Match the sphere to its description.
| Draggable item | arrow_right_alt | Corresponding Item |
|---|---|---|
Cryosphere | arrow_right_alt | Layer of gases surrounding the Earth where weather occurs |
Geosphere | arrow_right_alt | The living components of the Earth including plants and animals |
Biosphere | arrow_right_alt | The liquid water found on the Earth's surface such as oceans, rivers, and lakes |
Atmosphere | arrow_right_alt | The solid portion of the include that includes rocks, sediments, soils, and landforms |
Hydrosphere | arrow_right_alt | The frozen water found on the Earth's surface such as the ice caps and glaciers |

The Dust Bowl: Use the video, images, and text to learn about the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.
In the 1930s, several years of drought affected over 100 million acres in the Great Plains from North Dakota to Texas. For several decades before this drought, the invention of modern farming equipment such as gasoline tractors and harvester-combines had allowed farmers to plow more prairie than ever before, removing the grasses with deep root systems and planting shallow-rooted crops. When the soil became extremely dry from lack of rain, strong prairie winds easily removed huge amounts of soil from the farms, forming dust storms. This region was called the Dust Bowl.


What do the video, images, and text above make you wonder about the Dust Bowl? What questions do you have?
Use the graphic to the left to guide you.
There are no right or wrong answers. I only want to know what you think.
Feel free to use the blue "+" to record an audio or video response.

What are some possible explanations for the phenomenon of the Dust Bowl?
Use the graphic at left to guide you.
There are no right or wrong answers. I only want to know what you think.
Feel free to use the blue "+" to record an audio or video response.
The Dust Bowl, a devastating ecological disaster that occurred in the 1930s, serves as a stark reminder of how interconnected the Earth's spheres truly are. The Dust Bowl was a result of complex interactions between the lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere. Consider the following examples of sphere interactions during that time and determine which two spheres best fit each interaction.
For the following questions, read the statement and identify the TWO spheres involved.
The air is windy and blows the loose soil, causing dust storms.
Plants dry up and die when their water sources disappear.
Wheat and corn crops had shorter and less dense roots that didn't hold the dry soil in place.
There was an extreme drought and few fresh water sources and the land became dry and loose.
Lack of rainfall causes crops to die.
Plants, animals, and people struggle to breathe air during the dust storms.
Cool air above the Pacific Ocean prevents evaporation, resulting in extremely dry conditions in the Dust Bowl region.