can help look after the world.
What is harmful to the environment?
There are lots of different things that can damage the environment.
What can I do to look after my environment?
To help make sure we are taking care of our environment, we can all take small steps to become more environmentally-friendly.
Image caption, Recycle waste
Items made from cardboard, glass, metal and some plastics can be made into something new.
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Time to discuss
Talk to a friend or family member about the different ways you have helped to take care of your environment.
Think about the following questions while you discuss.
Is the environment important to you?
Is there anything else you would like to do to help the environment?
Activities
Find objects to recycle at home and re-use them
- Look for recycling information on different items in your home.
- How many things can you find that can be recycled?
Grow something to eat
All you need is an eggshell, a felt tip pen, cress seeds and a cotton wool ball.
- First, gently wash out your eggshell
- Now get creative! Paint a face on the egg shell, in any design you want.
- Place a damp cotton wool ball and some cress seeds inside the shell.
- Wait and watch your eggshell character's cress 'hair' slowly grow.
Quiz
Have a go at this quiz to see how much you can remember about looking after the environment.
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