Mrs. Irwin's integrating science in garden restoration |
Flow of
Water
Flow of water through the earth's systems
From the NGSS disiplinary core ideas for Earth's Materials and Systems ESS2.A: Earth's major systems are the following:
Geosphere (solid and molten rock, soil and sediments)
Hydrosphere (water and ice)
Biosphere (living things; including)
Atmosphere (air)
These systems interact in multiple ways to affect Earth's surface materials and processes.
Geosphere (solid and molten rock, soil and sediments)
Hydrosphere (water and ice)
Biosphere (living things; including)
Atmosphere (air)
These systems interact in multiple ways to affect Earth's surface materials and processes.
This is a great visual that actively shows water flowing through all four spheres. I will explain using this chart and the Kedzie garden how water will move through the spheres in terms of matter and energy transport.
The sun releases light energy all over East Lansing. Some of the light energy is absorbed by the garden's surface and the building surrounding the garden. The light energy is converted into heat energy and radiates into the atmosphere around the garden and the courtyard. The heat energy causes water from the hydrosphere of the Red Cedar river at a location downriver by the baseball fields to evaporate and rise into the atmosphere. The water in the atmosphere condenses and forms a small cloud that is transported by the wind current, that releases mechanical energy on the cloud, over Kedzie Courtyard. The cloud over Kedzie courtyard condenses further until it is too dense. Gravitational energy pulls rain droplets down onto the soil of the garden. The water then gets pulled further by gravitational energy by infiltrating the geosphere, and then percolating to the groundwater. As water moves between the different spheres, it sometimes carries other substances with it. Ground water flow pulls the water which has now begun to carry minerals from a decomposed apple core from the edge of the garden down the slope towards our plot by gravitational force. The minerals and the water get taken up into the bleeding heart plant by transportation releasing heat energy back into the soil. The water has entered the biosphere of the bleeding heart and will now travel up the roots, into the stem and into the leaves to be transported out of the plant or used to process the power plant of the cells.
The sun releases light energy all over East Lansing. Some of the light energy is absorbed by the garden's surface and the building surrounding the garden. The light energy is converted into heat energy and radiates into the atmosphere around the garden and the courtyard. The heat energy causes water from the hydrosphere of the Red Cedar river at a location downriver by the baseball fields to evaporate and rise into the atmosphere. The water in the atmosphere condenses and forms a small cloud that is transported by the wind current, that releases mechanical energy on the cloud, over Kedzie Courtyard. The cloud over Kedzie courtyard condenses further until it is too dense. Gravitational energy pulls rain droplets down onto the soil of the garden. The water then gets pulled further by gravitational energy by infiltrating the geosphere, and then percolating to the groundwater. As water moves between the different spheres, it sometimes carries other substances with it. Ground water flow pulls the water which has now begun to carry minerals from a decomposed apple core from the edge of the garden down the slope towards our plot by gravitational force. The minerals and the water get taken up into the bleeding heart plant by transportation releasing heat energy back into the soil. The water has entered the biosphere of the bleeding heart and will now travel up the roots, into the stem and into the leaves to be transported out of the plant or used to process the power plant of the cells.