Exploring the Earth System

Summary

Materials and Preparation

Materials Needed

• Reading Resource: OER chapter: Introduction to the Earth System; Lab Activity: Thinking Like a Geoscientist; 
• Review and use the Instructor Guide and Key to prepare to teach this unit
• Technology: Google Earth (browser version), computer access
• Classroom Supplies: Pencils, colored pencils, and color printouts of imagery (or put in PowerPoint)
• Cloud Experiment Materials:
  • Gloves
  • Permanent marker
  • 50 mL plastic Falcon tubes
  • 250 mL beakers
    Dry ice (~400 g per student group)
  • Water
  • Digital scale

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Learning Objectives

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Opening Activity

Activity A: Sketching Nature (~20 minutes) – view instructors guide for details

The activity begins by connecting the Earth System to everyday experiences, showing students that science is not abstract but something they interact with daily. A striking visual, such as satellite imagery or Google Earth, helps grab attention and sets the stage for understanding Earth as a constantly changing, interconnected system.

Students enter with everyday experiences that provide a foundation, rain falling, clouds forming, seasonal changes, or news about environmental issues. Many have encountered the water cycle in earlier science courses. These familiar ideas serve as stepping-stones for recognizing how Earth’s spheres interact and how energy and matter cycle through the system.

The activity begins by asking students to share and sketch examples of Earth’s systems in action, such as rain filling rivers, storms moving across landscapes, or ice melting with seasonal change. Small group discussions and quick diagrams help activate prior knowledge, while encouraging students to connect their lived experiences to broader concepts like cloud formation, latent heat, and long-term environmental change.

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Activity Overview

Get ready to journey through the Earth System! In this lab, you’ll explore four of the five major spheres, the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and cryosphere, and see how they interact to shape our planet. From the air that swirls above us to the oceans that flow, the land that rises and falls, and the ice that grows and melts, each sphere tells a story of movement and change. As you investigate, pay attention to how energy and matter travel between these spheres, revealing the hidden connections that make Earth dynamic and ever-changing.

Through hands-on activities and careful observation, you’ll uncover the processes that drive Earth’s transformations. Track water as it moves between oceans, glaciers, and the atmosphere. Observe how mountains and valleys form from geological forces. Watch ice grow, shrink, and shape the surrounding landscape. Notice patterns, interactions, and surprises along the way, Earth is constantly in motion, and every observation helps you piece together its dynamic story.

While the biosphere, the living world, will appear in some examples, your focus will be on the physical spheres and their powerful interactions. By the end of this lab, you’ll see how Earth’s systems work together to create the landscapes, climates, and environments we experience. More importantly, you’ll practice thinking like a geoscientist, exploring the planet with curiosity and discovering the hidden links that make Earth an extraordinary, interconnected system.

View instructors guide for details on the following lessons:

• Activity B: Geoscience Spotlight (~50 minutes)
• Activity C: An Introduction to the Earth System (~30 minutes)
• Activity D: Imagery in the Geosciences (~20 minutes)
• Activity E: An Introduction to the Water Cycle (~15 minutes)
• Activity F: Cloud Formation (~25 minutes)
• Activity G: Using Google Earth to Explore Glaciers and Glacial Landforms (~30 minutes)

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Reflection

Reflection Prompts:

• What was the most surprising or interesting connection you discovered between Earth’s spheres?
• How did working in a group help you understand the Earth System differently than working alone?
• Think back to your first ideas at the start of the activity, how has your thinking about the water cycle or Earth System changed?
• What part of the activity helped you understand the Earth System best: sketching, discussion, or experimenting? Why?
• If you were to explain the Earth System to a friend, what example from this lab would you share?

Use these ideas to assess if the learning objectives were met:

• Can students correctly identify and describe the five spheres of the Earth System?
• Are students able to illustrate or explain at least one way these spheres connect through cycles like the water cycle?
• Do students demonstrate an understanding of how clouds form and why they are important to the Earth System?
• Can students explain the role of latent heat or energy transfer in driving Earth’s changes?
• Do student reflections show evidence of curiosity, critical thinking, and making connections between real-world experiences and scientific concepts?

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Supporting Documents

Word document versions of supporting documents:

• Instructor Guide
• OER Textbook Chapter: Introduction to the Earth System
• Lab Activity: Thinking Like a Geoscientist
• KEY – Thinking Like a Geoscientist

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