ABSTRACT
Our living world is dependent on the Earth. Little work has been done on children’s understanding of Earth science. Recognising Earth science features that have formed our environment is part of learning biology. Without Earth science there would be no biology, living things as we know them, or us. The seasons or monsoons affect the living world but are created by the planet, as are the types of soils. Children learn to recognise different types of landscapes and the plants and animals that live there. They learn that snow on the ground indicates a certain type of climate and when it is permanent, certain kinds of animals adapt to that environment, they observe, for example, the colour of a mammals’ fur. When they see pictures or reconstructed scenes (as in dioramas), with sand and particular vegetation, such as cacti, they recognise desert and water features such as ponds and lakes and determine the types of things that live in those habitats. We find that this learning can occur though media representations, in particular, the books they read as well as through museum visits and observations in actual locations.
