Download Science | Unit: Earth Science and Systems | Lesson 3: Spheres as

Science Unit: Earth Science and
|
Systems |
Lesson 3: Spheres as Earth
Systems
Student Guide
Lesson 3: Spheres as Earth Systems
The whole earth system can be divided into subsystems,
which in turn are composed of their parts. The earth's
subsystems are often portrayed as dynamic and
interacting spheres.
Goals for the Lesson


Identify and define the spheres that make up the earth
system (atmosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere,
geosphere, and biosphere).
Explain the interactions between the atmosphere,
cryosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.
Materials
Student Guide
Earth Science: A Reference Guide
Keywords and Pronunciations
atmosphere
: a layer of gases that surrounds a planet
biosphere ( BIY-uh-sfir )
includes all living things
cryosphere
geosphere
: the zone of life on the earth that
: all frozen water, on land and sea, on earth
: the solid earth; that is, all rock on earth
hydrosphere ( HIY-druh-sfir ) : the liquid layer of the earth,
made up of the earth´s waters; the oceanic parts of the
hydrosphere cover about three-fourths of the earth´s surface
Explore
As you read through the lesson,
use the space below to take notes.
Word Bank
gasoline
Earth is a dynamic system.
temperature
power
heat
systems
five
motion
spheres
electricity
The earth is a system of many parts.
Consider your family car. Although it has lots of parts,
those parts are organized into various _______-groups of
interacting parts that form a complex whole.
The engine generates the__________. The electrical
system generates and delivers __________to the lights
and instruments. The fuel system delivers _________ to
the engine. The transmission and drivetrain convert the
engine power to __________. The cooling system removes
excess ______ from the engine. The heat and airconditioning control the cabin ________.
The earth is made up of ______ different systems. These
earth systems are often represented as
interacting____________.
Read the following list:








redwood tree
lava
iceberg
mountain range
Lake Erie
clouds
soil
elephant
Organize the list into groups of items that are similar in
nature. Write the groups down on a sheet of paper and
name each group. As you learn about earth's spheres and
their interaction, you may alter and add to your groups of
like items as you begin to see them as components of
earth's various spheres.
The cryosphere is all of earth’s ____ on land and sea.
The cryosphere is all the _______ water on the earth’s
surface. Ice occurs in many places. Continental ice sheets
are found on ___________ and Antarctica. ___________
are on every continent except Australia. Sheets of ice
___________ in the oceans and seas, usually around the
poles. Ice also forms on________, streams, ponds,
and________.
The ________ changes over time and space. Land ice,
such as snowfall and glaciers, ___________ and melts
seasonally. Glaciers wear down mountainsides. Floating
sea ice moves in the __________, driven by winds and
_____________. The cryosphere has greatly increased
over millions of years because the ________ has
experienced several ice ages during its history.
The atmosphere controls and distributes heat.
The sun’s _______ strikes the atmosphere. The
composition of the atmosphere is important.

Carbon dioxide and water ________ in the
atmosphere ________ heat energy that is given up
by the water and land below. This ______________
Word Bank
Ice
Lakes
currents
Greenland
Ocean
phenomenon
earth
Float
vapor
cryosphere
rivers
Frozen
Freezes
retain
Glaciers
energy


is called the ____________ ____________.
Clouds and ___________ in the atmosphere reflect
the sun’s energy.
Ozone in the ________ atmosphere protects the
earth’s surface from dangerous _________ radiation.
Patterns of air _________ in the atmosphere, such as the
trade winds, distribute heat energy across the globe, from
the ________ to the poles. Weather systems, such as air
masses, fronts, and ________ storms, distribute moisture
across the land.
The hydrosphere is made up of all water on earth.
Word Bank
Circulation
oceans
particles
wider
surface
inside
equator
The hydrosphere includes freshwater bodies such as
rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams and saltwater bodies
such as oceans and seas.
hydrosphere
The oceans are the largest part of the _______________,
accounting for about 97 percent of the earth’s water and
covering over 70 percent of the earth’s __________.
Earth’s oceans vary in________, with an average of 3,800
m, or about 12,500 ft.
depth
The ________ are not evenly distributed over the globe.
Most of the ocean area is in the Southern _____________.
rocks
largest
tropical
Hemisphere
solid
greenhouse effect
The geosphere consists of the _______ on the surface of
the earth and _______ the earth.
The geosphere is the _______ portion of the earth. It is
made of rock and consists of the surface (continents and
seafloor) and the earth’s interior. The geosphere is the
__________ sphere on the planet. It is not a perfect
sphere in that it is ________ at the equator (6,378 km)
than at the poles (6,357 km).
upper
ultraviolet
The geosphere is made up of the following parts:



Crust—The surface layer varies in ____________ to
about 100 km deep. The continents are thicker than
the seafloor.
Mantle—The ________ lies beneath the ________
and is 2,900 km thick.
Core—The core is made of ________ and. It is
3,480 km in diameter and consists of a _______
outer core and a solid _________ core.
Word Bank
Mantle
Crust
organisms
Forests
changing
The biosphere is all ________ things on earth.
single-cell
All living things on earth, from the smallest ________
organisms to the largest plants and animals, make up the
biosphere. The ___________ in the biosphere are
________ into ecosystems. Ecosystems consist of both
living and nonliving parts. Some examples of ecosystems
are deserts, __________, tundras, ___________,
grasslands, and oceans. The living parts of ecosystems are
called__________ , which are groups of __________
species that live in the same area.
Iron
The biosphere is constantly____________. Ecosystems
can also _______ and shrink with changing environmental
conditions. Over time, as species evolve, some
become____________. The earth’s spheres interact.
The hydrosphere provides the _________ that forms the
frozen ice of the cryosphere. The atmosphere gets its
__________ from the hydrosphere. The
hydrosphere interacts with the geosphere in the
______________ of pieces of earth's crust—a bit like the
role of oil in ___________ the moving parts of your family
car's engine. And liquid water is essential to life on earth,
the biosphere.
Living
Organized
Interacting
movement
Extinct
moisture
communities
expand
marshes
inner
lubricating
water
liquid
thickness
nickel