2.1. Where are we situated?

Transcription

1 2.1 (You can find more worksheets on this site. Where are we situated? Malta is situated in the lower part of Europe, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. The word Mediterranean means the sea in the middle. This sea touches with 3 large continents which are Africa, Europe and Asia. The Continents and the Oceans All the land of the world is split into 6 large pieces what we call continents. These continents are America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and Antarctica. These continents are surrounded with vast seas which we call oceans. An Ocean is a very vast sea, much larger than the Mediterranean which surrounds the Maltese Islands. There are 5 large oceans; these are Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean. 1

2 Malta makes part of Europe. Europe is a small continent (only Australia is smaller) but a lot of people live in it. We find more than 40 countries in Europe and some of them including Malta are members of the EU (European Union). One of the things that EU does is to make business between countries, easier. The EU also works so that all the countries that are members in the EU have a clean environment so that the people will have a healthier lifestyle and surroundings. Th people who live in the countries which are EU members can travel and work without problems in any country which is an EU member. Some members of the EU also have the same currency which is the Euro. Match the correct sentences together. Malta is in the south In Europe there are more than Malta is surrounded by sea A number of countries including Malta In the EU we find an amount of countries including France, Italy, But on the east it touches Asia Of Europe England, Portugal and Greece. 40 countries Got together and formed the EU. Use the globe or world map to complete this form. In which continents are these countries? Italy China Brazil Malta England Japan Spain Libya India U.S.A Egypt Canada Russia Germany 2

3 Fill in the map as instructed. Colour in the continents as instructed Australi America Europe Africa Asia Antarctica Red Yellow Green Brown Grey White Write the name of each continent in the right place Colour the oceans blue Write the correct ocean name 3

4 The map below shows us clearly that the Mediterranean Sea has 3 inlets or doors that lead to other seas. These are: The Strait of Gibraltar which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. The Suez Canal which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea which leads to the Indian Ocean. The Dardanelle Strait which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea. The Dardanelle Strait is the passage that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Black Sea. Ships have to pass from this passage that is found in Turkey close to the city of Istanbul. 4

5 The Suez Canal was dug purposely in Egypt to connect the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. A ship coming from India or China does not need to go around the whole of Africa, but it passes from the Suez Canal to shorten its route. The strait of Gibraltar is a narrow passage between Spain and Morocco. Every ship that wants to enter the Mediterranean from the Atlantic Ocean needs to pass from this strait. 5

6 Use a world map or globe to see which would be the best route. Choose from: Strait of Gibraltar, Suez Canal, Dardanelle If you want to go to Malta from England.. If you want to go to Australia from Malta.. If you want to go to Russia from Greece.. If you want to go to Israel from America.. If you want to go to India from Malta.. On the map of the Mediterranean Colour the sea blue and the land brown. Write these names in the correct place: Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Red Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Write these names in the correct place: Africa, Asia, and Europe. Mark with a red pen the 3 openings of the Mediterranean Sea. Near these marks write the name of each opening. 6

7 These sentences have some mistakes. Correct them. A cargo ship carrying containers left from Marsaxlokk Port towards England. It headed West and passed from Dardanelle and entered the Indian Ocean.. A ship carrying T.V s left from Japan and headed towards Malta. It passed from over Australia, entered the Indian Ocean, and then headed towards the Black sea. It passed from the Strait of Gibraltar and kept on going straight to Malta.. A ship carrying oil was shipwrecked as it was exiting Dardanelle on its route to the Mediterranean Sea. The oil leaked and it polluted the Red Sea.. There was a huge collision between 2 battleships. Since there was a lot of fog, 2 battleships, 1 Italian and 1 American, collided in the Strait of Gibraltar between Italy and France. Because of this no ships could exit the Mediterranean Sea to go into the Indian Ocean.. 7

8 Do some internet research to find: Interactive maps of Europe. Maps of the world and the Mediterranean. Pictures and information on the 6 continents that form our world. Which countries are members of the EU? 2.2 OUR NEIGHBOURS There are more than 20 countries that touch the Mediterranean Sea. Some of them are in Africa (Libya and Egypt), others are in Europe (France and Italy) and others are in Asia (Israel and Lebanon). A small part of Turkey is in Europe while the major part of it is in Asia. There are 21 countries in the Mediterranean. These countries are: 1 Portugal 8 Morocco 15 Bosnia-Herzegovina 2 Spain 9 Montenegro 16 Lebanon 3 France 10 Albania 17 Israel 4 Italy 11 Greece 18 Malta 5 Slovenia 12 Turkey 19 Egypt 6 Croatia 13 Syria 20 Libya 7 Tunisia 14 Algeria 21 Cyprus Find a map from the internet and mark the countries mentioned above on it. 8

9 In the grid there are hidden the names of all the countries that are in the Mediterranean. See how many you can find. In blue colour the countries which are in Europe, in yellow those countries which are in Africa and in green, those countries which are in Asia. W X A L G E R I A J Z C A L B A N I A L K M E R Y T S L O V A K I A G O U U T U R K E Y S C Y A G N G R E E C E X V P T O I B L I B Y A M Z T I S S C Y P R U S N X G A L I R T P O R T U G A L A A M A L T A Y F O S B V M O R O C C O R I S S I I I S R A E L A T I P A A D C B V X Z N A R A B O S N I A Y X C L I I L E B A N O N N E Y A N In which countries do we find the: A B C D E F The Eiffel Tower The Leaning tower of Pisa The Pyramids The Colosseum The Akropoli St.Peter s Basilica On a chart, draw a map of the countries in the Mediterranean. Find some pictures of these countries and stick them on the chart.( you can find lots of pictures on the internet). 9

10 Name the correct country for each map: Write the names of these countries in the correct place in the boxes on the map: Italy Turkey Israel Morocco France Libya Algeria Spain 10

