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5th grade · Science · Unit 10 of 12

Earth's Systems & Water

How the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere interact, and where Earth's water is.

What your child practices

Your child models how two of Earth's systems interact to support life and how Earth's water is split between salt water and fresh water.

Alabama Course of Study content standard: 5.12; 5.13 · how Earth's systems interact and support life, and the share of fresh and salt water on Earth

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Earth's systems are the atmosphere (air), biosphere (life), geosphere (rock) and hydrosphere (water).
  2. Systems interact, like wind (atmosphere) shaping sand dunes (geosphere).
  3. Most of Earth's water is salt water in the oceans.
  4. The atmosphere can carry wildfire smoke far away.

Example: Ocean waves wear away a rocky cliff. Which systems interact? Ocean water is the hydrosphere. The rocky cliff is the geosphere. Answer: hydrosphere and geosphere

Earth's Systems & Water in Alabama

In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 10 of 12 in 5th grade Science, after Sun, Stars & Shadows and before Matter Moves in Ecosystems.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    A family saves water during a drought by…

    • watering the sidewalk
    • filling a pool every day
    • leaving taps running
    • taking shorter showers

  2. Question 2

    Which helps keep rivers clean for salmon?

    • Cutting all streamside trees
    • Dumping trash
    • Paving riverbanks
    • Planting trees along streams

  3. Question 3

    The biosphere is Earth's…

    • living things
    • rocks
    • air only
    • ice only

  4. Question 4

    Most of Earth's fresh water is frozen in…

    • glaciers and ice caps
    • rivers
    • puddles
    • clouds

  5. Question 5

    Trees take in water and give off water vapor. Which systems interact?

    • Only rocks
    • Only geosphere
    • Biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere
    • None

  6. Question 6

    Groundwater is water that is…

    • frozen in glaciers
    • stored underground in soil and rock
    • in the clouds
    • in the ocean

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