Earth's Systems Reading Passages

The water cycle describes how water continuously moves through our planet via evaporation, condensation, precipitation, ...

The nitrogen cycle describes how nitrogen moves through the air, soil, and living organisms. It involves processes like ...

Earth's carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of people the planet can support sustainably. This depends on fac...

The Gaia Hypothesis, proposed by James Lovelock, suggests that Earth functions like a living organism, with all its part...

Measuring carbon stored in vegetation is crucial for understanding climate change. Plants absorb CO₂ during photosynthes...

Forests play a critical role in maintaining clean water supplies and regulating the water cycle. Conserving upstream for...

Forests play a vital role in regulating the atmosphere by absorbing CO₂, producing oxygen, cooling temperatures, and imp...

The ocean is made up of water, dissolved salts, gases, and organic matter. Its composition varies with depth and influen...

Stream flow refers to the movement of water in rivers and creeks. It is influenced by precipitation, slope, and human ac...

The Mississippi River is one of the longest rivers in North America, stretching 2,340 miles from Lake Itasca to the Gulf...

The Mekong River flows 2,700 miles through six countries in Southeast Asia, ending in the fertile Mekong Delta. It suppo...

Freshwater is a limited resource, with most stored in glaciers and aquifers. Rivers, lakes, and groundwater are key sour...

Rocks are mixtures of minerals, while minerals are naturally occurring, inorganic solids with a specific composition and...

Convection currents in the ocean are driven by temperature and density differences. They play a key role in the thermoha...

Runoff from precipitation replenishes rivers and lakes but can cause flooding and pollution. Solutions like rain gardens...

Large streams of moving water, like rivers and creeks, shape landscapes, support ecosystems, and provide freshwater for ...

This science passage with questions and answers on the ocean floor features diverse landscapes like continental shelves,...

Porosity and permeability are key properties of soil and rock that affect water movement underground. They influence gro...

The Brahmaputra River originates in the Himalayas and flows 1,800 miles through China, India, and Bangladesh, joining th...

Rare earth minerals are critical for smartphones, computers, and renewable energy. Mining them has environmental impacts...

Transpiration is the process by which plants release water vapor into the atmosphere. It cools plants, contributes to hu...

The Amazon River is the largest river in the world by discharge volume, stretching 4,000 miles from the Andes Mountains ...

All minerals have a crystalline structure, but not all form visible crystals. The size and shape of crystals depend on f...

Ocean circulation involves the movement of seawater driven by wind, temperature, and salinity. It includes surface curre...

Surface ocean currents are driven by wind and influenced by Earth’s rotation. They transport warm and cold water, regula...

The Colorado River stretches 1,450 miles from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California. It carved the Grand Canyon ...

This science passage explores how geologists use rock formations, fossil distributions, and seafloor structures to ident...

This science passage explains how metamorphic rocks form through metamorphism, detailing the effects of heat (150°C-1,00...

This explanatory passage examines the San Andreas Fault as a transform plate boundary where the Pacific and North Americ...

This passage explains the formation of intrusive igneous rocks through slow cooling of magma beneath Earth's surface. It...

This science passage explains the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a key equatorial weather system. Covering NGSS ...

This passage explains frost wedging as a mechanical weathering process. Aligned with NGSS MS-ESS2-1 (Earth’s systems) a...

This passage explains chemical weathering processes, aligned with NGSS MS-ESS2-1 (Earth’s systems) and ESS2-2 (surface ...

This passage explains limestone cave formation through carbonation, aligned with NGSS MS-ESS2-1 (Earth’s systems) and L...

This informational science passage explores seismometers and their role in measuring earthquakes, designed specifically ...

This educational reading passage explains the critical difference between magma and molten rock beneath Earth's surface ...

This science reading passage explores obsidian, a volcanic glass that forms when lava cools so rapidly that crystals can...

This NGSS-aligned middle school science passage introduces students to the role of an atmospheric physicist. It explains...

This NGSS-aligned science passage for middle school explains what space weather is and how it affects Earth. Students le...

This NGSS-aligned reading passage introduces middle school students to the concept of storm surge, a major hazard caused...

This NGSS-aligned middle school science passage explains natural causes that increase carbon dioxide levels in the carbo...

This NGSS-aligned science passage explains the polar vortex, a swirling mass of cold air that stays near Earth’s poles. ...

This NGSS-aligned science reading passage introduces middle school students to the Antarctic polar vortex—a swirling mas...

This NGSS-aligned science passage explains how sleet forms in the atmosphere. Sleet begins as snow high in the clouds, m...

This NGSS-aligned middle school science passage explains why temperature decreases with height in the troposphere. Stude...

This NGSS-aligned reading passage introduces middle school students to the field of paleoclimatology. Students learn how...

This NGSS-aligned science reading passage for middle school explains that cumulonimbus clouds are the main cloud type re...

This engaging science passage aligned to NGSS standard MS-ESS2-5 explores the unusual but real weather phenomenon known ...

This NGSS-aligned science passage introduces middle school readers to Yakutsk, the coldest city on Earth. Students will ...

"This science passage provides a clear and concise explanation of air masses for a middle school audience. It defines wh...