Planetary habitability and the conditions for life are the focus of this Grade 7 science worksheet, which asks students to compare Earth with other planets and moons using evidence about sunlight, water, atmosphere, and temperature. Rather than treating any single condition as proof of life, students examine how environmental factors work together and why scientists need reliable evidence before drawing conclusions about worlds beyond Earth.

How Earth’s conditions support known life

The reading passage introduces the relationships between sunlight, liquid water, atmospheric gases, and suitable temperatures. Students explore how sunlight provides energy for photosynthetic organisms, how water supports essential life processes, and how Earth's atmosphere helps regulate temperature and protects the surface from some harmful radiation. The passage also explains that conditions vary across Earth with latitude, altitude, and season.

Comparisons with other planets and moons extend the topic beyond Earth's surface. Students consider environments where water may occur as ice or vapor, sunlight may be limited, temperatures may be extreme, or atmospheres may differ in thickness and composition. These examples help students distinguish between a place that might support life as we know it and a place where life has actually been found.

Practice with scientific evidence and comparisons

The worksheet combines a reading passage with multiple-choice questions, true-or-false statements, short-answer responses, a labeled diagram, a categorization activity, and a short note. Tasks ask students to identify factors that support life, interpret observations about distant worlds, explain the role of Earth's atmosphere, and describe why finding sunlight or water ice does not establish that organisms are present.

Written responses also ask students to explain how comparing Earth with another planet can help scientists investigate habitability. Across the activities, students practise using evidence, distinguishing observations from conclusions, and communicating scientific reasoning rather than relying on a single clue.

Files included for teaching and review

• Printable student worksheet: Includes the reading and varied response activities, with Student Notes lines at the bottom for recording additional ideas.
• Separate answer key PDF: Provides answers for checking student work.
• Teacher Guide inside the answer key PDF: Includes Learning Objectives, Teaching Tips, Discussion Questions, and Common Mistakes to support preparation and review.

Ways to use this resource

Use this Grade 7 Earth and space science practice during a lesson on the solar system, as guided reading followed by independent work, or as a review of environmental conditions and scientific evidence. The reading provides a shared starting point, while the different response formats let students demonstrate their reasoning in more than one way. The separate answer key and embedded teacher guidance also help teachers check responses and prepare follow-up discussion without needing a separate guide file.

The resource names TEKS as its curriculum framework context; specific standard-level alignment is not provided in the supplied details. It fits within the broader study of the solar system, planetary environments, and the conditions associated with known life.