Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
REGION V - BICOL
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF MASBATE CITY
MASBATE NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
MASBATE CITY
EARTH & LIFE SCIENCE
1st SEMESTER, SY. 2021-2022
Module 1
THE EARTH AS A UNIQUE PLANET
1ST QUARTER WEEK – 1
I. LEARNING SKILLS/CONTENT
Recognize the uniqueness of the Earth, being the only planet in the solar
system with properties necessary to support life. (S11/12ES-Ia-e-3)
This module was created so that you will be able to;
1. name the unique properties of the Earth that enables it to support life;
2. compare Earth to the other planets in the solar system; and
3. recognize the impact of human activities to our planet.
VOCABULARY
• Unique - being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else.
• Earth - is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor
life. • Planet - is a large celestial body that orbits a star and does not shine on its own.
• Solar System - is a group of planets, moons, asteroids, and comets that orbit around a sun.
• Life – is defined as the state characterized by the ability to get and use energy, reproduce, grow, and
respond to change.
• Goldilocks Zone – also known as habitable zone, is the range of distance with the right temperatures for
water to remain liquid.
• Ozone Layer - is a region of the stratosphere, about 10-25 miles (15-40 km) above the Earth's surface,
which contains about 90% of the Earth's atmosphere ozone.
• Core - is the innermost layer of the Earth.
Our Earth is the only place in the universe that can support life. It is a modest sized planet that
orbits an average-sized star, the sun. Life on Earth is abundant. Some type of life is found in every
niche on the Earth. Even in the extremely cold Antarctica, hardy microscopic beings exist in ponds,
tiny wingless insects live in patches of moss and lichen, and even two types of plants flower yearly.
From the top of the atmosphere to the bottom of the oceans, from the coldest part of the poles to the
warmest part of the equator, life persists here.
But what makes Earth different from other planets? What properties does it possess to make life
possible on this planet?
SIX THINGS THAT MAKE LIFE ON EARTH POSSIBLE
1. Our location is far from many hazards.
The solar system sits far from the galactic core (almost 30,000 light-years), between two major spiral
arms. More so, the solar system's circular orbit helps it avoid that dangerous part of the galaxy. The
galactic core likely contains a massive black hole and releases consistent bursts of radiation. Also,
there are relatively few stars near the sun, reducing risks to Earth from gravitational tugs, gamma-ray
bursts, or collapsing stars called supernovae.
The presence of our big brother planet, Jupiter, farther out in the solar system blocking Earth from
much of the incoming debris, has also helped Earth become a haven for life. Jupiter acts like a giant
broom, sweeping the solar system of debris rocks as small as cars and as huge as moons that could
snuff out life in one fatal blow.
2. Our sun is a stable and long-lasting star.
Our sun is a yellow dwarf, a relatively rare type of star that is both small and stable. It also has a long
life and probably would not start to fizzle out for another five billion years or so. Stars more massive
than the sun burn hotter and usually do not live long enough for planets to develop life. Less massive,
younger stars are often unstable and are prone to blasting their planets with bursts of radiation. The
sun radiates light and heat, or solar energy, which makes it possible for life to exist on Earth. The sun
provides the earth with energy estimated at over 239 trillion horsepower, about 35,000 horsepower for
each current resident. Plants need sunlight to grow. Animals, including humans, need plants for food
and the oxygen they produce. Without heat from the sun, Earth would freeze. There would be no
winds,
ocean currents, or clouds to transport water.
3. We are at just the right distance from the sun.
Earth is at an average distance of 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers away from the sun. It
orbits in the so-called Goldilocks zone, where the planet receives enough energy to allow water to
exist as a liquid on its surface. Too far, and the vital compound stays locked up as ice. Too close, and
the water would rapidly evaporate into the atmosphere. The Earth is the only planet with huge bodies
of water
70% of its surface area consists of oceans, lakes, and seas surrounding huge bodies of land. Water is
unique because it absorbs large amounts of heat without much alteration in its temperature. Its
absorption speed is extremely rapid—about ten times as fast as steel. During the day, the seas rapidly
soak up a great deal of heat, thus the Earth stays cool. At night, the oceans release the vast amounts
of heat that they soaked up during the day, which combined with atmospheric effects, keeps the
surface from getting too cold at night. If it were not for the tremendous amount of water on Earth,
there would be far greater day and night temperature variations. Many parts of the surface would be
hot enough to boil water in the day and the same part would be cold enough to freeze water at night.
