Our Earth (Third Rock from the Sun)

At some point in your life, you have probably learned about our Solar System and Earth. While you know that we are on a planet that has an environment which is conducive to human survival, you may not have considered how our planet's location and formation created the conditions necessary for us to be denizens of the Earth. The concepts in this lesson will help you identify the characteristics a location must possess in order to sustain human life. In addition, it will increase your understanding of why landforms and natural resources are not distributed evenly throughout the planet.

Image of Goldilocks and the three bears Growing up, many children hear the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This story is so common in society that many scientists use the story to help explain how unique or rare our planet Earth is. As you may recall, Goldilocks breaks into a house and tries to find comfort in her new surroundings. When she attempts to eat the food, she finds that some of it is either too hot or too cold for her to enjoy consuming it. When she encounters the food that is the right temperature, she devours it. Similar to Goldilocks's need for food within a specific range of temperatures, humans require a planet that is neither too hot, nor too cold to sustain human life.

Since our closest star, the Sun, is our source of heat and energy, our distance from it is of great importance. To sustain life, planets must be in what is often called the habitable zone around a star. Our Earth is such a planet. It is close enough to the Sun to keep water from freezing; yet far enough away that it does not cause our water to evaporate.

As important as heat and light are to our survival, our location in the habitable zone is not the only factor contributing to our ability to flourish on the planet. To survive, we require a protective atmosphere, land, an appropriate climate, fresh water, food, and natural resources.

Image of the Solar System

The video below provides more details about the formation of the Sun and Earth, their continuous change, and the ways that those changes impact and influence human lives.

RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.