Earth

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/earth

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 scientific classification?Terrestrial planet, ocean world
2. What is the orbital radius?1 AU (149.6 million km)
3. What makes Earth special compared to other planets?Earth is the only known planet with liquid surface water covering about 70.8% of its crust, and it has a protective atmosphere and magnetic field that keep life safe.
4. Why can life exist on Earth?Because Earth has liquid water, a breathable atmosphere with about 21% oxygen, and a temperature around 15°C that lets water stay liquid.

Ocean World: A planet where oceans cover a significant majority of its surface area.
Tectonic Plates: Large, rigid slabs of rock that make up Earth's lithosphere and move relative to each other.
Magnetosphere: The region surrounding a planet dominated by its magnetic field, deflecting charged particles.
Greenhouse Effect: The process by which atmospheric gases trap thermal radiation, warming a planet's surface.