Do we live on top of the Earth or inside it?

Think about the ground under your feet. Maybe it is soft grass, warm sand or a hard path. Press your toes down and feel it hold you up.

That ground is part of our Earth. So here is a wondering question. Do we live on top of the Earth, or deep inside it?

Our Earth is a giant ball, far bigger than any mountain. It is so big that the ground near you looks flat. Only from space can you see its round shape.

We live on the outside of that ball. Its outside is called the crust, which means the hard rocky skin all around the Earth. It is a bit like the crust on a loaf of bread.

Every house and every park sits on the crust. Fields, hills and even the bottom of the sea rest on it too. You walk, run and play on the crust every day.

The crust is thin next to the whole big ball. Think of the skin on an apple. So what do you think is under the crust, deep inside the Earth?

Under the crust there is more rock, going down and down. Deep inside, that rock is packed tight and is hotter than any oven. There is no air and no room for people down there.

People live all around the ball, on every side of it. The Earth pulls everyone toward it, so nobody falls off. Wherever you stand, the ground is under your feet and the sky is over your head.

We live on top of the Earth, on its rocky crust. Deep inside is hot, packed rock with no room for us.

Right now, your toes rest on the crust of a giant round ball. And the wide sky stretches over your head.