Earth: Physical Characteristics
Supporting
TEKS Objective
The student is expected to identify and compare the physical characteristics of the Sun, Earth, and Moon.
Essential Understanding
The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among the Sun, Earth and Moon system.
Science Background
Physical Characteristics of Earth: Space Station Info (website) - Information about depths below surface of Earth’s various geologic layers, along with a brief description of each layer. Includes links to additional information about Earth and other celestial bodies in our solar system.
Physical Characteristics of Earth
Space Station Info, www.spacestationinfo.com
Earth Fact Sheet: National Space Science Data Center (website) - Detailed data, presented in table form, about Earth’s physical properties (mass, volume, radius, density, etc.), atmosphere, and more.
Earth Fact Sheet
National Space Science Data Center, nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov
Characteristics of the Earth:School for Champions (website) - This site provides an explanation of characteristics of the Earth to Succeed in Understanding Astronomy by Ron Kurtus.
Characteristics of the Earth
School for Champions, http://www.school-for-champions.com/
Signature Lesson
Earth, A One-of-a Kind Planet? NASA (PDF) - Students will identify, compare, and analyze physical processes and characteristics on Earth and Mars; identify the processes and characteristics that produced an environment suitable for life on Earth; and investigate if similar conditions may have made is possible for life to have developed on Mars or other planets in the solar system.
- Supporting Lessons
- Extensions
- Assessment Ideas
- Literature Connections
- Related
TEKS - Additional Resources
Supporting Lessons
Google Earth Lessons: Google Earth (website) - Teaching resources for using the Google Earth Website, including links to directions for creating a 3D Earth model and designing and sharing an “Earth Tour.”
Elaboration Lessons and Extensions
Modeling Earth’s Atmosphere: BioEd Online (website) - Students learn that Earth’s atmosphere consists of layers of gas with different characteristics, and create a model the different layers.
Modeling Earth’s Atmosphere
BioEd Online, www.bioedonline.org
Assessment Ideas
Write a summary describing Earth’s physical characteristics for someone from an alien solar system.
Literature Connections
Earth. Richardson, Adele (ISBN-13: 978-1429607209)
Earth and Moon. Kerrod, Robin (ISBN-13: 978-1929298648)
Planet Earth. Pratt, Leonie (ISBN-13: 978-0794517076)
1000 Years Ago On Planet Earth. Collard, Sneed, III (ISBN-13: 978-0395908662)
1001 Facts About Planet Earth. Grabham, Sue (ISBN-13: 978-0789490421)
Earth, The Definitive Visual Guide. Luhr, James, ed. ISBN-13: 978-0756633325)
Earth, Our Planet in Space. Simon, Seymour (ISBN-13: 978-0689835629)
What the Moon Is Like. Branley, Franklyn (ISBN-13: 978-0064451857)
Additional Resources
Characteristics of the Earth: School for Champions (website) - Explanation of Earth’s physical characteristics; its rotation, orbit and relationship with the Sun; and our planet’s magnetic and gravitational forces.
Characteristics of the Earth
by Ron Kurtus, School for Champions, www.school-for-champions.com
Photojournal: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (website) - Huge collection of downloadable, high-resolution images of the planets.
Photojournal
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, jpl.nasa.gov
Earth, Facts & Figures: NASA (website) - Data and measurements for Earth’s size, orbit, gravity, etc.
Earth, Facts & Figures
NASA, www.nasa.gov
Earth: Nine Planets (website) - Detailed information about the physical characteristics of our planet, with links to a wide variety of related content and information about other planets.
TEKS Navigation
Grade 5
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