Elementary School Science

Input:
What is the most important content in this lesson?
To reach this lesson’s objective, students need to understand:

• Earth’s four spheres.

• The name of each sphere.

• The materials that make up each sphere.

• The function/ importance of each sphere.

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How will the learning of this content be facilitated?

• The teacher will begin the class by conducting the activity “Guess the Greek Prefix”. The teacher will have four cards, each one will have one of these prefixes: litho; atmo; hydro; bio. The teacher will hold up each card, say the word on the card, have the students repeat the word, and then ask the students what they think the word means. After the students guess the answer/ teacher tells them the answer, the teacher will place the card on the blackboard/chalkboard (place the cards in a horizontal order). Once all the cards have been shown, the teacher will hold up the “sphere” word card. Again, the teacher will ask the students to define the word. After the students guess the answer/ the teacher tells them the answer, the teacher will place the card under the “Greek Prefix” word cards. The teacher will then say the Greek prefixes, but this time add “sphere” to the end: lithosphere; atmosphere; hydrosphere; biosphere. The teacher will ask the students if they can define these words. The teacher should begin a discussion about these words and explain that these four spheres make up the Earth’s surface.

Prefix Answers: litho = stone; atmo = air; hydro = water; bio = life

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• Next, the teacher will hand out the worksheet packet “What Makes Up the Earth’s Surface?” If it is possible, project each page of the “What Makes Up the Earth’s Surface?” worksheet packet onto the board using a projector or put into a PowerPoint document and project. As the teacher presents each worksheet, the students will fill in the blanks. The worksheets should be presented in this order: “Lithosphere”; “Hydrosphere”; “Biosphere”; “Atmosphere’.

**This information is not included on the student worksheets. Use this as a guide when explaining each worksheet to the students**

• Lithosphere

  • Covers the entire planet

  • Solid, rocky, inorganic crust (land)

  • Ranges in thickness from 40 km to 280 km

  • Once the materials on Earth begin to become fluid-like, that is where the lithosphere ends.

• Hydrosphere

  • Made up of water

  • Ranges from 10 km – 20 km in thickness

  • Includes: oceans, lakes, rivers, swamps, moisture in the air, etc.

  • Saltwater = 97.5% Freshwater = 2.5% (2/3 of freshwater is found in ice sheets)

• Biosphere

  • Made up of all the living things: plants, animals, one-celled organisms.

  • All living things are found from three meters below the ground to thirty meters above the ground and in the top 200 meters of the ocean. However, some organisms, such as birds and fish, go beyond these meters.

  • Biomes are found in the biosphere.

  • Biomes can be seen from outer space.

• Atmosphere

  • Made up of the air that surrounds the Earth.

  • Earth is made up of 79% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. The remaining percentage is made up of other gases.

  • Atmosphere acts as protection for the biosphere from the sun’s UV rays.

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Information Sources:

http://geography.about.com/od/physicalgeography/a/fourspheres.htm

http://www.cotf.edu/ete/ESS/ESSspheres.html

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• After the worksheet is completed, the students will participate in an activity called “Earth Brochure”. The students can either work individually or in pairs. The students will create a brochure advertising why someone from another planet should come visit Earth. The students should include information about the Earth’s spheres and the importance of each sphere. Allow the students to work for about 15 minutes. Reconvene and discuss when the students are finished.

**This activity can either be used as a presentation or graded assignment**

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Closure

• The final assessment will be for the students to answer the question:

Think about what you learned in class today. How many spheres does Earth have? What are the names of the spheres? Write two important details about each sphere. Which sphere would you recommend for the alien visitor to inhabit, the atmosphere, lithosphere, or hydrosphere and why?