Topic: The Baltic Sea - natural environment and human activity

Target group

7th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

IX. The natural environment of Poland against the background of Europe: (...) Baltic Sea

9 ) characterizes the natural environment of the Baltic Sea and the causes of the degradation of its waters

General aim of education

You will learn the characteristics of the Baltic Sea and the impact of the human economy on the degradation of Baltic waters.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• describe the location of the Baltic Sea;

• list the characteristics of the Baltic Sea;

• indicate on the map the Baltic States;

• discuss the coastline of the Baltic Sea;

• explain why the average salinity of waters is much smaller than the neighboring North Sea;

• give examples of the development of the Baltic Sea;

• state the main reasons for the degradation of the Baltic natural environment.

Methods/techniques

• activating

  • discussion.

• expository

  • talk.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Stages of the lesson

Introduction

• The teacher gives the topic, the goals of the lesson in a language understandable for the student, and the criteria of success.

• Using the mental map, students write associations associated with the Baltic Sea.

Realization

• Students are divided into four groups. Each group has a different task to perform:

  Group I - determine the geographical position, orientate the countries located on the Baltic Sea, bays, straits and the largest islands and rivers that are entering the Baltic Sea (use the map in the e‑textbook „Baltic Sea and its basin”). They exchange types of coasts and indicate their location on the map.

  Group II - using various sources, determine the way the Baltic Sea was established (using the „Stages of the Baltic Sea” publication included in the e‑textbook). They define its type, salinity in the entire water area - they give reasons for the variation in salinity, refer to the most saline seas. They give the average and maximum depth. They discuss the causes and effects of the occurrence of sea currents - show examples on the map.

  Group III - Discuss the development of the Baltic Sea in relation to sea transport, fishing, wind energy, mineral extraction, shipbuilding and tourism.

  Group IV - Discuss the causes and consequences of pollution in the Baltic Sea. They refer to the map „Baltic Sea and its basin - pollution of the environment” in the e‑textbook. They characterize international agreements that serve to prevent the degradation of the Baltic Sea. They indicate ways to protect coastal areas

• Each group divides the presentation of content by each member of the group. Refers to various teaching aids.

• The whole group presents their work on the forum.

Summary

• The teacher asks students to carry out the recommended interactive exercise themselves.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

The Baltic Sea - natural environment and human activity

The Baltic Sea is considered to be a mediterranean sea, because it is surrounded by land on all sides. The only connection with the open sea is via several narrow channels, known as the Danish Straits, to the North Sea.

There are five different types of coast in the Baltic Sea:

• sandspit – waves and sea currents create long, sandy banks (spits), which cut off bays, lagoons and coastal lakes from the open sea; these can be found in the southern Baltic Sea;

• cliff – a high bank is constantly undercut by waves, causing the cliff to recede; these mainly occur in the southern shores of the Baltic Sea;

• skerry – characterised by thousands of small islands (skerries), which come about as a result of partial flooding of glacial hills; the Åland Islands are an example of this;

• fjards (fjärd) – a coast containing bays with quite high cliffs (but not as high as a fjord); they are formed by flooding of glacial valleys in uplands that are not excessively deep; they can be found across the whole of the northern Baltic, often together with skerries;

• inlets(föhrd) – these are created from flooding of convex areas with post‑glacial accumulations interspersed by numerous sub‑glacial gulleys that flow from the land to the sea; this type of coast is characteristic of Denmark.

The waters of the Baltic Sea are not as saline as those in other seas.

The average salinity of the Baltic Sea is around 7%. The highest salinity in the Baltic Sea is in the west, near the Danish Straits – on account of the inflowing salty waters of the North Sea. The lowest recorded salinity is in the north of the Gulf of Bothnia and the east of the Gulf of Finland -- because of the cold climate and long distance from the Danish Straits.

There is not a wide variety of sea life in the Baltic Sea. It is possible to find algae, less often flowering plants. Fish are the dominant animal species, such as herring, cod, sprat, flounder, mackerel, flatfish, salmon and eel. Occasionally large marine mammals can be found – porpoises and seals. The most common birds are terns, gulls and mute swans. There are also jellyfish, annelids (worms), small shellfish and crustaceans.

The maritime economy is the use for economic purposes of the sea and its associated natural resources. There are several main branches here:

• maritime transport,

• fishing,

• the power industry,

• extraction of mineral resources,

• shipbuilding,

• tourism.

The waters of the Baltic Sea are mainly polluted in coastal areas. Cities, ports and industries have developed on the coast, from where sewage often flows directly into the sea. Many contaminants also come form the rivers that flow into the Baltic Sea. This applies especially to rivers flowing from the densely populated south and east – the Vistula, Oder, Nemunas and Neva. They transport, amongst other things, town and industrial sewage, as well as artificial fertilisers and pesticides (chemical products to protect plants) washed out from fields. The excesses of all of these subtances increases eutrophication of the waters of the Baltic -- food enrichment. On the high seas, waste is often dumped from ships into the water. There are also accidents that result in fuel or other liquids leaking into the water. Another danger for the waters of the Baltic are the many wrecks and remnants of the Second WOrld War that remain on the seabed. Also, as elsewhere, air pollution is transmitted by the wind and can end up at sea. In addition, the fact that the Baltic Sea is clearly separated from the open ocean restricts movement of water through the Danish Straits.

The direct impact of pollution on the Baltic Sea is the degradation of the natural environment.

• The further north you go, the lower the temperature in the waters of the Baltic Sea. In winter, the Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland both freeze.

• The Baltic Sea is used by people, amongst other things, for transport, fishing, tourism and energy.