Earth materials including soils, rocks, minerals, water, and gases of the atmosphere provide shelter, water, and nutrients that are essential for survival. Soils are formed from weathered rocks, water, and decomposed organic material and have different properties in each layer. Rocks come in various types including igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks which are formed by different geological processes. Minerals are the basic building blocks and can be found in different shapes, sizes, and combinations. Water exists on Earth as a solid, liquid, and gas and is critical for all life as it covers 70% of the planet. Gases in the atmosphere like nitrogen and oxygen are essential but only make up a small fraction.

1. Earth Materials

2. Soils Rocks Minerals Water Gases of the atmosphere Earth Materials Are…

3. Shelter Water Nutrients ALL NEEDED FOR SURVIVAL! Earth’s Materials Provide… Microsoft Clipart

4. Formed of weathered rocks, water, and decomposed organic material Each layer has different properties Gets smaller after being transported What is Soil?

5. Color Particle size Texture Capacity to retain water Properties of Soil

6. Many different shapes and sizes Made of different combinations of minerals Rocks change in size, shape, and other properties. All About Rocks!

7. Igneous- Formed from magma rising then later cooling Sedimentary- Fine rock particles carried by wind Metamorphic- Existing rocks are changed underground by heat and pressure Types of Rock!

8. Over 700 types of igneous rock Formed beneath Earth’s crust Normally contains no fossils Examples: Granite, Basalt, Obsidian Igneous Rock

9. Classified by texture and composition Often contains fossils May react with acid Often has layers, flat or curved Examples: Sandstone, Limestone, Shale Sedimentary Rock

10. May be composed of only one mineral May have layers of visible crystals May react with acid Rarely has pores or openings Examples: Marble, Slate, Quartzite Metamorphic Rock

11. Made of elements Inorganic Can’t be broken down Found in shapeless lumps Usually solid crystals Minerals

12. Examples of Minerals Sulfur Copper Quartz

13. All life forms depend on water Groundwater is present in most rocks Occurs naturally as a solid, liquid, & gas Coverts about 70% of the Earth Water

14. Nitrogen Oxygen Argon Remaining gases are trace gases Gases of the Atmosphere

15. Gas is a common state of matter Natural gas doesn’t have an odor Helium is lighter than air 1% of the Sun’s mass is oxygen More About Gas… Microsoft Clipart

16. Don’t Forget… Some Earth materials have properties which sustain plant and animal life Fuel Food Photosynthesis respiration Microsoft Clipart

17. Earths Materials Soils Rocks Minerals Water Gases of the atmosphere They Provide… shelter, water, & nutrients Recap!

18. HannesGrobe, “Sulfur”, 18 January 2008 via Wikimedia, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License Unknown, “Copper”, 23 February 2011 via Wikimedia, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License Rob Lavinsky, “Quartz”, March 2011 via Wikimedia, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License Dave Dyet, “Igneous”, 15 April 2007 via Wikimedia, Public Domain Dave Dyet, “Sedimentary”, 22 June 2005 via Wikimedia, Public Domain Dave Dyet, “Metamorphic”, 15 April 2007 via Wikimedia, Public Domain Unknown, “Rock”, 11 March 2006 via Wikimedia, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial Share-Alike Marianne De Wit, “Eurogem”, 27 June 2009 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License Jason Dunn, “Untitled”, 2 March 2011 via Google Images, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial Share-Alike Credits