Download Our Rocky Neighbors: The Inner Planets

Our Rocky Neighbors:
The Inner Planets
from
A Spin Around the Solar System Series
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Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Teacher’s guide by...
Lauren LaComb
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Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Links to Curriculum Standards . . . . . . . .1
Summary of the Program . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Student Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Instructional Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Student Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Introducing the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Follow-Up Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Extended Learning Activities . . . . . . . . .8
Internet Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Reference Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Script of Narration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
CC This video is closed captioned
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5
Our Rocky Neighbors: The Inner Planets
from A Spin Around the Solar System Series
Grades 5-8
Viewing Time: 15 minutes with a three-minute,
ten-question, Video Quiz
INTRODUCTION
This in-depth series covers a wide range of essential matters about the solar system. Such topics as planet formation, gravity, nuclear fusion, and the Big Bang theory are
presented concisely with the help of specially designed
graphics and animations. Each of the eight shows can be
presented as a free-standing lesson on its own, but the
shows also work together to reinforce important concepts
and to add breadth and depth to a student’s cumulative
knowledge.
LINKS TO CURRICULUM STANDARDS
This lesson correlates to the following standards, outlined
by the National Science Education Standards, for students in grades 5-8. Use individual state standard outlines to specify correlations to your state's guidelines.
Earth & Space Science (Content Standard D)
• Gravity is the force that keeps objects in the solar system in motion.
• Earth is the third planet from the sun in a system that
includes eight other planets.
• Earth is layered with a hot mantle, metallic core, and a
crust, which is divided into plates.
• Most objects in the solar system are in regular and predictable motion.
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM
The four planets nearest to the sun are Mercury, Venus,
Earth, and Mars. This group is referred to as the Inner
1
Planets, because they are close to the sun. They are also
called the Rockies, due to their rocky surfaces. Because
these planets resemble Earth, they are also known as
Terrestrials. These four planets are made from rocks, minerals and metal.
Mercury is closest to the sun, about 36 million miles/57
million kilometers. It is the smallest planet, about one and
a half times the size of our moon. It is named for a
Roman god; Mercury was a wing-footed messenger
famous for speed. Mercury earned its name by orbiting
the sun at 30 miles per second/48 kilometers per second.
This speed keeps it from being pulled into the sun by the
sun's strong gravity. Mercury is covered with craters,
revealing the history of bombardment by meteorites and
other space objects. These marks were probably made
billions of years ago when the solar system was crowded
with more debris. This surface has not changed because
there are no signs of plate movement and relatively little
atmosphere on Mercury. Atmosphere is necessary to create winds and erosion, which affects the surface of a planet. Mercury is not a good place for humans to live.
Venus orbits the sun between Earth and Mercury. It was
named for the Roman goddess of beauty. It is the brightest planet in our night sky, it is easy to see with the naked
eye. Venus is slightly smaller than Earth and is the
hottest of all planets. It has a dense atmosphere, 90
times heavier than ours. This thick atmosphere traps
heat due to the greenhouse effect. The process starts
when heat leaves the sun in energy waves. These waves
pass through Venus' atmosphere heating the surface,
which then radiates some of the heat in a different wavelength. These wavelengths cannot easily pass through
Venus' atmosphere. Therefore, the heat gets trapped,
leading to a higher than expected temperature. Venus is
not only the hottest planet of the Inner Planets, it is also
the only planet that rotates backwards on its axis. On
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Venus, the sun rises in the west and sets in the east.
Astronomers believe that this was caused when Venus
collided with a comet and now sits upside down on its
axis. Venus leans on a 177-degree angle on its axis.
Venus is not a good place for humans to live due to its
heavy atmosphere, hot surface, and thick clouds of sulfuric acid.
Ninety-three million miles/149 million kilometers from the
sun lies Earth. Earth has a small greenhouse effect, keeping it the right temperature for life on Earth. Earth's abundance of water, varying of weather, a coating of soil, and
the presence of oxygen, also help support life on Earth.
One way Earth is different from the other planets is its surface, which is constantly changing. One reason for this is
that Earth's surface is divided into plates. These plates
move over time, creating changes to Earth's appearance.
