The earth controls almost every part of our lives! Life can exist on planet Earth because it is in just the right place in the solar system: not too close to the sun (then it would be too hot), and not too far away either (too cold). Because of earth's specific, mild temperature, water can stay liquid (instead of solid ice or gas). Liquid water is necessary for all life on Earth (in fact, humans are made up of about 60% water!).

Another way that Earth controls our lives: it has gravity. The strength of gravity is controlled by the size of the planet. Earth's gravity keeps us on the surface, but it also retains layers of gases around the planet: these gases make up the atmosphere, including the oxygen that we breathe.

If you think about it, I'm sure you can come up with lots of other ways the earth impacts our lives: the location of the moon relative to the earth causes tides, you might use the earth's magnetic field for navigation... and so on!