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Geography

Earth's Systems

Earth's Systems
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 4
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   4.55

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, organism, planet, sphere, ultraviolet, well-run, harmful, rays, underground, layer, atmosphere, lava, roots, possible

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Earth's Systems
By Trista L. Pollard 		  
1     Our planet has many parts. These parts work together. Without these parts, our spinning days would be over. The Earth's parts are called systems .
 
2     A system is a group of independent parts that work together as a whole. The Earth has four major systems or spheres . These systems are the geosphere , the hydrosphere , the atmosphere , and the biosphere . The biosphere is the system where we belong. The prefix bio- means "life." It includes all of the people, animals, plants, and other organisms on our planet. The plants and trees in the biosphere give us the oxygen we need to survive. They provide the food humans and animals need to survive. The animals also are a source of food for humans. Every organism in the biosphere needs each other.
 
3     The geosphere is the part of Earth way below our feet. It is the crust and mantle . The crust is the outer layer of the Earth. We stand on the top of the crust. The mantle is the layer beneath the crust. The inside of the Earth is very hot. Scientists learn a lot about our planet's insides from earthquakes and volcanoes. When volcanoes erupt, they send lava or liquid rock to the surface. There is also heat and pressure inside the Earth. This heat and pressure cause our mountains to form. Our hydrosphere includes all of the water on our planet. The oceans, rivers, lakes, streams, and ponds are part of the hydrosphere. Even the glaciers or large blocks of ice on Earth have water. We depend on the Earth's water for food and power. We not only use fresh water for drinking, but we also use the animals in the sea for food. Water is used to help make power. Some of our electricity is made from the power of water.

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