Another reason is erosion. Water and wind wear away at
Earth's surface, changing it constantly. Due to plate
movement and erosion, Earth's early history has been
erased. It is an ideal planet for humans to occupy.
Mars is the final Inner Planet, named for the Roman god
of war. It is the only planet in which an unmanned spacecraft safely landed and explored. This planet is red-tinted
and just over half the size of Earth. Mars’ surface is full of
craters and volcano peaks, which are inactive. Mars’
Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in the solar system,
standing three times taller that Mt. Everest. Mars’ rugged
surface shows some signs of erosion, which leads scientists to believe there was once water flowing freely on the
planet. Two things may have contributed to a warmer
past on Mars. Mars might have had an atmosphere that
held in heat or the fact that Mars takes 50, 000 years to
complete one rotation on its axis. Mars still has water, but
it is frozen in polar ice caps. The presence of water and
relatively mild temperatures make it possible that Mars
once had life. Mars is the most friendly of the remaining
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three Inner Planets for humans to visit.
Note:
• Underlined words are identified vocabulary words to
enhance student understanding.
VOCABULARY
Mercury
Mars
Earth
Inner Planets
Rockies
terrestrial
planet
gravity
craters
meteorites
atmosphere plates
greenhouse effect wavelength rotates
water
oxygen
surface
Venus
orbiting
erosion
heat
axis
volcano
STUDENT OBJECTIVES
After viewing the program and participating in the followup activities, students should be able to:
• Define key terminology and utilize context.
• Identify the similarities and differences between the four
Inner Planets.
• Explain the greenhouse effect.
• Describe the different surfaces of the four Inner Planets.
• Explain the different orbit speeds, surfaces, and rotation
speeds of each planet.
INSTRUCTIONAL NOTES
Before presenting this lesson to your students, we suggest that you preview the program, review the guide, and
the accompanying Blackline Master Activities in order to
familiarize yourself with their content.
As you review the materials presented in this guide, you
may find it necessary to make some changes, additions
or deletions to meet the specific needs of your class. We
4
encourage you to do so; for only by tailoring this program
to your class will they obtain the maximum instructional
benefits afforded by the materials.
STUDENT PREPARATION
You may want the students to view the vocabulary words
addressed in the program prior to showing the program.
This may be accomplished by implementing Blackline
Master 1, Word Sort. A Word Sort is an active learning
activity that introduces the students to vocabulary words,
which they will be introduced to in the program. By doing
this activity, students are given the chance to show what
words they know well, and become aware of the words
they need to learn. This is a good pre- and post-activity.
Procedure: This is best done in small groups. Divide students into groups of four or five. Explain that they must
categorize the words. Once they have them categorized,
they must explain to the class why they categorized
words the way they did. You may also give students categories for which they divide the words. Here are some
suggestions (edit as you deem necessary): Greenhouse
Effect, Ways Planets Move, Earth, Mercury, Venus, and
Mars. It is recommended to give students a time limit.
Materials needed: One copy of Blackline Master 1,
Word Sort for each group, cut up into individual words.
By exposing the students to vocabulary prior to viewing
the program, students will be prepared to listen for these
words in the program. Additionally, they will want to find
the correct meaning.
Note:
Word Sort may be done at the conclusion of the entire
lesson, to compare learning accomplished by students.
5
INTRODUCING THE PROGRAM
An optional activity to activate prior knowledge is provided on Blackline Master 2, Anticipation Guide. This will
help you determine the level of student comprehension
prior to participating in this lesson. Ask students to share
what the word "terrestrial" means, what they know about
"Terrestrials." For example, terrestrial means Earth. Tell
them that they will complete the Anticipation Guide about
the Terrestrial planets prior to viewing the program.
Explain that they are not expected to get all answers correct, but they are expected to try their best. Go over the
Anticipation Guide after viewing the program to discuss
correct answers. An answer key begins on page 9 of this
Teacher's Guide.
Present the program. The program length is 15 minutes
and includes a three-minute video quiz at the end of the
program.
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES
The following Blackline Activity Master sheets are included with this guide. They correlate with the learning objectives and Standards outlined on page one of this guide.
You may replicate and distribute them as needed.
