02/25/2026
5th-grade students recently completed a multiple-week project on the Earth’s spheres. This science project allowed them to showcase their creativity while focusing on how Earth’s spheres interact. Students were divided into groups of 4 and assigned an island type. Their first step was researching their island type (continental, volcanic, barrier, or coral), learning which living things make up the biosphere, which water source would be nearby for the hydrosphere, and how the important parts of the atmosphere and geosphere help maintain survival. Then, they had to build a diorama of their island based on what they learned about each sphere on their island. “This is where their creativity came to life”, said science teacher Erin Noblet.
Finally, it was time to play a game of Survivor, where they picked daily fate cards to show how their island and living organisms woudl be affected (sometimes good, sometimes bad). Students recorded their daily adventures in a journal, describing how they overcame each challenge while also recognizing how the Earth’s spheres interacted. Sometimes this required adaptations to their original diorama. “When I found this resource online, I knew my students would be highly engaged in their daily work. We made it our own while maximizing ways for them to fully understand the science content of the Earth’s systems, and the science and engineering practice of building models and constructing explanations.”
Great job, 5th graders!
