2.1
(You can find more worksheets on this site. http://primarysocialstudies.skola.edu.mt/ssenglish.htm)
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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:
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2
3
4
5
6
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Portugal
Spain
France
Italy
Slovenia
Croatia
Tunisia
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10
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Morocco
Montenegro
Albania
Greece
Turkey
Syria
Algeria
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18
19
20
21
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Lebanon
Israel
Malta
Egypt
Libya
Cyprus
Find a map from the internet and mark the countries mentioned above on it.
8
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.
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In which countries do we find the:
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B
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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
Name the correct country for each map:
______________
_________________
__________________
______________
________________________
Write the names of these countries in the correct place in the boxes on the
map:
Italy
France
Turkey
Libya
Israel
Algeria
Morocco
Spain
10
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
s
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.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________.
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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 __________________.
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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). (
http://schoolnet.gov.mt/tanti/Birds17.html 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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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.
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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
Gozo Channel ferries
Auberge de Castille
Valletta
yachts
Sandy beach
Large shops
Ix-Xlendi
Mellieha
High walls
Hotels
Parliament
L-Imgarr
Restaurant
Fishing village
High Buildings
Tas-Sliema
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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. (
http://geography.skola.edu.mt/schemes/form-1/)
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
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
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.
http://maltageo.tripod.com/html/rock_formation.html
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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
The hard rock is
many objects like
crushed into sand
plates, pots, pipes
and gravel. This
and jugs were
is mixed with
made from clay.
cement to
When clay is
produce bricks,
placed in a very
planks for
hot oven it
building
becomes very
materials. Gravel
hard.
is also used to
make the roads
25
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.
Blue Clay was
commonly used for
pottery making.
However, this
tradition has
diminished
The Lower Coralline
Limestone is mainly used for
road surfacing and in concrete
mixtures.
Globigerina
Limestone
It is a porous rock
usually having a
white/yellow
colour. It is used
mainly for
buildings and
making of
sculptures.
26
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
2 Large rivers used to empty
3 The sediment gathered on the seabed
4 Rock formed from gravel, dirt,marine
life shells
5 Sedimentary rock is all made from
6 The sediment rose from the water
1
2
3
a
b
c
d
e
f
Layer over layer.
Hardened with its own pressure and
its own weight.
30 million years ago..
Because the continents of Europe
and Africa moved closer together.
Dirt,sand,mud and other sediments.
Is called Sedimentary rock.
4
5
6
Fill in using the words in the table:
Globigerina Limestone
sediment
Had-Dingli
gravel
layers
Ramla
30 million
Sedimentary
27
 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:
T F
The rocks of Malta were formed under the sea.
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
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
 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 ____
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
stone dust.
30
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
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:
http://voices.yahoo.com/science-class-activity-7011638.html
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
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
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.
D9
34
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
ends in Xlendi.
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
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
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
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
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M
P
E
T
R
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A
D-
D
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N
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L
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F
S
W
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M
M
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G
L
A
G
G
H
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R-
D
A
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M
D
F
N
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U’
S
C
A
V
E
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R
T
A’
C
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N
C
Z
T
P
R
O
B
O
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L
Q
Z
E
B
B
U
G
S
T
A
L
A
G
T
I
T
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S
N
D
M
D
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A
Q
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M
A
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G
H
A
D
I
R
A
L
X
M
A
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S
A
L
F
O
R
N
Find the names of these places in the letter grid:
Had-Dingli
Nadur
Ninu’s Cave
Ta’ Cenc
Ramla
Marsalforn
Ghar Dalam
Ghadira
Dam
Mdina
38
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
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
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
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 lImtahleb, 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
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
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)
True False
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.
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
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
(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
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
(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
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
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K
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P
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48
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
2
3
4
5
6
7
In the past villages were
Many roads in the city are
One of the mayor problems in a city
is
In cities you find many places of
entertainment
In the country there is a lot less
You find a lot more houses and
apartments
In the city you can buy
very busy.
surrounded by fields.
In a city than in a village.
Like restaurants, bars and cinemas.
Anything you need.
Pollution and noise like there is in
the city.
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
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
(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
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
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
So that you lessen the weight and waste
less fuel.
When possible use the bus
So that you don’t get caught in traffic
jams.
Remove extra unwanted things from Instead of using the car.
your car
If your parents are going to drive you The more fuel you waste, and the more
to school
you pollute the air.
Try to avoid travelling during rush hour
Because if they are full of people we
will lessen the air pollution.
For short distances try to walk
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
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
The height of
the land
Low.
Not on a hill
and not in a
valley.
