We Live WHERE We Live Written by Kira Vermond Illustrated by Juhe MLaughlin Ow kids
Introduction Hello This is planet Earth And see that little spot over there That’s where you live But have you ever wondered why and how you got there Because your parents decided to buy or rent a house or apartment there right But why there How did that happen And what made living there possible The real story behind where you live is actually full of surprising twists and turns you probably have never thought of Everybody adapts When you look in the mirror (cid:155)(cid:145)(cid:151)(cid:3)(cid:134)(cid:145)(cid:144)(cid:495)(cid:150)(cid:3)(cid:149)(cid:135)(cid:135)(cid:3)(cid:131)(cid:3)(cid:133)(cid:131)(cid:150)(cid:481)(cid:3)(cid:132)(cid:139)(cid:148)(cid:134)(cid:481)(cid:3)(cid:145)(cid:148)(cid:3)(cid:976)(cid:139)(cid:149)(cid:138)(cid:3) looking back at you You’re a human But here’s something you do share with all those furry feathered and scaled creatures you’ve adapted to the place where you live Not like other animals have though You don’t grow extra fur to keep you warm for the winter feathers (cid:150)(cid:145)(cid:3)(cid:976)(cid:142)(cid:155)(cid:3)(cid:142)(cid:145)(cid:144)(cid:137)(cid:3)(cid:134)(cid:139)(cid:149)(cid:150)(cid:131)(cid:144)(cid:133)(cid:135)(cid:149)(cid:481)(cid:3)(cid:145)(cid:148)(cid:3)(cid:137)(cid:139)(cid:142)(cid:142)(cid:149)(cid:3)(cid:150)(cid:145)(cid:3) live under water Instead over thousands of years we humans (cid:138)(cid:131)(cid:152)(cid:135)(cid:3)(cid:131)(cid:134)(cid:131)(cid:146)(cid:150)(cid:135)(cid:134)(cid:3)(cid:132)(cid:155)(cid:3)(cid:976)(cid:139)(cid:144)(cid:134)(cid:139)(cid:144)(cid:137)(cid:3)(cid:153)(cid:131)(cid:155)(cid:149)(cid:3)(cid:150)(cid:145)(cid:3) spread out and make homes all over the planet As humans we’ve adapted by using what makes us unlike any other species our brainpower our communication skills and our unique ability to work together to live in all kinds of places no matter how imperfect they are Big brains come in handy In a few cases the locations we choose give us exactly what we need to survive easily warm weather safe drinking water plenty of food to eat and the materials we need to create shelter The problem is there are only so many perfect places here on planet Earth In fact in many areas of the world the settings we call home are far from ideal They’re steaming hot Or freezing cold Or dry as a dog bone Maybe they’re even areas exposed to earthquakes tornadoes tsunamis or active volcanoes Why would anyone want to live in uncomfortable or dangerous places Maybe because we’ve (cid:976)(cid:139)(cid:137)(cid:151)(cid:148)(cid:135)(cid:134)(cid:3)(cid:145)(cid:151)(cid:150)(cid:3)(cid:138)(cid:145)(cid:153)(cid:488)(cid:3)(cid:26)(cid:135)(cid:3)(cid:133)(cid:131)(cid:144)(cid:3)(cid:142)(cid:139)(cid:152)(cid:135)(cid:3)(cid:139)(cid:144)(cid:3) cold climates because we pull energy from the Earth to heat our homes We’ve even found ways to shift water closer to our towns (cid:131)(cid:144)(cid:134)(cid:3)(cid:133)(cid:139)(cid:150)(cid:139)(cid:135)(cid:149)(cid:3)(cid:149)(cid:145)(cid:3)(cid:153)(cid:135)(cid:3)(cid:133)(cid:131)(cid:144)(cid:3)(cid:134)(cid:148)(cid:139)(cid:144)(cid:141)(cid:3)(cid:139)(cid:150)(cid:481)(cid:3)(cid:976)(cid:142)(cid:151)(cid:149)(cid:138)(cid:3) it and feed our vegetables with it (cid:23)(cid:138)(cid:131)(cid:150)(cid:495)(cid:149)(cid:3)(cid:131)(cid:143)(cid:131)(cid:156)(cid:139)(cid:144)(cid:137)(cid:488) 4
Needs wants and nice to haves Still let’s be clear here when it comes to adapting to our environment or making the environment adapt to our needs we’ve done much more than simply create a nest or a burrow for our families to live in That works for animals but we want more than just a roof over our heads That’s why over time we’ve worked together to build towns and cities that offer speedy transportation good schools lots of jobs and neighborhoods that make us feel welcome happy and safe All these perks are incredibly important to people So much so that without them many of us would choose to pick up and move somewhere else Why We Live Where We Live is about how we humans have managed to evolve or change to live in sync with our planet and how we mold our environment to suit our needs big and small But that’s only part of the story The BIG QUESTION is What drives us to go to such lengths (cid:139)(cid:144)(cid:3)(cid:150)(cid:138)(cid:135)(cid:3)(cid:976)(cid:139)(cid:148)(cid:149)(cid:150)(cid:3)(cid:146)(cid:142)(cid:131)(cid:133)(cid:135)(cid:491)(cid:3)(cid:26)(cid:138)(cid:155)(cid:3)(cid:134)(cid:145)(cid:3)(cid:153)(cid:135)(cid:3)(cid:132)(cid:145)(cid:150)(cid:138)(cid:135)(cid:148)(cid:491) So why do you live where you live How is it even possible Turn the page You’re about to fi nd out
