How do the different components of the Environment interact?
Our Earth is made up of four different spheres - the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Each of the spheres has its own special roles but they also interact with each other in important ways. The interaction of the four spheres allows unique ecosystems to operate.
Outcomes
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References from Textbook CS5 Section 14.1, 14.3, 14.5 and 14.9 |
Jane Poynter tells her story of living two years and 20 minutes in Biosphere 2 -- an experience that provoked her to explore how we might sustain life in the harshest of environments. We begin to understand how interconnected every component of the environment is and how delicately balanced it is.... |
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Task 1: The Four Spheres of the Earth (Tuesday 2nd August)
Working in your group, gather and present information about the Earth's four spheres. Answer the specific questions for each sphere: The resources, "Exploring Earth" , chapter 14.1 in CS5 and the youtube clip "Big Idea 3:Earth's Systems Interact" shown below are good resources to support your investigations. Note that "Exploring Earth" refers to the lithosphere as the geosphere. |
Biosphere
* Define what the biosphere contains and the area that it covers. * List some impacts of natural disasters on the biosphere |
Hydrosphere
* Define what the hydrosphere includes and the area that it covers * Are clouds part of the hydrosphere or atmosphere? *What are the main elements or compounds or mixtures that make up the hydrosphere? * List some impacts of natural disasters on the biosphere |
Atmosphere
* Define what the atmosphere includes and the area that it covers. * Are clouds part of the hydrosphere or atmosphere? * What are the main elements or compounds or mixtures that make up the atmosphere? * List some impacts of natural disasters on the biosphere |
Lithosphere
*Define what the lithosphere includes and the area that it covers. A diagram will be required * What are the main elements or compounds or mixtures that it contains. * List some impacts of natural disasters on the biosphere |
Task 2: The Carbon Cycle - an important interaction between the four spheres (Tuesday 2nd August)
View the You tube Clip on the Carbon Cycle. Use the Ted Ed Carbon Cycle lesson to learn more about this process. |
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Task 3: The Carbon Cycle Notes and Flow Chart - Thursday 4th August must finish
1) In you lab group, research the Carbon Cycle using the website resource Carbon Cycle 1 and another excellent carbon cycle website Science Learning. 2) Each lab group are to create TWO A3 flow charts - The Biological Carbon Cycle and The Geological Carbon Cycle to show how carbon cycles through the Earth's different spheres. The Biological Carbon Cycle flow chart must contain: Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere, Plants, Decay of Plants and Animals, Animals The Geological Carbon Cycle flow chart must contain: Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere, Burning of Fossil Fuels, Creation of Fossil Fuels, Volcanoes, Weathering and Erosion, Decay of Animals and Plants, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks. |
Task 4) The Nitrogen Cycle - Tuesday 9th August
Read about the Nitrogen Cycle using the resource "eSchools Today" and draw a labelled flow diagram to represent this in your notes. You can find additional information about the Nitrogen Cycle in Chapter 14.1 of your text. |
Task 5: What is an Ecosystem? - Tuesday 9th August
An ecosystem is a specific area in which different organisms live and depend on one another. They consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic components of the environment. Found out what 'biotic' and 'abiotic' factors are by watching the video Abiotic and Biotic Factors. a) Write definitions for each of these terms in your book b) Provide examples of abiotic and biotic factors. |
Task 6: Food Chains and Food Webs - Thursday 11th August
Revise food webs by reading Chapter 13.4 in your text. Analyse how changes in abiotic and biotic factors affect a named organism in an ecosystem of your choice. Include a food web in your response. You might also like to explore the following resources: Designing Food Webs and/or Food chains & Food webs |
Task 7) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Conservation Practices
Assess ways that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' have traditionally ensured that ecosystems are managed well and conserved for future generations. Download the following document and complete the activities as described: Traditional Management of Land
Assess ways that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' have traditionally ensured that ecosystems are managed well and conserved for future generations. Download the following document and complete the activities as described: Traditional Management of Land
Task 8) Evaluation of Secondary Sources - Friday 12th August
Not all information on the internet is made the same. Sites such as Wikipedia, Answers.com and many forums are not appropriately peer-reviewed and therefore are more likely to contain inaccurate or misleading information.
When searching for secondary sources it is important to consider the following:
- Who has published the information?
- How recently was the information published?
- Is the information consistent with other published information?
- Is the information supported by valid first-hand data?
Information is more likely to be accurate if the secondary source is valid and reliable. We can evaluate the validity and reliability of secondary sources by answering the following questions:
Evaluating Validity:
- Is the author qualified in a relevant field (we can often tell from the website e.g. websites ending in .edu .gov .org tend to be better choices than those ending in .com etc
- Is the publication recent and has any first-hand data been interpreted correctly
- Does the information in the source relate to the problem / question that you are investigating
- Is the information supported by valid first-hand data (e.g. scientific journal articles are referenced)
Evaluating Reliability:
- Is the information consistent with information from other reputable sources such as scientific journals, textbooks and educational websites?
Activity:
Work in pairs or small groups and discuss the reliability and validity of the following sources. You should be able to state whether or not you think the sources are reliable / valid and then give reasons to support your decision.
Source One
Source Two
Source Three
Source Four
Not all information on the internet is made the same. Sites such as Wikipedia, Answers.com and many forums are not appropriately peer-reviewed and therefore are more likely to contain inaccurate or misleading information.
When searching for secondary sources it is important to consider the following:
- Who has published the information?
- How recently was the information published?
- Is the information consistent with other published information?
- Is the information supported by valid first-hand data?
Information is more likely to be accurate if the secondary source is valid and reliable. We can evaluate the validity and reliability of secondary sources by answering the following questions:
Evaluating Validity:
- Is the author qualified in a relevant field (we can often tell from the website e.g. websites ending in .edu .gov .org tend to be better choices than those ending in .com etc
- Is the publication recent and has any first-hand data been interpreted correctly
- Does the information in the source relate to the problem / question that you are investigating
- Is the information supported by valid first-hand data (e.g. scientific journal articles are referenced)
Evaluating Reliability:
- Is the information consistent with information from other reputable sources such as scientific journals, textbooks and educational websites?
Activity:
Work in pairs or small groups and discuss the reliability and validity of the following sources. You should be able to state whether or not you think the sources are reliable / valid and then give reasons to support your decision.
Source One
Source Two
Source Three
Source Four