2 minutes by
walk
On a hill.
6 minutes by
walk
15 minutes by
walk
Between 5 and
10 minutes by
walk
Between 11 and
20 minutes by
walk
More than half
an hour by
walk.
Distance from
Less than 2
the main road minutes by walk
Distance from
Less than 5
factories
minutes by walk
In the country.
 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.
Points
Where is the area?
The height of the land
Distance from the main road
Distance from factories
TOTAL POINTS
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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.
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Continue the following paragraph by filling in with the correct word from the
table below:
windows
Turn off
Energy saving
Drinking
televisions
Reverse Osmosis
oil
fans
smoke
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.
 _________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________
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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.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________.
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(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.
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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.
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(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.
Right Wrong
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.
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(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:
 _________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________
 _________________________________________________________
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(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.
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(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
Glass bottles
Thin cardboard
Tin cans
Plastic juice
bottles
papers
Fabric conditioner
plastic bottles
newspapers
Glass jars
Plastic
Paper
Glass
magazines
Plastic shampoo
bottles
Aluminum cans
Metal
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Plastic
Paper
Glass
Metal
(Pg.160)
We cannot throw away all types of metal, paper and plastic in bring-in sites.
Some of the things we can’t throw away there are:
Light bulbs, milk cartons, eye glasses, window panes, crisps bags, juice cartons,
batteries and car exhaust.
We take plastic, glass, metal and papers to the Bring-In sites. But what are we
going to do with the leftover foods, eggshells, vegetable peels, dried leaves,
rotting vegetables and fruits, bread and other things like these? This waste is
collected everyday from near our front door and some of this waste is taken to
the recycling plant and turned into compost, such as manure for fields and
gardens. Even you can do your own compost. In a corner of your garden, make a
layer of leftover foods and then cover it with some soil. Do about 6 layers of this
and leave it for some time. In a few months you will have compost which improves
the soil’s quality.
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(Pg.161)
All the following sentences have something wrong. Find the mistakes and fix
them.
1) We take plastic, papers, glass and leftover foods to the bring-in sites.
____________________________________________________________.
2) We make compost from glass.
____________________________________________________________.
3) We can throw away plastic bags in the glass container at the bring-in site.
____________________________________________________________.
4) We throw used batteries in the black container marked Metal at the bring-in
sites.
_____________________________________________________________.
5) At the Sant Antnin implant plastic is recycled.
_____________________________________________________________.
6) Compost is sand which we throw on our roofs.
_____________________________________________________________.
The materials we take to the bring-in sites are collected separately and sent for
recycling. By recycling these materials good products we can use are produced.
For example when paper and cardboard is recycled, we are protecting many trees
because papers are made from trees. If every school recycles a ton of used
papers, 17 trees will be saved. When factories produce paper they use up a lot of
water, electricity and chemicals. When we recycle paper we are reducing the use
of these resources also. Recycling factories make toilet paper and tissues out of
used papers and newspapers.
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(Pg.162)
Look at the pictures on page 162. These show us how paper is made. Mark
the number correctly according to the pictures.
The logs are taken to the factory.
Trees are cut from the forest. You need 17 trees to make a ton of paper
It gets piled and cut into small pieces.
The pieces of wood are put into a mixture of chemicals and water to be turned
into paper.
Pollution in the air.
New papers are made for newspapers, magazines, copybooks, toilet paper and
all types of other product which consists of paper.
(Pg.163)
The pictures on page 163 show how recycled paper is produced.
Used newspapers and other types of papers are taken to the recycling factory.
All the papers are rinsed and mixed in large containers full of water, to remove
the ink on them.
Sometimes tiny pieces of wood (pulp) are added to this mixture so the paper
becomes strong.
New recycled papers are produced for (toilet paper, tissues, newspapers,
coloring paper, computer papers and other types of paper.)
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Name for things we are saving on when we use recycled paper instead of new
paper:
(Pg.164)
 Try and visit a recycling plant or look on the internet. It can be recycling
paper, aluminum, metal, compost, or any other materials.
 What material is recycled in the recycling plant you went to?
 How many workers are working in this recycling plant?
 How is the material brought to the recycling plant to be recycled?
 What would happen to the material (waste) if it hadn’t been taken to the
recycling plant?
 Think about how the used material (paper, aluminum, metal) is transformed
into a new product.
 Where are the recycled products sold?
