Methods for Teaching Earth Systems Science
Background:
In our bodies, the cardiovascular, nervous, and respiratory systems are a few of the many
systems that work together and affect each other to make a functional healthy organism.
If one system is disrupted by a disease such as anemia, this will eventually affect the
other systems which may in turn, compromise the health of our entire body.
Just as our bodies are made of systems working together; the Earth can also be thought of
as being composed of systems that work together. Earth Systems Science (ESS) is a new
field of study which helps us understand the Earth through exploration of how the earth’s
systems affect each other. ESS analysis of events such as hurricanes or other natural
disasters can help officials predict and prepare for the effects of such events. We will be
using ESS analysis in this unit to help the students see the interconnectedness of all living
things. Once the students learn through ESS study that “everything is related”, as one
high school ESS student said, they apply ESS thinking to other areas. The potential for
depth of understanding is immeasurable.
This is the kind of interconnectedness that Sr. Dorothy understood so well. She was an
ordinary person with an extraordinary understanding of the importance of sustainable
living to the world community. This understanding helped her develop a passion for
preservation of the rain forest. She was determined to take action by educating poor
farmers in sustainable agriculture and empowering them towards independence. She
believed we are all citizens of the world, not just our country. Sr. Dorothy would not
have called her understanding Earth Systems Science, but she certainly would have seen
its value as an organized way of teaching about making choices to live in ways that
sustain our Earth.
ESS Description
Earth Systems Science (ESS) provides a vehicle for an orderly study of how
environmental events impact the Biosphere, Lithosphere, Hydrosphere and Atmosphere
and in turn how these spheres impact each other.
The description that follows of ESS analysis is adapted from and used with permission courtesy of the Institute for Global
Environmental Strategies, http://www.strategies.org.
Earth Systems Science is a method of identifying and organizing interactions that
can occur within earth systems. This information can be used to further explore the
impact of an event. There are three steps in conducting ESS analysis. The three steps
include:
1. Describing how an event affects each sphere
2. Describing how each sphere affects the others
3. Organizing sphere interactions into an interrelated chain of events
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Step 1 Event to Sphere
The objective of this step is to study how an event impacts each of the spheres.
When an event to sphere interaction is identified, the students should use labels as
indicated below and write an explanation that describes how and why the event impacts
each of the four earth spheres.
E>H
E>B
E>A
E>L
(event affects hydrosphere)
(event affects biosphere)
(event affects atmosphere)
(event affects lithosphere)
Example:
E>A: A volcanic eruption affects air quality by the release of ash into the air thus
increasing the level of particulate material.
Below is a diagram adapted from and courtesy of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies,
http://www.strategies.org .
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Step 2 Sphere to Sphere
The objective of this step is to list sphere to sphere interactions. The possible interactions
are labeled as:
L>H (lithosphere affects hydrosphere)
L>B (lithosphere affects biosphere)
L>A (lithosphere affects atmosphere)
A>H (atmosphere affects hydrosphere)
A>B (atmosphere affects biosphere)
A>L (atmosphere affects lithosphere)
B>H (biosphere affects hydrosphere)
B>L (biosphere affects lithosphere)
B>A (biosphere affects atmosphere)
H>L (hydrosphere affects lithosphere)
H>B (hydrosphere affects biosphere)
H>A (hydrosphere affects atmosphere)
Example:
A>B: The ash and particulate matter released into the atmosphere from a volcano is
inhaled by small animals and humans as they breathe. This may cause infections diseases
or even death of some of these organisms.
Below is a diagram adapted from and courtesy of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies,
http://www.strategies.org .
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STEP 3: Causal chains
The interactions can occur as a series or chain of events, a “domino effect” in which one
interaction leads to another and then another. A causal chain involves 3 or more spheres
interacting with each other.
In a causal chain a sphere may be impacted multiple times. We have simplified the
suggested method (see http://www.strategies.org for writing causal chains.)
When a causal chain interaction is identified, the students should use labels as indicated
below and write an explanation that describes how and why the spheres impact each other
in a domino type of effect.
