Earth, Weather, and Landforms
By Third Grade Students2009-2010
Table of Contents
Earth’s Layers Coasts Deserts Islands Lakes Mountains
Oceans Peninsulas Plains Soil Rivers Weathering
The Earth’s Layers by Brandi and Ryan
• The Earth has three layers:– The crust is a thin layer of
rock and water. – The mantle is a thick layer of
heavy molten rock.– The core is mainly made of
hot liquids.• The crust is 10 miles of rocks
and materials.• The mantle is 1,800 miles of
solid rock.• The core is 3000 miles of
molten lava, iron and nickel.• Facts from “Planet Earth” by
Christina Coster-Longman © 2001.
Image from http://www.platetectonics.com/book/images/Innerstrata.jpg
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Coasts by Shayla
• A coast is where land meets the sea.
• The point where land meets water is called the shoreline.
• A coast can be a sandy beach, cliff, sand dune, or mud.
• A coastal plain is a stretch of low land along a seacoast.
• A coastal plain slopes gently toward the sea.
• Some facts came from “The World Book Encyclopedia” © 2007.
Image from http://oregonstate.edu/admissions/international/slideshow/slidephotos/OregonCoast.jpg
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Deserts by Reid• Deserts are almost
completely dry places.• Deserts are found all
over the world.• Many are sandy or
rocky and only some kinds of plants and animals can live there.
• There are hot and cold deserts.
• My facts are from “Deserts” by Andy Owens © 1998.
Image from http://www.kbears.com/climates/desert.jpg
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Islands by Jarrett• A island is land
surrounded by water.• Greenland is an island
three times bigger than Texas.
• Many islands are formed by under water volcanoes.
• Facts from “Islands” by Christine Webster © 2005. Image from
http://jolle.se/imgs/island11.jpg
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Lakes by Austin
Lakes are water surrounded by land.
Lakes can be man-made or made by nature.
Some lakes have freshwater and others have salt water.
Some lakes have sand in the bottom, other lakes have mud or weeds.
The largest freshwater lake in the world is Lake Superior.
Facts from “What Are Lakes?” by Mari Schuh ©2002.
Image from http://www.america2050.org/assets_c/2007/09/GreatLakes1-thumb-448x278.jpg
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Mountains by Seth• Mountains are land that
rise high above the land around it.
• They are large pieces of rock that rise above the earth.
• They are all over theworld.
• The top is the summit and the bottom is the footstep.
• Facts from “Mountains” by Andy Owen © 1998.
Image from http://www.desktopscenes.com/Scenes%20from%20Big%20Sky%20Country%20(2003)/Lone%20Mountain%20and%20Wildflowers.jpg
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Oceans by Nick
• Oceans are the biggest bodies of water.
• The oceans are the Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic, and the Indian Oceans.
• I learned the Pacific ocean is the biggest ocean in the world.
• My facts are from “Oceans” by Anna O’Mara © 1996. Image from http://www.lisisoft.com/imglisi/5/Themes/150980sun-
over-the-ocean.jpg
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Peninsulas by Dustin Peninsulas are land
surrounded by water on three sides.
Water surrounds land everywhere except the point where it connects to a larger piece of land.
They are usually shaped long and thin.
Some peninsulas are the Arabian, Florida, and Italy.
The Arabian Peninsula is about 1 million square miles and is the world’s largest.
Facts from “The Student Discovery Encyclopedia”, Volume 9, © 2002.
Image from http://www.pointrichmond.com/pointsanpablo/home/SanPabloPeninsulaDG.jpg
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Plains By Layne
• A plain is land that is nearly flat.
• If you go there someday you might feel grass, wood, sand, or water.
• The plain can be found by a coast or inland.
• Facts from “Student Discovery Encyclopedia”, volume 9, © 2007.
Image from https://woodward8.wikispaces.com/file/view/great_plains.jpg/37109819
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Soil by Paige• Soil covers most land
on earth. • Soil is made up of
dead plants and animals, rotten leaves, dirt and rocks.
• Plants and trees grow in soil.
• Farmers grow crops in soil.
• Facts from “Soil” by Adele Richardson © 2002.
Image from http://urbanext.illinois.edu/wrms/images/with/soil.gif
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Rivers by Stefon A river is a large
flowing body of water that flows overland.
The start of the river is called the source.
Where the river meets the sea is called a river mouth.
Facts from “Rivers” by Andy Owen © 1998.
Image from http://www.hickerphoto.com/data/media/170/rainforest_rivers_t0427.jpg
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Weathering by Cassidy Weathering is when forces in
nature wear away rocks and earth.
Rain, wind, heat and cold are different kinds of weather that change rocks and earth.
Weather can crack, chip, or crumble rocks and cold wind can turn large rocks into small ones.
My facts are from “Rocks and Minerals” by William Russell ©1994. Image from
http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/research/derry/graphics/river.jpg
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