What's happening: Fifth grade students at Dater School recently completed an impressive interdisciplinary science project exploring how Earth's four spheres—biosphere, geosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere—function as an interconnected system.
Why it matters: The project began with students learning about each sphere and their interdependence.
🌎 Students chose events like natural disasters, weather phenomena, or human-made incidents that sparked their interest.
🌎 Through research, they identified 2-4 cause-and-effect relationships between their chosen event and each sphere, noting the interaction between spheres.
Working independently, students created informative and visually engaging posters that illustrated these complex relationships. The project culminated in a Gallery Walk where students viewed each other's work, providing thoughtful comments and compliments to their peers.
What they’re saying: “I loved this study of the Earth's spheres. Students were able to self-select a topic of interest and it was a student-led learning experience. Students gained a strong understanding of the Earth's systems and made connections how they are interrelated. They also learned that human beings can play a part in cause and effect relationships.” -Patti Ebeling, 5th Grade Teacher
The bottom line: This hands-on approach helped students develop research skills while gaining a deeper understanding of Earth's delicate environmental balance.