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EARTH SCIENCE QUARTER1–MODULE1

The Planet Earth

Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
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Welcome to the Earth Science Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module The Planet
Earth.

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators both
from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping
the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming their
personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their
needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of the
module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies
that will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module. You
also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage their
own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the learners as
they do the tasks included in the module.
For the learner:

Welcome to the Earth and Life Science Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on The
Planet Earth.

The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner is
capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and skills at
your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in
the module.

What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to check what
you already know about the lesson to take.

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 If you get all the answers correct (100%), you may
decide to skip this module.

What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link the current lesson
with the previous one.

What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be introduced to you in
various ways such as a story, a song, a
poem, a problem opener, an activity or a situation.

What is It This section provides a brief discussion of the lesson. This

aims to help you discover and understand
new concepts and skills.

What’s More This comprises activities for independent practice to

solidify your understanding and skills of the
topic. You may check the answers to the exercises
using the Answer Key at the end of the module.

What I Have Learned This includes questions or blank

sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process what you
learned from the lesson.
What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will help you
transfer your new knowledge or skill into
real life situations or concerns.

Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your

level of mastery in achieving the learning competency.

Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given to

you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
lesson learned. This also tends retention of learned
concepts.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in

developing this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
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 3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are not
alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and
gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

What I Need to Know

Imagine how the Earth, the moon, and the sun move through space and how
that produces the sight you see in the sky. But how did humanity first realize that we
live on a planet moving through a space?

Earth, our home planet, is a world unlike any other. The third planet from the
sun, Earth is the only place in the known universe confirmed to host life. As viewed
from the space, Earth is like a sparkling blue oasis suspended in a black sea.
Constantly changing weather patterns create the swirls of clouds that blanket the blue
and brown sphere we call home.

Earth is also unique in terms of monikers. Every other solar system planet was
named for a Greek or Roman deity, but for at least a thousand years, some cultures
have described our world using the Germanic word “earth,” which means simply “the
ground.”

But what does it make Earth so special? Why did Earth have a such good
fortune while its two nearest neighbors, Venus and Mars, are unsuitable for life? In
this module we will learn more about our only home, The Planet Earth.

Good luck and I hope you will learn a lot from this module and eventually
pursue science courses in the future.

The module covers :

 Lesson 1 – The Planet Earth

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Describe the characteristics of Earth that are necessary to support life

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Lesson

1 The Planet Earth

What’s In
Since Nicolaus Copernicus proposed a Sun-centred model of the universe,
enlightened thinkers have regarded Earth as a planet like the others of the solar
system. Concurrent sea voyages provided practical proof that Earth is a globe, just as
Galileo’s use of his newly invented telescope in the early 17th century soon showed
various other planets to be globes as well. It was only after the dawn of the space age,
however, when photographs from rockets and orbiting spacecraft first captured the
dramatic curvature of Earth’s horizon, that the conception of Earth as a roughly
spherical planet rather than as a flat entity was verified by direct human observation.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services
Administration (PAGASA) is one of the two institution in the country that performs
astronomical function. The PAGASA Astronomical Observatory is located inside the
campus of the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. It is equipped with a
45-cm computer-based telescope donated by the Japanese Government. It is the
biggest ever acquired by the PAGASA since the establishment of the observatory in
1954 and is now the largest operational telescope in the country.

[Untitled illustration of the Astronomical Observatory]. PAGASA. Retrieved from http://bagong.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/astronomy

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Quick Facts about Planets
Direction: Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.
1. The largest planet is the __________________.
2. The smallest planet is the ___________________.
3. The inner planets/ terrestrial planets are the __________________, _________________,
______________, and _________________.
4. The outer planets/ gas giants are the __________________, _________________,
______________, and _________________.
5. The hottest planet is the ___________________.
6. The coldest planet is the ___________________.
7. The planets _______________ and _________________ rotates in opposite direction
which is from east to west.
8. ________________ is the flattest planet.
9. _______________ is the only planet in the solar system with liquid water in the
surface.
10. _______________ is the only planet whose equator is nearly at a right angle to its
orbit.
11. ________________ has more moons than any other planet.
12. _________________ is the home to the tallest mountain.
13. _________________ is the second brightest object in the night sky.
14. __________________is the most distant planet that can be seen with the naked eye.
15. ___________________ is the fourth brightest in the solar system.

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 What is It
THE PLANET EARTH

The picture below is a photograph of Earth taken from the outer space. Many
scientists believe the Earth has excellent conditions to support life. The physical
structure of Earth has been changed dramatically since its formation. As viewed from
outer space, Earth looks like a blue marble with white swirls. Some parts are brown,
yellow, green and white. The blue part is water. Water covers most of Earth. The white
swirls are clouds. The brown, yellow and green parts are land. And the white parts are
ice and snow.

