Planet Earth

Read and discover.

Our home, the Earth, is an exceptional planet.
It is unique among the planets in our Solar
System because it has the main ingredients
for a hospitable environment. In order to
survive, most living things must have certain
conditions. They need oxygen and carbon
dioxide and they need water. They also need
sunlight and a moderate temperature. The
Earth provides all these things.

The natural gases living things need are

provided by the atmosphere. Can you
name the other two layers of the Earth?

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6
 I

@ Uow much of Earth is covered by water?

@ Wf'at is cosmic dust?

@ nnswer these questions about the Earth's atmosphere.

What gases is it made uP of?
What do these gases dc?

@ t_ook at the large image on this page. Name the planets.

@ Wf'at's the difference between an inner and an outer
planet?

O Wf.'V is the ozone layer irnportant?

@ Wf'at is the name of the galaxy that contains our Solar

System? What type of galaxy is it: spiral, elliptical or
irregular?

tt'ltme sorne examples CIf rif",tryr'¡: r¡xrg¿f [-¡6¡.

@
Analyse and organise

(p tn your notebook, complete the table about threg, planets using

the words and numbers from the box.

* Mercury * 4th *59

'
,r
''. lt's the largest of the
It is the 3rd terrestrial planets.
Earth o'iff:Ht lt has one moon 0ays
,,' lt has a powerful
magnetic field.

It is the closest lt the 2nd densest

It has no known ', is
planet to the 0ays
moons. and hottest planet.
Sun.

,. lt's the 3rd smallest

It the .....
is planet.
Mars planet from It has moons. 25 days
', The seasons here are
the Sun.
extreme.

@Copy the table from Activity 1 in your notebook. Complete it

with information about the other planets in the Solar System.

@ look at the images. What are theY?

I
@@ Read thetext about the movement of the Earth and the Moon. Decide
whether the sentences below are true or false.

The Earth rotates on its axis which is tilted at

about 23 degrees. The Earth's axis is an
imaginary line that goes from the North Pole
to the South Pole. It takes 24 hours to complete
one rotation. This rotation gives us day and
night, which vary in length according to the
season and the distance from the Equator.

It takes the Earth 365 days to orbit the Sun.

This movement is known as revolution and
gives us seasons. l'he Earth is tilted towards
the Sun in summer and gets more sunlight.
During winter the Earth is tilted away from
the Sun and gets less sunlight.

The Moon rotates on its aris and revolves around the Earth. It takes the Moon about 28 days to
complete one revolution and the same time to complete one rotation. This is whv we alwavs see
the same side of the Moon from the Earth.

The Earth is not at an angle.

The Earth takes 24 hours to complete one r

rotation. l-m
Revolution is the movement of the Earth on its
axis.

It takes the Earth one year to orbit the Sun.

. ,,::::SSl w=-
The Earth orbits the Moon. \!;;t'., ¡ ,..

O @ Listen to the recording about the phases of the Moon.

Complete the sentences in your notebook.

The Moon is than the Earth.

In the first quarter phase, only half of the moon
IS

In the phase, the moon looks like a full

circle.
The moon starts the same cycle again every
0ays.
The atmosphere

The atmosphere is the layer of gases which surrounds the Earth. It is one
of the spheres that supports life on the planet.

What is the atmosphere made uP of?

The atmosphere consists mostly of nitrogen but it also contains oxygen,
argon, carbon dioxide and other gases which are essential for life on
Earth.

The atmosphere protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation and
helps maintain the Earth's temperature.

The layers of the atmosphere

The Earth's atmosphere is divided into several layers: the troposphere, the ffi Nitrogen 78%
ffi Oxygen 2l% f-carbon dioxide
stratosphere, the mesosphere, the thermosphere and the exosphere. I argon
Other gases I % ( water vapour
These layers are separated according to their temperature. The I ozone
[-others
temperatures fall and rise as we move from one layer to another. There is
less oxygen in the atmosphere as we move further away from the Earth's
surface.

The exosphere is the outer layer of the atmosphere.

The thermosphere is the layer where auroras occur.

The mesosphere is the coldest layer of the

atmosphere. This layer protects us from most of the
objects that fall from space, such as meteors.