Following the program, students may have additional
questions. The facilitator may want to hold off questions
until follow-up activities are completed. Students may
write these questions down and the class may review
them prior to the post-test. By doing so, the students may
find the answers on their own.
This program concludes with a ten-question Video Quiz,
which may be used to gauge student comprehension
6
immediately after the presentation of the program.
Blackline Master 3, Video Quiz provides students with a
printed copy of the Video Quiz.
As a class, you may wish to discuss questions that
appear on Blackline Master 4, Discussion Questions.
These questions should be copied onto an overhead or
distributed to students, in order to meet the needs of your
visual learners.
To utilize terminology in context and reinforce the greenhouse effect, first review words from Blackline Master 1,
Word Sort as a class. Then have students fill out
Blackline Master 5, Cloze Activity.
To help students explain how most objects in the solar
system are in regular and predictable motion introduce
Blackline Master 6, Terrestrial Graphic Organizer.
Students can work cooperatively or independently on this
activity, depending on the teacher's preference.
To help students identify the similarities and differences
between the four Inner Planets, have students complete
Blackline Master 7, Connected or Not Connected?
This cooperative learning activity provides students the
opportunity to discuss the similarities and differences
between the four Inner Planets and use program terminology. This is a great opportunity for student observations. Have students share their explanations.
To conclude your study A Spin in the Solar System: Our
Rocky Neighbors use Blackline Master 8, Post-Test.
This should be given to your students after viewing the
program and completing additional activities to assess
their knowledge of the topic.
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EXTENDED LEARNING ACTIVITIES
SCIENCE EXTENSIONS: Students could conduct
research projects on the four Inner Planets and the greenhouse effect. Use the jigsaw approach, where students
are responsible for teaching each other about their planet
of study. Conclude with a student-created quiz.
ART CONNECTION: Allow students to pick one of the
four Inner Planets to illustrate through a diorama, poster,
play, or sculpture. Include expectations, such as size,
orbit, revolution around the sun, etc. Another connection
is to have students find professional artists that have created pictures, songs, sculptures, or plays about one or
more of the four Inner Planets. Have students critique the
piece of work and present their critique to the class.
MATH CONNECTION: Provide a mini-lesson on graphing techniques, types, and requirements. Have students
make graphs that demonstrate the sizes, rotation, and
revolution differences between the four Inner Planets.
CREATIVE WRITING CONNECTION: Have student personify the Inner Planets by writing an article, poem, or
advertisement about each planet and create a classroom
brochure, newspaper, or magazine. Another suggestion is
for students to bring in poems about the Inner Planets and
then have them write their own. If students are having a
difficult time, give them recipes for poetry, such as biopoems, diamantes, haikus, or limericks.
SOCIAL STUDIES CONNECTION: Research the worldwide discoveries made of each planet over time. Create
a classroom timeline of findings. Include the year, scientists, technology used, etc.
TECHNOLOGY CONNECTION: Have students research
the different types of technology used over the years to
study the Inner Planets and outer space. Display information found throughout the room.
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INTERNET SITES
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov (Nasa's K-12 internet initiative)
http://www.nsta.org/ (National Science Teacher's
Association)
http://www.nasa.gov (NASA)
http://www.sln.org/ (Science Learning Network)
http://ajkids.com (Resource for students to use when
searching the internet)
http://K12.njin.net/educationlinks.html (Collaborative
projects throughout the United States)
http://www.windows.ucar.edu (Windows to the
Universe)
REFERENCE MATERIALS
The Origin Of The Universe. Andres L. Ruiz. Sterling
Publishing Co., INC., NY. 1996. 0-8069-9744-3.
Exploring The Reaches of the Solar System. Ray Spangenburg & Diane Moser. Fact on File, NY, Oxford,
Sydney. 1990. 0-8160-1850-2.
Merlin's Tour of the Universe. Neil de Grasse Tyson.
Doubleday, NY. 1989. 0-385-48835-1.
Mars. Seymour Simon. Morrow Jr. Books, NY. 1987.
0-688-06584-8.
Stars and Planets. The Nature Company Discoveries
Library. Time-Life Books, Sydney, San Francisco,
London. 1996. 0-8094-9246-6.
