A Beautiful Planet

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/a-beautiful-planet

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the age of earth?Approximately 4.54 billion years
2. What is the average surface temperature?Approximately 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit)
3. What is Earth and why is it special?Earth is a blue marble in space that has life and many wonders. It formed about 4.54 billion years ago when tiny pieces of rock and metal stuck together. Because of its size and position, it can keep liquid water and a safe atmosphere.
4. How did Earth get its oceans?Earth’s oceans came from water that arrived with comets and asteroids or was released from inside the planet. This water helped create seas and lakes that let life begin.

Abiogenesis: The natural process by which life arises from non-living matter, such as simple organic compounds.
Plate Tectonics: The theory that Earth's outer shell is divided into several plates that glide over the mantle.
Milankovitch Cycles: Long-term, cyclical variations in Earth's orbit, axial tilt, and wobble that influence climate.