Earth Systems

Teaching the Earth Systems can get tricky because students need to know about each part before they can learn how those parts interact.  The thing fifth graders need to graduate your class knowing is how these systems interact.  There is the Geosphere, the Hydrosphere, the Atmosphere, the Biosphere.  So, here I break it down into each one.  Within the Geosphere, there is the rock cycle, including erosion, tectonic plates, soil for plants.  Within the Hydrosphere, we got the water cycle, which, in turn impacts the rock cycle.  See what I mean about them interacting?     This page is the overall page, about how the spheres interact and how they are connected.  Do some work in one sphere and then come here, continually showing your students how they are related.

Before we get into it, you know I love some art.  I have kids do this activity.  Basically, it's me doing the basic teacher lecture and introduction while we do a "shared drawing" of each sphere.  It's a no-stress way to introduce each sphere.  You can do one sphere at a time, and then the activities below with it,... or all the spheres all at once.  Your call, Teacher.  At the end, I give this mini-test.

However, this unit is set up for you to have control.  Want to do the Hydrosphere first?  Jump right in!  Want to do the Geosphere first?  Sure!  Each unit is in the order you want to do.  Each unit is then labeled with days from there. 

This is what your class needs to know: everything is connected.  The water cycle connects to the rock cycle and the rock cycle connects to the soil and the health of the soil connects to the ability of the animal to photosynthesis and the ability to photosynthesis pulls all that carbon out of the air and reverses climate change.  That is what your students need to leave your class knowing.