8. Geosphere and Biosphere

Success Criteria

Your learning has been successful if you can do the following:

Describe the things we find on and below the Earth's surface.
Describe how Earth is heated.
Explain how the movement of Earth's surface affects us.

Vocabulary

Learn these so you can communicate this concept well.

Beaker: Holds larger volumes of liquids/mixtures.
Boiling tube: Safely holds small amounts of liquids/mixtures that need to be heated.
Bunsen burner: Burns natural gas to make a flame used for heating and burning.
Conical flask: Holds larger volumes of liquids/mixtures, especially good for swirling (mixing).
Funnel: Makes it easier to put liquids into narrow containers.
Gauze mat: Sits on a tripod and spreads the heat from a Bunsen burner out evenly.
Heat proof mat: Protects the bench from hot and burning objects.
Measuring cylinder: Measures volumes of liquids accurately.
Stirring rod: Mixes liquids / mixtures safely.
Test tube: Holds small amounts of liquids/mixtures that do not need to be heated.
Thermometer: Measures the temperature of liquids.
Tongs: Holds objects that are to be burnt or heated.
Tripod: Holds equipment, like beakers, above a Bunsen burner.

Lesson 3: Hei Mahi (Do Now)

Do Now on page 32 of your Knowledge Book:

1. Give one reason why Aotearoa has many volcanoes.

2. When one plate slides beneath another, the process is called...

3. Mountains are created when two plates...

4. How does the Pacific plate move compared to the Australian plate?

Lesson 3: Exit Task

In your Knowledge Book page 31

How does soil represent parts of both the geosphere and biosphere?

How does the Geosphere affect Living Things?

ROCKS are small pieces of the different layers of Papatūānuku.

Some come from the crust, but some can come from lower layers as volcanoes erupt these materials onto the surface.

When we look at rocks closely, we find that they are a MIXTURE of a lot of different substances called MINERALS. Minerals such as quartz, rubies and gold are a PURE SUBSTANCE that has the atoms bonded together.

Since rocks are a mixture of minerals, they are made of a lot of different ELEMENTS and substances that are mixed together in different ways. These differences also give rocks different chemical and physical properties. Rocks contain some of the basic materials, but do not have many of the microorganisms and other things for plants to grow and thrive.

So how is soil different from broken down rocks (e.g. dirt)? Soil has dirt, but it also has MICROORGANISMS and other NUTRIENTS. These have come from being part of the BIOSPHERE, where microorganisms live, but also come from things that were once alive and then broken down.

The breaking down of rock and mixing with the biosphere helps support plant growth, therefore creating the basis of FOOD WEB all over the world. Each plant is adapted to survive in certain types of soil so the right soil composition can have a huge effect on the biosphere.

When landslips occur, this often introduces large amounts of rock into the soil, and it can take a long time for plant life to grow in that area again.