Objectives
- Describe and compare the components of the Solar System.
- Using references, compare the physical properties of the planets (e.g., size, solid or gaseous).
Kids Discover Planets Worksheet
After reading KIDS DISCOVERPlanets, choose the best answer for each question.
Find your answer on the pages shown in the book icon next to each question.
Match the planet with its composition.
_____ 1. Earth_____ 2. Jupiter
_____ 3. Mars
_____ 4. Mercury
_____ 5. Neptune
_____ 6. Saturn
_____ 7. Uranus
_____ 8. Venus / A. Gas giant
B. Rocky world
9. How are Ceres and Pluto alike?
a. They are both rocky worlds.c. They are both gas giants.
b. They are both dwarf planets.d. They are both asteroids
10. What causes the surface of Mercury to fold like the skin of a dry apple?
a. The heat of the Sun.
b. The lack of water.
c. The slight shrinking of the planet as its iron core cools.
d. The freezing temperatures in the shadowed regions at the poles.
11. What is the largest known surface feature of Mercury?
a. Arecibo Vallisc. Caloris Basin
b. Borealis Planitiad. Resolution Rupes
12. How was the Caloris Basin on Mercury formed?
a. By a volcano.c. By a meteorite.
b. By a comet.d. By an asteroid.
13. What is a likely reason for Venus being hotter than Mercury?
a. Because carbon dioxide traps the Sun’s heat.
b. Because Venus has high winds.
c. Because it is named after the god of the Forge.
d. Because Venus is closer to the Sun than Mercury.
14. Which country landed a probe on the surface of Venus?
a. Chinac. Soviet Union
b. Indiad. United States
15. Why can’t we see the surface of Venus?
a. It is so far away.c. It is so small.
b. It is covered by clouds.d. The winds are so high.
16. How is Mars like Earth?
a. It has a thin carbon dioxide atmosphere.
b. It is cold, dry, and barren.
c. Its winter temperatures may be 200 degrees below freezing.
d. It has seasons.
17. The largest volcano in the Solar System is found on Mars. What is its name?
a. Arsia Monsc. Olympus Mons
b. Elysium Monsd. Ulysses Patera
18. Which of Jupiter’s moons may have life in its buried ocean?
a. Ioc. Ganymede
b. Europad. Callisto
19. Which of Jupiter’s moons has active volcanoes?
a. Ioc. Ganymede
b. Europad. Callisto
20. What is the Great Red Spot?
a. A hole in Jupiter’s clouds.c. Colorful clouds in Jupiter’s atmosphere.
b. Remains of a comet collision.d. A gigantic storm.
21. For what is Saturn best known?
a. It’s color.c. It’s rings.
b. It’s moons.d. It’s size.
22. This moon of Saturn is larger than Mercury.
a. Enceladusc. Mimas
b. Hyperiond. Titan
23. This moon is the coldest place in the Solar System.
a. Mirandac. Puck
b. Oberond. Triton
24. Uranus’s and Neptune’s atmospheres are made of hydrogen and…
a. carbon dioxide.c. methane.
b. helium.d. oxygen.
Identify the planets in order by their distance from the Sun.
_____ 25. Earth_____ 26. Jupiter
_____ 27. Mars
_____ 28. Mercury
_____ 29. Neptune
_____ 30. Saturn
_____ 31. Uranus
_____ 32. Venus / A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
E. 5
F. 6
G. 7
H. 8
Rank the size of the planets in order from the largest to the smallest.
_____ 33. Earth_____ 34. Jupiter
_____ 35. Mars
_____ 36. Mercury
_____ 37. Neptune
_____ 38. Saturn
_____ 39. Uranus
_____ 40. Venus / A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
E. 5
F. 6
G. 7
H. 8
Classifying the Solar System
Introduction
Scientists classify planets in many different ways. Use information you gather from the Solar System Data Sheet to make decisions on how you will classify the planets.
Identify which planets are inferior planets (planets whose orbits are inside the Asteroid Belt) and which planets are superior planets (planets whose orbits are outside the Asteroid Belt).
_____ 1. Earth_____ 2. Jupiter
_____ 3. Mars
_____ 4. Mercury
_____ 5. Neptune
_____ 6. Saturn
_____ 7. Uranus
_____ 8. Venus / A. Inferior Planet
B. Superior Planet
Identify which planets are rocky planets and which planets are gas giants. `.
