Basic 4 · Our World and Our People · The Environment and the Weather
Preventing Pollution
In this topic you will learn about types of pollution and simple activities to prevent them.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Name types of pollution
- Explain the causes and effects of pollution
- Carry out simple activities to prevent pollution
What you already know
- Making our environment safe
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
- Strand
- All about us
- Sub-strand
- The Environment and the Weather
- Indicator
- B4.2.1.2.1 – Prevent pollution of the environment by performing simple activities
Introduction
Smoke from burning rubbish, plastic in gutters and loud music late at night are all forms of pollution. Pollution harms people, animals and plants.
1. Types of Pollution
| Type | Causes | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| air pollution | burning rubbish, smoke from vehicles and factories | coughing, breathing problems |
| water pollution | rubbish, chemicals, galamsey | dirty water, dead fish, diseases |
| land pollution | plastics, litter, open dumping | ugly surroundings, blocked gutters, floods |
| noise pollution | loud music, horns, machines | headaches, poor sleep, hearing loss |
2. Simple Activities to Prevent Pollution
- put rubbish in bins and sort plastics
- do not burn rubbish
- plant trees and flowers
- keep gutters and rivers clean
- reduce noise at night
- reuse and recycle items
New words
- pollution
- Making the environment dirty or harmful.
- pollutant
- A substance that pollutes.
- noise pollution
- Harmful or annoying loud sounds.
- recycle
- To turn waste into new things.
- litter
- Rubbish thrown carelessly.
- dump
- To throw away carelessly.
Summary
- Pollution can affect air, water, land and our ears.
- Burning rubbish causes air pollution.
- Plastics and litter cause land and water pollution.
- Simple actions like using bins and planting trees prevent pollution.
Class activity: Clean-Up Campaign
- Use the broom and waste basket to clean the school compound.
- Sort the rubbish into plastics and other waste.
- Make a poster on how to prevent pollution.
You need: Broom, Waste basket, Printed photographs of clean, Polluted Ghanaian surroundings
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Burning rubbish causes…
- A. Air pollution
- B. Noise pollution
- C. Clean air
- D. Rain
Show answer
Answer: Air pollutionSmoke pollutes the air.2. Loud music late at night is…
- A. Noise pollution
- B. Land pollution
- C. Water pollution
- D. Recycling
Show answer
Answer: Noise pollutionIt disturbs people.3. Which prevents land pollution?
- A. Putting rubbish in bins
- B. Littering
- C. Open dumping
- D. Burning plastics
Show answer
Answer: Putting rubbish in binsBins keep land clean.4. Planting trees helps reduce air pollution.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueTrees clean the air.5. Throwing plastics into gutters prevents floods.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: FalsePlastics block gutters.6. A substance that pollutes is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: pollutantThat is a pollutant.7. Name three types of pollution and one cause of each.
Show answer
Answer: E.g. air – burning rubbish; water – galamsey; noise – loud music.Each type has causes.8. Why is burning plastic especially harmful?
Show answer
Answer: It releases poisonous smoke that harms our lungs and the air.Plastic smoke is toxic.
Homework
- Collect and sort rubbish at home into plastics and other waste for a week.