Lesson 4

PRE-CLASS ACTIVITY (30 MINS)

1. Perform either one of the following pre-class activities.
A. Option 1 (This option is recommended for schools in a non-urban setting.)
i. Using a pencil and a piece of paper, have the learners draw or illustrate the
field area.
Take note of the presence of vegetation, soil cover, wildlife, rockout-crops, and
bodies of
water.
ii. Ask the learners to think how energy and mass are transferred in the
different
components of the area.
B. Option 2 (This option is recommended for schools in an urban setting.)
i. Together with the learners, label the different processes and phases of water
involved in
the water cycle.
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Teacher tip
• Check your immediate surrounding for
an appropriate field area, preferably
with trees or vegetation, and pond,
lake, or stream.
• Before bringing the learners to the field
area, check for potential hazards. If
applicable, the learners should be
prope r l y wa r n e d abou t s a f e t y
precautionary measures.
• For schools in urban areas without
open spaces, choose option 2.
Teacher tip
• The concept of ecosystems has been
di s cus sed i n pre-SHS biology.
Emphasize the definition of the word
interaction.
• Most of the terms in this lesson have
been introduced in previous science
subjects.
• Help the learners integrate the
concepts that will be introduced.
Figure 1: Hydrologic Cycle (w/o labels)
Image Source: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/
_YTb6ZblJu0o/TPMzp32R5aI/
AAAAAAAAALg/vnul9ZgWt0M/s1600/
WaterCycleArt.jpgC. Use the following terms to complete the cycle:
i. condensation
ii. precipitation
iii. evaporation
iv. transpiration
v. infiltration
vi. surface run-off
INTRODUCTION (5 MINS)
1. Introduce the following learning objectives using any of the suggested
protocols(Verbatim, Own
Words, Read-aloud)
A. I can identify and explain each of the subsystems of the Earth;
B. I can explain how these subsystems interact.
C. I am familiar with the historic development of the concept of "Earth System”
2. Ask the students what they remember about the concept of Ecosystems.
MOTIVATION (5 MINS)
1. Ask the students what they know or have experienced regarding El Niño.
2. Use the Figure 2, briefly explain the El Niño phenomenon. Emphasize that it
starts with the unusual
warming of the central Pacific Ocean accompanied by the weakening of the
trade winds. The
warming of the central Pacific Ocean results to an eastward shift of the low
pressure area (away from
the Indo Pacific).
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Teacher tip
• The concept of Ecosystems has been
discussed in middle high school
biology. Emphasize the word
"interaction".
• Most of the terms to be used in this
lesson have been introduced in
previous science subjects.
• The challenge to the teacher is to help
students to integrate concepts and
explore relationships.
• Most of the answers will describe
atmospheric conditions e.g. hot and
dry, no rain, water crisis etc.
• Point out that an El Niño is not limited
to atmospheric conditions. It is the
result of ocean (hydrosphere)-
atmosphere interaction.
• The subsystems of the Earth
(Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere,
and Lithosphere) interact with each
other. Figure 2. El Niño phenomenon
Source:
http://images.listlandcom.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/
The-El-
Nino-Phenomenon-explained-in-a-nice-little-graphic.jpg
3. Explain the origin of the term ‘El Niño’ as a decrease in fish catch off the
coast of Peru near
Christmas time. Emphasize that this is a biologic response.
35
Teacher tip
• Most of the answers will describe the
atmospheric conditions during El Niño
(e.g. hot and dry, no rain, water crisis,
etc.)
• Emphasize that El Niño is not limited to
atmospheric conditions. It is the result
of hydrosphere (ocean)-atmosphere
interaction.
• T h e s u b s y s t ems o f t h e E a r t h
(atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere,
and lithosphere) interact with each
otherINSTRUCTION (30 MINS)
1. Definition of a System
A. A set of interconnected components that are interacting to form a unified
whole.
2. Components or subsystems of the Earth System.
A. Use a projector or draw on the board a diagram (below) to enumerate the
subsystems of the
Earth.
Figure 3: The Earth system. (Source: https://www.earthonlinemedia.com)
3. Explain that the Earth system is essentially a closed system. It receives
energy from the sun and
returns some of this energy to space.
36
Teacher tips:
• Give the government as an example.
Inquire about the three branches of the
government (executive, judiciary, and
legislative). Explain that these three
branches are independent and have
their respective mandates or functions.
A government can only succeed if all
three branches are able to perform their
respective functions.
• The arrows in the diagram indicate the
interaction among the components.
• A closed system is a system in which
there is only an exchange of heat or
energy and no exchange of matter4. Introduce the term atmosphere.
A. The atmosphere is the thin gaseous layer that envelopes the lithosphere.
B. The present atmosphere is composed of 78% nitrogen (N), 21% oxygen (O2),
0.9%
argon, and trace amount of other gases.
C. One of the most important processes by which the heat on the Earth's
surface is
redistributed is through atmospheric circulation.
