FIRST ASIAN INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS COLLEGE, INC.

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Learning Activity Sheets (LAS)

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EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE

Lesson 1.1: UNIVERSE AND SOLAR SYSTEM (S11/12ES-Ia-e- 3)

Universe is an all space-time, matter and energy including the solar system, all stars and galaxies and
content of intergalactic space, regarded as a whole. There are three various theories explaining the origin
of the universe;
Steady State Theory. It states that the counting of the galaxies in our Universe is constant and new
galaxies which are forming continuously are filling the empty spaces which are created by those heavenly
bodies which have crossed the boundary lines of observable Universe. This theory proposes that the
overall structure of the universe is always the same at any point in time and space. This structure is
maintained even when certain events, such as birth of new stars, occur. It is balanced by the death of old
stars.
Pulsating Theory: In this theory it is assumed that there is continuous expansion and contraction in
universe. It proposes that the universe will keep expanding more and more then slowly it stop. Then it will
start to contract due to gravitation. This contraction will continue until the universe become more compact
and will later explode and expand again.
Big Bang Theory: It proposes that the entire universe was once condensed in a very small and compact
particle called primeval nucleus. It is estimated that about 20 billion years ago, primeval nucleus suddenly
exploded in a big bang. The force of this explosion caused matter to scatter in any direction forming a
universe.

Biblical Belief on the Formation or Creation of the Universe

“Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. “
The very first claim made in the Bible is that there was a beginning. Since Genesis 1 describes how
God created the universe, and in a certain sequence, there is no doubt that he did that exactly. God created
the universe.

SOLAR SYSTEM
Just a part of the vast universe is our solar system. It is located somewhere in Milky Way Galaxy. It
consists of the sun being at the center, minor and major planets and other celestial bodies like satellites,
comets, asteroids and meteoroids.

ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

There are major theories that explain the origin of the solar system.
1. Nebular Hypothesis Theory. According to this theory, the sun and other celestial bodies orbiting
around it where formed from a nebula- a spinning cloud of gases. These clouds are gravitationally
unstable, and matter coalesces within them to smaller denser clumps, which then rotate, collapse, and
form stars.
 2. Accretion Theory. Accretion is the gradual increase in the size of an object by the buildup of matter
due to gravity. The accretion theory says that a protosun passing through a cloud of interstellar
materials pulled this material along causing it to swirl around the protosun. As the protosun evolved into
the sun, the material it accreted gradually formed the planets and other revolving bodies.
3. Tidal Theory. According to this theory, the time when the sun about to form (protosun), a large body
passing around it may have drawn some gaseous materials from it. The mass of gaseous materials
drawn did not completely escape gravitational pull of the protosun. It continued to spin around it,
eventually becoming more dense and gradually formed into planetesimals. These planetisimals give
rise to the planets and their satellites.
Space exploration by means of manned and unmanned spacecrafts give us information about the solar
system and beyond. Achieving spaceflight enabled humans to begin to explore the solar system and the rest of
the universe, to understand the many objects and phenomena that are better observed from a space
perspective, and to use for human benefit the resources and attributes of the space environment.
Study questions:
1. What are the major theories pertaining to the nature of expanding galaxy? Explain each. (5pts)

2. Why do some scientists believe that the universe is expanding? (5pts)

3. What are the major theories about the origin of the solar system? Explain each. (5pts)

4. How is space exploration benefits mankind? (5pts)

Lesson 1.2: EARTH AND EARTH SYSTEM (S11/12ES-Ia-e- 4)

Earth is the only planet in the solar system capable of supporting life. Complex and brilliant
combination of gases, composition and structure of earth are some of the reasons why it can sustain life.
EARTH SUBSYSTEM
Earth is a very complex place. The earth consists of four distinct yet connected spheres.
All of the processes on Earth are driven by four “spheres”, which we describe individually, but are really all
connected.
 GEOSPHERE
The Geosphere describes all of the rocks, minerals and ground that are found on and in Earth.
 HYDROSPHERE
Planet Earth has been called the "Blue Planet" due to the abundant water on its surface Over 70
percent of the surface area of the earth is covered by water. All the earth’s water, solid or in liquid form, those
that are contained in glaciers, rocks, soil and the air, comprise the earth’s hydrosphere.
SOURCES OF WATER
Ocean. A big portion of earth’s water is found in ocean. The oceans cover more than 70 percent of the
Earth's surface and contain 97 percent of the Earth's water. If the ocean's total salt content were dried, it would
cover the continents to a depth of 5 feet.
Together with the atmosphere, oceans regulate global temperatures, shape weather and climate
patterns, and cycle elements through the biosphere.
Ocean Structure and Composition
Like the atmosphere, the oceans are not uniformly mixed but are structured in layers with distinct
properties. Pressure increases with depth as the weight of the overlying air and water increase. Atmospheric
pressure at sea level is 14.7 pounds per square inch , and pressure increases by an additional atmosphere for
every 10 meters of descent under water. Layers of the ocean
The Epipelagic, or sunlight, zone (so called because most visible light in the oceans is found here)
comprises the first 200 meters below the surface, and is warm and mixed by winds and wave action.
INLAND WATERS
Household, commercial and agricultural water supply mainly come from inland bodies of water.
Two major inland waters are described below.
1. Rivers
A volume of a fresh flowing water across the surface of the land usually to the sea. Rivers flow
in channels.
2. Lakes
A reservoir of relatively still water that is surrounded by land. It is formed from the
accumulation of large amounts of water in natural or artificial depressions on the surface of the
land. Other inland waters include ponds, spring, stream, wetlands, floodplains and reservoirs.