_____ 9. Earth_____ 10. Jupiter
_____ 11. Mars
_____ 12. Mercury
_____ 13. Neptune
_____ 14. Saturn
_____ 15. Uranus
_____ 16. Venus / A. Rocky planet
B. Gas giant
Identify which planets are classical planets (can be seen without a telescope) and which are modern planets (cannot be seen without a telescope).
_____ 17. Jupiter_____ 18. Mars
_____ 19. Mercury
_____ 20. Neptune
_____ 21. Saturn
_____ 22. Uranus
_____ 23. Venus / A. Classical planet
B. Modern planet
Wish You Were Here
(source: crayola.com, planets lessons)
Purpose
Send a postcard from space to show what you know about the other planets.
Materials
Colored Pencils
Crayons
Glue
Markers
4x6 cards
Procedure
1. Select and research a planet.
2. Create a postcard describing what it's like to travel through space and see the planet you chose. Divide one side of the card in half (one-half for message; one-half for address). Write your message detailing your observations and feelings in colored pencils to the left of the line. Address the postcard on the right side. Design a solar system postage stamp in the upper right corner.
3. On the other side of the postcard, draw a vivid scene you might see if you orbit or land on your planet.
Planet Wanted Poster Project
Materials
- Half sheet of white construction paper
- Half sheet of colored construction paper
- Books or magazines about planets
- Wax Crayons
- Watercolors
Procedure
1. Get a book about a planet. Look through the book and get information about your planet.
2. Select a picture from the book to draw for your poster.
3. On the white sheet of construction paper, use a pencil to draw a picture of your planet. Outline your pencil drawing with a black Sharpie™.
4. Using crayons, color part of your picture with crayons. Paint with watercolors over your drawing. Use all kinds of colors. Be wild! Don't worry about staying in the lines because the crayon lines will keep popping out as they resist the watercolors. Let the painting dry completely.
5. After the painting is dry, cut it out.
6. Get your other sheet of construction paper. Tear an area a bit larger than your painting. You will want space around your picture.
7. Using a glue stick, mount your completed planet picture. Glue it on the top half of the tagboard.
8. Under the picture, write “Wanted – (Name of your Planet)”.
9. Write the word “Description of Planet” under “Wanted”.
10. Provide the following information.
a. Diameter of planet
b. Distance from Sun
c. Composition (of what is it made?)
d. Length of day
e. Length of year
f. Composition of atmosphere
g. Number of moons
h. Rings or no rings
(You may put this information on a separate sheet of paper and glue it on the back of the tagboard or you may write on the tagboard.)
Solar System Trading Cards
Task
- Create a set of trading cards for each planet in the Solar System.
Materials
- 3x5 cards
- Colored pencils or crayons
- Charting the Solar System factsheet
- Any Solar System reference book
Each card has two sides.
The front shows a picture of the person. It has the name, position, etc.
The back gives you information about the person. It has statistics, personal information, fact, etc.
Procedure
1. Draw and color a picture of the planet on the front of the card. Include…
Planet’s name.
Planet’s position from the Sun. (If you are doing Mercury, its position form the Sun would be #1.)
2. On the back of the card, organize and provide the following information (Note: A table is a good way to organize the information).
Distance from Sun.
Diameter.
Composition (what the planet’s made of – gas giant or rocky planet).
Number of moons.
Does it have rings?
Length of day.
Length of year.
What are the Inner Planets?
The inner planets are the planets in the inner part of the Solar System that orbit closest to the sun. The 4 inner planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars … The inner planets are composed mostly of rock … Generally, inner planets are both smaller and denser than [the outer gas giants]. They also have few or no moons and no rings circling them… (Universe Today).
Using your planetary data sheets, complete the graphic organizer with facts about each planet.
Mercury Venus
The Inner Planets
Earth Mars
What are the Outer Planets?
The outer planets are also called the Jovian planets or gas giants … [T]he outer planets have similar characteristics to one another. The outer planets are so much larger than the inner planets that they make up 99 percent of the mass of the celestial bodies that orbit the Sun. Although mainly composed of gas, the outer planets also have other ingredients. Somewhere at the center is what scientist refer to as a rocky core, although it is actually composed of liquid heavy metals. While the inner planets have few or no moons, the outer planets have dozens each. The inner and outer planets are separated by the asteroid belt. (Universe Today).
Using your planetary data sheets, complete the graphic organizer with facts about each planet.
Jupiter Saturn
The Outer Planets
Uranus Neptune
Kids Discover Planets Worksheet - Key
B 1. Earth
A 2. Jupiter
B 3. Mars
B 4. Mercury
A 5. Neptune
A 6. Saturn
A 7. Uranus
B 8. Venus
9. How are Ceres and Pluto alike?
b. They are both dwarf planets.
