What's inside Earth? Why do we have earthquakes? What causes the ocean tides? These questions and many others are examined as students study Earth from the inside out.

Students also become geologists as they consider plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, and their causes. They become oceanographers and meteorologists to gain a better understanding of elements affecting the surface of our world through a study of weather patterns and tides and currents in the ocean.

Your students will come to appreciate the atmosphere that makes life on Earth possible as they learn about our planet's position in the solar system. After Earth Central, students will have a deeper love and understanding of their planet.

Grades 4–6

This curriculum unit makes use of the following great children's literature books:

• The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top by Gail Herman;
• The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole;
• Fountains of Life: The Story of Deep Sea Vents by Elizabeth Tayntnor Gowell;
• The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor by Joanna Cole;
• The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane by Joanna Cole; and
• The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System by Joanna Cole.