Water is an excellent temperature stabilizer. The large oceans on Earth are a vital part of our
survival!
4. We have the right stuff to host a dynamic core.
The interstellar cloud of gas and dust that gave rise to Earth contained enough radioactive elements
(potassium, uranium and thorium) to power a churning core for billions of years. This creates a
magnetic field which is crucial to life on our planet because it protects the planet from dangers like
solar flares and solar wind. The Earth's magnetic field serves to deflect most of the solar wind, whose
charged particles would otherwise strip away the ozone layer that protects the Earth and the life on it
from harmful ultraviolet radiation.
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5. We have a big moon to stabilize our axial wobble.
The Earth has a slight tilt and teeters like a top as it spins, which can cause drastic shifts in climate
over the course of thousands of years. But because of the moon's stabilizing effect on our orbit, our
climate is a lot steadier. Plus, the moon causes the tides, so if the Moon were much nearer to the
Earth, say 20 times closer, it would exert a gravitational force 400 times greater than what we are
used to. It would result to huge tides which would overflow onto the lowlands, causing great flooding.
6. We have an ozone layer to block harmful ray.
Ancient plantlike organisms in the oceans added oxygen to the atmosphere and created a high-
altitude layer of ozone that shielded early land species from lethal radiation. Ozone (O3) is a gas in
the atmosphere that protects everything living on the Earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the
sun. Without the layer of ozone in the atmosphere, it would be very difficult for anything to survive on
the surface. Plants cannot live and grow in heavy ultraviolet radiation, nor can the plankton that serve
as
food for most of the ocean life. The ozone layer acts as a shield to absorb the UV rays and keep them
from doing damage at the Earth's surface.
The mixture of gases found in the atmosphere, without man's pollution, is perfect for life. Nitrogen
accounts for 78% of the atmosphere, oxygen 21% and argon 0.9%. Greenhouse gases like carbon
dioxide, nitrous oxides, and methane are trace gases that account for about a tenth of one percent of
the atmosphere. These gases trap the sun’s heat to keep the planet warm. If it were much different,
life would cease to exist on Earth. If our atmosphere were thinner, many of the millions of meteors
which now are burned up would reach the Earth's surface, causing death, destruction, and fires
everywhere.
II. LEARNING ACTIVITIES
ACTIVITY 1: Let’s Test Your Understanding!
A meteoroid has hit your spaceship! Luckily, you are passing through the Nonog System, which consists of a
sun-like star surrounded by seven planets, some of which have moons. Your ship has barely enough
fuel and guidance ability to allow you to select a nearby place to crash land. Below are profiles of
each of the planet and moon in the Nonog system.
Which of the following planets have conditions that can support life? Explain your answer.
Planet 1 (closest the star) Planet 2
Mass: 1.5 (Earth = 1) Mass: 0.5
Tectonics: Active volcanoes and seismic Tectonics: No activity detected.
activity detected. Atmosphere: CO2, N, and Atmosphere: Thin CO2 atmosphere
H2O Average Temperature: 651 degrees C detected. Average Temperature: 10
Description: Thick clouds surround the planet. degrees C
No surface is visible through the clouds. Description: Polar ice caps, dry
riverbeds, and many craters can be
seen from orbit.
Planet 3 Planet 4
Mass: 1 Mass: 1.5
Tectonics: Active volcanoes and seismic Tectonics: Active volcanoes and seismic
activity detected. Atmosphere: CO2, H2O activity detected. Atmosphere: N, O2, and
Temperature: 30 degrees C Description: Liquid ozone layer Average Temperature: 2 degrees
water oceans cover much of the surface. C
Volcanic island chains make up most of the dry Description: Cold oceans, covered with
land. ice along much of the globe. Some pen
water around equator.
Planet 5 Planet 6
Gas Giant with one large moon. Moon: Sulfur
dioxide (SO2) atmosphere. Many volcanoes
and
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hot springs on surface. Temperatures in hot Gas giant with four large, rocky
spots can be up to 600 degrees C. Other satellites (moons). Moons have no
spots away from volcanic heat can get as appreciable
low in temperature as 145 degrees C. atmosphere. Ice detectable on one.
Planet 7 (farthest from star)
Gas giant with two large moons. Moon 1: Thick methane atmosphere with high enough pressure
to keep a potential methane ocean liquid underneath. Temperature: -200 degrees C. Moon 2:
Covered in water ice. Ice appears cracked and re-frozen in parts, indicating a potential liquid
ocean underneath. Surface temperature -100 degrees C.
