SNC1W1 Name: ______________________________________

Last, First
Unit 1: Earth and Its Place in the Universe
Lesson 1 - What makes Earth so special? (4:12)

Life on Planet Earth

● Earth is home to countless habitats and organisms.
● A ______________ is a place where an organism lives.
- 2 types of habitats: _________________ (land) or ____________ (water)
● Earth (3:33) is perfectly suited for _________!

The Spheres of Earth

1) _________________
2) _________________
3) _________________
4) _________________
1) Lithosphere
● “_______” is Greek for _________
● Lithosphere is the Earth’s _________
outer layer (crust and uppermost
mantle) including mountains & ocean
_____________.

2)

Hydrosphere
● “___________” is Greek for
____________
● Hydrosphere is all of the Earth’s water
____, _________, or ___________ the
Earth’s surface.
● It exists in _________, __________, and
______ form such as glaciers, clouds &
ground water.
● ___% of Earth’s water is contained in the
oceans.
● Earth is the only known planet to have a
consistent and stable source of water on
its surface.
● There is evidence of water on _________
of other planets in our solar system.
Given the reliance of life on water, the
search for life on other planets begins
with the search for water.
● Reading extension: Water in the Solar System
SNC1W1 Name: ______________________________________
Last, First

3) Atmosphere
● “_________” is Greek for ___________
● Atmosphere is the layer of gases
surrounding Earth, including about 78%
__________, 21% ___________, and less
than ___% of argon, water vapour, carbon
dioxide, etc.
● The role of the atmosphere for Earth is to
moderate surface _______________ by
acting as an _________; prevents
excessive heating during the day & cooling
during the night. It also helps to block solar
radiation (UV light).
● Layers of the Atmosphere (3:59)

4) Biosphere
● “______” is Greek for ________
● Biosphere is _________ life can exist.
● All living things need space, water & nutrients to survive.
● The different combinations of the lithosphere,
hydrosphere and atmosphere allow the
______________ ___ _________ on Earth to exist!

Ecosystem Introduction
● All of the living organisms that share a region and
interact with each other and their non-living
environment.
● The living components, called _________ factors,
include all organisms, their remains and their products
or wastes.
● The non-living components or __________ factors,
include physical and chemical components such as
temperature, wind, water, minerals and air.
● Ecosystems can be characterised by their particular
organisms, temperature range or water depth.

Sustainable Ecosystems
● An ecosystem that is maintained through
_____________ processes.
● ____________________ is the ability to maintain
natural ecological conditions or processes without
interruption, weakening or loss of value.
SNC1W1 Name: ______________________________________
Last, First
● These types of ecosystems support a wide variety of organisms.