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Four Systems, One Storm is a free printable Grade 5 science worksheet on modelling how the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere interact, aligned to Common Core standard 5-ESS2-1. It prints 5 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 12 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Four Systems, One Storm

5-ESS2-1

NameDate

Read the account, then answer the questions.

1.Read the record, then answer the questions.

One Storm, Four Systems

A local account of one week's storm and the week that followed it. THE WEEK OF THE STORM Air: three days of gale and heavy rain Water: the river rose two metres and burst its bank Land: the bank collapsed and 40 tonnes of soil moved downstream Living things: the willow roots held one section of bank in place The section held by willow lost almost no soil.

  1. 1. How much soil moved downstream?
  2. 2. How did living things affect the land here?
  3. 3. How high did the river rise?
  4. 4. What claim does this account support?
2.Why is one storm a good example of systems interacting?
  • A.Storms are rare
  • B.The air, water, land and living things all affected each other in one week
  • C.Storms are dramatic
3.Willow roots held one section of bank while the rest collapsed. Which systems interacted?
  • A.Only the land
  • B.Only the weather
  • C.Living things acting on the land, during a storm in the air and water
4.Planting willow along the whole bank would be an example of what?
  • A.A system with no interaction
  • B.People using living things to affect the land
  • C.The air affecting the water
5.What makes the two bank sections a fair comparison?
  • A.They look similar
  • B.They are both muddy
  • C.Same storm and same river, so only the willow differed

LessonPrint · 5-ESS2-1 · Set 12 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Four Systems, One Storm

Set 12. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. 40 tonnes. 2. The willow roots held the soil so the bank did not collapse there. 3. Two metres. 4. The air, the water, the land and living things all affect one another.
  2. 2.The air, water, land and living things all affected each other in one week
  3. 3.Living things acting on the land, during a storm in the air and water
  4. 4.People using living things to affect the land
  5. 5.Same storm and same river, so only the willow differed

More practice for 5-ESS2-1

Model one way that land, life, water and air affect each other.

Teaching this next? Four Systems, One Storm is the 60-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 5 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 5-ESS2-1 of the Next Generation Science Standards.