Chapter 2, Section 2
Standards
4a.Students know the relative amount of incoming solar energy compared with
Earth’s internal energy and the energy used by society.
7a.Students know the carbon cycle and the nitrogen cycle.
7b.Students know the global carbon cycle.
7c. Students know the movement of matter among reservoirs is driven by Earth’s
internal and external sources of energy.
Objective 1
Compare an open system to a closed system.
Objective 2
List the characteristics of Earth’s 4 major spheres.
Objective 3
Identify the 2 main sources of energy in the Earth
system.
Objective 4
Identify the 4 processes in which matter and energy
cycle on Earth.
Assessment
End of Section QuestionsDaily Quizzes, Chapter Test
Key Terms
Create a flash card for the following key terms (p. 31 in
textbook):
 System
 Atmosphere
 Hydrosphere
 Geosphere
 Biosphere
If you finish early, study your flash cards!
The Earth System
• A SYSTEM is an organized group of
related objects that interact.
• Systems can be very small or very
large.
• Energy and Matter can move into
and out of systems.
• There are 2 types of systems:
CLOSED and OPEN.
Closed vs. Open Systems
Closed
Energy can
move in and
out.
Open
Energy can
move in and
out.
Matter cannot
move in and
out.
Matter can
move in and
out.
Ex: a Jar with a
closed lid, a
closed car.
Ex.: An open
jar, a lake,
water boiling in
a pot.
Closed or Open??
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Demonstration…is it a closed or open system?
Open can of soda________
Crockpot with lid on _________
Aquarium _______
Helium balloon that is tied_______
Ocean ______
Human Body______
The Earth ________
Interactive!
• You will design a bookmark!
• One side will be illustrated and labeled to
show a CLOSED system.
• One side will be illustrated and labeled to
show and OPEN system.
• When complete, tape onto the left hand page
in your notebook. (only tape the top edge, so
I can flip it up and see both sides).
Earth’s 4 Spheres
Atmosphere
• A mixture of gases that surrounds a
planet.
• The Earth’s atmosphere provides the
air we breathe and protects us from
harmful radiation.
• 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 1% other
gases.
Hydrosphere
• The portion of the Earth that is
water.
• 71% of the Earth’s surface is water.
• 97% of the water is salt water.
• 3% is freshwater lakes, rivers,
glaciers, underground.
Geosphere
• The mostly solid, rocky part of the
Earth.
• From the center core to the surface
of the crust.
Biosphere
• The part of the Earth where life
exists
• Includes all living organisms on Earth
Can you identify the 4 spheres?
Quick Check!!
1. Name 2 of Earth’s 4 spheres:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
2. Which sphere is solid and rocky?
_____________________________________
3. The _________ is composed of 78%
________.
Interactive!
• Complete this graphic organizer:
Biosphere
Fill in 1 fact per
box.
Atmosphere
Geosphere
Hydrosphere
Snowball Toss!
Earth’s Energy
• Earth gets its Energy from internal and external
sources.
• Internal Energy:
– The Earth was originally heated from radioactive decay
and gravitational contraction.
– Convection currents are also a sources of internal
energy. This drives plate motion.
– Geysers are another example of Internal Energy
– Underground reservoirs of steam and hot water=
geothermal energy.
Earth’s Energy
• Earth gets its Energy from internal and external
sources.
• External Energy:
– Most important source of Energy= SUN. Sun provides
more energy (internal or external) than all other
sources of energy.
– Solar Energy is free and drives the water cycle, weather
patterns, and more.
Cycles in the Earth’s System
Nitrogen
Cycle
Carbon
Cycle
Phosphorus
Cycle
Water Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
• Nitrogen is an important element on Earth
because organisms use it to build proteins
which are used to build cells.
• Although our atmosphere is made of mostly
nitrogen, it is unusable by organisms in this
form. It must first be “fixed”.
• Certain kinds of bacteria in the soil and plant
roots ‘fix’ the Nitrogen.
Brain Pop Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen is
released as a gas
by the
decomposition of
proteins in the
soil.
Nitrogen
to plants
and
animals
Nitrogen
in the air
Nitrogen gas in the
atmosphere is
converted to
ammonia by bacteria
called ‘Nitrogen
Fixation’
Nitrogen
in the soil
Interactive!
• As a group, write a song/rap to the tune of
Row, Row, Row your boat about the Nitrogen
Cycle.
Nitrogen Cycle Video
Assessment: Nitrogen Cycle
• Using the diagram on page 36 in your text as a
guide, draw and label the Nitrogen Cycle. You
must be able to explain the cycle verbally as
well.
Carbon Cycle
• Carbon moves through all 4 of Earth’s spheres
in a process called the Carbon Cycle.
• There are short term cycles and Long-term
carbon cycles.
• In the atmosphere Carbon is found as CO2.
• Carbon in Ocean Reservoirs is mainly dissolved
Carbon dioxide and bicarbonate.
Short-term
Carbon Cycle
Plants convert
Carbon Dioxide
into carbs
Organisms also
release carbon
through waste
and decay of their
remains.
Carbon is stored for
different lengths of time
at each step, also called
RESERVOIRS.
Organisms eat the
plants
Organisms’ bodies
break down the
carbs and release
some of the
carbon back into
the air as CO2.
Interactive!
• Quickwrite: Describe the Carbon Cycle in your
own words.
Carbon Cycle Brain Pop
Most of Earth’s Carbon is found in the
LITHOSPHERE.
Carbon Cycle Video Clip
Carbon Cycle Assessment
• Using the diagram in your text on page 37,
draw and label the Carbon Cycle. You must be
able to verbally explain it as well.
Phosphorous Cycle
• Phosphorous, also used in building cells,
travels through all the spheres of Earth’s
systems except for the atmosphere.
Phosphorous Cycle
Phosphorous
enters the soil
and water
when rocks
break down
Phosphorous
returns to soil
when animal
dies and
decays
Animals eat
the plants
Some
organisms
excrete
phosphorous
in waste.
Plants absorb
the
phosphorous
Interactive!
• Quick Draw…sketch the Carbon cycle!
Water Cycle
• The water cycle is the continuous movement
of water from the atmosphere to the Earth’s
surface and back again.
Brain Pop Water Cycle
Water
Cycle
Water falls to
the Earth as
precipitation
Precipitation
fills lakes,
rivers,
oceans, and is
absorbed/con
sumed by
plants and
animals
Water vapor
cools and
condenses
back to
precipitation
Water
evaporates
from the
Earth’s
surface and
goes back to
the
atmosphere
Quick Check!
1. Name 2 of the cycles:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
2. Conversion of Nitrogen gas to ammonia by
bacteria is called _____________________.
3. The __________ is where most of the Carbon
on earth is found.
4. The _______ is the primary external source
of energy and drives all the cycles.
The Water Cycle, Video Clip
Water Cycle Skits
Assessment: the Water Cycle
Using the diagram in your text book, draw and
label the water cycle. You must be able to
verbally explain it as well.
Daily Quiz