Earth: Bodies of Water

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

There are bodies of water all over the earth!

A body of water is a naturally occurring area of the planet covered with fresh or salt water. Most of the earth is covered by water.

The largest bodies of water on the earth are oceans. Oceans are made of saltwater.

There are five oceans on the earth. They are the Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Antarctic Ocean (also called the Southern Ocean).

• Which ocean do you live closest to?

The sea is connected to the ocean.

A sea is a saltwater body surrounding the land. This is the part of the ocean that is closest to land.

Anytime you go to the beach, if you go into the water, you are swimming in the sea.

The earth also has freshwater rivers and streams. Rivers and streams both have flowing water. This flowing water usually runs downhill.

A river is much longer and wider than a stream. When you think of a stream, think of the word small.

The first picture below shows a large river curving through the land. The second picture shows a stream babbling through a forest.

Lakes and ponds are bodies of water, too. They can be either freshwater or saltwater.

A lake is much larger than a pond. A lake is a body of water that is surrounded by land. Lakes have deep water and are large.

A pond is a small body of water surrounded by land. The first picture below shows a lake surrounded by mountains. The second picture shows a pond.

• See how much smaller it is?

• Have you ever been to any of these bodies of water?
• What was your experience like?

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