Students explore Earth as a set of connected systems — the air, the water, the land, and all living things — and discover how these four spheres constantly interact to shape our planet.
Students will be able to…
Air, water, land, and life seem separate — but a single rainstorm touches all four. How do Earth’s systems work together as one connected planet?
Project this Earth and tap each part — the air, water, land, and living things. Have students record each sphere and think of how they connect.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
A rainstorm — how many parts of Earth does it touch?
Students investigate.
Teacher explains.
Apply.
Three quick checks.
Aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core literacy. State-standard crosswalks available on request.
Develop a model to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.
Obtain and combine information about ways communities protect Earth’s resources and environment.
Draw on information from multiple sources to answer a question or solve a problem.
Write informative/explanatory texts to convey ideas clearly.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students follow one raindrop as it moves through all four spheres — falling through the atmosphere, flowing over the geosphere, joining the hydrosphere, and being drunk by the biosphere. A printable tracing sheet is in the Science library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.