11 Write the name of the country: A part of me is in Europe and a part of me is in Asia. I touch with the Black Sea.. I am in the form of a shoe and I have a leaning tower. I have a big iron tower, I m famous for wine. Lourdes is in my country. Long stretches of sand. People pray in a mosque. On my country s flag there is a blue star. Christ was born and lived here. I am in the East of Malta.. White and blue are the colours. The Olympics started here. Athens is the capital city. Cruises in the Mediterranean on the Queen of the Mediterranean 11

12 Cruise 1 Cruise 2 Answer these questions. 1. If I want to visit the pyramids and the city of Gerusalem, which cruise should I Book? Cruise. 2. Which cruise will be visiting 3 continents? Cruise. 3. Which cruise would u prefer? Cruise. 4. Name all the places you would be visiting when you are on the cruise you chose.. 12

13 5. Mention some nice places you could see when you are on this cruise.. There are many small islands similar to the Maltese islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Some of them are large islands like Sicily, and some of them are small islands. We find a large amount of islands between Greece and Turkey just before you enter the Black Sea. Malta and Cyprus are independent islands (which mean, the island is ruled by its own government). Use the Mediterrenean map to complete these answers. 1. The Strait of Gibraltar is between Spain and. 2. Rome is the capital city of. 3. A country in the Mediterrenean, which is in Asia and is joined to Turkey. 4. Paris is the capital city of. 5. This country has part of its coust touching the Atlantic Ocean and at the same time it has 3 islands in the Mediterrenean. 13

14 2.3 Where are we situated? Malta is surrounded by water, and that is why it is called an island. In fact Malta is surrounded by the Mediterrenean Sea. The Maltese islands form an archipelago. The main islands which form the Maltese archipelago are Malta, Gozo and Comino. Between the islands of Malta and Gozo we find the small island of Comino. The Blue Lagoon beach is quite popular for its clear, clean blue water, and due to this in summer it is full of tourists and Maltese. Apart from the main islands we also find additional small islands or rocks such as Filfla, St.Paul s islands, Manoel island and the Fungus Rock. Filfla is a natural reserve and no one can go on it without permission. Between its crumbling crevices as lot of birds make their nests like the Cory s Shearwater (ciefa) and the kangu ta Filfla ( storm petrels). ( site for birds of Malta) Read the following sentences and write True or False. 1. Comino is found between Gozo and Sicily. 2. We can see Filfla from Zurrieq. 3. Marsaxlokk is in Gozo. 4. Manoel island is found at Marsamxett harbour. 5. Fungus rock is found in Dwejra,Gozo. 6. Blue Lagoon bay is found close to Mdina. 14

15 Each and every one of us live in a town or village. It can be a small village in the country or in a town with a lot of high, modern buildings. Our towns and villages are different from each other. MARSAXLOKK: A fishing village where a lot of fishermen and fishing boats can be seen. This village attracts many tourists. MGARR HARBOUR: Mgarr Harbour s main use is to connect Malta and Gozo. TAS-SLIEMA: Tas-Sliema is a commercial and tourist centre. It consists of many large hotels, high apartments close to the sea, shops and restaurant. IC-CITTADELLA: The high walls were built around this town to prevent enemies from entering.today the use of this town is different and the large doors are always found open. Anyone can visit this town and appreciate the historical buildings. Towns and villages in Malta and Gozo Victoria is the capital city of Gozo and it is situated in the centre of the island. On the highest part of the city there is the Cittadella and the cathedral. There you will find many shops and government offices. Xlendi is a nice beach in Gozo. The beach is situated on the edge of a deep large valley. This place attracts many tourists. Marsalforn is a sandy beach in Gozo and at the same time is a fishing village. At Marsalforn you find restaurants and a lot of apartments who are rented out to Maltese. Imgarr is the main port in Gozo where the Gozo Channel ferries dock. There are also many yachts and fishing boats. 15

16 Valletta was built by the knights and named after the Grand Master in the time of the Great Siege. It is the Capital city of Malta, and the Parliament takes place in this city also. In Valletta one will find many offices and commercial buildings. Many people work here. Birgu is a city surrounded by high walls and a large yacht marina. Bormla is where the ships are fixed in the dockyard. Sliema is a major tourism spot on the northeastern coast of Malta and faces the Marsamxett Harbour. There are many high buildings, hotels, nightlife, restaurants and offices. Marsaxlokk is a traditional fishing village located in the south-eastern part of Malta. On Sundays fish is retailed by fishermen in the open on the quay. This village is also a tourist attraction. Rabat is a village just outside Mdina, Malta. Rabat is home to the famous Catacombs of St. Paul and of St. Agatha. These catacombs were used in Roman times to bury the dead as, according to Roman culture, it was un hygenic to bury the dead in the city Mdina and parts of Rabat were built on top of an ancient Roman city. We also find Buskett Gardens, fields which give good products and there is a nice countryside. Gudja We find The Maltese International Airport. Mellieha is a large village in the northwestern part of Malta. It is a popular tourist destination during the summer months. It has the largest sandy beach in Malta. There is also the Natural Reservoir and a number of hotels and restaurants. Farmers grow vegetables and fruits in the valleys of this village. Cirkewwa a small harbour used by the ferries which cross for Gozo. 16

17 On the map below write the names of the following missing villages or towns in the correct place. Xlendi Gudja Cirkewwa Imgarr (Gozo) Victoria Tas-Sliema Marsaxlokk Mellieha Rabat (Malta) Marsalforn Write the name of the village or city which match the information given. Birgu Bormla 17

18 The ferry leaves from for Gozo. A historic city surrounded by high walls in the Grand Harbour.. The Grand harbour, where the dockyard is.. The capital city of Gozo and is found in the centre of the island.. The largest fishing village in Malta and is also popular with tourists.. We find many high buildings facing the sea, as well as restaurants, and shops. is close to Imdina. Here we find many historical remains such as the Catacombs. The largest sandy beach in Malta is in. There is also a natural reservoir. The main Gozo Harbour is found in. Here we find many yachts and fishing boats. 18

