Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Change of a River

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers describe the changes that have affected the Missouri River over the past 200 years by identifying transformations in this area's atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. They research online in groups assigned...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Change of a River

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore changes in the Missouri River. For this Missouri River lesson, students discover that changes in the atmosphere cause changes in the river. Students search the Internet for information about the Missouri River and its...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Alaska's Physical Systems and History

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students read about Alaska's physical systems and determine how Alaska's physical makeup has impacted its history. They create timelines of their particular physical system.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Geography - Writing Connection

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Young scholars examine and describe the four physical systems of the Earth. Using two of the systems, they practice their writing skills and use vocabulary associated with the different types of landforms. They predict the types of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Mountains Shape Climate

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students use raw data to make a climatograph; they explain the process of orographic precipitation and the concept of a rain shadow.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is the Hudson River Too Salty to Drink?

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students explore reasons for varied salinity in bodies of water. In this geographical inquiry lesson, students use a variety of visual and written information including maps, data tables, and graphs, to form a hypothesis as to why the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Venn Diagrams to Compare Two Ecosystems

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students explore the distribution of two ecosystems on a global scale; and map the distribution of tropical and temperate rain forests throughout the world. They use a Venn Diagram to describe these ecosystems and the differences between...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World Geography: Global Interdependence

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are able to discuss the theory of climate change. They identify examples of how climate change impacts the earth's geo-spheres. Students are able to use the example of climate change to describe the interdependence of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is Climate Change Really Happening?

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students explore the impact of global warming. In this oceanography lesson, students investigate global climate change and write reaction papers about their research findings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bryant Creek Watershed Project - Making a Karst Dictionary

For Teachers 4th - 10th
Students explore the definitions relevant to Karst topography. They develop a Bryant Watershed Dictionary of the special words and terms that are used to talk about the topography and hydrology of the area they live in.
Unit Plan
Scholastic

Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, and Atmosphere

For Students 3rd - 5th
A slideshow and a short multiple-choice quiz on the rock surface of the Earth, its water, and the gas layers that surround it.
PPT
Other

Interactions Between the Atmosphere & Hydrosphere [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
A discussion of the interactions between the four spheres of Earth and how they affect weather and climate. The slideshow is divided into two parts. The first deals with interactions between the atmosphere and the hydrosphere and the...
eBook
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Life Science: 12.15 Biosphere

For Students 5th - 9th
Understand Earth's biosphere which contains the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
Handout
Indiana University

Indiana Univ.: Global Energy Transfer, Atmosphere and Ocean Circulation, Climate

For Students 9th - 10th
A course lecture on the external processes that shape the Earth, specifically the hydrologic system. This system is powered by the Sun's energy. The components of the Earth's energy budget are described, and how these drive the movement...
Activity
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Lab 1: Think Globally: Act Locally

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lab experiment in a series of experiments that explores Earth Science Systems. This lab introduces students to the parts of the Earth system: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and pedosphere. As the students learn about the...
Lesson Plan
National Association of Geoscience Teachers

Nagt: Earth System Science Project

For Teachers 9th - 10th
An Earth System Project shows the interaction between the Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, and Biosphere. This project provides a model of a pond ecosystem and can easily be woven into the hydrosphere unit.
Lesson Plan
American Geosciences Institute

American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Geoscience and Petroleum Careers

For Teachers 9th - 10th
For this activity, students think about how various real-world careers relate to personal interests and Earth's systems- the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.
Article
Center for Educational Technologies

Classroom of the Future: Earth Spheres

For Students 9th - 10th
Everything in Earth's system can be placed into one of four major subsystems: land, water, living things, or air. These four subsystems are called "spheres." Specifically, they are the "lithosphere" (land), "hydrosphere" (water),...
Interactive
CPALMS

Florida State University Cpalms: Florida Students: Earth's Spheres

For Students 9th - 10th
Check out the tutorial which introduces the Earth's spheres. Viewers should be able to identify the Geosphere, Biosphere, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere and Cryosphere and know their differences and similarities.
Lesson Plan
The Wonder of Science

The Wonder of Science: 5 Ess2 1: Earth Sphere Interactions

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.
Graphic
NASA

Nasa: Visible Earth

For Students 9th - 10th
From NASA, "Images, visualizations, and animations," that students will find extremely interesting and helpful in their study of the earth. Includes pictures of environmental impacts, erosion, coastal processes, atmosphere, and lots more.
Handout
Center for Educational Technologies

Exploring the Environment: Earth System Science

For Students 9th - 10th
Explains what the four spheres of the Earth are, and the interactions between them.
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Earth System Science

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students learn to identify the parts of the Earth system and the processes that connect them. They look for interconnections among components of the Earth system at the local level, using a study site close to their school.
Handout
California State University

Csu: The Sourcebook for Teaching Science: Earth Systems Interactions

For Students 9th - 10th
Explains what the four spheres of the Earth are and describes how volcanic eruptions affect the different spheres. Also provides a list of events that are examples of interactions.