Stars and Planets. Robin Kerrod. Marshall Cavendish
Corp., NY. 1991. 1-8543-5272-5.
Venus, Near Neighbor of the Sun. by Isaac Asimov. Loth9
rop, Lee, & Shepard Books, NY. 1981. 0-688-41976-3.
Mercury. Seymour Simon. Morrow Jr. Books, NY. 1992.
0-688-10544-0.
Venus. by Seymour Simon. Morrow Jr. Books, NY. 1992.
0-688-10542-4.
Space and Planets. by Time Life. Time Life, Alexandria,
Virginia. 1992. 0-8094-9651-8.
Our Solar System. by Seymour Simon.
Books, NY. 1992. 0-688-09992-0.
Morrow Jr.
ANSWER KEY
Blackline Master 1, Word Sort
Answers to the Word Sort will vary. When you use it
before viewing the program, do not expect correct categorizing at the beginning of the lesson. After viewing the
program and completion of Blackline Masters, expect correct categorizing.
Blackline Master 2, Anticipation Guide
1. T
2. F; Mercury is the fastest, traveling at 30 miles/48 kilometers per second.
3.F; Mercury is covered with craters.
4. T
5. T
6. F, Venus rotates backwards on its axis.
7. T
8. F; Mars is red-tinted.
9. T
10. F; Mars' volcano has been inactive for billions of
years.
11. T
12. T
13. F; Mercury, Venus, Mars, Earth
14. T
10
15. T
Blackline Master 3, Video Quiz
1. Mercury
6. west
2. Earth
7. Venus and Mars
3. moon's
8. plates
4. gravity
9. solar system
5. greenhouse
10. Mars
Blackline Master 4, Discussion Questions
1. Each name describes something special about the
group. The Rockies describes the surface. The Inner
Planets are close to the sun. Terrestrials, because they
resemble Earth in many ways.
2. Answers will vary. Look for students describing their
favorite planet accurately.
3. Mercury's speed keeps it from being pulled in by the
sun's immense gravitational pull.
4. Mercury looks like the moon because of its cratered
surface.
5. Earth's surface is constantly changing due to erosion
and plate movement. The other Inner Planets maintain a
constant surface.
6. Atmosphere keeps in heat and gases.
7. Mercury has almost no atmosphere.
8. Venus has a very dense atmosphere, whereas Mercury
does not have an atmosphere at all.
9. Venus' atmosphere traps heat known as the greenhouse effect. It also holds in thick clouds made of sulfuric acid.
10. Venus rotates on its axis backwards, which makes the
sun rise in the west and set in the east.
11. Earth has water, an atmosphere, a coating of soil, and
oxygen allowing life to exist.
12. Answers will vary. It is important to point out that
Mars' proximity, presence of frozen water, and signs of
erosion, make it similar to Earth. This intrigues scientists
who are constantly looking for any sign of life that may
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have once existed.
13. Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system.
14. Mercury rotates in 59 days, Earth rotates in 24 hours,
Venus rotates backwards, and Mars rotates every 50,000
years. The rate of rotation affects how long the day is.
Considering the tilt and the rotation, determines the temperature of the planet.
15. Answers will vary.
Blackline Master 5, Cloze Activity
1. planets
7. radiates
2. Venus
8. wavelengths
3. Inner Planets
9. heat
4. Mercury
10. Earth
5. surface
11. sun’s
6. atmosphere
Blackline Master 6, Terrestrial Graphic Organizer
Answers will vary. Make sure boxes are filled in with the
correct information. Specific details may be found by reviewing the program, the program summary or the program script. This is a great opportunity for student observations.
Blackline Master 7, Connected or Not Connected?
Explanations will vary. Clearly explain your expectations
for this activity, such as spelling, neatness, cooperative
learning roles, etc. When grading, make sure students
used the vocabulary within the context correctly.
Blackline Master 8, Post-Test
1. C
6. B
2. A
7. B
3. A
8. D
4. C
9. D
5. D
10. B
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OUR ROCKY NEIGHBORS: The Inner Planets
Script Narration
The planets of the solar system line up neatly into three
basic groups. Nearest the sun, we find four small planets
made from rock, minerals and metal. Beyond these are
four gas giants. Gas Giants are huge planets of swirling
gasses without a solid land-like surface. Outside the gas
giants lies Pluto, a tiny puzzling ball of ice and rock that
may have once been a comet, or a moon of Neptune.