19 Use a map of Malta and Gozo to find the names of places in Malta and Gozo 1. It overlooks the Grand Harbour and it contains a new yacht marina. B. 2. A bay situated in the south west of Gozo. X. 3. To go to the airport you have to come to this village. G. 4. The ferry to Gozo leaves from here C. 5. Many tourists come to this village to see the Catacombs and it s close to Imdina R. 6. A tourist attraction where many high buildings, hotels and nightlife is found S. 7. Ships enter here to get fixed. B. 8. If you want to buy fresh fish you should come here. M. 9. A city surrounded by high walls and touches the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour. V. 10. The capital city of Gozo which is situated in the middle of the island. V. 11. A popular beach frequently visited by the Maltese when they visit Gozo. M. 19

20 In this grid there are the names of both Maltese and Gozitan villages and towns. See how much you can find. Colour the towns which are close to the sea in blue, and those which are not next to the sea in green. M A R S A L F O R N D C N L E V A L L E T T A H Z I F N L Q X R B M Z C J F I R X J L P P O I A G H J K L K Z X I M G A R R T G B J I E O U E L A X G S L I E M A W P I H K S V U A G H V P W W L L A J D B W X L E N D I A K M G B O R M L A M Z O Q U H G G U D J A O R A B A T I T V D E G N G K V I C T O R I A U V H M Z K P F R I H T G L 20

21 What nice things can we find in the following towns and villages? Put these under the correct village or town where you think they are found. Some of them can be used more than once. Natural Reservoir yachts High walls Restaurant Gozo Channel ferries Sandy beach Hotels Fishing village Auberge de Castille Large shops Parliament High Buildings Valletta Ix-Xlendi Mellieha L-Imgarr Tas-Sliema 21

22 2.4 Layer over Layer Did you know that the stones and rocks which we see in the valleys,on the beaches, coasts and in the soil is more than 5 million years old? The rocks on our land was all formed under the sea from materials carried through rivers and ended up under the sea. Long ago the rivers were a lot bigger and they used to empty their waters in the Mediterrenean Sea. At the bottom of this sea layer over layer of sediments collected such as gravel, sand,pebbles and mud which was carried there by the rivers. On this sediment a large variety of shells, urchins and hard shell clams used to live. When they died they were buried by the sediment which the rivers used to carry. Over time, with the pressure and its own weight this material formed into new rock which we call sedimentary. Millions of years ago the Mediterrenean Sea was completely different than today. Africa and Europe were farther apart from each other and the sea between them was very much larger. The stones and rocks which formed Malta and Gozo began forming over 25 million years ago at the bottom of the sea. In fact all the rocks of the Maltese islands are created from debris and shells of sea creatures. This type of rock is called Sedimentary. ( During this period there were a lot of earthquakes, much more powerful than today. Due to this the continent of Africa began slowly moving towards Europe. The layers of sediment which were at the bottom of the sea began to get squashed and bend. Some of these sediments surfaced out of the sea and thus Malta and Gozo were formed. 22

23 Here is how you can make your own sedimentary rock: Activity 1 This activity is a simple way of understanding how limestone is formed. Limestone is among the most important and abundant types of sedimentary rocks in Alabama. Limestone rocks are made from the mineral calcite which came from the beds of evaporated seas and lakes and from sea animal shells. This rock is used in concrete and is an excellent building stone for humid regions. It is also used as a ux for re-ning iron ore. It is one of three ingredients in the Birmingham region that contributed to the growth of the iron industry. Add ¼ cup of Epsom salts to a mason jar. Fill the jar with various earth materials, described below. Add water until about two inches remain at the top of the jar. Seal the lid and shake until all the materials are thoroughly mixed. Check on the jar every hour or so to see which are settling -rst and to watch as layers are formed. Once the layers are established, carefully pour the water out of the jar. Let the homemade rock dry completely. What You ll Need... Mason jar with tightly sealing lid Various earth materials leaves, twigs, pebbles, and sand. Work well ¼ cup of Epsom salts Water 23

24 Activity 2 This activity allows students to create homemade sandstone, and to shape it into interesting sculptures. It demonstrates how sand is the main ingredient in sandstone, and that it is cemented together by water and a mineral like calcite, represented in this activity by cornstarch. Sandstone, like limestone, is a sedimentary rock that is often found alongside limestone. Sandstone forms from sand or small rock particles. Sandstone is an important building material. In 1938, civic leaders placed Vulcan on a sandstone pedestal, and many of Vulcan Park and Museum s architectural features are made of sandstone. Combine sand, water, and cornstarch in a saucepan and heat slowly until it is thick. When it is cool but still pliable, remove from the pan and mold it into a unique design. What You ll Need... 2 cups of sand 1 cup of water 1 cup of cornstarch An old saucepan A hot plate Important: Visit these sites to find out about the Maltese stone and its layers. 24

25 The pictures above show us that our island consists of 5 main layers of rock. The Upper Layer (green) is the last layer which was formed under the sea, whereas the Lower Layer (pink) was the first layer which was formed about 30 million years ago. Find: Pictures which show how different types of rock were used along the ages. You can find pictures of Neolithic Temples, high buildings, hotels, churches, breakwaters, sculptures, statues, towers, Try to find out what type of stones were used. In the old times many objects like plates, pots, pipes and jugs were made from clay. When clay is placed in a very hot oven it becomes very hard. The hard rock is crushed into sand and gravel. This is mixed with cement to produce bricks, planks for building materials. Gravel is also used to make the roads 25

26 At the limestone quarry the rock is cut in the form of rectangular blocks by machines. Limestone is a soft rock and it is not hard to cut or carve, but at the same time it is strong enough to build with. By looking at the buildings on our island, one can admire the beauty of this stone, arches, columns, sculptures and many other objects. Maltese Rock Layers The Maltese Islands started to form around 30 to 25 million years ago when sediment and fossils were deposited on the bottom of the sea. The different rock layers resulted from different environments and geological times in which the sediments and fossils were deposited. Around 10 million years ago, these rock years rose to the surface due to African plate and the Eurasian plate moving towards each other causing the sediment in between to uplift. Therefore, all of the Maltese rock types are sedimentary. Upper Coralline Limestone is mainly used as building stone. It is also used for road surfacing and in concrete mixtures. Greensand is known to contain a lot of marine fossils such as that depicted in this photo. The Lower Coralline Limestone is mainly used for road surfacing and in concrete mixtures. Blue Clay was commonly used for pottery making. However, this tradition has diminished Globigerina Limestone It is a porous rock usually having a white/yellow colour. It is used mainly for buildings and making of sculptures. 26

