1. Living Systems
Investigation 1, Part 2 –
The Earth System

2. Focus Question Is planet Earth a system?
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 1

3. Physical Systems After the video, discuss in your groups:
Is planet Earth a system? If it is, what are the parts of that system?
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Steps 2-3

4. Earth Systems
These are the four large systems that make up Earth: geosphere: Earth's rocks, minerals, and landforms atmosphere: the layer of gases surrounding Earth at a depth of several hundred kilometers hydrosphere: water on Earth in the rivers, lakes, seas, groundwater, ocean, and atmosphere biosphere: all of the plants, animals, and other living things in the water, on the land, and in the air
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 3

5. Reading in Science Resources
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Steps 4–6

6. The Biosphere
Do you think the biosphere is a subsystem? Why or why not?
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 7

7. The Biosphere
Do you think the biosphere subsystem is composed of subsystems that together define the biosphere subsystem?
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 7

8. Ecosystems
Living organisms are organized into complex communities called ecosystems. The nonliving physical characteristics of the ecosystem (temperature, wind, moisture, etc.) provide for the needs of the organisms, from the tiniest microorganism to the most massive animal.
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 7

9. The Woods Ecosystem
Each group member takes five cards to study. Look for organisms that go together because one eats the other.
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 10

10. Feeding Relationships
The _____ eats the _____ .
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 11

11. Feeding Relationships
Can you find three organisms that, when placed in a row, show a larger feeding relationship?
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 11

12. Food Chains
The path that food takes from one organism to another organism is called a food chain. The direction the arrows point show the direction that food (matter and energy) moves through a food chain.
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 12

13. Producers
Organisms that make food are producers. Producers use water, carbon dioxide, and energy from the Sun to make food. Plants, algae, and other organisms that make their own food are the primary source of matter and energy entering most food chains. What are the different producers in the woodland ecosystem?
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 13

14. Consumers How do animals get their food?
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 14

15. Consumers
Organisms that eat other organisms are consumers. Animals that eat plants are called herbivores. Animals that eat other animals are called carnivores. Animals that eat plants and animals are called omnivores.
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 14

16. Consumers What are the different consumers in the woodland ecosystem?
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 14

17. Consumers
Some organisms are not eaten by consumers but instead die a natural death. These organisms are broken down and eaten by organisms called decomposers. Everything that is not eaten by a consumer is eventually used for food by decomposers. It is recycled to the environment as raw materials. What are the decomposers in the woodland ecosystem?
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 15

18. Vocabulary Review
living to be alive; having life ecosystem a community of organisms interacting with each other and with the nonliving environment nonliving not alive microorganism an organism that is too small to be seen with the unaided eye predator an animal that hunts and catches other animals for food
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 16

19. Vocabulary Review
food chain a description of the feeding relationships between organisms in an environment producer an organism, such as a plant or algae, that makes its own food energy what allows organisms to grow and move algae a large, plantlike group of water organisms consumer an organism that cannot make its own food. Consumers eat other organisms.
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 16

20. Vocabulary Review
herbivore an animal that eats only plants or algae carnivore an animal that eats only animals omnivore an animal that eats both plants and animals bacteria microorganisms that act as decomposers recycle return (as to the environment)
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 16

21. Food Chain Practice
Build several food chains using the cards and the organisms on the notebook sheet.
Record your food chains in your notebook.
Use arrows to show how the energy moves from organisms that are eaten to organisms that eat them.
Label the organisms as producers or consumers.
Write a few sentences to describe how the Sun's energy is used by producers and is transferred through a food chain.
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 17

22. Food Webs
A model that shows all the feeding relationships in an ecosystem is called a food web.
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 18

23. Building a Food Web
Your challenge is to make one grand food web that includes 12 organisms in the woods ecosystem. Use the paper strip arrows to make the connections.
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 20

24. Food Webs
Draw your food webs in your notebooks. How do the predators and prey interact? What would happen if the decomposers were removed from the system? Why is it important for energy to flow through the ecosystem?
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 22

25. Clean Up!
Place your cards back in the bag and return them to the materials station. Save the paper arrows.
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 23

26. Reading in Science Resources
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Steps 24–25

27. Sense-Making Discussion
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 26

28. Vocabulary Review
geosphere Earth's rocks, minerals, and landforms atmosphere the layer of gases surrounding Earth hydrosphere water on Earth in the rivers, lakes, seas, groundwater, ocean, and atmosphere biosphere all of the plants, animals, and other living things in the water, on the land, and in the air food web a description of the feeding relationships between all the organisms in an ecosystem. Arrows show the flow of matter and energy from one organism to another. Food webs include all of the connected and interacting food chains in an ecosystem.
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 27

29. Focus Question Is planet Earth a system?
Discuss the focus question with your group.
Use the claims-and-evidence format to answer the focus question in your notebook.
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 28

30. Is planet Earth a system?
Wrap-Up/Warm-Up
Is planet Earth a system?
Pair up with a partner to
share and compare your answers to the focus question;
identify your claim and the evidence you used to support it. Compare your response to your partner's.
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System
Step 30

31. All rights reserved. Copyright The Regents of the University of California.
Developed at Published and Distributed by
Photo credits:
Cover slide: © photovideostock/Shutterstock
Notebook image: © photastic/Shutterstock TM
Living Systems, 1.2: The Earth System