: The Living Planet

Earth is an amazing planet. It is the third planet from the sun. At 93 million miles Margin Notes away from the sun, it is the perfect place for life to exist. In fact, Earth is the only planet in the solar system where living creatures can exist!

The Earth was formed 4.54 million years ago. It is the fifth largest planet in our solar system. Hundreds of years ago, explorers wanted to know more about . They worked their entire lives to find out more. At one point, people thought that the Earth was flat. Eventually they discovered it was a sphere, and explorers wanted to travel the 24,901 miles around the Earth. Although several people were able to do this in ships, it became easier once technology improved. On July 22, 1933, Wiley Post became the first person to fly completely around the Earth. It took him 7 days, 18 hours, and 49 minutes!

Earth is made up of an inner core, an outer core, a mantle, and a crust. The surface is split into plates. These plates float on the hot, rocky mantle. The actions of the plates cause the Earth to look the way it does. Earthquakes are caused when these plates slide and bump against each other. When the plates come together, mountains and volcanoes are formed. When the plates separate, valleys and ditches are created.

Every 365.25 days, the Earth makes one trip around the sun. That is why a year is 365 days long. It is also why we have a leap year every four years. The extra .25 days add up to make an extra day every four years! As the Earth travels around the sun, it also rotates, or spins, on its axis. Every 24 hours, the Earth rotates one time. While part of the Earth is facing the sun, it is daytime. As it turns away, it becomes night.

Another special thing about Earth is its . Unlike Venus, Earth has a very friendly atmosphere. It allows life to survive. In order for a to survive, the air they breathe has to have an oxygen concentration of at least 19.5%. The Earth is the only planet to have an atmosphere containing 21% oxygen! would not be able to survive on another planet because of this. Mars, for example, only has a concentration of .146% oxygen!

Earth’s temperatures are also great for living things. Temperatures do change, but the average temperature on earth is about 61° F. The coldest temperature ever recorded was in Antarctica where it was -128.6° F. The hottest place was in Death Valley, California where it was 134° F! Even though the temperature changes a lot on Earth, the planet is the only one with temperatures that are good for liquid . Living things cannot survive without liquid water!

There is so much more to learn about Earth. It is an amazing planet. Make sure to take the time to learn about how special it is. Lexile 760 We are very lucky to call it home!

©Shelly Rees Task 1 – Read & Annotate Name: ______Day: ______As you read through Earth: The Living Planet for the first time, use your annotating marks and write important notes in the margin. Then, answer these questions:

• Circle powerful words or phrases. • Underline words or phrases you do not understand. • Place a question mark near something that makes you think of a question. • Write an exclamation mark near something that surprises you. • Draw an arrow where you make a personal connection to certain words or ideas. • Write your important thoughts in the margins.

First Reading Questions:

1. What is this passage mostly about? ______2. How far is the Earth from the sun? ______3. What causes earthquakes on Earth? ______4. What percentage of oxygen do humans need in order to survive and what percentage does the Earth have? ______5. What was the hottest temperatures recorded on Earth and where was it? ______

©Shelly Rees Task 2 – VOCABULARY Name: ______Day: ______Read Earth: The Living Planet a second time. Find four words which are unfamiliar to you and complete the vocabulary diagram below.

WORD WORD WORD: WORD:

DEFINITION DEFINITION SYNONYM SYNONYM SYNONYM SYNONYM SENTENCE SENTENCE SENTENCE SENTENCE

PICTURE PICTURE

WORD: WORD:

DEFINITION DEFINITION SYNONYM SYNONYM SYNONYM SYNONYM SENTENCE SENTENCE SENTENCE SENTENCE

PICTURE PICTURE

©Shelly Rees Task 3 – Reread & Dig Deeper Name: ______Day: ______Reread the passage Earth: The Living Planet. Use evidence from the passage to answer the following questions: Text Evidence Questions:

1. What is the main idea of the passage? ______2. List three details that support the main idea: a) ______b) ______c) ______3. Cite 2 pieces of evidence from the text that show how people have worked to explore and find out more about the Earth. a) ______b) ______4. Explain why we have a leap year every four years. ______5. Cite 3 pieces of evidence from the text that show how the Earth is the perfect place for life to exist. a) ______b) ______c) ______

©Shelly Rees Task 4 – Reread & Respond Name: ______Day: ______

Reread the passage Earth: The Living Planet. Complete the chart below, listing the main idea and four supporting details from the passage.

Detail 1 Detail 2

Main Idea

Detail 3 Detail 4

©Shelly Rees Task 5 – Summarize Name: ______Day: ______Using the organizer from Task 4, write a summary of the passage. The main idea should be stated in your first sentence. Then use the four details to write four supporting sentences. Close your summary by restating the main idea.

A Summary of Earth: The Living Planet

______

©Shelly Rees