Human influence on Earth’s climate is the focus of this Grade 9 Science worksheet, using evidence from atmospheric CO2 records, global temperature trends, fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and satellite observations of land cover. Students examine how human activity can affect Earth’s climate system and how those changes can influence the biosphere and hydrosphere.

What students practice

Students work with evidence and explanations rather than isolated vocabulary. They interpret atmospheric carbon dioxide records, connect rising CO2 with fossil fuel emissions, explain why deforestation reduces the number of trees available to absorb CO2 through photosynthesis, and identify how satellite observations reveal vegetation loss and land-use change.

The reading and questions also connect warming trends with changes in precipitation patterns, including regions becoming wetter or drier and possible changes in storm timing or intensity. Students consider effects on habitats, plants, animals, rivers, wetlands, snow, and ice melt across regional to global scales.

Student activities

• Dialogue-based question
• Definition matching
• Cloze passage completion
• Labeled climate evidence diagram
• Informational reading passage with evidence-based questions
• Multiple-choice questions on CO2 records, fossil fuels, deforestation, satellites, temperature, precipitation, the biosphere, and hydrosphere
• Fact-or-fiction statements based on the reading
• Brief written responses requiring scientific explanations
• Extended response using multiple lines of evidence to explain anthropogenic influence on Earth systems

Teacher-ready support

The resource includes the worksheet plus a separate Teacher Guide PDF with learning objectives, teaching tips, discussion questions, and common mistakes. This gives teachers a practical way to introduce the evidence, guide classroom discussion, reinforce accurate scientific reasoning, and address misconceptions.

Use this Earth and Human Activity worksheet for classroom instruction, independent science practice, reading-based review, or written assessment. The combination of data interpretation, reading comprehension, diagram labeling, selected-response questions, and scientific writing gives students multiple ways to demonstrate their understanding of human-caused climate influence while staying focused on the evidence presented in the lesson.

Aligned to the NGSS framework, this resource supports students in explaining relationships among human activity, atmospheric CO2, land-use change, climate variables, and impacts on Earth systems.