Summary of Landscapes: Natural and Urban

INTRODUCTION

Relevance of the Theme

• Deciphering the World: Understanding landscapes is like learning to read the planet Earth.
• Landscapes Tell Stories: They tell about nature and people's lives.
• Connection to Daily Life: Identifying landscapes is connecting to the space where we live and travel.

Contextualization

• Geography Class: It is the stage where we explore what mountains, rivers, cities, and much more are.
• Journey through Knowledge: Landscapes accompany our journey from understanding a map to taking care of the environment.
• A Chapter of the Earth's Book: Each landscape is a piece of the great story of our planet and humanity.

THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENT

Components

• Earth and Sky: Basis of the natural landscape, everything starts here. Trees, sun, moon, and stars belong to this stage.
• Mountains and Valleys: Where the earth rises and falls. Mountains can be young or old.
• Rivers and Lakes: Earth's veins. Rivers flow like roads and lakes are like water mirrors.
• Flora and Fauna: Every plant and animal we see is part of the natural landscape.
• Cities and Roads: Where houses, buildings, and transportation routes form the urban scenery.
• Squares and Parks: Meeting points and green areas in cities, they are the urban lungs.

Key Terms

• Natural Landscape: Area mainly created by nature, little or no human influence.
• Urban Landscape: Area built and transformed by people, includes buildings and infrastructure.
• Horizon: Line where the sky seems to meet the earth or the sea, the vanishing point of landscapes.
• Biodiversity: Variety of life in a landscape, the more colors and life forms, the richer it is.
• Urbanization: Process of construction and expansion of urban areas over the natural landscape.

Examples and Cases

• Mount Everest: A majestic natural landscape, shows how mountains can be tall and imposing.
• Amazon Rainforest: A vibrant natural landscape example, full of life and colors.
• New York City: Urban landscape example, with its skyscrapers and bustling streets.
• Ibirapuera Park: In São Paulo, shows the coexistence of green areas with urbanization.
• Venice: A city built on water, a unique urban landscape integrated with the natural environment.

DETAILED SUMMARY

Relevant Points

• Definition of Landscapes: Two main categories: Natural and Urban. Naturals are created by nature; Urbans, by humans.
• Interpretation of the Horizon: Understanding the horizon helps to see where the earth meets the sky and how it shapes the landscape.
• Importance of Mountains: Natural elevations of the earth, can be new (tall and pointed) or old (rounded).
• Rivers and Lakes: Vital elements of natural landscapes, a source of life and resources.
• Biodiversity: The diversity of plants and animals enriches natural landscapes.
• Human Constructions: Buildings, houses, roads form the skeleton of urban landscapes.
• Urbanization and Its Effects: The advancement of cities over the natural, bringing new forms and challenges.

Conclusions

• Interconnection: Natural and urban landscapes are connected and one can transform into the other.
• Valuing Biodiversity: The more biodiversity, the healthier the natural landscape is.
• Necessary Balance: There is a need to balance urban development and natural conservation.

Exercises

1. Identify and Draw: Ask students to draw a natural and an urban landscape, pointing out the differences.
2. Horizon Hunt: Through photos or in practice, identify where the horizon appears in different landscapes.
3. Biodiversity in Words: List animals and plants that students know and classify them in their natural landscapes.