Outline

Unit #A: Outline

A vocabulary list for this unit can be found at the bottom of the page.

9/6

Systems Probe

What do you know about systems?

--- In class survey!

a. What is a system? Where have you heard this term before?

b. Discussion... Come up with a working, classroom definition of a system.

Bicycle Activity

Provided in class

Open Bicycle Activity

9/7

Manufactured Objects

Systems Manufactured Object --- Provided in class

Open Systems Manufactured Object

Why Systems Thinking?

a. Why is systems thinking important?

b. Where do you think you will use systems thinking in science this year?

9/8

Earth is a System

Pre-video Vocabulary:

  • Earth systems
  • Satellite images
  • Remote sensing
  • Global monitoring

Watch this 5 minute video. Be prepared to answer the questions below.

  • What are the many interacting Earth systems you can describe from this video? Describe the ways in which they interact.
  • What are your thoughts on the impact of humans on our planet after seeing the satellite images of Earth?
  • How has remote sensing changed our ability to study the Earth and how has it contributed to global monitoring of the planet?
  • Think of one environmental issue and explain how global monitoring would be beneficial to gaining knowledge of its impact on the Earth.

9/9

The Spheres...

Interconnected Spheres

The Earth as a System

Open The Earth as a System

1. Discussion about above movie

2. NOTES: What are the different spheres? Why are the spheres separated the way that they are?

Lithosphere

Biosphere

Hydrosphere

Atmosphere

Cryosphere

Anthrosphere

Cosmosphere

9/12

Create a concept map in groups of 4. Share ideas. POSSIBLY: Create a class concept map using GoogleDocs, one recorder for each group.

9/13

Complete the practice quiz!

Work on the concept map.

9/14

Assessment

Part 1:

Take the online portion of the quiz

Part 2:

Create a concept map with the 6 "spheres" and connections between them. Connections between topics should have linking words explaining the connections if it is not an obvious connection.

VOCABULARY

  • System --- a group of parts that interact to perform a function
  • Interaction --- to work together
  • Input --- something that enters a system from outside
  • Output --- something that exits a system, an output of one system is often an input to another!
  • Subsystem --- a smaller system within a system
  • Function --- the end result, what is completed
  • Boundary --- the edge of the system, this is set by the observer
  • Earth systems --- components of Earth that work together to perform a function
  • Satellite images --- pictures of Earth taken from outside the Earth's atmosphere
  • Remote sensing --- using the electromagnetic spectrum to "view" the Earth (infrared = heat images, visible light = light)
  • Global monitoring --- watching the Earth
  • Biosphere --- living organisms (ex. bacteria, spiders, trees)
  • Lithosphere --- Earth's surface and interior (ex. mountains, volcanos, minerals)
  • Hydrosphere --- water on Earth (ex. rivers, waterfalls, oceans)
  • Atmosphere --- gases that surround Earth (ex. oxygen, nitrogen, water vapor)
  • Cryosphere --- frozen water (ex. glaciers, snow, permafrost) this sphere is part of the hydrosphere
  • Anthrosphere --- humans and their constructions (ex. humans, dams, farms, airplanes)
  • Cosmosphere --- everything including the Earth and space (ex. humans, Earth, Moon, Milky Way Galaxy)