Download Chapter 30 Section 2

Name
Date
The Solar System
Section 2 The Inner Planets
Scan the section headings, bold words, and illustrations. Write two
facts you find as you scan the section.
Accept all reasonable
responses.
1. Water is abundant on Earth.
2. NASA has explored Mars with satellites and rovers.
Review
Vocabulary Define robot lander to show its scientific meaning.
robot lander
part of a spacecraft that lands on another planet or other object
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
New
Vocabulary Write the vocabulary term that matches each definition.
Earth
third planet from the Sun; the only planet known to support life
and the only planet to have temperatures that allow water to exist
as a gas, a liquid, and a solid
Venus
second planet from the Sun; has a dense atmosphere of mostly
carbon dioxide and very high surface temperatures
Mars
fourth planet from the Sun; called the red planet because of high
concentrations of iron oxide in the soil
Mercury
closest planet to the Sun; has a larger than expected iron core
Academic
Vocabulary Use a dictionary to define evidence to show its scientific
meaning. Then use the term in a sentence that reflects the
scientific meaning.
evidence
something that provides proof;
The Mars rovers are looking for evidence of water on that planet.
The Solar System
379
Name
Date
Section 2 The Inner Planets
I found this information
on page
.
FL SE, SE, pp. 955–956
RE, pp. 551–552
FL RE, pp. 123–124
Venus and Earth
I found this information
on page
.
FL SE, SE, pp. 956–957
RE, pp. 552–553
Summarize information about Mercury by filling in the blanks.
1. Relative size and location: smallest planet, nearest to the Sun
2. Surface features: rocky, covered by craters and large cliffs
3. Atmosphere: no true atmosphere
Contrast Earth with Venus. Accept all reasonable responses.
Property
Earth
Atmospheric
temperature
and pressure
Temperature is
moderate and
atmospheric pressure
is low.
Both temperature and
atmospheric pressure
are extremely high.
Presence
of water
Abundant surface
water exists.
No surface water
exists.
Presence
of life
A diversity of life is
present.
No life is present.
FL RE, pp. 124–125
Mars
Compare and contrast Mars and Earth in the Venn diagram.
I found this information
on page
.
FL SE, SE, pp. 957–958
RE, p. 553
FL RE, pp. 125–126
Venus
Mars
Both
Earth
Accept all
reasonable
responses.
atmosphere
with ozone
layer
thin carbon
dioxide
atmosphere
seasons
water frost
near surface
water exists
in three states
ice caps
not known
to have life
380
The Solar System
known to
have life
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Mercury
(continued)
Name
Date
Section 2 The Inner Planets
NASA on Mars
I found this information
on page
.
FL SE, p. 227SE, p. 959
RE, p. 554
FL RE, pp. 126–127
Have students work
in pairs to develop an
illustrated time line
of NASA missions
to Mars.
(continued)
Accept all
reasonable responses.
Summarize NASA missions to Mars in the table.
Mission
Year(s)
What Was Studied/Learned
Mariner 9
1971–1972
orbited Mars; identified surface
features, including long channels that
may have contained flowing water,
large canyons, extinct volcanoes
Viking 1
and
Viking 2
1976
photographed entire surface; lander
conducted meteorological, chemical,
and biological experiments on surface
and photographed landing site
Accept all reasonable responses.
I found this information
on page
.
FL SE, p. 228SE, p. 960
RE, p. 555
Copyright © Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
FL RE, p. 127
Organize discoveries resulting from each mission to Mars.
1. Global Surveyor: walls of Valles Marineris have layers
2. Mars Odyssey: evidence of water ice beneath thin soil layers
in north and south
3. Mars Pathfinder and Sojourner: iron in crust may have been
leached by groundwater
4. Opportunity rover: discovered hematite deposits (concretions)
called blueberries that may indicate that water once existed
5. Spirit rover: deposits of hematite discovered;
surface features photographed
S YNTHESIZE I T
Some rovers sent to Mars are similar to the radio-controlled
vehicles that people use as toys on Earth. Describe features or special equipment you
would include if you designed a rover to travel to Mars or another planet.
Accept all reasonable responses. Cameras to take photographs of surface features, drills
or cutting tools to obtain samples of rocks or other debris; weather instruments to track
weather patterns and changes
The Solar System
381