27 Upper Coralline Limestone is very hard and very strong and is found in Rabat,Had-Dingli, Nadur and Qala. Greensand crumbles easily and is found in Had-Dingli and in Ramla. Blue Clay is soft and is found at Ghajn Tuffieha and x-xatt l-ahmar. Globigerina Limestone is soft but at the same time its strong enough to build with, and is found in Siggiewi, Qrendi, San Lawrenz and Kercem. Lower Coralline Limestone is very strong and is found in Had-Dingli and ta Cenc. Before it was used for buildings near the sea. Match the columns correctly and write the letter below. 1 The rocks of Malta began to form a Layer over layer. 2 Large rivers used to empty b Hardened with its own pressure and its own weight. 3 The sediment gathered on the seabed c 30 million years ago.. 4 Rock formed from gravel, dirt,marine life shells d Because the continents of Europe and Africa moved closer together. 5 Sedimentary rock is all made from e Dirt,sand,mud and other sediments. 6 The sediment rose from the water f Is called Sedimentary rock Fill in using the words in the table: Globigerina Limestone sediment Had-Dingli gravel layers Ramla 30 million Sedimentary 27

28 The rocks in Malta are called because they were formed under the sea. The Maltese rock has 5. The Maltese rocks began forming years ago. Material deposited in the sea from the large rivers is called. From the Upper Coralline Limestone we produce. We can use to build our houses. At and ta Cenc you can see the five layers of rocks one on top of the other. The sand found at in Gozo is made from Greensand. Tick True or False: The rocks of Malta were formed under the sea. T F Millions of years ago Africa and Europe were closer to each other. When shells, urchins, clams and other marine creatures die, they are buried beneath the sediment. The Maltese islands rose from the sea when the continents of Europe and Africa moved farther away from each other. The Maltese rock is sedimentary because it is made out of gravel, sand, mud and shells of marine animals. All the Maltese rocks is more than 5 million years old. 28

29 Correct the sentences which are false. Tick which stone is used to make these materials. You can also check on the internet for answers. The Maltese Rocks The Maltese rocks are used for many things Globigerina Limestone Upper and Lower Coralline Limestone Blue Clay Gravel for roads Pottery Stones for building Sand for plastering Gravel for concrete Stone dust for plastering Mortar for bricks Sculptures made in stone Fill in: The material which rivers deposited in the sea S. Shakings and sometimes displacement of the ground E. The rocks of Malta are found in 5 L one on top of the other. Stones we build with in Malta G L. The rocks which are used for pottery B C. 29

30 A place where stones are cut Q. First Maltese rocks which were formed under the sea L C L. You need clay to do this P. A group of geologists came to Malta to study intensely all the 5 layers of rocks found in Malta. They brought with them equipment to dig and bring up different samples of rock. After going around Malta they decided that the best place to analyze the rocks was from Had-Dingli. Why do you think they chose Had-Dingli out of all the places in Malta?. What was the first sample of rock they found?. What was the third sample of rock they found?. Which sample was the hardest to dig through?. Which two samples were the easiest to dig through?. How many layers did they have to dig through until they got to the Lower Coralline Limestone?. Tick the correct type of stone shown in the picture below: Blue Clay Lower Coralline Limestone Globigerina Limestone stone dust. This type of quarry is a Globigerina Limestone Quarry and we can find one in Siggiewi and in San Lawrenz. The type of stone produced in these quarries is used for building and 30

31 Search on the internet to find how: sedimentary rocks are formed Pictures of the 5 layers of rocks in the Maltese Islands Information and pictures about the use of each type of rock. 2.5 Clam Shells, Urchins and Seashells.. In the rocks? If we observe and look carefully and closely at the rocks around us during a walk in the country or near the beach, you would surely find a large amount of fossils. These are the remains and forms of animals and plants which were trapped and buried in the debris and mud, in the sediment at the bottom of the sea. These marine creatures used to live between 5 and 30 million years ago when the Maltese Islands were forming layer over layer. The most common fossils found in the Maltese rocks are seashells, urchins, fish teeth and fish bones, sea plants and coral. These fossils are proof that Malta and Gozo were all formed beneath the sea. In our rocks we have found a large amount of shark teeth. The largest shark tooth found so far in a rock was from a Great White shark. The tooth measures up to 16cm long. Can you imagine with teeth like this how big the shark was!!! 31

32 On the mud, debris and sediment which the rivers used to deposit in the sea, many starfish and sea urchins used to live. Originally these marine creatures are covered in tiny spikes and their fossils are easily distinguished because their body is divided into 5 pieces. In our rocks we also find different varieties of shells. Visit this site to find out how you can make your own fossil: Fill in the blanks using the words in the box. sea fossils coral teeth sediment life shark hard form clams The proof we have that Malta was formed under the sea is because of the large amount of belonging to plants and animals living in the, which we find in our rocks. These fossils give a clear indication on how sea was in the sea millions of years ago. Fossils are remains of marine life which were buried under the debris, mud and s and were 32

33 trapped in the rocks. Generally fossils are the parts of the animals, such as shells,, and bones which are preserved well in the rock. In some cases we only find the f of the animals which lived in the sea. Preserved in our rock one can find fossils of urchins, seashells,, starfish,, and teeth. Search the internet for: More information about the different fossils found on the Maltese Islands. Look for pictures and photos of fossils that have been found on the Maltese Islands. 2.6 High or Low As soon as the Maltese islands emerged from the sea, the rocks formation began to change. The rock began to crumble and break in certain places. This happened with the harsh waves and salty water, the rain, strong winds and a change in the temperature. Apart from this the constant tremors caused by earthquakes, the Maltese Islands broke in certain places which caused valleys or small islands and pushed some of the land up high. 33

