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Reducing What the Earth Does to Us is a free printable Grade 4 science worksheet on comparing solutions that reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes, aligned to Common Core standard 4-ESS3-2. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions, 14 of them with different questions, so no two pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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One paper per pupil

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14 of these 25 sets ask different questions — this skill does not have 25 questions to give. The rest reorder them, so no two pupils have the same paper in front of them.

Reducing What the Earth Does to Us

4-ESS3-2

NameDate

Write your answer. Use the checklist.

1.Sand is being carried off a beach. Judge groynes as a solution.
  • Say what groynes do
  • Use the sand figures
  • Say what happens further along
2.A school is built where earthquakes happen. Judge one design that reduces the danger.
  • Name the design
  • Say what it protects
  • Say what it cannot stop

LessonPrint · 4-ESS3-2 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Reducing What the Earth Does to Us

Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Groynes trapping sand, using the figures, and the drawback that beaches further along lose sand instead.
  2. 2.A design such as flexible framing that protects the school in an earthquake, with what it cannot stop.

Questions about Reducing What the Earth Does to Us

What does the Reducing What the Earth Does to Us worksheet cover?

It practises comparing solutions that reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes — 2 questions for Grade 4, all on Common Core 4-ESS3-2: Compare designs that reduce the harm from natural Earth processes. The instruction to pupils is “Write your answer. Use the checklist”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.

Which Common Core standard does Reducing What the Earth Does to Us practise?

4-ESS3-2 — 4-ESS3-2, in the Earth and Space Science domain for Grade 4. The published standard reads: “Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.

What age or grade is this worksheet for?

Reducing What the Earth Does to Us is written for Grade 4, typically ages 9-10. It is one of the sheets on 4-ESS3-2, so it suits any pupil working at that standard — including older pupils revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.

Does Reducing What the Earth Does to Us come with an answer key?

Yes. All 2 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.

How many different versions of Reducing What the Earth Does to Us can I print?

25 versions, of which 14 ask genuinely different questions — this skill does not have 25 distinct questions to give, so the rest reorder them and no two pupils still share a paper. Set 1 downloads all 25 as one PDF.

Is Reducing What the Earth Does to Us free to print and photocopy?

Yes. Reducing What the Earth Does to Us, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.

Is there a lesson plan to teach 4-ESS3-2?

Yes — “Reducing What the Earth Does to Us” is a 55-minute Grade 4 plan for 4-ESS3-2, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Reducing What the Earth Does to Us is the practice that follows it.

More practice for 4-ESS3-2

Compare designs that reduce the harm from natural Earth processes.

Teaching this next? Reducing What the Earth Does to Us is the 55-minute plan for it, with the misconceptions to expect.

All Grade 4 worksheets

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 4-ESS3-2 of the Next Generation Science Standards.