Examples:
H>L>H: A flood in a stream may erode the banks of the stream which in turn adds more
soil to the stream causing increased turbidity and muddiness of the water of the stream.
H>L>H>B: A flood washes soil into the stream increasing the turbidity or muddiness of
the stream which in turn has negative impacts on plants and animals.
Note: At the discretion of the teacher, and ability level of the students, students may be asked to back up
their statements with documented evidence from internet or textbook sources. For instance in the above
examples, students would look for a source that supports the fact that increased muddiness in a stream is
detrimental to plants and animals. The source would be listed after the description of the interaction.
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Lesson One: The Domino Effect
Objectives:
1. This lesson is meant to help students begin to see the inter-connectedness between
Earth’s abiotic and biotic factors
2. The students will experience how environmental events impact living things &
non-living things
3. Students will be able to apply the concept of interconnectedness to an
environmental event and its impact.
4. Students will learn the environmental components of the lithosphere, biosphere,
hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
5. Students will develop their analytical skills for use in making connections
between the 4 Earth spheres in later lessons (# 4-6)
Materials:
One of the following: 20-25 foam or cardboard blocks, student binders, old text
books, dominos (found at toy stores)
Procedure:
1. Divide students into 5 groups each representing the following in a typical
school community: parents, teachers, students, administrators, maintenance.
2. Read out loud the following scenario: “It is 1:00 pm on a typical day at
school. The principal has received a call that there is a huge snow storm fast
approaching. She wants to dismiss the students before the snow storm arrives.
The storm is predicted to drop 8 inches of snow by 10:00 am the next morning. Students
will be dismissed at 2:00 pm today and school will be cancelled tomorrow.”
3. Students must now decide how this event will impact their day today and
tomorrow. For example: the “parent group” must brainstorm and list all the
people with whom they need to communicate. They must then list the ways
they, as the “parent group” are affected by the school closure.
4. Each group will then share with the class their results. This will emphasize
how parents, teachers, students, administrators and maintenance interact. For
example a group may share the following: “The principal must call
maintenance to clear the parking lot and sidewalks.” So the teacher points
out, “This example is the principal interacting with maintenance.” At this
point, the teacher places a domino on a table top representing this interaction.
As each group shares, have a student from the group place another domino
behind the previous one representing the interaction that occurs. (The
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dominos need to be placed close enough to one another as they will eventually
be knocking each other down.)
When all interactions have been shared and represented with dominos aligned on the
table top, have one student represent the “snow storm” by tapping the first domino. The
falling dominos simulate the chain of events and interactions that occurred due to the
snow storm event.
5. In the scenario just completed students explored the various sub-groups that
compose the school community and considered how these sub-groups impact
each other. This concept can be applied to the Earth and its sub-groups
known as earth “spheres”
There are four earth spheres that exist and interact with/affect each other. They include
the biosphere = living things, lithosphere = soil and land, atmosphere = air, and the
hydrosphere = water.
Note to teacher: for content specifics see “Methods for Teaching Earth Systems
Science” on page 1 of this packet.
6. Set the stage for lesson #2 by reiterating the concept of earth spheres and their
interactions. You can do this by applying the domino demonstration to an
environmental event. For example: use a recent flood, hurricane, or volcano.
Have students brainstorm ways in which the event (flood, etc.) effected each
of the four earth spheres. For each interaction again place a domino on the
table top. Once all ideas are exhausted, have a student represent the event
(flood) by tapping the first domino.
Note to teacher: you may want to show a video clip from a recent natural event to
motivate/inspire student ideas. For example, show clips from the fall-out of hurricane
Katrina then discuss how the four earth spheres where impacted.
Students will be applying the concepts learned today as they complete the next several
lessons. They will begin to learn about each earth sphere in a tropical rain forest, then
explore the interactions that occur between spheres and finally what happens to the earth
spheres when they are disrupted by deforestation.
*Idea for the snow storm scenario and group sharing procedure is adapted from a class
presentation, by William Slattery, Wright State University.
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