34 The change of formation in and around the Maltese Islands began millions of years ago, and the process is continuing to this very day. As we mentioned before, the Maltese Islands are made up of 5 layers of rock, but in some places there are only 3, 2 and less layers left. This happened because the layers crumbled away due to harsh weather conditions. Not all stone crumbles away at the same rate. Soft rock like Greensand, Blue Clay and Globigerina Limestone is more likely to crumble away than the Hard Upper and Lower Coralline Limestone. Man is also to blame for a major part of the destruction of the surface of the rocks. With the use of modern machinery, they are digging deep into the ground, in order to build high buildings and build wide roads. They are digging very deep quarries to get stones and gravel for building. Valleys, hills, crevices, inlets, beaches, caves and other forms of rocks we see in many places in Malta and Gozo were formed by the sea spray and the waves, by the rain, by the strong winds, by the change in temperature and also from earthquakes. 34

35 Valleys The surface of Malta and Gozo is split with many deep valleys. These formed millions of years ago as a result of tremors and very strong waters. Most of our valleys are dry in summer but they fill up with water in winter. In certain valleys, a dam was built to stop the rainwater going into the sea and be wasted. The valleys are areas full of life and contain many plants, trees and animals such as the frog. In Malta the largest valleys go down from the area of Rabat and head to the sea, like Chadwick Lakes and Grand Valley. In Gozo we find Marsalforn Valley and Lunzjata Valley which Cliffs In certain places in Malta and Gozo such as Had-Dingli and Ta Cenc, we find high cliffs. In the crevices of these rocks, many birds make their nests and lay their eggs like storm petrel (kangu) and Cory s Shearwater (cief). You can also find plants which are not found in any other places of Malta and Gozo because they have been destroyed by people but since people cannot go to these places these plants survived here. One of these plants is the Maltese rock centaury (widnet il-bahar). This plant is also the Maltese National plant. 35

36 Hills The Maltese Islands are not level. In fact they are made from a number of hills. There are high hills with a narrow plateau, and other hills have flat and wide plateaus. On the flat and wide plateaus villages were built such as Imdina, ir-rabat and Mellieha in Malta while in Gozo there is Nadur, Zebbug and Xaghra. Inlets and Beaches Waves are very strong, especially when it carries sand, pebbles and other rocks. The soft rocks along the coast, crumbles easily, and thus inlets and bays are formed. Some of these become full of sand. Other inlets especially those that are sheltered from strong winds, serve as ports for ships and boats. Main ports in Malta are The Grand Harbour, Marsamxett Harbour, Marsaxlokk Harbour and Imgarr Harbour in Gozo. Sandy beaches, which are popular with tourists are Ghadira Bay and Ghajn Tuffieha Bay in Malta whereas in Gozo there is Ramla and San Blas. 36

37 Caves The strong waves can open crevices in the rocks and slowly open them into caves. Along the Maltese coast we find many caves like these. There is the Blue Grotto in Zurrieq and the cave in Dwejra Gozo. We also find other caves that were made by the rainwater. All the rocks in Malta and Gozo start to crumble and deteriorate when the rainwater passes from crevices and gaps in the rocks. In due time these crevices form into large caves. The water dripping in these caves leaves behind a small dusting of dust which in time transforms into stalagtites and stalagmites. Stalagtites come down from the roof while stalagmites rise from the floor. We can see these in Ghar Dalam and Ghar Hasan in Malta, and at Ninu s Cave and Xerri s Grotto in Gozo. Search the internet for these: Pictures of different surfaces in Malta and Gozo. Pictures of valleys that are formed by tremors of the land and also with lakewater, caves formed from the waves of the sea, beaches, cliffs, hills and other forms of the Maltese Islands. 37

38 Find the words from this word grid and then answer the questions. Cliffs Name a bird which nests on Maltese cliffs?. Cave- What do we find coming down from the roofs of caves?. Beach- What are the beaches popular for?. Valley- Name an animal which lives in valley water.. Hill- Name a town or village which is built on a hill.. S T O R M P E T R E L H A D- D I N G L I N F S W I M M I N G L A G G H A R- D A L A M D F N I N U S C A V E U R T A C E N C Z T P R O B O R L Q Z E B B U G S T A L A G T I T E S N D M D I N A Q A F G M A L G H A D I R A L X M A R S A L F O R N Find the names of these places in the letter grid: Had-Dingli Ninu s Cave Ramla Ghar Dalam Dam Nadur Ta Cenc Marsalforn Ghadira Mdina 38

39 Write the names of the places you found in the letter grid next to the correct description of land in the table below. Cliff Cave Beach Valley Hill Look well at these pictures. They all show different forms of land in Malta and Gozo. Write what we call them. A- B- C- D- Write the letter of the form of the land surface (A,B,C or D) that match the description given in the table below: Frogs and other animals live in this type of environment In these places the sea is usually calm These were formed with tremors or by the strong seas We find stalagtites and stalagmites in these In the past it was a very good place to defend yourself from the enemies You can find bats in these 39

40 Look well at these pictures A B C D In the table below write the letter which matches the form of the land. Cliff Valley Beach Cave Write the form of the land which matches the description given in the table below: In Summer they are full of people A place where plants in risk of extinction are found High cliffs that drop off into the sea Was formed by the strong waves They build strong walls to stop rainwater from going to the sea and be wasted 40