Pluto is the final planet, and lone member of the third
group.
Earth belongs to the first group, the four planets nearest
the sun. Other group members include Mars, Venus and
Mercury. Scientists call this group a variety of names,
including the Inner Planets, the Rockies and the
Terrestrials. Each name describes something special
about the group--the planets are in close to the sun, they
have rocky surfaces, and they resemble the earth in a
number of ways. Terrestrial means Earth.
Let's meet our Rocky Neighbors, starting with Mercury.
Mercury is the planet closest to the sun, orbiting at a distance of about 36 million miles (57 million kilometers).
Like all the Rockies, except Earth, Mercury is named for
a Roman god. Mercury who was a wing-footed messenger famous for speed. Indeed, Mercury travels faster
than any other planet, rushing around the sun at 30 miles
(48 kilometers) per second. Mercury's speed keeps it
from being pulled to a fiery death by the sun's strong gravity.
While Mercury zooms around its orbit in just 88 days, it
rotates on its axis slowly. Rotation on an axis gives planets day and night. Mercury needs 59 Earth days to rotate
13
just once. In other words, Mercury's day lasts almost two
months on Earth.
Mercury is the smallest inner planet. Its diameter is less
than half of Earth's. In fact, Mercury is only 1fi times the
size of our moon, and smaller than some moons of Jupiter
and Saturn.
Mercury's surface even looks like our moon's. The
Mariner 10 space probe sent back photos showing thousands of craters across the surface. Mariner 10 provides
the only pictures of Mercury's surface.
These craters, like those of our moon, reveal a history of
bombardment by meteorites and other space objects.
Most of the strikes on Mercury probably occurred billions
of years ago, when our young solar system was more
crowded with rocks and other debris. The rocks and
debris have been gradually swept out by planets or pulled
into the sun.
Long ago, the earth may have also been heavily cratered.
But nearly all traces of the ancient craters have disappeared. The earth's surface, unlike those of Mercury and
the moon, constantly changes, because of two special
forces. The first is plate movement. The earth's crust is
cracked into over a dozen pieces called plates, which
slowly move. Over time, plate movements lead to dramatic changes to the earth's appearance. Plate movements also cause earthquake, and volcanoes, and push
up mountains.
The second force changing the earth's surface is erosion.
Water and wind wear away high spots and fill in low ones.
Slowly but surely, plate movements and erosion have
erased most signs of the earth's early history.
By contrast, Mercury's pock-marked surface seems sta14
ble. There are no signs of plate movements. And erosion
occurs slowly if at all. Mercury has almost no atmosphere, and atmosphere is necessary to create eroding
winds and rains. Mercury is so small it's gravity cannot
hold onto light atmospheric gases. Atmospheric gases
such as hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen regularly escape
from its rocks. Without strong gravity the gasses simply
float into space.
We might find Mercury rocky, hilly, and empty. Its lack of
oxygen, and high temperatures would make Mercury a
poor place to live.
Traveling farther from the sun, we meet Venus, named for
the Roman Goddess of Beauty. Venus is the brightest
planet in our night sky. At times, it's easy to see near the
horizon just before sunrise or after sunset.
Venus is slightly smaller than Earth, but has a denser
atmosphere. In fact, Venus's atmospheric pressure is 90
times heavier than ours. This might make shooting a basketball very difficult.
Though Venus is farther from the sun than Mercury, its
800 degrees Fahrenheit (450 degrees Celsius) surface
temperature makes it the hottest of all planets. Venus's
thick atmosphere traps heat because of what is known as
the greenhouse effect.
The greenhouse effect works like this: heat leaves the
sun in energy waves. These waves of heat energy pass
right through Venus' atmosphere without warming it. But
they do heat Venus' rocky surface. The surface then
gives off or radiates some of the heat, but in a different
wavelength than the sun sent. These waves cannot easily pass through Venus' atmosphere and get trapped. This
causes heat to build up, leading to a higher than expect15
ed temperature. A greenhouse on Earth works much the
same, except panes of glass trap heat.
