Earth's SystemsGrade 5 Science for Kids

Land, water, air and life, and how they work together.

Earth's Systems helps fifth graders sort parts of Earth into land, water, air and life, test how greenhouse gases trap heat and follow how Earth's spheres share water and energy. Big-picture earth science.

  • Grade 5 · Ages 10–11
  • 3 lessons
  • 3 experiments
  • 12 practice questions
  • About 25 min
Start Learning Free Open the Course
  • Earth's Spheres
  • Sphere Sort
  • The Greenhouse Effect
  • Jar Greenhouse
  • Spheres Work Together
  • Sphere Relay

Science lab course · Grade 5

Earth's Systems · Learning goals

What Your Child Will Learn

Sort parts of Earth into land, water and air, test how greenhouse gases trap heat, and follow how Earth's systems pass water and energy around.

  • Earth's systems are the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere.
  • Greenhouse gases trap heat. More of them makes the air warmer.
  • Earth's spheres interact: water, air, land and life constantly affect each other.

Why it matters

Why This Matters for Kids

  • Systems thinking

    Seeing Earth as connected systems is a key idea in modern science.

  • The greenhouse effect

    Kids learn how gases trap heat, the science behind climate change.

  • Our home planet

    Understanding Earth's systems helps kids make sense of weather, oceans and ecosystems.

Inside Earth's Systems

How the Course Works

Each level has a short read-aloud lesson, an interactive experiment and a mini quiz.

  1. Step 1 · Lesson

    Earth's Spheres

    Earth has four big systems called spheres.

  2. Step 2 · Experiment

    Sphere Sort

    Let's sort parts of Earth into the land, water and air spheres!

  3. Step 3 · Lesson

    The Greenhouse Effect

    Some gases in the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide, trap heat like a blanket.

  4. Step 4 · Experiment

    Jar Greenhouse

    Let's put thermometers in jars with more and more carbon dioxide and leave them under a lamp.

  5. Step 5 · Lesson

    Spheres Work Together

    Earth's spheres are always interacting.

  6. Step 6 · Experiment

    Sphere Relay

    Water and energy are passed between the spheres like a relay. Put the steps in order.

Lesson preview

A Peek Inside the Lesson

This is the real lesson text your child hears, read aloud by a friendly voice.

Earth's Spheres

Earth has four big systems called spheres.

The geosphere is rock and land. The hydrosphere is all the water.

The atmosphere is the air. The biosphere is all living things.

The Greenhouse Effect

Some gases in the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide, trap heat like a blanket.

This greenhouse effect keeps Earth warm enough for life.

Burning fuels adds extra gases, so Earth is slowly getting warmer.

Spheres Work Together

Earth's spheres are always interacting.

Ocean water rises into the air, rain wears down rock, and plants grow in the soil.

A change in one sphere changes the others.

For parents

Try It at Home

Learning sticks best when kids use it in real life. Here are simple ideas from this course.

Parent Tip

Put two thermometers in the sun, one inside a clear jar. Compare the temperatures after 20 minutes to model the greenhouse effect.

Sphere Sort

  1. Go outside and make a 4-column chart.
  2. List things you see from each sphere.
  3. Which things belong to two spheres?

Earth's systems are the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere.

Jar Greenhouse

  1. Put a thermometer in a jar with a lid, and one in an open jar.
  2. Leave both in the sun for 30 minutes.
  3. Which one is warmer? The lid traps heat like greenhouse gases.

Greenhouse gases trap heat. More of them makes the air warmer.

Sphere Relay

  1. Pick something outside, like a tree.
  2. Find one way it uses each sphere (soil, water, air).
  3. Draw arrows between them.

Earth's spheres interact: water, air, land and life constantly affect each other.

Practice

Grade 5 Science Practice Questions

Real questions from Earth's Systems. Try them with your child, then tap to see the answer.

  1. Question 1

    What is the hydrosphere?

    • A.All the rocks
    • B.All the air
    • C.All of Earth's water
    Show answer

    All of Earth's water

  2. Question 2

    What do greenhouse gases do?

    • A.Trap heat
    • B.Make rain
    • C.Block all sunlight
    Show answer

    Trap heat

  3. Question 3

    Rain wearing down rock is the atmosphere affecting the…

    • A.Biosphere
    • B.Geosphere
    • C.Sun
    Show answer

    Geosphere

The full course has 12 questions with instant feedback, stars and rewards. Create a free account to play them all.

Earth's Systems · Questions from parents

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this course for?

Earth's Systems is a grade 5 science course for kids ages 10–11. That is Year 6 science in the UK and Year 5 in Australia. It also works well for review in the next grade, or as a challenge for a confident younger learner.

What will my child learn?

Sort parts of Earth into land, water and air, test how greenhouse gases trap heat, and follow how Earth's systems pass water and energy around. Along the way they practice: Earth's systems are the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere; Greenhouse gases trap heat. More of them makes the air warmer; Earth's spheres interact: water, air, land and life constantly affect each other.

How long does the course take?

About 25 minutes in total, split into 3 short levels. Most kids finish it over two or three sessions. Progress is saved, so they can stop any time and pick up where they left off.

Is this course free?

Earth's Systems is part of SkillBloom Premium, which unlocks every course in every subject. Each subject also has free courses, so your child can try SkillBloom before you decide.

Does my child need to read well to use it?

No. Every lesson has a friendly read-aloud voice, questions are read aloud too, and the pictures help kids follow along. Confident readers can turn the voice off.

Can we use it for homeschool?

Yes. SkillBloom is built for homeschooling families. Kids work through lessons, games and quizzes on their own, and the parent dashboard shows what they finished and which skills need more practice. It works on phones, tablets and laptops.

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