Index

Introduction 3Essentials of Life 4Water Cycle 9Air Cycle 16Nutrient Cycle 29Review Questions 37Glossary 3 8Bibliography 39

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Introduction

Name ___________________________Walk around the room and see if your classmates can answer

any of these questions. If your classmate knows an answer to a question, he or she may sign in the box. Each classmate may only sign his or her name once.

Name one cycle. List one thing humans need to survive.

What is an animal that eats both plants and animals?

The food-making process in green plants

When we throw litter, we…

The symbol for carbon dioxide

The symbol for oxygen

What is an animal that eats other animals?

What is an animal that only eats plants?

What do humans breathe in?

What do humans breathe out?

Give an example of precipitation.

Name an organism that feeds off of dead organisms.

The removal of soil by water, wind, etc.

What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?

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Essentials of Life

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3035 Space OdysseyThe year is 3035, and you are a traveler from earth investigating the

new frontier: space. Earth has become so over-populated that people have begun traveling to the moon to set up a human settlement. You will be creating a community that can sustain human life. Be sure to include the different non-living essentials of life in your design! What do you want your settlement to look like?

Part 1: Plan your designOver the course of ten school days, you will be responsible for creating a diorama of your settlement on the moon. This settlement can be set up however you like as long as it can sustain human life.a) What are the four essentials to life that need to be considered when you

are planning your design?1. _______________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________

b) How can you incorporate these four essentials in your design?1. _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

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4. _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Instructions: Please use the space below to draw at least three design ideas

for your settlement on the moon. If you need more space, you can use the

back of the page or attach another sheet. Please circle the final design that

your group decides on or re-draw this design in the final design box.

Design 1: Design 2:

Design 3: Final Design:

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Teacher Signature: __________________________________Non-Living Essentials of Life

What are the non-living essentials of life? Can they be found on the moon? How can you bring these non-living essentials of life to your new settlement?

1. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How can you change your current design to incorporate the non-living essentials of life?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Name_______________________

Diorama RubricRubric for Handout:

1Below Proficient

2Proficient

3Above Proficient

Design/Skill

Lacks any effort and/or creativity and illustrates no comprehension.

Applies some effort to develop a creative design that illustrates some comprehension.

Applies effort to develop a unique creative project that illustrates comprehension.

Effort/ Visually pleasing

No clear reason for design of space module. More than ten grammar and spelling errors. Actual display is disorganized and demonstrates a lack of effort.

Design for diorama has a clear purpose: to sustain life on the moon. Within explanation, there are no more than ten grammar and spelling errors. Actual display is organized but difficult to follow, read, or understand.

Design for diorama has a clear purpose: to sustain life on the moon. Within explanation, there are no more than two grammar errors. Actual display is organized and easy to understand.

AddressedProblem

Did not answer the problem and/or did not apply any prior knowledge to answer. Identified zero or one essential of life in design.

Partially addressed the problem and life could be sustained on the moon settlement with one or two alterations. Identified two or three of the essentials of life in their diorama.

Completely addressed the problem with the design of diorama. Identified air, water, nutrients, and temperature as issues that needed to be addressed.

Total Points:______________

Teacher Comments:

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Water Cycle

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Water Cycle Score CardName__________________________________

Station Stop What HappensDestination

Example: Cloud Fall as rain Ocean

1__________________________2__________________________3 __________________________4 __________________________5 __________________________6 __________________________7 __________________________8 __________________________9 __________________________10__________________________

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Humans and the Water Cycle

Instructions: Think about how you affect the water cycle and write a paragraph about it.

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Air Cycle

Air Plants LabDuring this lab, you will model and observe the process of photosynthesis.

Materials: Baking soda Clear bowl Clear cup

1 aquatic plant per group Magnify lenses

Question: What do you know about photosynthesis?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Make a prediction: What do you think is going to happen?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Observations: Please draw a picture of what your plant looks like when you first set up the experiment and when the experiment is concluded.

