1. Spheres of the Earth
The earth is made up of four main spheres which allow us to live and function. These layers must exist in harmony and work together or our Earth would fall apart.

2. The Four Realms of Earth!
Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere

3. Atmosphere Gaseous layer which surrounds the Earth
Receives heat and moisture from the surface and redistributes it
Warms the Earth
Without it all living things would die
Consists of a mixture of gases composed primarily of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor.

4. Lithosphere Often called the Earth’s crust
Outermost solid layer of Earth
It’s what we’re all standing on
Includes continental and oceanic crust
Solid bedrock with a layer of soil
It’s surface is filled with all sorts of landforms – habitats for animals, plants, humans, etc.

5. Hydrosphere Liquid realm
All the Earth’s water: rain, ponds, lakes, rivers, oceans, ice cap, glaciers
Earth is made up of 70% water, which is why we’re sometimes called the “Water Planet”

6. Biosphere First one hundred meters is referred to as the “life layer”
Includes all life an Earth: plants, animals and people
This sphere connects it all together

7. All four work together
Spheres of Earth

8. The Atmosphere, Lithosphere, Hydrosphere and Biosphere CONNECTION!
How is it all connected?
All four spheres are directly and indirectly connected
Any change the occurs on one sphere can and will affect the others
Changes often cause chain reactions
The connection takes place on the “Life Sphere” located on the Biosphere
For Example: Forest Fire, Earthquake, Pollution
Can be caused naturally or by people

9. Most famous Interaction: Water cycle
Water Cycle = Hydrologic Cycle
Take a look at this glass of water and put it on the table next to you.  Take a good long look at the water.  Now -- can you guess how old it is?  
     
The water in your glass may have fallen from the sky as rain just last week, but the water itself has been around pretty much as long as the earth has!  
When the first fish crawled out of the ocean onto the land, your glass of water was part of that ocean.  When the Brontosaurus walked through lakes feeding on  plants, your glass of water was part of those lakes.  When kings and princesses, knights and squires took a drink from their wells, your glass of water was part of those wells.
And you thought your parents were OLD!

10. Parts of the Hydrologic Cycle
Evaporation (and transpiration) - Infiltration & Runoff
Condensation
Precipitation
Collection

11. Step 1: Evaporation
Evaporation:   Evaporation is when the sun heats up water in rivers or lakes or the ocean and turns it into vapor or steam. The water vapor or steam leaves the river, lake or ocean and goes up into the atmosphere.

12. And plants? Do plants sweat?
Well, sort of.... people perspire (sweat) and plants transpire.  Transpiration is the process by which plants lose water out of their leaves.  Transpiration gives evaporation a bit of a hand in getting the water vapor back up into the air.

13. Runoff & Infiltration
These two happen at the same time (simultaneously) with Evaporation, because some of the water evaporates too
Infiltration is when precipitation is absorbed into the ground
Runoff happens when too much precipitation falls too quickly and it “runs” over the ground
In both cases the sun can warm it and it can evaporate to take part of the Hydrologic Cycle

14. Step 2: Condensation
Water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds. This is called condensation.
You can see the same sort of thing at home... pour a glass of cold water on a hot day and watch what happens.  Water forms on the outside of the glass.  That water didn't somehow leak through the glass!  It actually came from the air.  Water vapor in the warm air, turns back into liquid when it touches the cold glass

15. Step 3: Precipitation
Precipitation occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore.  The clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow.

16. Step 4: Collection
When water falls back to earth as precipitation, it may fall back in the oceans, lakes or rivers or it may end up on land.  When it ends up on land, it will either soak into the earth and become part of the “ground water” that plants and animals use to drink or it may run over the soil and collect in the oceans, lakes or rivers where the cycle starts
all over again.

17. Hydrologic Cycle #1

18. Hydrologic Cycle #2

19. Hydrologic Cycle #3

20. Hydrologic Cycle in Action
Water Cycle - Simplified

21. Demonstration
Our indoor Water Cycle!