The stratosphere protects us from the strong rays

of the Sun. This layer contains the ozone layer which
absorbs ultraviolet ravs.

The troposphere is the closest layer to the Earth

and where living things are found. Weather, such as
rain and wind, occurs in this layer.

10
 eather and climate A barometer

Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a certain time in a certain

place. It occurs in the troposphere which is the closest layer to the Earth.
When we talk about weather, we are referring to five weather concepts:
atmospheric pressure, temperature, wind, humidity and precipitation.

Weather is measured using different instruments: atmospheric pressure

using a barometer, temperature using a thermometer, precipitation using
a rain gauge, wind speed using an anemometer and humidity using a
hygrometer.

Climate is the average weather in a certain place over a long time.

weather
Weather can sometimes be unseasonal and severe. This can have a huge
effect on the way people live their daily lives. An anemometer

Hurricane ñrnr
vr rnhfI L
vuvr

@ nead the questions and answer them in @ rf ink about two different countries.
your notebook. Compare and contrast their climates over the
past ten years in relation to temperature,
m. What ohenomena occur in the
precipitation and wind speed.
thermosphere and in the troposphere?
h. Which gases do most living things on Earth
need to survive? @no* do you think people can help to
prevent climate change?
(@ *f'V are ultraviolet rays so harmful?
@ r¡nd out what
auroras are.
@ wf,rt problems would we face if we
couldn't measure weather?

t1
The hydrosphere

irorhe r sphere that supports life on Earth is the hydrosphere. It

:clude s all the water that exits on the planet, from the bottom of the
- top layers of the atmosphere. Seventy-five per cent of the
.e a1-t to the
!arrh 1s covered by water. Ninety-seven per cent of this water is salt water
::lrl the rest corresponds to fresh water.
1,\-are r can be found in the three states of matter: solid, liquid and gaseous.

ffi

-i':i',rt.i.!,..::rl:i,i.,!.,i:f *-+*.\SW

Oceans are large bodies of A lake is a body of water which A river is a natural stream of
water that cover three quarters is surrounded by land on all water that flows into other
of the Earth's surface, A sea is sides. lt acts as a reservoir, filling bodies of water. A river mainly
smaller and can be partially or up when a depression is made comes from rain water and
completely closed by land. in the land. melting snow.

Groundwater ofis a source Glaciers are cold and icy large Water vapour ls water ln
drinking water found under the masses of ice and snow. They gaseous form. lt is important in
ground. lt moves through the form on land and are the formation of clouds, rain
cracks in soil, sand and rocks. lt constantly moving slowly. An and snow. lt is invisible to the
can be accessed by creating iceberg is a mass of ice that naked eve.
wells and using pumps. floats on water.

)@ Copy the table in your notebook. Complete it @wn^t effects does global warming have
on glaciers? Think of what could happen
on Earth if the sea level keeps on rising.

12
@!" water cycle
Water is vital for all living things to live and survive. The water cycle is
the continuous process by which water passes through different states.

Precipitation
When the clouds cool and
become heavy, drops of
water start to fall in the
form of precipitation.
Condensation
The water vapour cools and
condenses. Drops of liquid water
begin to form and join together
to form clouds.

Collection
The water collects in rivers, Evaporation
lakes and oceans and is =
When the Sun heats water,
also absorbed into the the water evaporates,
ground as groundwater. moving up into the
atmosphere as water vapour.

Rivers and streams return the water to the

oceans and seas. The cycle begins again.

@ Ho* could the following group of people

@ Write in your notebook some negative
consequences too much or too little rain help to conserve water?
may have. ¡x. a farmer
*" a family in their home
@ lO"ntify whether the following words are
c. the tourist industrv
names of oceans, seas, lakes or rives.
s" Volga *. Arctic What temperature does water f reeze?
h" Mediterranean S. Constance What temperature does water boil?

@ O"rcribe what kinds of human activities @ rind out why clouds are white. Compare
can have a negative impact on the w'ith your partner.
hydrosphere.

13
The geosphere

The geosphere is the solid and rigid part of the Earth. It is made up of
three layers: the core (inner and outer), the mantle and the crust. It is
responsible for giving shape to the surface of the Earth.