D. There is also a constant exchange of heat and moisture between the
atmosphere and the
hydrosphere through the hydrologic cycle.
5. Introduce the term lithosphere.
A. The lithosphere includes the rocks of the crust and mantle, the metallic
liquid outer core,
and the solid metallic inner core.
B. Briefly discuss the Plate Tectonics as an important process shaping the
surface of the Earth.
The primary driving mechanism is the Earth's internal heat, such as that in
mantle convection.
6. Introduce the term biosphere.
A. The biosphere is the set of all life forms on Earth.
B. It covers all ecosystems—from the soil to the rainforest, from mangroves to
coral reefs,
and from the plankton-rich ocean surface to the deep sea.
C. For the majority of life on Earth, the base of the food chain comprises
photosynthetic
organisms. During photosynthesis, CO2 is sequestered from the atmosphere,
while
oxygen is released as a byproduct. The biosphere is a CO2 sink, and therefore,
an
important part of the carbon cycle.
D. Sunlight is not necessary for life.
7. Introduce the term hydrosphere.
A. About 70% of the Earth is covered with liquid water (hydrosphere) and much
of it is in the
form of ocean water (Figure 3).
B. Only 3% of Earth's water is fresh: two-thirds are in the form of ice, and the
remaining
one-third is present in streams, lakes, and groundwater.
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Teacher tips:
• Describe each subsystem of the Earth.
• Warm air converges and rises to form lowpressure
zones. Low-pressure areas are
associated with increased precipitation. By
contrast, cold air descends to form highpressure
regions (dry regions).
• The concept of Plate Tectonics will be
discussed in detail in the succeeding
lessons (Internal Structure of the Earth)
• The carbon cycle is the process by which
carbon i s t rans fer red among the
atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living
organisms.
• Isolated and complex ecosystems thrive in
the deep sea floor at depths beyond the
reach of sunlight. The base of the food
chain for such ecosystems is called
chemosynthetic organisms. Instead of
sunlight, these organisms use energy from
hydrothermal vents or methane seeps
(methane seeping through rocks and
sediments) to produce simple sugarsC. The oceans are important sinks for CO2
through direct exchange with the atmosphere and
indirectly through the weathering of rocks.
D. Heat is absorbed and redistributed on the surface of the Earth through
ocean circulation.
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Teacher tips:
• The hypsographic curve is a graphical
representation of the proportion of land at
various elevations (meters above or below
sea level)
• Make sure that the students understand
what the X and Y axis represents. To test
comprehension, ask the students what
proportion of the Earth's surface is about
4000m below sea level (~ 60 %)
• The hydrologic cycle (water cycle) has
been partly discussed in Grade 4 (water in
the environment) and Grade 8
(Ecosystems).
• Through the process of weathering and
erosion. the hydrologic cycle is another
important process contributing to the
shaping and reshaping the surface of the
Earth. This is an important link between
the hydrosphere, atmosphere and
lithosphere that the student should be
able to identify 8. The origin of the systems approach to the study of the
Earth
A. One of the first scientist to push for a more integrated or holistic approach
in the
understanding of the universe (and by extension the Earth) was Friedrich
Wilhelm Heinrich
Alexander von Humboldt. He considered the universe as one interacting entity.
B. The term "biosphere" was popularized by Vladimir Vernadsky (1863-1945), a
Russian -
Ukranian scientist who hypothesized that life is a geological force that shapes
the Earth.
C. In the 1970s, the Gaia Hypothesis was jointly developed by James Lovelock,
an English
scientist/naturalist, and Lynn Margulis, an American microbiologist. According
to the Gaia
Hypothesis. the biosphere is a self-regulating system that is capable of
controlling its
physical and chemical environment.
D. In 1983, NASA advisory council established the Earth Systems Science
Committee. The
committee, chaired by Moustafa Chahine, published a ground breaking report
Earth System
Science: A Program For Global Change in 1988. For the first time, scientist were
able to
demonstrate how the many systems interact.
PRACTICE (20 MINS)
1. Using the illustration diagram (option 1 or 2), identify how energy and mass
is exchanged among
the subsystems. Maybe use different types of line .boxes to differentiate
between matter /
materials and energy?
2. Use arrows to indicate interaction between components.
ENRICHMENT
1. James Lovelock used the "Daisy World Model" to illustrate how the
biosphere is capable of
regulating its environment.
2. Ask the students to research and write a two page report (50 to 100 words,
with illustrations) on
the "Daisy World Model" of James Lovelock.
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Teacher tips:
• To illustrate how a living organism is
capable of self regulation, ask the
students how their bodies react to outside
temperature.
• When it is hot, we sweat. Evaporation of
the sweat cools down our skin. When it is
cold, we shiver. The mechanical shaking
of the body when we shiver releases heat
• Use the pre-lecture drawing exercise for
schools with open spaces (option 1); else,
use the hydrologic cycle diagram
Teacher tips:
A simple explanation of the Daisy World
Model can be viewed in: https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cW4JTHz1aRg