41 Brief Revision There are 6 continents or large pieces of land: Europe, Africa, Asia, America and Antarctica. We also find 5 large seas: Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean. The Mediterranean Sea is surrounded by 3 continents, but has 3 inlets which are: The Strait of Gibraltar, Suez Canal and Dardanelle Strait. There are more than 20 countries around the Mediterranean Sea. In this Sea we find an amount of islands, some of them are Independent like Malta and Cyprus, while some others like Sicily, Sardinia, Crete, Baltic Islands and Corsica are counted with other countries. The Maltese Archipelago, meaning Malta, Gozo, Comino, Filfla and other small islands are found in the centre of the Mediterranean, in the south of Europe. In the Maltese Islands we find many cities and villages. Valletta is the capital city of Malta. Some villages in Malta and Gozo are Tas-Sliema, Birgu, Gudja, Marsaxlokk, Rabat, Mellieha, Cirkewwa, Imgarr, Victoria, Marsalforn and Xlendi. These places are important for example, Cirkewwa and Imgarr are important because they are means of communication between Malta and Gozo. The rocks of Malta are called sedimentary rocks and were formed layer over layer, in the sea. In the Maltese rocks we find many fossils, plants and animal remains which were buried under mud, debris and gravel while the rocks were forming. In Malta we have 5 layers of rock: Upper Coralline Limestone, Greensand, Blue Clay, Globigerina Limestone and Lower Coralline Limestone. The Maltese Islands consist of hills, valleys, cliffs, beaches, caves, inlets and other different forms of land. 41

42 4.1 Peace and Quiet in the Country Close to amenities in the City (Refer to pg. 136 L-Ambjent Geografiku ghas-sitt sena). The pictures on Pg.136 show us views from the Maltese countryside. We see small fields surrounded by low rubble walls, farms where the farmer used to live with his animals, and also many small rooms in fields. Everything was built with small stones which were placed with a certain talent on top of each other without the use of sement or mud. In the countryside we also find land which is not being used by the farmers due to the fact that it does not contain enough soil and there is a layer of hard stone on the surface. On this land many wild plants grow and beautiful flowers bloom from these plants. (Pg.137) The main work of villagers who live in villages in the countryside such as l- Imtahleb, Il-Bahrija, L-Imgarr in Malta, Gharb and Zebbug in Gozo. In the olden days, there were much more farmers than there are today. These farmers used to work in their fields from early in the morning till very late in the evening. They used to plant different vegetables such as tomatoes, lettuce and cauliflower, and also clover and barley to provide food for their farm animals. The farmer s wife and children used to help also by milking the goats, making goat s cheese, grazing the sheep and goats, picking the potatoes from the fields, cleaning out the animals 42

43 stables and much more. They used to work peacefully and quietly without rushing around. In the olden days all the farm work used to be done by hand and occasionally with the help of a strong farm animal. You would see the farmer attend the 5 o clock mass in the morning, and then u would see him in the field wearing a straw hat, followed by a mule towing tractor blades turning and ploughing the land. You would see him bent, removing the weeds using a rake or hoe, and pulling up water from the well. Today this work is done by machines such as tractors which remove the weeds without any trouble or very hard work. But the peace and quiet of the countryside is also diminishing slowly. The farmer used to live along with his family in a farm in the countryside. The rooms below are called pens, were goats, sheep and cows used to live. the donkey or mule which used to help the farmer in the field was also kept in the pen. You would also see chickens, ducks and dogs running around in the farm especially in the central courtyard. The rooms above were inhabited by the farmer, his wife and their children. Rubble (Pg. 138) The rubble walls give a certain Maltese look to our islands. These separate one field from another and they also part fields from roads so that passersby can t just go in the field. The Maltese farmers built these rubble walls as a windbreaker as well as preventing the soil being lost in a rainstorm. 43

44 The rubble walls are made from different sizes of stones, placed on top of each other without any other materials to hold them together. Amidst these walls a large variety of animals live, like lizards, skinks (xahmet), vipers and snakes some birds even nest in these walls between the stones. Sometimes the walls are also full of wild plants growing which enhance the beauty of the countryside. Rubble is not only used to build rubble walls but also to build farms, huts (girna), and rooms which are found scattered in the countryside. We have to admit though that without rubble walls, the Maltese countryside would appear a bit dull. Read the following and tick under true or false: (pg 139) Rubble walls are built of bricks Rubble walls are built to separate fields and separate the field from the road. The farmer used to build the rubble walls using stones, mud and cement. Rubble walls also act as a windbreaker. Without rubble walls the soil would be lost during rainstorms. Rubble walls are used so that the farmer could sit in the shade they provide. True False Answer: 1. Name some villages in Malta and Gozo where you can still see rubble walls.. 2. Mention two reasons why these walls were built.. 44

45 3. Name some animals which live in these rubble walls.. 4. What type of other buildings do we see in the Maltese countryside, built with rubble?. What a pity! (Pg 140) Many rubble walls aren t being fixed once they collapse. Why do you think these walls are collapsing? What can we do about this? On Sundays and holidays especially in winter, many people go for walks and picnics in the countryside. Why do you think they choose to go in the countryside? Mark the correct answers: What do you find in the countryside? Fresh air Restaurants Nice views Peace and quiet Horse racing Traffic A place where kids can run and play Cinemas Running springs from the rocks Greenery and picturesque 45

46 (pg 141) An outing in the country Make a list of things which you see in the countryside and not in towns. Chapels, prickly pears,. Are you noticing modern things which have been introduced lately? Greenhouses, trucks,. The countryside is a place which attracts many trappers and hunters who spend days waiting to catch birds. Try and mention a structure or any buildings which prove that these activities are taking place in any countryside where you have been to.. Look around you when you are in the country and see if you can find anything which is ruining the environment of the country. Make a list of the things you saw.. (pg.142) Ruining the countryside. Look at the pictures on page 142. Write some sentences about the damage being done in the Maltese countryside. 46

47 (Pg.143) You can say that the majority of the Maltese and Gozitans live in cities and villages. In a village you generally find the old houses close to the church with many narrow roads and alleys. In some corners of these old buildings one can see niches with statues of saints. In the olden days these villages used to be surrounded by fields, but today these fields are replaced by a large number of houses, apartments, parks and new wide roads. What do we find in cities? Houses, apartments, and high buildings. Shops. Shopping centres. Supermarkets. Places for entertainment. Restaurants and bars. Offices. Banks. Schools. Car parks. Many people. 47