Pre-experiment observations Post-experiment observations

Conclusion: What really happened and why?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

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Create Your Own Air Cycle

Instructions: Cut out and arrange the following shapes based on your understanding of the air cycle and photosynthesis. Feel free to color in the shapes.

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The Lorax and Air PollutionPlease complete the following writing prompt.

____________________________________________________________

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The Onceler says, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”  What does the Onceler mean?  Can one person make a difference?  Can you?  What are some things you can do to better your own environment?

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Name: ____________________ Date: _______________

Directions: Label the flow chart using the words listed below to show how cellular respiration and photosynthesis are similar.

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water oxygen energy food sunlight carbon dioxide sugar is made

Nutrient Cycle

Food Chains

Sun Grass

Grasshopper Mouse

Hawk

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Sun Algae

Clownfish Stingray

Hammerhead Shark

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Sun Tree

Bird Owl

Lynx33

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Sun Plant

ButterflyRaven

Weasel

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Review Questions

Please respond to the following review questions on another sheet of paper.

Essentials of Life:

1. Why is the sun so important to life?

2. What are the four non-living essentials to life?

3. What is the molecular symbol of water?

4. Where are minerals found on earth?

Air Cycle:

1. What do humans breathe in?

2. How do plants produce carbon dioxide?

3. How does pollution get into the air?

4. How do plants affect the air we breathe?

Water Cycle:

1. How does the sun affect the water cycle?

2. How do plants affect the water cycle?

3. What are the three main steps in the water cycle?

4. How does pollution get into drinking water?

Nutrient Cycle:

1. Sometimes people classify organisms based on what they eat. Name the four classifications.

2. There are three levels in a basic food chain. What are they?

3. What is the purpose of the nutrient cycle?

4. What are the four steps in the nutrient cycle?

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Glossary

Cycle: Predictable, recurring series of events

Minerals: Elements like calcium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc

Nutrients: Name given to all the elements essential for growth

Photosynthesis: Food-making process in plants during which oxygen is given off

Respiration: Oxygen combines with food to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy

Food chain: A food relationship among three different kinds of organisms

Water cycle: Movement of water from the land to the atmosphere and back to the land again

Nutrient cycle: Path of nutrients from the soil, through plants and animals, and then back to the soil via decomposers

Air cycle: Parts of the air move between plants and animals during the processes of photosynthesis and respiration

Evaporation: When water changes from a liquid to a gas

Condensation: When air cools, water vapor changes to a liquid

Organism: Living plant or animal

Decomposer: Organism that eats dead plants and animals or other wastes

Precipitation: Moisture falling from the sky

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Bibliography

Pennsbury Regional Environmental Education Program (REEP) Unit, Grade 5, Cycles

Worksheet 3, Lesson 2, Grade 5/Cycles: Nutrients, Air, and Water: Three Cycles

Worksheet 4, Lesson 3, Grade 5/Cycles: Air (Carbon/Oxygen) Cycle

Worksheet 5, Lesson 4, Grade 5/Cycles: Nutrient Cycle

Worksheet 6, Lesson 5, Grade 5/Cycles: Short Water Cycle

Worksheet 7, Lesson 6, Grade 5/Cycles: Water Cycle and Plants

Worksheet 8, Lesson 6, Grade 5/Cycles: Water Cycle and Animals

Worksheet 9, Lesson 6, Grade 5/Cycles: Water Cycle: The Big Picture

Project Learning Tree. "Air Plants." Environmental Education Activity Guide: Pre K-8.

Washington, D.C.: American Forest Foundation, 2007. 122. Print.

Project Learning Tree. "Water Cycle Score Card Sheet." Environmental Education

Activity Guide: Pre K-8. Washington, D.C.: American Forest Foundation, 2007.

193. Print.

Project Learning Tree. "Go to the Head of the Cloud." Environmental Education

Activity Guide: Pre K-8. Washington, D.C.: American Forest Foundation, 2007.

192. Print.

"What is Photosynthesis." Education.com, 2013.

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http://www.education.com/files/427401_427500/427444/file_427444.pdf

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