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/edu_what_is_earth_0.jpg

Earth is our home planet, home to millions of species; Earth is the only place in
the Universe where life is known to exist. Scientists think Earth formed billions of
years ago. Four planets in the solar system are bigger than Earth. Three planets are
smaller. It is the third-closest planet to the sun. Only Mercury and Venus are closer.
The planet formed 4.54 billion years ago and life appeared on its surface within a
billion years. Since then, Earth has significantly altered the atmosphere and other
abiotic conditions on the planet, enabling the proliferation of aerobic organisms as well
as the formation of ozone layer, which, together with Earth’s magnetic field, blocks
harmful radiation, permitting life on land. The physical properties of the Earth, as well
as its geological history and orbit, allowed life to persist during this period. The wold is
expected to continue supporting life for another 1.5 billion years, after which the rising
luminosity of the Sun will eliminate life on Earth.
Earth has been called the "Goldilocks planet." In the story "Goldilocks and the
Three Bears," a little girl named Goldilocks liked everything just right. Her porridge
couldn't be too hot or too cold. And her bed couldn't be too hard or too soft. On Earth,
everything is just right for living things. It's warm, but not too warm. And it has water,
but not too much water.

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Features of the Earth

The Size of the Earth

One of the first known attempts to calculate the size of the Earth from actual
data was made by Greek astronomer Erathosthenes in about 250 BC. Erathosthenes
lived on Alexandra, Egypt. The method used by Erathosthenes is still used today to
measure the Earth’s circumference. Today, however, the data used are gathered by
more precise instruments and methods. Modern instruments used to measure Earth
include lasers, satellites, and ground based satellite tracking stations. Here are few of
the important dimensions of the Earth.
Circumference at the equator 40 074 kilometers
Circumference at the poles 40 007 kilometers
Diameter in equator 12 756 kilometers
Diameter in poles 12 714 kilometers
Equatorial Radius 6 378 kilometers
Polar radius 6 357 kilometers
Volume 1 086 781 292 542 cubic
Estimated Mass 5.976 x 1024 kilograms
The total surface area of Earth is about 510 million square kilometres. Of this,
149 million square kilometres stand above the sea level as continents and islands.
Thus the percentage of land is only about 29 percent, while the water is about 71
percent, with which 97 percent is saltwater and only 3 percent is fresh water.

The Shape of the Earth

Earth’s shape is known as an ablate spheroid. This is characterized by a
spherical object that is slightly flattened at its poles and slightly bulging at its center.
Long before photographs of the Earth were seen, early people had already some of the
pieces of evidence to conclude that the Earth is not flat, but spherical.
What Makes the Earth Habitable?

Temperature
Low temperatures cause chemicals to react slowly, which interferes with the
reactions necessary for life. Also low temperatures freeze water, making liquid water
unavailable. Life seems limited to a temperature range of minus 15°C to 115°C. In this
range, liquid water can still exist under certain conditions. Only Earth’s surface is in
this temperature range. At about 125°C, protein and carbohydrate molecules and
genetic material start to break apart. Also, high temperatures quickly evaporate water.

Water
Only Earth’s surface has water, though Mars once had surface water and still
has water ice in its polar ice caps. Saturn’s moon, Titan, seems to be covered with
liquid methane. Too much water is not a problem, as long as it is not so toxic that it
interferes with the chemistry of life

Atmosphere
Atmosphere traps heat, shields the surface from harmful radiation, and provides
chemicals needed for life, such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Small planets and

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moons have insufficient gravity to hold an atmosphere. The gas molecules escape to
space, leaving the planet or moon without an insulating blanket or a protective shield.
Of the solid planets & moons, only Earth, Venus, & Titan have significant
atmospheres. Mars’ atmosphere is about 1/100th that of Earth’s, too small for
significant insulation and shielding. Earth’s atmosphere is about 100 miles thick. It
keeps the surface warm & protects it from radiation & small- to medium-sized
meteorites. Venus’s atmosphere is 100 times thicker than Earth’s. It is made almost
entirely of greenhouse gasses, making the surface too hot for life. The four giant
planets are completely made of gas.

Magnetic Field
Our planet is blessed with a strong, stable magnetic field, which staves off the
cosmic rays and solar winds/ flares that would otherwise fry the planet every now and
then. The outer core is responsible for Earth's magnetic field. As Earth spins on its
axis, the iron inside the liquid outer core moves around. The movement causes
powerful electric currents to develop in the liquid iron itself.

Energy
Organisms use light or chemical energy to run their life processes. The inner
planets get too much sunlight for life. The outer planets get too little. When there is too
little sunlight or too few of the chemicals that provide energy to cells, such as iron or
sulfur, organisms die. With a steady input of either light or chemical energy, cells can
run the chemical reactions necessary for life. However, light energy is a problem if it
makes a planet too hot or if there are too many harmful rays, such as ultraviolet. Too
many energy rich chemicals is not a problem.

Nutrients
Without chemicals to make proteins & carbohydrates, organisms cannot grow.
Planets without systems to deliver nutrients to its organisms (e.g., a water cycle or
volcanic activity) cannot support life. Also, when nutrients are spread so thin that they
are hard to obtain, such as on a gas planet, life cannot exist. Earth has a water cycle,
an atmosphere, and volcanoes to circulate nutrients.