The greenhouse effect keeps Venus so hot its surface
rocks may be just starting to melt a little soft like warm
chocolate.
Venus is not only the hottest planet, it is also one of only
two which rotates backwards. On all planets except
Venus and Uranus, the sun rises in the east. On Venus
and Uranus it rises in the west.
Some astronomers believe that Venus, like Uranus, got
knocked head over heels in a collision with a comet and
now sits upside down on its axis. All planets, and even the
sun, tilt on their axis, but none do as much as Venus,
which leans at an angle of 177 degrees. Earth and Mars
each lean about at an angle of about 25 degrees, or
roughly a seventh as much as Venus.
Even though Venus is closer to Earth than any other planet, it is unlikely we would ever want to live there. The
heavy atmosphere causing the planet to be hotter than an
oven has thick clouds of deadly sulfuric acid. All spacecrafts which have landed on Venus stopped working
immediately because of the planet’s heat, sulfuric acid,
and pressure.
At 93 million miles (149 million kilometers) from the sun,
conditions are just right for life as we know it. Though we
receive less than one billionth of the sun's heat and light,
it is enough to keep us warm, in part because our atmosphere provides some help with a small, but important,
greenhouse effect.
In countless other ways, Earth is finely tuned to support
plants and animals. An abundance of water, varying weather, a coating of soil, and the presence of oxygen all help
16
support Earth's colorful tapestry of life.
It's beyond this show's scope to closely investigate Earth
as a planet. Earth needs its own unit of study. Let's look
at Mars, the last of our Rocky neighbors, and the only one
on which unmanned spacecraft have successfully landed
and explored. This red-tinted planet just over half the size
of Earth is named for the Roman god of war.
Mar's is full of craters and volcano mountain peaks. None
of the volcanoes are active, but Olympus Mons stands
three times taller than Mt. Everest, and is the largest volcano in the solar system.
Mars' rugged surface shows some signs of erosion.
Perhaps water once flowed freely on the planet, which
long ago may have had a warmer climate. Mars still has
water, but it is frozen in polar ice caps.
Two things may have contributed to a warmer past on
Mars. First, its volcanoes once released lots of gases.
These formed a thick atmosphere, which held in heat
through the greenhouse effect. Over time, however,
Mars’ weak gravity was unable to hold onto the atmosphere and the planet cooled.
Second, Mars' axis wobbles, like that of a slowing top.
The wobble takes about 50 thousand years to complete
one circle. When the axis tilts a certain way it leads to a
colder world, as it does now. Mars' surface temperature
now averages at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit (27
degrees Celsius) below Earth's. Still, on a hot Mars day,
at the equator the temperature can reach a pleasant 70
degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius).
The presence of water, and relatively mild temperatures
make it possible that Mars once had life, at least of micro17
scopic size. Perhaps some form of life is still there.
Among our Rocky Neighbors, and indeed among all planets, Mars seems the most friendly for us to visit.
A constant quest for knowledge, especially in recent
years, has helped us learn so much about these places
we have yet to touch. Your future promises even greater
discoveries about our Rocky neighbors and what lies
beyond.
Inner Planet Video Quiz
Let’s take a few minutes to review some of the things you
learned in this program. In the following quiz, fill in the
blanks with the correct words when you hear this tone.
1) The four Rocky Planets include __________, Venus,
Earth, and Mars.
2) The Rocky Planets are also called the Inner Planets
and the Terrestrials. Terrestrial means ______ .
3) Because of bombardment from meteorites long ago,
Mercury's surface looks like our _______.
4) Mercury lacks an atmosphere because its__________
is too weak to hold it.
5) Venus' thick atmosphere traps heat because of the
_____________ effect.
6) On Venus and Uranus, the sun rises in what direction?
_________.
7) The earth lies between the planets ____________ and
______________.
8) The earth's crust is cracked into a number of
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_____________ that move.
9) Olympus Mons is three times taller than Mt. Everest,
and is the tallest volcano in the ____________,
10) ___________ is the only planet on which unmanne
spacecraft have successfully landed and explored.
