Spheres of Papatūānuku

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 2 of your Knowledge Book:

1. What is Papatūānuku?

2. Write three things you have learned in school or at home
about planet Earth.

Lesson 3: Hei Mahi (Do Now)

Think of the things you learned in Year 10...

Chemistry: particles, states of matter, different substances

Physics: Types or energy, light, how energy changes

Biology: living things, their different structures, how they function.

Do Now on page 5 of your Knowledge Book:

What kinds of things do YOU think are part of
Earth and Space Science?

Lesson 3: Exit Task

In your Knowledge Book page 15:

Write down the names of THREE different items of scientific equipment, and their use in the laboratory.

What makes up Papatūānuku?

Papatūānuku is over 12,700 km in diameter. If you were able to drive in a car non-stop at 100 kilometers per hour around Papatūānuku, it would still take you about 17 days to make the full journey. Everything on, in and around PAPATŪĀNUKU (Earth) can be grouped into one of four sub-systems: WHENUA (land), WAI (water), life or air.

Each of these four parts are called a "sphere" due to the ball-shape they take on our planet.

Specifically, we use the words "GEOSPHERE" (for whenua), "HYDROSPHERE" (for wai), "BIOSPHERE" (for life), and "ATMOSPHERE" (for air).

Our school is also part of these spheres!

Which parts of the school are part of the geosphere?
Which parts of the school are part of the biosphere?

The GEOSPHERE involves the hard surface of Papatūānuku and all rocks, metals, and minerals inside it. It is constantly going through changes as the rocks are melted, squeezed and eroded away by different forces on our planet

The HYDROSPHERE involves all the wai of Papatūānuku which can be solid (ice), liquid (seas, lakes, rivers, ponds, streams) or gas (wai vapour). Our planet is the only planet where wai has been found in all 3 states. Without this wai there would be no life on Papatūānuku.

The ATMOSPHERE surrounds Papatūānuku and is made of air. The air is held in place by our planet’s gravity and the different gases in the air play an important role in the temperatures we experience as well as supporting life.

The BIOSPHERE contains all the life of Papatūānuku, like plants, animals and microorganisms (fungi and bacteria). Living things interact with all of the “spheres,” making use of many of the substances that each contains, but also changing and returning many of the substances back to the spheres.