Spheres Working Together

Show students that Earth's spheres never work alone with this one-page worksheet! Students read three short cards about real events, then match causes to effects and name the spheres that interact.

The page opens by explaining that Earth's four spheres are always connected, so a change in one sphere can cause changes in the others. Three picture cards show this in action. In a volcano, melted rock from the geosphere pours out, ash and gases shoot into the atmosphere, and hot lava burns plants in the biosphere. In a hurricane, warm ocean water in the hydrosphere heats the air above it, and strong winds push waves onto land and wash away sand. In a forest, trees in the biosphere take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, give off oxygen, soak up rainwater, and hold soil in place. In the first activity, students draw lines to match five causes, such as tree roots growing into rock cracks, to their effects, such as the rock slowly breaking apart. In the second activity, students read two short events and circle the pair of spheres that interact in each one. The sheet is written to Texas TEKS 6.10A and also fits NGSS MS-ESS2-1.

What's inside:

• Three event cards with simple doodles: a volcano, a hurricane, and a forest
• 5 cause and effect matches
• 2 "which two spheres interact?" questions
• A visual answer key

How teachers use it:

• As a follow-up to the Earth's Four Spheres worksheet
• For bell work, stations, or an exit ticket
• As homework or sub plans, with no prep needed

It takes about 10 minutes and prints clearly in black and white. This worksheet is part of our Reading in Science series on Earth's systems.