The core is the hottest part .

and the inner sphere of the

Earth. lt is made of iron. The
outer core is liouid metal. The
inner core is solid because the
pressure here is so strong that
the iron solidifies.

The mantle surrounds the core.

Heat and pressure in the mantle
can melt rock. This liouid rock is
called magma.

The crust is the outer layer of the

geosphere. lt is made up of rocks
and minerals. The crust forms the
continents, the islands and the
ocean floors. The crust is thicker
under the continents than under
the oceans.

A volcanic eruption

The Earth's crust is made up of tectonic plates which float on the

mantle. As the crust is always moving, sometimes the tectonic plates
Tsunamis are enormous ocean
collide and can create earthquakes and cause volcanoes to erupt.
waves caused by earthquakes and
It is also in the crust where we see landforms. such as mountains volcanic eruotions under the sea.
and valleys.

@ nnt*er these questions about the layers @ O"+ine these terms in your notebook. Explain
of the Earth in your notebook. how they are formed.
Which layer is the coolest? tsunamis
Which layer is the thickest? votcanoes
Which layer is the hottest?
Which layer contains melted material?

14
 the surface of the Earth
@;t"alisins
The mapping of the surface of the Earth has helped our unde I starldinq,
perception and visualisation of the world as we know it today. Different Map scales can be expressed in
types of maps have been invented over centuries that have enabled us to two ways:
learn about landforms, distances, history, countries, etc. . as a ratio (1 :25 000) - every
The four cardinal points are North, South, East and West. 1 cm on the map represents
25000 cm in real life;
It is easy to orientate yourself if you know these cardinal points and the , 0 km 350 700 km
concepts of parallels (imaginary lines going from east to west) and
. aS a qraOn L----
meridians (imaginary lines going from north to south). Both types of - every 'l cm on the map
lines are used to measure the geographic coordinates of places. represents 350 km in real life.

Latitude is the distance in degrees from the Equator and it can be

northern or southern. Longitude is the distance in degrees from the
Prime Meridian and it can be eastern or western.

1 80" 20.,'10",0" 10" 20" 30" 40 50' 60' 70" B0' 90" 100"110"120"130q140'1150"160"170"180

80"

, 40'',

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29.',

30" ,

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40"

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. 50"'

p Q Wtr"t information do the maps below show? Q Say the coordinates for the cities on the map.
What symbols can you find in each of them? -'5= EE'€**s*ri: €*" :+s
Are there any other types of maps? =€' ="

*. weather map *. political map Find the cities with these coord¡nates.
*. physical map S. road map *¡. 38o N, B" W [:t" 25o N, 121o E

15
 scrENcE pRoJEcn Water in your local area

G$,-
l€ums
. Study a physical map of your region.
. Identify and place natural and man-made bodies of water on a map.
. a physical map
. Summarise the information in a table. . a pencil
. coloured pencils
. a ruler
é . paper
lplethod
l. Print out a physical map of your region in colour.
2. Research bothnatural and man-made bodies of water within your
region and identify where they are on the physical map.
3. Colour or make a key on the map to distinguish the different
bodies.
4. Find out information about each body of water you have
researched. *.1¡.J
*#',
. name
ltoNud

' type :l
. source
. length
. depth
5. Make a table with different columns for each body of water and
add the information. Compare the results between bodies of water
using a graph.
ó. Repeat the activity for another region in your country.

W".lusions
@ Wf'at is the biggest source of water in your region? . tiS'.
$\v
@ Wf'at are the main differences between your region and
the other region you have researched?

@ nre there any environmental groups in your region

associated with conserving water?

@ Wf'rt are some of the major factors that can contribute to a

water crisis? Justify your answers.

