Four Winds Nature Institute 4 Casey Rd. Chittenden, VT 05737 802-353-9440 www.fourwindsinstitute.org EARTH and the ENVIRONMENT Exploring Our Physical World To develop a sense of place we need an understanding of the Earth itself – the ground beneath our feet, the air we breathe, the water that fills our lakes, streams and oceans, and the other living things that share our planet. Throughout the year, we will study the physical environment that supports life on Earth and the forces that shape the ever-changing landscape in which we live. We’ll look at the Earth’s geosphere when we study rocks and erosion, at the atmosphere when we learn about the blanket of air that surrounds us, and at the hydrosphere when we learn about the water cycle, winds, clouds and weather. Throughout we’ll consider the biosphere, the living things in our world, and explore the interactions between the living and non-living components of the world around us. Students will also practice important skills including: listening actively, asking questions, making and recording observations, and communicating findings. Vermont Standards: Inquiry 7.1, The Living World 7.13, Universe, Earth and the Environment 7.15, Natural Resources and Agriculture 7.16, Listening 1.13, Questioning 2.1, Sustainability 3.9, Understanding Place 4.6 New Hampshire Standards: Science Process Skills SPS1, SPS3, SPS4; Life Science LS1, LS2, LS3; Earth Space Science ESS1, ESS2; Physical Science PS1, PS2 SUNLIGHT AND SHADOW: Our exploration starts with the sun, the engine that powers Earth’s major systems. We’ll see how and why we experience day and night and the seasons, consider how sunlight supplies the energy for photosynthesis, fuels the water cycle, influences our weather and provides the right conditions for life. EROSION: Our study of the geosphere begins with a look at how, over time, the powerful agents of erosion have shaped and formed our landscape. Gravity, water, wind and ice are constantly weathering, wearing away and moving rocks, soil, sand and sediments, and depositing them elsewhere. We’ll also consider the impact humans have on erosion, deposition and our everchanging landscape. ROCKS AND MINERALS: Each pebble in a stream, each rock in a field tells a story about the earth's history. We’ll study the Earth’s crust, looking at rocks and learning how they’ve been formed and reformed over and over again in the rock cycle. We’ll examine minerals, test their different properties and discover just how important they are to our everyday life. BLANKET OF AIR: Air is everywhere around us. We can't see it, taste it or smell it, but we depend on it for life itself. Experiments will help us discover the properties of air, understand the behavior of these invisible gases, and how important they are to life on our planet. THE NATURE OF SOUND: Birds singing, dogs barking, cars zooming by – we learn a lot about our environment by listening to sounds. Able to cross the boundaries of all four systems, sound vibrations give us vital information about what’s happening in the world around us. By playing with a variety of vibrating objects, we’ll learn how sound waves travel through the ground, water and air. WONDERS OF WATER: The Earth’s water circulates from the land to the air and back again in a never-ending cycle. In our study of the hydrosphere we’ll learn about water’s unique properties, and how precipitation, evaporation, transpiration, and condensation keep water on the move, circulating between the surface of the Earth and the atmosphere. WIND AND CLOUDS: Building on what we’ve learned about the atmosphere and hydrosphere, we’ll see how unequal heating by the sun creates differences in air temperature and pressure, causing winds to blow and weather systems to form. We’ll also learn to recognize the different kinds of clouds and the weather they bring. GREEN BY DESIGN: Everything we do has an impact on the Earth – from the water we use each day to the trash we throw away. We depend on the Earth’s resources to grow the food we eat and provide energy to our homes. We’ll learn how we can make choices that protect our natural resources and take care of the Earth. GET YOUR BEARINGS: Many aspects of the physical world provide important clues and help guide us as we move from place to place. These landscape features, along with map, compass and other tools, help us orient, navigate and find our way as we explore the world. We’ll learn how both people and animals use the sun, natural landmarks, and the Earth’s magnetic field to help recognize where we are, create mental maps of our environment and get to know our Earth. Four Winds Nature Institute, 4-14.