3rd Grade The Moon Orbits Earth

3rd Grade The Moon Orbits Earth Worksheet (Earth and Space, TEKS 3.9A)

Students learn that the Moon orbits Earth about once a month while Earth and the Moon travel around the Sun together, finish sentences with a word bank, then decide whether each motion takes about a day, a month, or a year. Simple black and white doodles and big, easy to read text keep the focus on the science, not the reading. No prior knowledge is needed: the page teaches the idea first.

What's Inside

• A teach strip with an orbit diagram of the Moon and Earth
• Part A: finish four sentences with words from a word bank, with one done
• Part B: write D, M, or Y for each motion, with one done
• A friendly squirrel guide that points out the key idea
• A visual answer key with answers marked in red, plus a short teacher note

How Teachers Use It

Use it as a mini lesson follow up, a quick check, or a science center. It takes 6 to 8 minutes and prints clearly in black and white. The focus skill is explaining that the Moon orbits Earth as Earth orbits the Sun, part of the grade 3 earth and space strand.

Why It Works

Each sheet teaches one idea with everyday objects kids already know. Every activity has a done for you example, and students only circle, sort, number, or write a letter or word, so they can finish on their own. Wrong choices are believable, not silly, so students have to think. Pair it with the other Earth and Space sheets to cover the Sun, Earth, and Moon, orbits, and the order of the planets.