16
( FRAGTLE woRLD: Environmental groups

land and water pollution NGo Friends of the Earth

W Gt"
Air allows us to breathe and survive but air that Friends of the Earth are a non-profit organisation
is polluted can be harmful to our health. that strives to protect the environment. They have
Natural air pollution such as forest fires and many different projects that aim to push new
erupting volcanoes, as well as air pollution measures in the face of government opposition and
caused by human activity such as traffic and expose environmental problems the world is
smoking, can have devastating consequences on facing. Their campaign objectives include:
our bodies. . reducing risks for people and the environment b)-
The ground beneath our feet also suffers the attempting to bring to an end any government
consequences of pollution. Land pollution is policy that promote the use of harmful fuels that
caused by materials left on or underground that pollute air and water.
contaminate the soil and earth. Articles that o putting a stop to cruise ships that dump waste
cannot be recycled, agricultural activities and into our waters.
deforestation are all causes of land pollution.
. bringing to an end
Water is one of our greatest
the use of dirty,
natural resources.
high-carbon fuels
Industrial waste, oil
that are used in
ieakage and global
some cars.
warming all contribute
to the problem of water
pollution, which can
damage our health and
the hope of having clean
water in the future.

Think about the causes of each type of @w Work with a friend and research other
environmental groups. Write down the
pollution. Write the list in your notebook.
information you get in your notebook.
oo you recycle? What are some Find out about their:
@
consequences of not recycling? a. mission statement
b. logo
@ loot at the photos and say which objects c. actions taken
are not recyclable.

ol
,. e'{L

*ru-

17
l Study skills

@ Co^plete the diagram about the Earth.

movement atmosphere
"l

revolution
argon
The Earth other trace gases

layers
I
\i¡
pollution
stratosphere -$
mesosphere air

exosphere

Read the text about the marine chronometer (A). Then read the text
about the GPS (B) on page 142.ln your notebook, write down whether
the sentences below refer to text A, B or both.
¡. The device was invented
before the lgth century.
It wasn't until the late 1700s that time could be kept accurately in any
climate, and this was thanks to the great pioneer, John Harrison, in l¡., The device uses
1759. The device he designed was called the marine chronometer that satell ites.
recognised the longitude of a ship at sea. Longitude can be
r.'. It was designed for travel
M measured in degrees 0-3ó0 running from Pole to Pole. off-road.
One hour is equal to 15 degrees thus I degree is
equal to 4 minutes. The marine chronometer ri.It was developed in
device gave rise to safe long-distance travel on Russia.
the open waters. However, timepieces gain or
\:-' Time is the most
lose time each day so it is important to know
importa nt aspect.
this rate before using a device like this. The
appropriate adjustments must be made before It works outside the Earth.
the chronometer can be successful and
ll. It has many applications.
completely accurate.

1B
@ Oecide whether the sentences below are @ Choose the correct word for each photo.
true or false. Correct the false ones in your Then, define the terms.
notebook.
{:}" The Earth is unique to the other planets.
$:. Cosmic dust consists of big particles of
matter floating around space.
i.: Mars has three known moons.
$ The Earth has two movements: rotation and
river / lake lake / sea
revelation.
{}, Most weather takes Place in the about the water cycle. Use the words
troposphere.
@r^lk
to help you.

ln your notebook, complete the sentences

s evdporatlon "' COflOenSaIlOn
@ ,+ precipitation * collection
below with the words from the box. There
are some extra words.
water is heated rivers, lakes and oceans
lake temporary land high
water vapour clouds are formed
bigger gaseous gas
sand river drops of water clouds are cooled

groundwater
,$" A ,, is surrounded by land on all sides.
i".r
\"i ¡ An ocean is . than a sea.
f- A .,, is a natural stream of water. @ Corplete the summary on page 143.
¡"-$
\.$ u Groundwater is found in soil, rocks and
*1,. Water vaoour is water in the form. is${' -
"n
Glaciers are foun0 on ffihecklist
\i..
* | can explain the motions
@ ln your notebook, identify whether the of the Earth and their consequenfes.
following sentences refer to the crust, the
mantle or the core. u I can identify the phases of the Moon.
s. lt is the hottest part. * | can describe the Earth's atmosphere
$s, lt is made up of rocks and minerals. and its layers.
.{:. lron becomes solid in this layer. * | can understand the geosphere and
r.$. This layer surrounds the core. hydrosphere.

u I can remember the difference

@no* do seasons occur?
between climate and weather.

@ explain the phases of the Moon. * | can explain the water cycle.

19