3rd Grade Unit Our Changing Earth

1. Our Changing Earth
Table Of Contents
I. Sun, Earth, Day and Night,
Seasons 2-13
II. Moon, Water, Water Cycle,
Storms, Natural Disasters 14-28
III. Food Chain, Producers,
Consumers, Decomposers 29-36
IV. Energy, Protecting Earth 37-48
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2. The sun is very important. All the
planets go around the sun.
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3. We live on the planet Earth. It
revolves, or goes around the
sun.
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4. The sun gives the Earth heat,
light and energy.
Heat
Light
Energy
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5. Day and night happen because the
Earth rotates, or spins around the
sun. It takes the Earth 24 hours or 1
day to spin around 1 time!
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6. Because it spins, part of the Earth
faces the sun and part of the Earth is
in a shadow. It is day time when we
are facing the sun and night time
when we are facing away.
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7. The Earth also revolves around the
sun while it spins. It takes 365 days,
or 1 year to get around the sun 1
time!
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8. The Earth travels on an invisible
circle, called an orbit at the same
time that it is spinning.
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9. The Earth is tilted on an axis or
invisible pole that goes through
its center.
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10. The way that the Earth is tilted and
how close it is to the sun when it is
revolving gives us the seasons.
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11. We have 4 seasons: Spring,
Summer, Fall and Winter.
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12. The part of Earth that we live on is
closest to the sun in the summer.
That is why it is so hot in the
summer!
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13. The Earth is farthest away from the
sun during Winter. That is why it is
so cold during Winter – it is harder
for the sun to make us warm.
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14. The moon also revolves and spins
just like Earth! When we see the
moon, it is actually just the sun
reflecting or shining back from the
sun.
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15. The moon that we see is always
changing. It changes because of
how much light can shine on the
moon from the sun.
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16. There are names for the way the
moon looks while we see it.
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17. When you can’t see the moon, it
is called the new moon.
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18. When you see the whole moon,
and it looks like a big circle, it is
called a full moon.
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19. The moon has an invisible pull
on the Earth. This pull causes
the different ocean tides.
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20. Low tide is when the water is far
back and you go swimming.
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21. High tide is when the water
moves up the beach and washes
away your sand castle!
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22. Water is very important to the
Earth. It is needed for all plants
and animals to live.
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23. The Water Cycle
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24. Weather also causes the Earth to
change. Severe weather is a really
bad storm, like a blizzard, hurricane,
tornado or thunderstorm.
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25. These storms often have lightening,
heavy rain, snow or cause floods.
They cause a lot of damage to the
Earth and can hurt people.
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26. Natural Disasters also cause
damage to the Earth and can hurt
people. Natural disasters are not
from the weather.
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27. Volcanoes, earthquakes and
tsunamis are all natural disasters. A
tsunami is a giant wave in the
ocean.
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28. The Earth’s crust is made up of
different pieces. When these pieces
move, they cause the Earthquakes,
volcanoes and tsunamis.
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29. The food chain is another cycle that
occurs on Earth. The food chain is a
group of plants and animals that
feed on each other.
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30. For example: An insect eats a
leaf, and a frog eats the insect.
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31. In the food chain there are
producers and consumers.
Producers are plants. They produce,
or make their own food from the sun.
Consumers are animals.
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32. Some producers are trees,
grass, and algae.
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33. There are different types of
consumers, or animals. Herbivores
are animals that eat only plants.
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34. Carnivores are animals that eat
only other animals or meat.
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35. Omnivores are animals that eat both
plants and animals. Humans are
omnivores – we eat meat and
plants!
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36. There are also decomposers.
Decomposers cause plants and
animals to decay. Bacteria and
fungus are decomposers.
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37. Energy is what makes things
happen. There are 4 natural sources
or renewable sources of energy.
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38. Solar energy is from the sun. It
gives people and plants energy.
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39. Wind energy is made by the air
moving. It is caused by the heat
of the sun.
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40. Hydropower is energy from water
that is moving, like a river or
ocean.
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41. Geothermal energy is Earth
power. It is caused by the heat
inside the Earth’s center.
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42. There are nonrenewable sources of
energy. These sources can run out
when we use too much. Oil and gas
are 2 types of energy that can run
out.
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43. These energy sources cannot be
renewed and run out because it
takes so long for the Earth to make
them.
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44. We need to be careful with our
Earth if we want it to last a long
time!
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45. Pollution is when bad things get into
our air, land and water. It hurts the
Earth and can be bad for people.
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46. Recycling is when we take old
bottles and paper and turn them into
new bottles and paper to use again.
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47. When you throw away garbage, it
goes to a landfill. This is a place to
keep the garbage. Littering is when
people do not put trash in the
garbage. 
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48. Things you can do to save energy,
and help the Earth:
- turn lights off when not in the room
-turn the water off when not using it
-recycle items when you can
-reuse milk or egg containers for
craft projects
- walk or ride your bike instead of
drive
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49. Revolve A giant star that Spinning around
gives the Earth on 1 point, like a
light, energy and wheel spins.
Seasons
heat The Earth rotates
or spins around 1
time each day.
A group of planets Sun Moving around an Rotate
and the sun. The object on an
planets go around invisible circle.
the sun The Earth rotates
or moves around
the Sun.
4 times of the year Solar System Earth One of the planets
caused by how - the planet that
close the Earth is we live on! Part of
the sun and where a system, it circles
it is in it’s circle around the sun.
around the sun.
Fall, Summer, Spring,
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Winter

50. Revolve Moving around an Rotate Spinning around
object on an on 1 point, like a
invisible circle. wheel spins.
The Earth moves The Earth rotates
around the Sun. or spins around 1
time each day.
Sun A giant star that Solar System A group of planets
gives the Earth and the sun. The
light, energy and planets go around
heat the sun
4 times of the year Earth One of the planets
caused by how - the planet that
close the Earth is we live on! Part of
Seasons
the sun and where a system, it circles
it is in it’s circle around the sun.
around the sun.
Fall, Summer, Spring,
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Winter