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Earth & Space Science

A free Earth and space science reference for kindergarten to 8th grade: our planet, water and weather, Earth’s resources, the Sun and Moon, the solar system and space exploration. Short, clear facts, each with its source.

Earth science for kids, from UpOnly Learning

Why Earth and space science matter

Right now, somewhere under your student’s feet, the ground is moving. Our planet never sits still, most of the seafloor is still a mystery, and the sky is fuller than anyone guessed. Earth and space science is how students learn to read all of it.

Four facts to start

  • Earth shakes all the time. The USGS locates about 20,000 earthquakes around the world each year, about 55 a day.[1]

  • As of April 2026, only 28.7 percent of the global seafloor had been mapped in high detail.[2]

  • NASA counts 293 confirmed moons around Saturn as of August 2026, more than any other planet. Counts change as astronomers find more.[3]

  • In 2024, 31 percent of U.S. eighth graders scored at or above NAEP Proficient in science, and their Earth and space sciences score was 4 points lower than in 2019.[4]

What you’ll find here: six parts and 32 topics, from Earth’s layers and the water cycle to the Moon, the planets and space travel. Short facts for kindergarten to 8th grade, each with its source, plus key words in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Free for everyone.

Not sure where your student stands? Try our free K–8 placement test (math, reading, English). It adapts to your student.

The six parts

All 32 topics

Part 1: Our Planet Earth

Part 2: Water, Air and Weather

Part 3: Earth's Resources

Part 4: Earth in Space

Part 5: The Solar System and Beyond

Part 6: Exploring Space

Free printable Earth and space worksheets

(15)

Print-ready science pages for your students, with the recommended grades.

Printables with a black and white button also come in a low-ink version, good for coloring and filling in.

  • Color the solar system

    Free PDFGrades 1–3

    Color

  • Free printable planets in order worksheet for kids, with answer key

    Label the planets in order

    Free PDFGrades 1–5

    ColorBlack and white

  • Color a volcano cutaway

    Free PDFGrades 2–4

    Color

  • Moon phase calendar

    Free PDFGrades 2–5

    Color

  • Cloud identification chart

    Free PDFGrades 3–6

    Color

  • Label the layers of the Earth

    Free PDFGrades 3–5

    Color

  • Label the parts of a volcano

    Free PDFGrades 3–5

    Color

  • The water cycle

    Free PDFGrades 3–6

    Color

  • The rock cycle

    Free PDFGrades 4–7

    Color

  • The four seasons and Earth's tilt, free printable worksheet with answer key. Students label Earth's four orbit positions with the Northern Hemisphere seasons and explain that the tilt of Earth's axis, not its distance from the Sun, causes the seasons.

    The four seasons and Earth's tilt

    Free PDFGrades 2–5

    ColorBlack and white

  • Day and night: Earth's rotation, free printable worksheet with answer key. Students shade the night side of Earth, label day and night, and answer questions about Earth's 24-hour rotation and why the Sun seems to rise in the east.

    Day and night: Earth's rotation

    Free PDFGrades 1–4

    ColorBlack and white

  • Label the layers of the atmosphere, free printable worksheet with answer key. Students label the five layers of the atmosphere with their approximate heights and match each layer to a fact about weather, ozone, meteors, the space station and outer space.

    Label the layers of the atmosphere

    Free PDFGrades 4–7

    ColorBlack and white

  • Weekly weather tracker, free printable worksheet with answer key. Students keep a one-week weather log with symbols, temperature and wind, then read a sample weather chart to answer questions.

    Weekly weather tracker

    Free PDFGrades 1–4

    ColorBlack and white

  • Sort renewable and nonrenewable energy resources, free printable worksheet with answer key. Students sort 10 energy resource cards into renewable and nonrenewable and answer questions about fossil fuels and solar energy.

    Sort renewable and nonrenewable energy resources

    Free PDFGrades 3–6

    ColorBlack and white

  • Star patterns: the Big Dipper and other constellations, free printable worksheet with answer key. Students connect the stars of the Big Dipper, Orion, Cassiopeia and the Southern Cross, name each pattern and answer questions about the North Star and why stars move across the sky.

    Star patterns: the Big Dipper and other constellations

    Free PDFGrades 2–5

    ColorBlack and white

What your student will learn

  • Describe Earth’s layers, the three kinds of rock and how plates move
  • Explain how volcanoes, earthquakes, weathering and erosion shape the land
  • Follow water through the water cycle, the oceans, rivers and ice
  • Name the layers of the air, read the clouds and know what to do in a storm
  • Tell renewable from nonrenewable resources and find ways to care for land, water and air
  • Explain day and night, the seasons, the Moon’s phases and eclipses
  • Know the planets in order and what makes each one special
  • Meet stars, galaxies, telescopes, rockets and the people who explore space
  • Check a fact by reading its source

Also practice

Free first. Lessons in the library are for members.

Coming soon

We are building these next. They will link from here when they are ready.

  • Interactive explorerA clickable solar system, an Earth-layers cutaway, a volcano cutaway and a live USGS earthquake mapComing soon
  • Free printablesPrint-ready science pages, with the recommended gradesOpen the printables
  • Lessons and practiceNew lessons and question banks for the topics our library does not cover yetComing soon
  • FlashcardsKey words in English, Spanish and PortugueseComing soon

Sources for this page

(4)
  1. U.S. Geological Survey · Why are we having so many earthquakes? Has naturally occurring earthquake activity been increasing? · usgs.gov/faqs/why-are-we-having-so-many-earthquakes-has-naturally-occurring-earthquake-activity-been (page updated Feb 5, 2026; checked Oct 30, 2026)
  2. NOAA Ocean Exploration · How much of the ocean has been explored? · oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/ocean-fact/explored (page updated Apr 20, 2026; checked Oct 30, 2026)
  3. NASA Science · Saturn Moons · science.nasa.gov/saturn/moons (page updated Sep 22, 2026; checked Oct 30, 2026)
  4. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), The Nation's Report Card · National Trends and Student Skills: 2024 NAEP Science Assessment · nationsreportcard.gov/reports/science/2024/national-trends (checked Oct 30, 2026)