GROUNDWATER
It is the water found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand and rock. It is stored in and
moves slowly through geologic formations of soil, sand and rocks called aquifers. It results from the
accumulation of water penetrating through small openings called pores in the rocks or soil. This process is
known as percolation.
Groundwater supplies drinking water, used for irrigation to grow crops and an important component in
many industrial processes.
A MASSIVE BODY OF ICE
About 2 percent of earth’s waters is in a form of solid, a massive bodies of ice called glaciers.
Deposited snow that falls during winter
season piles up yearly. This
accumulated snow transforms the
lower layers into solid ice.
THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE (WATER CYCLE)
Water on earth is continuously moving. It endlessly is circulating through the hydro-logic cycle. As water
goes in a cycle, it changes its states. From liquid to ice to gas and back again.
Sun heats water causing the water to evaporate. Rising air currents take the water vapor up in the
atmosphere. The vapor rises into the air where cooler temperatures cause it to condense into clouds.
Air currents move the cloud. Cloud particles collide, grow, and fall out of the sky as precipitation. Most
of the precipitations return to the oceans.
 ATMOSPHERE
A very huge envelope of air that surrounds the earth and pulled by the gravitational force of the earth is
called atmosphere. The earth’s atmosphere is primarily composed of 78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent of
oxygen. Other gases like argon, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, hydrogen, helium and other inert
gases make up the remaining 1 percent.
The earth’s atmosphere is made up of different layers as shown in the table below.

 BIOSPHERE
The biosphere is where all forms of life exist. Since life exist in the air, in water and on the ground, its
boundaries overlap other “sphere” because life can be found everywhere on earth. The biosphere is
sometimes thought of as one large ecosystem — a complex community of living and
nonliving things functioning as a single unit.
INNER PART OF THE EARTH
The planet Earth is made up of different layers: the very thin, brittle crust, the
mantle, and the core; the mantle and core are each divided into two parts. Although the
core and mantle are about equal in thickness, the core actually forms only 15 percent
of the Earth's volume, whereas the mantle occupies 84 percent. The crust makes up
the remaining 1 percent.
 Crust
The crust is the outermost part of the earth and is very thin compared to the other layers. It is a part
where the living organisms dwell in. It forms a very thin continuous layer that extends underneath the ocean
and continents.
2 KINDS of CRUST
1. Continental crust is mostly composed of different types of granites. Geologists often refer to the rocks of
the continental crust as “sial” which stands for silicate and aluminum, the most abundant minerals in
continental crust.
Cratons are the oldest and most stable part of the continental lithosphere and are found deep in the
interior of most continents.
2. Oceanic crust is mostly composed of different types of basalts. Rocks of the oceanic crust are referred to
as “sima” which stands for silicate and magnesium, the most abundant minerals in oceanic crust.
 The Mantle
It is the mostly-solid bulk of Earth’s interior. The mantle lies between Earth’s dense, super heated core
and its thin outer layer, the crust. It is made up of silicates, magnesium oxide, iron, aluminum, calcium, sodium,
and potassium. The mantle is divided into two layers: the upper mantle and the lower mantle.
Mantle Plumes
 A mantle plume is an upwelling of superheated rock from the mantle. Mantle plumes are the likely
cause of “hot spots,” volcanic regions not created by plate tectonics.
 The Core
It is the dense center and hottest part of earth. The core is made almost entirely of iron and nickel.
The Gutenberg discontinuity is the boundary between the core and the mantle.
The core is made of two layers:
a) Outer Core - borders the mantle. Bullen discontinuity is the hottest part of the core.
b) Inner Core- is a hot, dense ball of iron. The temperature of the inner core is far above the melting
point of iron.
Bullen discontinuity is the boundary separating these two layers.
Earth’s Magnetic Field
Earth’s magnetic field protects the planet from the charged particles of the solar wind. Without the
shield of the magnetic field, the solar wind would strip Earth’s atmosphere of the ozone layer that protects life
from harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Study questions:
1. In what layer of the atmosphere, many satellites orbit then explain. (5pts)

2. What is the importance of magnetic field? (5pts)

3. When is the accumulated pile of snow become glaciers? Explain each. (5pts)

4. Explain that the Earth consists of four subsystems, across whose boundaries matter and energy flow?(5pts)
 Prepared by:

Ms. MELANIE D.R. MIRANDA

Name of Writer/Pangalan ng May-akda