48 In tas-sliema and St.Julians we see high buildings, luxurious hotels, shops and restaurants and also many places of entertainment. Many roads in cities are extremely busy and at any time you pass, you will see a line of cars. This causes traffic jams and drivers arrive late at their destination. Traffic increases noise and horns which bother many people. Today we also have a problem in finding a parking place. (Pg.144) C C H J DF S A Z AS C H C F A P A R T M E N T S U A A H X S W X E T N D R T R R R E S T A U R A N T S P M K N V D F I E L D S U A E R U B B L E W A L L S R R L Y T D B C R H F C S K S S U P E R M A R K E T S N N K L N V R T Y U I O P S P O L L U T I O N D R E H P O L H J F A R M S F H O N I C E V I E W S N U E P H I G H B U I L D I N G S 48

49 In the table write the things you found in their correct place: In the Country In the city (Pg.145) Match the correct answer in the table. 1 In the past villages were very busy. 2 Many roads in the city are surrounded by fields. 3 One of the mayor problems in a city In a city than in a village. is 4 In cities you find many places of Like restaurants, bars and cinemas. entertainment 5 In the country there is a lot less Anything you need. 6 You find a lot more houses and apartments Pollution and noise like there is in the city. 7 In the city you can buy Lack of parking space. Look on the internet and find photos of farms, fields, rubble walls, huts and much more. Reports on the damage being done in the countryside environment. 49

50 4.2 Smoke, noise and Waste (Pg.146) Factories are very important for our country. Factories provide jobs for thousands of workers as well as producing many things that we need to have a better life. Apart from this, a large number of factories in Malta and Gozo sell and export products to other countries thus earning a large amount of money for our country. Unfortunately some factories also damage the environment a lot. This is called environmental pollution. Pollution is dirt, noise or any other action which damages a place in any kind of manner. Pollution caused by factories Dirt in the air The smoke that comes out from the factories chimneys badly affect a person s health. It can cause shortness of breath and asthma. Unpleasant Smells Some factories which produce plastic produce bad fumes and unpleasant smells. Noise Large trucks coming and going to industrial areas and also the noise by machinery bothers people. Appearance- There are few factories which have a nice appearance. Apart from this many factories use chemicals, cardboard boxes, wood, paper, glass and other materials in their work. All this waste has to be thrown away. 50

51 (Pg.147) Some factories create environmental problems. Some of the problems are written below. Pollution created by factories. Fumes, dust and smoke which cause asthma and shortness of breath. Unpleasant smells. Noises made by trucks and containers. Noises made by machinery. An ugly appearance. A lot of waste has to be thrown away. Smoke which deteriorate buildings and monuments. Imagine if you live close to a place where there are many factories. Which two pollutions would bother you most? Why?. (Pg.148) Cars also do a large amount of damage to the environment and pollute the air which we need so badly. Cars, trucks, and buses, need petrol or diesel to work, and when this is being used it emerges as smoke from the exhaust pipe of each car. This also can cause shortness of breath, asthma and other illnesses. The petrol known as LRP is more dangerous because it contains lead, and when lead is mixed with air it can cause serious problems for one s health. 51

52 Read the sentences below and tick if I am doing right or wrong: I use a car which takes unleaded petrol (petrol without lead). I keep the car engine on while I am not driving. I travel with a group instead of going in separate cars. I never use the bus. I hardly give a service to my car (service- car is checked by a mechanic). I like to drive at 70 km an hour (quite fast). I walk short distances instead of going by car. Right Wrong The more cars we buy the more petrol is used and this increases pollution and illnesses. Cars, trucks, buses and motorbikes add to the noise which bothers people, especially the elderly. The noises of machines, horns and the screeching of brakes are noises which ruin the peace and quiet around us. (Pg.149) The number of cars in our roads causes many problems. Averagely there are about two cars for three persons, and the more time passes, instead of decreasing the number of cars is increasing. Pollution created by traffic. The smoke which comes out from the exhaust causes shortness of breath, asthma, and other illnesses. The noise from horns, screeching of brakes and car engines. Fumes and dust which come out of the car s exhaust deteriorates and dirties walls and building facades. A large number of cars, tires and batteries which contain acid, are thrown away every year which adds to the waste problems. 52

53 1) Tick with a red pen all the points which badly affect a person s health. 2) Tick with a green pen all the points which ruin the environments beauty. (Pg.150) Match the sentences below and write them correctly in the lines given. The faster you drive When possible use the bus Remove extra unwanted things from your car If your parents are going to drive you to school Try to avoid travelling during rush hour For short distances try to walk So that you lessen the weight and waste less fuel. So that you don t get caught in traffic jams. Instead of using the car. The more fuel you waste, and the more you pollute the air. Because if they are full of people we will lessen the air pollution. Try and take some of your friends with you so that there will be fewer cars on the road. 1). 2). 3). 4). 5). 6). 53

54 How polluted is the area you live in? Look at the table below: 4 points 3 points 2 points 1 point Where is the area? In the city centre. On the city s outskirts. In a village In the country. The height of the land Low. Not on a hill and not in a valley. On a hill. Distance from the main road Less than 2 minutes by walk 2 minutes by walk 6 minutes by walk 15 minutes by walk Distance from factories Less than 5 minutes by walk Between 5 and 10 minutes by walk Between 11 and 20 minutes by walk More than half an hour by walk. From each row choose the best one that matches where you live and write the points. Write all the points in the table below. Count all the points. Where is the area? The height of the land Distance from the main road Distance from factories TOTAL POINTS Points 54

55 Results of : 14 or more points means the area you live in is highly polluted. Between 9 and 13 points means the area you live in is moderately polluted 8 points or less means the area you live in is hardly polluted. Underline the correct one: The area I live in is: a) Highly polluted. b) Moderately polluted. c) Hardly polluted. Today we can find cars that do not run on petrol or diesel, but with a special made battery. These cars do not pollute the environment, and they don t make much noise either. When these electric cars will be produced more, the petrol stations will not be used and then we can start breathing fresh air again. (Pg.152) It will be a great thing if we do not have any more pollution, fumes and smoke in the air. But for now this is not possible because our living completely depends on electricity. Electricity is produced from the power stations by burning oil. When this oil is burnt, it causes dangerous and poisonous gases (smoke and fumes) in the air. The more electricity we use in our homes, offices and factories, the more of these poisonous gases will be released in the air. 55

