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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 20 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. What claim does this account support?
  3. 3. How high did the river rise?
  4. 4. Which section of bank lost almost no soil?
2.Which system does groundwater belong to?
  • A.The water, moving through the land
  • B.The air only
  • C.Living things only
3.Planting willow along the whole bank would be an example of what?
  • A.People using living things to affect the land
  • B.The air affecting the water
  • C.A system with no interaction
4.What makes the two bank sections a fair comparison?
  • A.Same storm and same river, so only the willow differed
  • B.They look similar
  • C.They are both muddy
5.Heavy rain makes a river burst its bank. Which two systems is that?
  • A.The land affecting living things
  • B.The air affecting the water
  • C.Living things affecting the air

LessonPrint · 5-ESS2-1 · Set 20 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Four Systems, One Storm

Set 20. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. 40 tonnes. 2. The air, the water, the land and living things all affect one another. 3. Two metres. 4. The section held in place by willow roots.
  2. 2.The water, moving through the land
  3. 3.People using living things to affect the land
  4. 4.Same storm and same river, so only the willow differed
  5. 5.The air affecting the water

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.