19
1
Name ______________
The Rocky Neighbors: The Inner Planets
Word Splash
Earth
Mercury
Rockies
planet
gravity
craters
atmosphere
plates
erosion
wavelength
rotates
water
axis
oxygen
surface
orbiting
volcano
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
All rights to print materials cleared for classroom duplication and distribution.
2
Name ______________
The Rocky Neighbors: The Inner Planets
Anticipation Guide
Directions: Answer the following questions by circling the correct response. Do your best!
1. Terrestrial means Earth.
True False
2. Mercury takes the longest of all planets to revolve around the sun.
True False
3. Mercury has a smooth surface.
True False
4. Venus is the hottest planet.
True False
5. The greenhouse effect happens when heat is trapped inside
a planet's atmosphere.
True False
6. Venus rotates on its axis similar to the way Earth rotates on its axis. True False
7. Venus has thick clouds of sulfuric acid.
True False
8. Mars is colored blue.
True False
9. Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system.
True False
10. Mars' volcano is active.
True False
11. Mars has frozen water
True False
12. Mars takes 50,000 years to rotate on its axis.
True False
13. The four Inner Planets are Mercury, Mars, Earth, and Saturn.
True False
14. The Inner Planets are also known as the Rockies.
True False
15. Mars is the only planet that an unmanned spacecraft has
successfully landed and explored.
True False
After viewing the program, review your answers. See how many questions you answered correctly.
Review the ones you answered incorrectly.
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
All rights to print materials cleared for classroom duplication and distribution.
3
Name ______________
The Rocky Neighbors: The Inner Planets
Video Quiz
Directions: Now that you have viewed the program, let's challenge your memory by answering some
quiz questions. Fill in the blanks with the correct words. Good luck!
1. The four Rocky Planets include ___________________ , Venus, Earth, and Mars.
2. The Rocky Planets are also called the Inner Planets and the Terrestrials. Terrestrials means
___________________ .
3. Because of bombardment from meteorites long ago, Mercury's surface looks like our
_____________________ .
4. Mercury lacks an atmosphere because its ____________________ is too weak to hold it.
5. Venus' thick atmosphere traps heat because of the ______________________ effect.
6. On Venus and Uranus, the sun rises in what direction? ________________
7. Earth lies between the planets _________________ and __________________ .
8. The earth's crust is cracked into a number of ___________________ that move.
9. Olympus Mons is three times taller than Mt. Everest, and is the tallest volcano in the
_________________ ____________________ .
10. _____________________ is the only planet on which unmanned spacecraft have successfully
landed and explored.
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
All rights to print materials cleared for classroom duplication and distribution.
4
Name ______________
The Rocky Neighbors: The Inner Planets
Discussion Questions
Directions: Answer the following questions as directed by your teacher.
1. Why do Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars have three names: Inner Planets, the Rockies, and the
Terrestrials?
2. What is your favorite planet and why?
3. Why does Mercury revolve so quickly around the sun?
4. Why does Mercury look like the moon?
5. How is Earth's surface different from the other Inner Planets' surface?
6. What does atmosphere do for planets?
7. Describe Mercury's atmosphere.
8. How is Mercury's atmosphere different from Venus'?
9. What does Venus' atmosphere do for the planet?
10. What else is different about Venus, compared to the other planets? How does this affect Venus?
11. What allows Earth to have living things?
12. We hear a lot about Mars in current events. Why do you think Mars is more researched and discussed compared to other planets?
13. What does Mars have that is the largest in the solar system?
14. What is different about how the planets rotate on their axis? How does the rate affect a planet?
15. Scientists know quite a bit about these planets, but continue to study them. What else do you think
they may discover?
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
All rights to print materials cleared for classroom duplication and distribution.
5
Name ______________
The Rocky Neighbors: The Inner Planets
Cloze Activity: The Greenhouse Effect
Directions: Choose the correct word from the word box to complete the paragraph below.
sun’s
atmosphere
heat
planets
radiates
wavelengths
Venus
Earth
surface
Inner Planets
Mercury
You have heard the term greenhouse effect before. It is affecting us here on Earth, as well as on distant (1.) ________________ . But what is the greenhouse effect? Let's look at a planet that exemplifies this process. (2.) _______________
is one of the (3.) ___________________________ .