RUBRIC:
Clear Claim with Evidence-3pts , Explanation-5pts. and Grammar & Spelling-2pts. = 10pts.
Activity 2. Assess your knowledge
1. The Earth is the only planet in the solar system that supports life. Which of this best
explains the statement?
a. The Earth is exposed to the sun’s rays.
b. The Earth has only one moon that orbits around it.
c. The Earth rotates in its axis.
d. The Earth has breathable atmosphere.
2. Which of the following contributes to Earth’s ability to sustain life?
a. The Earth is just at the right distance from the sun.
b. The Earth’s core creates a strong and stable magnetic field.
c. The Earth has a precisely tuned amount of water.
d. All of these.
3. How does the giant planet Jupiter help in sustaining life on Earth?
a. It protects the Earth from solar flares.
b. It stabilizes the Earth’s rotation.
c. Jupiter’s gravitational pull prevents asteroids from entering the Earth.
d. It shields the Earth from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.
4. Below are the unique properties of the Earth, EXCEPT:
a. Strong magnetic field. c. Presence of the moon.
b. Scarce amount of liquid water. d. Located in the Goldilocks zone.
5. How does the core help in sustaining life on our planet?
a. It creates magnetic field that protects living things from cosmic rays.
b. It regulates the temperature inside the earth.
c. It facilitates the formation of magma.
d. It supplies the people with enough iron to fight common diseases.
6. How does Earth differ from its twin planet Venus?
a. Earth has a medium-layered atmosphere while Venus has a thin
atmosphere.
b. Earth has a lower surface temperature than Venus.
c. Earth’s distance from the sun is nearer compared to Venus.
d. Earth is bigger in radius than Venus.
7. What is a Goldilocks zone?
a. It is the area that receives most of the heat and light coming from the sun.
b. It is the area that has the strongest magnetic field.
c. It is the area that has the strongest gravitational pull.
d. It is the area that receives enough energy to allow water to exist as a
liquid on its surface.
8. These are the things that would happen if the Earth’s core cooled down,
EXCEPT:
a. The atmosphere will disappear.
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b. There will be more volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
c. The Earth will be vulnerable to incoming solar and cosmic radiations.
d. The plates on the surface will no longer move.
9. What is the role of the moon in making Earth as the only planet to
sustain life?
a. It causes extreme temperatures.
b. It causes very high and low tides.
c. It causes stability of the Earth’s rotation.
d. It causes irregular days and nights.
10. The following are the factors that make a planet habitable, EXCEPT: a.
temperature b. water c. atmosphere d. none of the above
ACTIVITY 3: Let’s Imagine!- PERFORMANCE TASK
Create an infographics (a visual image such as a chart or diagram used to represent information
or data) regarding the unique characteristics of planet Earth compare to other planets.
You can draw or use Pictures/SmartArt/ Shapes illustration to present your
output. A rubric will be used to assess the output on this activity.
Presentation Outstanding Satisfactory Need improvement
5 pts 3 pts 2 pts
The infographics clearly
communicates the main idea and The infographics clearly The infographics
strongly promotes awareness. communicates some of indirectly
the important ideas and communicates the
slightly promotes idea and hardly
awareness. promotes awareness.
Creativity Outstanding Satisfactory Need Improvement
and 5 pts 3 pts 2 pts
Originality The graphics were
All of the graphics used reflect an Most of the graphics made by the student
exceptional degree of student used reflect student but were copied from
ingenuity in their creation ingenuity in their the designs or ideas of
creation. others.
Accuracy Outstanding Satisfactory Need Improvement
and 5 pts 3 pts 2 pts
Relevance Most graphics are Some graphics are
All graphics are accurate and related accurate and related to accurate and related to
to the topic. the topic. the topic.
Required Outstanding Satisfactory Need Improvement
Elements 5 pts 3 pts 2 pts
Few required elements
It includes all required elements as All required elements are included.
well as additional information. are included.
IV. REFLECTION
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Complete the following statements
I discovered
that_______________________________________________. I realized
that _______________________________________________. I can apply
to my life _________________________________________.
III. REFERENCE
Bernal, Rhea Tessa T. (2020). ADM Quarter 1 - Module 1: THE EARTH AS A UNIQUE
PLANET. Department of Education – Division of Cagayan de Oro
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