56 Continue the following paragraph by filling in with the correct word from the table below: windows Energy saving televisions oil smoke Turn off Drinking Reverse Osmosis fans pollution We should try our best in order to reduce electricity because by doing this we reduce the amount of in the air. Every time we turn on the lights,, air conditioners, computers, and the, we are using electricity. To produce electricity, has to be burnt or gases from the power station. The more electricity we use, the more is released from the power stations chimneys. It is better to use light bulbs, especially in those rooms which we use most. We always need to the lights when we leave the room for a long time. When we turn on the air conditioners, we should be careful not to leave any doors or open because we would be wasting electricity for nothing. We should also remember that half the drinking water is produced from the which changes salty water into water. This plant also uses up a lot of electricity so we should remember that if we don t waste water, we are saving electricity (energy). (Pg.153) Can you think of other things which could be done in order to reduce electricity usage in order to reduce environmental pollution? Think of what you can do at school to prevent electricity being wasted. 56

57 We reduce pollution by using the sun and the wind. The sun s energy can be used to warm water without using electricity. There is also devices which change the sun s energy in to electricity. Some countries use special windmills which produce electricity from wind. The wind turns the large propellers and the faster they turn, the more electricity is generated. Can you imagine how much smoke pollution we would prevent if we start using these type of systems. (Pg.154) Answer these questions. 1) Give 3 examples how the factories pollute the environment.. 2) Give 3 examples how cars pollute the environment where you live.. 3) Give 3 things one can do to avoid the environmental pollution caused by traffic.. 57

58 (Pg.155) 4) Name 6 appliances which need electricity to work.. 5) What is the name of the plant which generates electricity?. 6) Where do we find the power stations which generate all the electricity we need for the Maltese Islands? Choose from: Marsa, Sliema, Hamrun, Nadur, Delimara, Mellieha. 7) The more water we use, the more smoke is released from the power stations chimneys. Explain why.. 8) Name 2 methods which can produce electricity (energy) without polluting the air.. Search the internet for: Information and pictures about the environmental pollution caused by factories. Information on what can be done to decrease the air pollution. 58

59 4.3 Using the Bring-in Sites (Pg.156) We are used to taking out the rubbish bags every morning and leaving it in front of our house, to be collected. Where does the rubbish go? Up until a few years ago, all of Malta s rubbish was disposed of in landfills such as Maghtab. In time these landfills were full and they became unattractive and dangerous. It is very difficult to find places to use as landfills. And landfills have to be in a remote location because no one would like to have a landfill close to his house. Would you like to live close to a landfill? Why? For many years we have disposed of our entire island s rubbish in landfills. We threw away household rubbish (waste), car tires, mattresses, fridges, plastics, poisonous chemicals, oils, stones and a lot more. We ruined nice places and nice views. We are damaging our health by all the poisonous smells and gases, rats and insects. We polluted some of the sea around some coasts and also the springs which provide fresh water. 59

60 (Pg.157) Just one family disposes of nearly a ton and a half of rubbish in a year. We throw away copybooks, papers, clothes, shoes, glass and plastic bottles, newspapers, leftovers, cardboard boxes, tin cans, furniture and much more. With these we have to include stones and debris from the building industries and also waste from factories. All this waste and rubbish is enough to bury Ta Qali football ground under 80 storeys of waste every year. We can t continue throwing it away and getting rid of it somewhere where it can t be seen so it won t bother us anymore. Make a list of all the things you threw away in one day: With a bit of effort we can reduce waste and thus avoid some of these problems. Tick where I do right and where I do wrong in the following table. I take a plastic bag from the grocer every time I go to the shop. I fix an object instead of throwing it away. I use disposable cups and plates and throw them away instead of using glass paper and cups. I mix all the rubbish together instead of separating it. I buy cheap products and then throw them away. I take my school lunch in a plastic container instead of a plastic bag. I only use 1 side of the paper I throw used batteries in the rubbish bin. When I have bulky waste like T.V s, mattresses, or cookers, I call the Local Council. Right Wrong 60

61 (Pg.158) What are we going to do with all this rubbish and waste? Something needs to be done so that we reduce waste, we re use it and recycle it. All of us can help to reduce waste, by taking our school lunch in a plastic container instead of using plastic bags. When we go shopping we can take a bag with us so that we don t stay wasting the plastic bag the grocer gives us to put our shopping in. we can also reuse our waste. The books we don t need can be given to someone else or donated to a library. The glass bottles can be returned to the store. Waste can also be recycled. This means that a used object instead of being thrown away can be turned into another object. For example, papers can be turned into toilet paper, broken glass can be used to make tiles and the leftover foods can be used as compost. Give another 3 examples on how we can: Reduce Waste: Reuse Waste: 61

62 (Pg.158) Look at these pictures closely. They all show how we can reduce waste. Choose one of the pictures you like most. What was the object before?. What is it being used for now?. Write in your own words what they did to the object to change it into something else.. It is very important that we should reduce, reuse and recycle waste. 62

63 (Pg.159) In order for recycling to be possible, we can t continue mixing the waste. We have to start separating it. At home we can separate the waste by separating papers, food leftovers and peels (organic waste), glass, plastic and tins. When we gather a large amount of waste, we can take them to the Bring-In Sites which is found in the locality where we live. It is also important that the objects we take to the Bring-In Sites are clean. Where do we put this waste? The items written in the table below are things which we can take to the Bring-In Sites. Put them under the proper container. Plastic water bottles Thin cardboard Plastic juice bottles magazines Glass bottles Tin cans papers Plastic shampoo bottles Fabric conditioner plastic bottles newspapers Glass jars Aluminum cans Plastic Paper Glass Metal 63