Part One: Characteristics of The Planets

Research Site: http://www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm

Directions: Use this website to locate and fill in the blanks below. You will use this information in your presentation.

EARTH:

1. Earth is the biggest of all the planets.

2. A planet is a dense planet found in the inner solar system.

3. The factors that are keeping us alive on earth are: ,
, .

4. Earth has one moon, its name is .

MERCURY:

1. If you moved to Mercury you would weigh than you do on earth.

2. The two extremes on Mercury are its , and its

.

3. There is almost no on Mercury.

4. Mercury has this number of moons- .

VENUS:

1. Venus and are almost the same size and are considered sister planets..

2. Venus has the temperature of all of the planets.

3. The major difference between Earth and Venus is .

4. Venus has this number of moons .

MARS:

1. Mars is considered to be most like because of its mild temperatures.

2. Name two things that once existed on Mars: 1) ,

2) .

3. The water on Mars is located in the , and

.

4. Mars has moons.

JUPITER

1. Jupiter’s well known red spot is caused by .

2. on Jupiter slowly becomes an ocean.

3. Jupiter has moons.

SATURN:

1. Saturn is considered a favorite planet for observers because .

2. Saturn has rings that are miles long.

3. Saturn is similar to this planet .

4. Saturn has moons.

URANUS:

1. Uranus spins unlike any other planet, it spins on its .

2. Uranus may have beneath its clouds.

3. Uranus is almost identical to this planet .

4. Uranus has moons.

NEPTUNE:

1. The storm on Neptune is often called the .

2. How many rings circle this planet? .

3. Neptune has moons.

PLUTO:

1. Pluto is smaller than moons in the solar system.

2. In 1999, a group of scientists attempted to reclassify Pluto as a .

3. Pluto is the only planet that has never been .

4. Pluto has moons.

Part Two:

Research Site: http://www.dustbunny.com/afk/planets/

Directions: Use this website to fill in the blanks below. You will use this information in your presentation. Name each planet:

1. .

2. .

3. .

4. .

5. .

6. .

7. .

8. .

9. .

Part Three: Planets and their Characteristics

Research Sites:

·  http://www.kidsastronomy.com/

·  http://www.frontiernet.net/~kidpower/astronomy.html

·  http://www.dustbunny.com/afk/

·  http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/

Directions: Use the websites listed above to locate the answers to the questions below. Also, please include any other interesting information about planets. This should all be included in your paper and power point that you will present to a 3rd grade class with your group.

1.  How many moons does earth have compared to all of the other planets?

2.  What other planets, besides earth, have water on them?

3.  Why can we live on earth and not any other planet?

Interesting Facts:

1