(Pg.165)
Read the passage and fill in with the words from the table:
Bring-In sites
Paper
cars
Melted
Electric
money
Landfill (rubbish dump)
Compost
Air
A lot of waste is recycled. To recycle waste a lot less _________________
energy is used. To recycle waste into something new we can waste 20 times less
energy. By doing this you can realize how much we will prevent the __________
being polluted. If we continue to throw everything away, without recycling it our
island would end up completely used as a _________________. Then where will
our children live?
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On our islands we recycle leftover food and produce ______________. We
also recycle _____________ to produce toilet paper and tissues. We recycle
metal and aluminum objects. The metal used from _________ and fridges, is cut
into pieces and crushed, and then exported to other countries. All the aluminum
such as beer cans and other canned drinks is collected, ________________ and
turned into ingots, which are also sold to other countries. All the glass collected
from the ______________________ is loaded on ships and sold to those
countries that have factories that recycle this material. By doing this we are
reducing the waste and at the same time we are earning ___________. But most
of all we are keeping our country cleaner.
(Pg.166 & Pg.167)
Read the following passage and then answer the questions.
Malghaw is a small island surrounded by a beautiful sea. This island is visited by
thousands of tourists, especially in summer. The inhabitants of Malghaw built
luxurious hotels to accommodate these tourists.
The people of this island did not pay much attention to the environment. They
didn’t even care much about what happens to the garbage which they put outside
every morning, to be collected by the garbage truck. They used to throw out all
their waste, even things which could be reused. The landfill where the rubbish
trucks used to empty the rubbish began to get bigger and bigger until it could be
seen from other towns and villages in Malghaw. It could also be seen from hotels
nearby. It began to produce nasty smells and sometimes it used to catch fire and
produce poisonous gases which were spread around the whole island. All this waste
brought more rats and insects. The landfill continued to grow and grow, which
caused certain beaches to be closed, and the tourists began to complain.
The People of Malghaw had to take action and see what could be done. They
learnt how to reduce the amount of waste they threw away. They began to buy
things which had little packaging so that they would not have a lot of wrapping to
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throw away. They also began to reuse glass jars instead of throwing them out. But
most of all they learnt how to recycle.
They placed large containers in every village to collect plastic, papers, glass and
metal. Everybody began to separate their waste and used the bring-in sites. The
materials from the build-in sites were collected and recycled in Malghaw but some
of the materials were exported. They began to earn money from things which they
used to throw away before.
At last all the landfills closed and they built an appropriate landfill in order to
avoid ruining the environment. The sea became clean, the bad smells and the
poisonous gases were gone for good. The tourists began to return and the
inhabitants of Malghaw began to live a better life.
1) Why did a lot of tourists come to Malghaw?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________.
2) Where did the tourists stay when they came to Malghaw?
____________________________________________________________.
3) The people of Malghaw didn’t pay much attention to the environment. What
did they do?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________.
4) Where did the rubbish trucks empty the rubbish which they collected every
day?
_____________________________________________________________.
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5) Why did the landfill bother the tourists and the people of Malghaw?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________.
6) Why do you think the beaches had to be closed so that no one would go to
swim there?
_____________________________________________________________.
7) Name 3 things the people of Malghaw did to solve the waste problem they
had.
 _________________________________________________________.
 _________________________________________________________.
 _________________________________________________________.
Look on the internet to find:
 What we can do to reduce waste.
 Landfill problems.
 The importance of recycling.
 How glass, plastic, metal, paper and leftover food recycling is done.
Revision (Pg.168)
 The Maltese countryside is made up from small fields surrounded by rubble
walls, farms where farmers used to live, beautiful views, peace and quiet.
 In the past the villages were surrounded by fields, but today the fields
which used to surround the villages is reducing because of the houses and
apartments being built and new wide roads.
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 Life in the city is more comfortable because you can find all you want: large
shops, supermarkets, places of entertainment, banks and schools. A lot of
people live in the city, and this causes more traffic, noise and pollution.
 Factories are extremely important for our country, but unfortunately they
pollute the environment. Many factories pollute the air, produce nasty
smells, make a lot of noise and also produce a lot of waste. All this is
damaging to people’s health.
 Even cars pollute the air with the exhaust they produce. Because of this
many people develop shortness of breath, asthma and other illnesses.
 We have to reduce waste, reuse it and recycle it.
 We should take paper, metal, plastic and metal to the bring-in sites. These
materials are collected separately, sorted out and sent for recycling.
 From used paper such as newspapers we can make tissue paper and toilet
paper, glass, plastic and metals are exported to other countries. From
leftover food and other organic waste, we make compost.
 Thanks to recycling, the amount of waste thrown in the landfills is reduced,
thus reducing the air and environmental pollution. And recycling also helps us
care for natural resources.
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