Texas TEKS 7.9.C
The Standard
Analyze the characteristics of Earth that allow life to exist such as the proximity of the Sun, presence of water, and composition of the atmosphere.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students explain how Earth’s distance from the Sun, liquid water, and atmosphere work together to support living things. They use evidence to connect each feature to suitable temperatures, protection, and available materials for life.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students can make a claim about whether a planet could support life and cite data about temperature, water, and atmospheric gases. They can explain why one favorable feature alone is not enough.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think oxygen is the only useful atmospheric gas or that any planet with water can support life. They may also assume being closer to the Sun always makes a planet more habitable.
How to Assess It
- Give students data for a fictional planet, including distance from its star, surface temperature, water state, and atmospheric gases. Ask them to judge its habitability and support the judgment with two pieces of evidence.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Place thermometers at three distances from a heat lamp, record temperatures, and identify which distance could keep water liquid.
Ask students to write which Earth feature they would protect first, then defend their choice using evidence about life’s needs.
Sort planet cards by temperature, water, and atmosphere, then rank each planet from least to most likely to support life.
Use NASA fact sheets to compare Earth with Mars or Venus, then identify which missing or extreme conditions limit life.
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Printable 7.9.C Worksheet
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