Reading Facts About the Earth
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What you will learn
- 1Read a nonfiction article about the Earth and recall specific facts
- 2Identify facts about land, water, the atmosphere, and how we care for our planet
- 3Answer fact-based questions by locating evidence in the text
Mini Lesson
We live on a very special planet called Earth. It is the third planet from the Sun and the only one known to support life. Reading facts about the Earth is a great way to practice nonfiction reading — look for key words, numbers, and evidence words like most, largest, about, and more than.
Earth's surface — land and water
- About 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by water — oceans, seas, rivers, and lakes.
- Only about 29% is land — continents, islands, mountains, and deserts.
- The largest ocean is the Pacific Ocean.
- The largest continent is Asia.
The atmosphere
- Earth is surrounded by a layer of gases called the atmosphere.
- The atmosphere contains the air we breathe — mostly nitrogen and oxygen.
- The atmosphere protects us from harmful rays from the Sun.
Caring for the Earth
- We can protect the Earth by reducing, reusing, and recycling waste.
- Planting trees, saving water, and using less plastic all help keep the Earth healthy.
Words to know
Continent
A large area of land on Earth
e.g. Asia is the largest continent. There are seven continents in all.
Ocean
A very large body of salt water on Earth
e.g. The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean.
Atmosphere
The layer of gases surrounding the Earth that contains the air we breathe
e.g. Earth's atmosphere is mostly nitrogen and oxygen.
Recycle
To turn used materials into new things instead of throwing them away
e.g. We recycle paper, glass, and plastic to protect the Earth.
When reading Earth facts: look for numbers and evidence words — they carry the most important information!
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