10. What causes the surface of Mercury to fold like the skin of a dry apple?
c. The slight shrinking of the planet as its iron core cools.
11. What is the largest known surface feature of Mercury?
c. Caloris Basin
12. How was the Caloris Basin on Mercury formed?
d. By an asteroid.
13. What is a likely reason for Venus being hotter than Mercury?
a. Because carbon dioxide traps the Sun’s heat.
14. Which country landed a probe on the surface of Venus?
c. Soviet Union
15. Why can’t we see the surface of Venus?
b. It is covered by clouds.
16. How is Mars like Earth?
d. It has seasons.
17. The largest volcano in the Solar System is found on Mars. What is its name?
c. Olympus Mons
18. Which of Jupiter’s moons may have life in its buried ocean?
b. Europa
19. Which of Jupiter’s moons has active volcanoes?
a. Io
20. What is the Great Red Spot?
d. A gigantic storm.
21. For what is Saturn best known?
c. It’s rings
22. This moon of Saturn is larger than Mercury.
d. Titan
23. This moon is the coldest place in the Solar System.
d. Triton
24. Uranus’s and Neptune’s atmospheres are made of hydrogen and…
c. methane.
C 25. Earth
E 26. Jupiter
D 27. Mars
A 28. Mercury
H 29. Neptune
F 30. Saturn
G 31. Uranus
B 32. Venus
E 33. Earth
A 34. Jupiter
G 35. Mars
H 36. Mercury
D 37. Neptune
B 38. Saturn
C 39. Uranus
F 40. Venus
Classifying the Solar System – Key
A 1. Earth
B 2. Jupiter
A 3. Mars
A 4. Mercury
B 5. Neptune
B 6. Saturn
B 7. Uranus
A 8. Venus
A 9. Earth
B 10. Jupiter
A 11. Mars
A 12. Mercury
B 13. Neptune
B 14. Saturn
B 15. Uranus
A 16. Venus
A 17. Jupiter
A 18. Mars
A 19. Mercury
B 20. Neptune
A 21. Saturn
B 22. Uranus
B 23. Venus
Kids Discover Planets Worksheet – Scoring Guide
1. B (2 choices)2. A (2 choices)
3. B (2 choices)
4. B (2 choices)
5. A (2 choices)
6. A (2 choices)
7. A (2 choices)
8. B (2 choices)
9. b
10. c
11. c
12. d
13. a
14. c
15. b
16. d
17. c
18. b
19. a
20. d / 21. c
22. d
23. d
24. c
25. C (8 choices)
26. E (8 choices)
27. D (8 choices)
28. A (8 choices)
29. H (8 choices)
30. F (8 choices)
31. G (8 choices)
32. B (8 choices)
33. E (8 choices)
34. A (8 choices)
35. G (8 choices)
36. H (8 choices)
37. D (8 choices)
38. B (8 choices)
39. C (8 choices)
40. F (8 choices) / Scoring Guide
36-40 – 3
31-35 – 2.5
23-30 – 2
13-22 – 1.5
6-12 – 1
1-5 – .5
0 – 0
Classifying the Solar System – Scoring Guide
1. A (2 choices)2. B (2 choices)
3. A (2 choices)
4. A (2 choices)
5. B (2 choices)
6. B (2 choices)
7. B (2 choices)
8. A (2 choices)
9. A (2 choices)
10. B (2 choices)
11. A (2 choices)
12. A (2 choices)
13. B (2 choices)
14. B (2 choices)
15. B (2 choices)
16. A (2 choices)
17. A (2 choices)
18. A (2 choices)
19. A (2 choices)
20. B (2 choices)
21. A (2 choices)
22. B (2 choices)
23. B (2 choices) / Scoring Guide
21-23 – 3
18-20 – 2.5
14-17 – 2
8-13 – 1.5
5-7 – 1
1-4 – .5
0 – 0
Planetary Fact Sheet – Can You Planet?
Diameter (mi) / Length of Day / Moons / RingsEarth / 7,900 / 24 hours / 1 / No
Jupiter / 88,500 / 10 hours / 63 / Yes
Mars / 4,300 / 25 hours / 2 / No
Mercury / 3,100 / 59 days / 0 / No
Neptune / 30,000 / 16 hours / 13 / Yes
Saturn / 65,000 / 11 hours / 63 / Yes
Uranus / 31,000 / 17 hours / 27 / Yes
Venus / 7,500 / 243 days / 0 / No
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