Though Venus is farther from the sun than (4.)
_____________________,
its
800
degrees Fahren-heit /450 degrees Celsius (5.) ____________________ temperature makes it the
hottest of all planets. It has a very dense (6.) _______________________ , 90 times heavier than
Earth's. When heat leaves the sun in energy waves, they pass through the atmosphere and heat
Venus' surface. The surface then (7.) ___________________ some of the heat, but in different size
(8.)_____________ , which cannot pass easily through Venus' thick atmosphere.
Therefore,
(9.)_________________ is trapped. This makes temperatures higher than expected. At 93 million
miles/149 kilometers from the sun, (10.) _____________________ has a small greenhouse effect.
Due to the atmosphere trap of one billionth of the (11.) _____________________ heat and light, our
planet has life. Atmosphere helps planets in other ways as well. Can you think of some?
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
All rights to print materials cleared for classroom duplication and distribution.
6
Name ______________
The Rocky Neighbors: The Inner Planets
Terrestrial Graphic Organizer
Directions: Fill in the chart below with as much descriptive information as possible. Review the
program and use additional materials if needed. Double-check your work for accuracy.
Orbit
around
the sun
time
Rotation
on axis
time
Describe
the
surface
Size
of
planet
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
All rights to print materials cleared for classroom duplication and distribution.
7
Name ______________
The Rocky Neighbors: The Inner Planets
Connected or not connected?
Directions: Pick two words from below and "connect" or "NOT connect" those words so the sentence
makes sense and is true. Focus on the similarities and differences between the Inner Planets. Make
as many connections as you can, use the back if necessary.
Mercury
Rockies
craters
greenhouse effect
water
Inner Planets
Mars
terrestrial
meteorites
heat
oxygen
gravity
Earth
orbiting
atmosphere
wavelength
surface
plates
Venus
planet
erosion
rotates
volcano
axis
1. Example: Mars is connected to Venus because they are both Inner Planets.
2. _____________________ is connected to _____________ because ________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________ .
.
3. _____________________ is connected to _____________ because ________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________ .
4. _____________________ is connected to _____________ because________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________ .
5. _____________________ is connected to _____________ because________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________ .
6. Example: Mercury is NOT connected to Earth because Mercury does not have an atmosphere and
Earth does have an atmosphere.
7. _____________________ is NOT connected to _________ because ________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________ .
8. _____________________ is NOT connected to _____________ because____________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________ .
9. _____________________ is NOT connected to _____________ because____________________
________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________ .
10. _____________________ is NOT connected to_____________ because __________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________.
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
All rights to print materials cleared for classroom duplication and distribution.
8
Name ______________
The Rocky Neighbors: The Inner Planets
Post-Test
Directions: Answer the following questions by circling the correct answer. Remember to double-check your work for accuracy after you have completed the test. Do your best!
1. Which of the following is not an Inner Planet?
A. Earth
B. Venus
C. Sun
D. Mars
2. Which of the following is the smallest Inner Planet?
A. Mercury
B. Venus
C. Earth
D. Mars
3. Which planet orbits the sun the fastest?
A. Mercury
B. Venus
C. Earth
D. Mars
4. Which planet has a surface that changes constantly?
A. Mercury
B. Venus
C. Earth
D. Mars
5. What can make a planet's surface change?
A. temperature
B. erosion
C. moving plates
D. both B & C
6. Which planet has the densest atmosphere?
A. Mercury
B. Venus
C. Earth
D. Mars
7. What is necessary for a planet to have the greenhouse effect?
A. electromagnet radiation
B. atmosphere
C. plates
D. gases
8. Which planet rotates the slowest on its axis?
A. Mercury
B. Venus
C. Earth
D. Mars
9. Which planet is the most similar to Earth?
A. Mercury
B. Venus
C. Pluto
D. Mars
10. Which is not a name that identifies Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars?
A. Terrestrial
B. Gas Giant
C. Inner Planets
D. The Rockies
© 2001 Maslowski Wildlife Productions
Published and Distributed by United Learning
All rights to print materials cleared for classroom duplication and distribution.