Physical Environment – JSS1 Social Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

An environment is the natural world in which people, animals and plants live. Generally, it refers to everything within our surroundings. The physical environment refers to all natural and non-natural things around us. It can also be regarded as our immediate environment.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• define an environment and the physical environment;
• state the two types of physical environment, with examples;
• list the features of Nigeria’s physical environment;
• describe highlands and lowlands and state their importance;
• state the uses of rivers in Nigeria;
• name the seasons, the elements of weather and climate, and the vegetation belts in Nigeria.

What are the types of physical environment?

1. Natural environment: it includes valleys, forests, deserts, hills, mountains, rivers, grasslands, etc.
2. Non-natural or man-made environment: it includes bridges, houses, hospitals, roads, vehicles, police stations, markets, schools, etc.

What are the features of Nigeria’s physical environment?

Nigeria’s physical environment features include:

1. Relief
2. Rivers
3. Lakes
4. Seasons
5. Weather
6. Vegetation

Relief

Relief refers to land surface features above sea level. It can be classified into highland and lowland.

Highland

A highland is a mountainous or hilly section of a country. Examples are Idanre Hill, the Adamawa Mountains and the Udi-Nsukka plateau.

Lowland

Lowlands are plains, for example the Chad Basin plain.

Importance of highlands

1. They serve as easy defence during war.
2. They serve as tourist centres.
3. They are good sources of minerals like gold, tin, etc.
4. Some help in the construction of hydroelectric power in Nigeria.

Importance of lowlands

1. They support transportation, e.g. roads, railways and ports.
2. They are good for agricultural purposes.
3. They are suitable for human habitation.
4. They provide a good place for rearing animals.

Rivers

The two major rivers in Nigeria are the River Niger and the River Benue. Others are the Ogun, Osun, Zamfara, Anambra and Cross Rivers, etc.

Importance and uses of rivers in Nigeria

1. They are used for domestic purposes such as drinking, washing and cooking.
2. They provide employment opportunities for fishermen, shipbuilders, etc.
3. They are used for generating electricity, e.g. the Kainji Dam.
4. They are used by industries for production, e.g. soft drinks and bottled water.
5. They provide food for mankind, e.g. fish and crayfish.
6. They are used in the construction of sea ports.

Lakes

A lake is a large area of water surrounded by land.

Seasons

There are two seasons in Nigeria: the wet season and the dry season.

Wet season: This is a period of rainfall and humidity. It falls between April and October and sometimes extends to November. It is normally caused by the south-west wind. It is a good period for farming activities in Nigeria.

Dry season: It is caused by the north-east wind coming from the Sahara Desert. It comes with harmattan, particularly in Northern Nigeria. The dry season runs from November to April.

Weather and climate

Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at a particular place and time. Atmospheric conditions change from time to time.

Climate is the average weather condition of a particular place over a long period of time.

Elements of weather and climate

1. Temperature: the degree of coldness or hotness of a place at any particular time. It is measured with a thermometer.
2. Rainfall: excess condensed water vapour in the atmosphere that is released to the earth. It is measured with a rain gauge.
3. Wind: the movement of air in a particular direction. It is measured with a wind vane and an anemometer.
4. Air pressure: the force exerted by the atmosphere on the earth’s surface and other objects. It is measured with a mercury barometer and an aneroid barometer.
5. Relative humidity: the degree or amount of moisture (water present in the air) in the atmosphere. It is measured with a hygrometer.
6. Clouds: tiny droplets of water vapour in the atmosphere.
7. Sunshine: the direct light of the sun. It is the brightness of the sun.

Vegetation

Vegetation is the ground cover provided by plants. It is influenced by climate. There are three vegetation belts in Nigeria:

1. Forest
2. Savanna
3. Montane

Forest: It includes mangrove swamp forests and rainforests.

Savanna: It consists of grasses and flowers growing between trees. It can be further divided into Guinea Savanna, Sudan Savanna and Sahel Savanna.

Montane vegetation: This is vegetation with trees and grasses. It is found in Adamawa, Jos, etc.

Evaluation

1. Define an environment.
2. What is the physical environment?
3. State the types of physical environment and explain with examples.
4. Highlight the features of the physical environment and explain with examples.

Assignment

1. State four uses of rivers in Nigeria.
2. Name three elements of weather and the instrument used to measure each.