Embedded Files
Introduction
Introduction
In this lesson you will:
learn about the four spheres of the Earth
discover how these spheres interact
explore how humans use the Earth's resources.
Inquiry question and intentions
Inquiry question and intentions
Inquiry question:
How do we use natural and made resources from the biosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere?
Learning intentions
To describe the biosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere.
To explain how these Earth spheres are constantly changing and interact.
To describe how human activities impact on the biosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere.
To distinguish between natural and made or synthetic materials.
Activity 1 - What are some of Earth's spheres?
Activity 1 - What are some of Earth's spheres?
Everything on Earth can be placed into one of four major systems involving land, water, living things or air. These four systems are called ‘spheres’. The four spheres are the:
lithosphere (part of the geosphere, the land)
hydrosphere (water)
biosphere (living things)
atmosphere (air).
Task 1
Task 1
Watch the videos, Four spheres Part 1 and Four spheres Part 2.
Use information from the videos to complete the Earth's spheres comparison activity Google Slides.
Click on the image to open a new tab and view the Google Slide.
Click on the Use Template button to create a copy for you to edit.
Four Spheres Part 1
Duration: 4:00
Four Spheres Part 2
Duration: 3:30
Note: In this video, the lithosphere is called the geosphere but still refers to all the land parts – the rocks, minerals, soils and landforms.
Task 2
Task 2
The lithosphere is the solid, outer part of the Earth. The lithosphere includes:
the crust
the outermost layer of the Earth
the rigid upper portion of the mantle.
It is bounded by the atmosphere above and the asthenosphere (another part of the upper mantle) below. The lithosphere is the most rigid of Earth’s layers and is the coolest.
Use this information to drag the label of lithosphere to the parts of the Earth that make it up on the interactive diagram.
Task 3
Task 3
Match each description to the correct Earth sphere by dragging the word into the correct box.
Task 4
Task 4
Separate the list of objects or things into the correct sphere of the Earth by dragging the labels to the image.
Select Check when you are finished.
Task 5
Task 5
Create a poster that shows the different Earth spheres. In your poster you need to:
include at least one diagram showing the different spheres
describe the typical components and properties of each sphere
explain the purpose of each sphere on Earth
describe how each sphere helps to maintain the planet so it can sustain life.
CC0 Public Domain
Activity 2 - How do Earth's sphere systems interact?
Activity 2 - How do Earth's sphere systems interact?
Background information
Background information
Earth’s spheres are constantly changing and interacting with each other.
For example, rain (hydrosphere) falls from clouds (atmosphere) to the ground (lithosphere) and forms streams and rivers. These rivers provide drinking water for animals and humans and help plants grow (biosphere). Flowing rivers erode river banks, washing soil away (lithosphere), uprooting plants (biosphere) on the riverbanks and taking fish downstream.
Hydrologic cycle CC0 Public Domain
Task 1
Task 1
Study the two images below.
In your exercise book or folder, write a short paragraph for each image, describing interactions that might occur between the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere in this landscape.
CC0 Public Domain
CC0 Public Domain
Task 2
Task 2
Watch the video, Causes and effects of Climate Change.
In your exercise book or folder, use information from the video to explain how changes in one of the Earth’s four spheres (hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, or biosphere) can have an effect on the other spheres.
Causes and effects of climate change
Duration 3:04
Task 3
Task 3
Explore the interactive The Anthropocene: Human impact on the environment.
Think about how humans have impacted on the environment and how this has affected the lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.
Read the Introduction to find out about the proposed new geological epoch called the Anthropocene.
Use the Help to get instructions on how to use the interactive
Use the interactive to complete the activity in the Google Doc.
Click on the button to open a new tab and view the Google Doc.
Click on the Use Template button to create a copy for you to edit.
Activity 3 - How do we use Earth's natural resources?
Activity 3 - How do we use Earth's natural resources?
Background information - Natural resources
Background information - Natural resources
Natural resources are materials from the Earth that are used to support life and meet people’s needs. Some examples of natural resources are:
air, sunlight and soil
water
oil, coal and natural gas
metals, stone and sand
animals and plants on land and in water.
Natural resources are used to make food, fuel and raw materials for the production of goods, like clothing, tools, cars and machinery. All of the food that we eat comes from plants or animals.
Natural resources such as coal, natural gas and oil provide energy for electricity, heating and transportation. These resources also are the raw materials for making products such as steel, synthetic fibres and plastics.
Background information - Synthetic materials
Background information - Synthetic materials
Synthetic materials are made from natural resources and are usually created and customised to suit a specific purpose. Synthetic materials are made by chemically changing the raw materials to create new materials with different characteristics and properties.
Some examples of synthetic materials are:
different types of steel and alloys
plastics
synthetic fibres like nylon, rayon, polyester and Kevlar
medicines and pharmaceuticals.
Task 1
Task 1
Use the interactive to drag the natural resource image up to the product or products it makes.
Task 2
Task 2
Explore items in and around your home to find as many examples as you can of natural and synthetic materials.
Undertake some research on one of the synthetic materials that you have found.
Use the Natural and synthetic materials Google Doc to complete this activity.
Click on the button to open a new tab and view the Google Doc.
Click on the Use Template button to create a copy for you to edit.
Task 3
Task 3
Watch the video, Science 101: Plastics.
Read the article 'Is a substitute for plastic coming anytime soon?' on the ABC News website.
Use information from the video and the article to complete the 3 - 2 - 1 Google Doc.
Click on the button to open a new tab and view the Google Doc.
Click on the Use Template button to create a copy for you to edit.
Science 101: Plastics
Duration 5:45
Exit slip
Exit slip
Handing in your work
Handing in your work
Don't forget to hand in the work you completed today!
Your teacher will have told you to do one of the following:
Upload any digital documents you created and any photos you took of your written work to your Learning Management system (MS Teams, Google Classroom for example).
Email any digital documents you created and any photos you took of your written work to your teacher.
Make sure you keep any hand written work you did in your exercise book or folder as your teacher may need to see these when you are back in class.
Student reflection
Student reflection
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