Download 4. Content Analysis

Content Analysis
Michigan Science Standards/Benchmarks
E2.1 Earth Systems Overview
The Earth is a system consisting of four major interacting components: geosphere (crust, mantle, and core),
atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), and biosphere (the living part of Earth).
E2.2 Energy in Earth Systems
Energy in Earth systems can exist in a number of forms (e.g., thermal energy as heat in the Earth, chemical
energy stored as fossil fuels, mechanical energy as delivered by tides) and can be transformed from one state
to another and move from one reservoir to another.
E2.3 Biogeochemical Cycles
The Earth is a system containing essentially a fixed amount of each stable chemical atom or element. Most
elements can exist in several different states and chemical forms; they move within and between the
geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere as part of the Earth system.
Generalizations
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Matter flows throughout Earth’s systems.
o Focus Question: What are some of the cycles of matter found in Earth’s systems?
The Carbon Cycle affects all of Earth’s systems.
o Focus Question: What are some ways in which humans interact with the carbon cycle?
Climate change is an important part of the 21st century.
o Focus Question: What are some of the natural and artificial mechanisms of climate
change?
Burning fossil fuels is bad for the Earth.
o Focus Question: What are some alternative energy sources and what are the pros/cons
of each?
Concepts
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Interaction of Earth systems
Forms of energy
Biogeochemical cycles
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Climate change
Greenhouse effect
Availability of energy
Alternative energy
Facts
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Earth is composed of four interacting spheres.
Earth is a closed system.
Earth has internal and external energy sources.
The Sun is the external energy source for almost all life on Earth.
The Moon’s gravitational energy creates tides.
The radiation of the Earth’s core provides heat for convection cycles in the Earth’s mantle.
Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Water flow in biogeochemical cycles.
The atmosphere is made of 78% Nitrogen gas, 21% oxygen, and 1% everything else.
Combustion releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
The Earth’s position in space is a factor in climate change.
Plate tectonics can cause climate change by physically moving continents and disrupting
currents.
Catastrophic events can lead to drastic climate changes.
Ice ages are marked by decreased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
The Greenhouse Effect traps heat inside the Earth’s atmosphere.
The 6 primary greenhouse gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, nitrous
oxide, and CFCs.
The average temperature in Ann Arbor has risen over the past century.
Past climate can be viewed through geological and fossil evidence.
Burning fossil fuels is a cheap, efficient, but nonrenewable and polluting energy source.
Alternative energies include nuclear, solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, bio-fuels, and fuel
cells.