1. Brady Arnold
Topic: The Planets and the Solar System
Grade Level: 4
Objectives: Learn about the solar system,
through fun facts about each planet.
We live on Earth, but Earth is a part of a something called the solar system. The solar
system is full of different planets, stars, and many other interesting things. We are
going to take a fantastic voyage through the solar system. You have been asked to find
the answers to some interesting questions along the way. Click on the underlined blue
links to find the answers. Good luck…and have a great trip!
There are a couple of things we will want to know before we start our voyage,
that is, where we should start and end.
http://nineplanets.org/
Scroll down until you find a picture of the planets.
Can you list the order of the planets you see?
The first blank is not a planet but a star, the entire solar system orbits around this
star.
1.__________________________
2.__________________________
3.__________________________
4.__________________________
5.__________________________
6.__________________________
7.__________________________
8.__________________________

2. 9.__________________________
We should start at the center of the solar system and travel in the order above.
That means we will start at the Sun.
1. The Sun
The sun is our first stop. We live on Earth, far away from
the sun, but it is important to our survival. If we were in
a spaceship we would not want to land on the sun, but
rather hover above it at a distance.
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/solarsystem/sun_for_kids_main.html
Scroll down until you see Your Top 10 Sun Facts, read these facts.
a. Why is the sun important to Earth?
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b. Can you explain why it is not safe to land a spaceship on the sun?
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c. How far away is the sun from the earth?
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2. Mercury
Now that we know more about the sun, let us
move on to Mercury. Mercury is the closest planet
to the sun.
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/mercury.htm
Read the “How Much Would You Weigh on Mercury” section.
a. Why would you not weigh the same on Mercury as you do on Earth?
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3. b. Continue Reading to find more interesting facts about Mercury.
Can Mercury be seen from Earth? If so, when?
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c. http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/m
ercury.html (Read the paragraph)
How hot does Mercury get, in Celsius degrees?
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3. Venus
Venus is closest to the earth. The Earth and Venus
have many similarities and also differences.
http://www.zoomschool.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/venus/
Scroll down until you see Introduction to Venus, read this section.
a. Give one reason why a human being could not survive on Venus?
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b. http://www.kidsastronomy.com/venus.htm
Scroll down to The Earth Has a Sister section.
What do Venus and Earth have in common?
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c. Scroll down further to From West to East.
On Earth the sun rises from East to West. But on Venus the Sun rises
from West to East. Why is this?
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4. 4. Earth
Before we go any further, we will stop at our home.
Earth is a very unique planet; it is the only one with
living creatures.
http://www.frontiernet.net/~kidpower/earth.html
a. What is earth mostly covered by?
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b. http://www.kidsastronomy.com/earth.htm
Read, The Planet section.
How do humans and other living creatures survive on Earth?
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5. Mars
We are off to Mars. Mars has more similarities to earth
than any other planet in our solar system, this is why
many believe that Mars is home to alien life forms, but
this has not been proven.
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/mars.htm
Read, The Planet section.
a. What is Mars often called and why?
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5. b. What do scientists believe used to be on Mars that is no longer there?
___________________________________________________________________________
6. Jupiter
We are headed to Jupiter. This is the biggest
planet in our solar system.
Watch the following video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s56pxa9lpvo (Watch 2 min 32 seconds)
a. How many Earths would it take to fill one Jupiter?
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b. What is the “Red Spot” on Jupiter?
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c. http://www.kidsastronomy.com/jupiter.htm
Read the Moons section
How many moons does Jupiter have?
_______________________________________________________________
7. Saturn
Saturn comes after the largest planet.
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/saturn.htm
Read, The Rings section
a. What is Saturn known for?
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6. b. How many rings does Saturn have and what are they made of?
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c. http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/sat
urn.html
Read the, Isn’t That Interesting, at the top of the webpage.
What would happen to Saturn if it was put in water?
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8. Uranus
Next comes Uranus
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/uranus.htm
Read The Planet section.
a. Although Uranus is extremely cold, what on Uranus could be extremely
hot?
_______________________________________________________________
b. What could possibly be found on Uranus that humans use in Jewelry?
_______________________________________________________________
c. What is the nickname of Uranus and why is it called this?
_______________________________________________________________
9. Neptune
Neptune is the last planet in the solar system.
http://www.frontiernet.net/~kidpower/neptune.html

7. a. What kind of weather would you experience on Neptune?
_______________________________________________________________
b. http://www.kidsastronomy.com/neptune.htm
Read, The Planet section.
When was Neptune discovered, and by whom?
_______________________________________________________________
We have now visited all of the planets in our Solar System.
Which one was your favorite?
________________________________________________________________________
Why was this planet your favorite?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

8. Webquest Answer Sheet
1. Order of the planets
a. The Sun
b. Mercury
c. Venus
d. Earth
e. Mars
f. Jupiter
g. Saturn
h. Uranus
i. Neptune
1. The Sun
a. Why is the sun important to Earth?
The sun provides us with energy, which brings life on our planet. It defines the seasons, the
harvests, and even the sleep patterns of all living creatures on Earth.
b. How far away is the sun from the earth?
The sun is actually the closest Star to the Earth, it is 150 million km (93 million miles) away
from the Earth.
c. Can you explain why it is not safe to land a spaceship on the sun?
The sun is VERY HOT! The sun’s average surface temperature is 5700 degrees Celsius.
Compare to the Earth’s average temperature of 20 degrees Celsius
.
2. Mercury
a. Why would you not weigh the same on Mercury as you do on Earth?
If you lived on Mercury you would not weigh the same because Mercury is smaller and so
has less gravity.
b. Can Mercury be seen from Earth? If so, when?
Mercury is visible from earth but only in the late evening or early morning sky.
c. How hot does Mercury get, in Celsius degrees?
Up to 427 degrees Celsius
3. Venus
a. Give one reason why a human being could not survive on Venus?
A person would asphyxiate in the poisonous atmosphere.
Be cooked in the extremely high heat.
Be crushed by the enormous atmospheric pressure.
b. What do Venus and Earth have in common?
Venus and earth are almost exactly the same size, they both have an atmosphere, and both have
volcanoes and mountains.

9. c. On Earth the sun rises from East to West. But on Venus the Sun rises from West to East. Why is
this?
Venus rotates in the opposite direction than earth does.
4. Earth
a. What is earth mostly covered by?
Water, up to 75% actually.
b. How do humans and other living creatures survive on Earth?
The earth’s temperature, weather, and atmosphere is what keeps us alive.
5. Mars
a. What is Mars often called and why?
Often called the “Red planet” because the surface is very red
b. What do scientists believe used to be on Mars that is no longer there?
Scientists believe mars used to have rivers, lakes, and even oceans
6. Jupiter
a. How many Earths would it take to fill one Jupiter?
It would take more than 1,000 earths to fill Jupiter.
b. What is the “Red Spot” on Jupiter?
Because Jupiter rotates quickly there are high winds. The “Red Spot” is actually a storm caused
by the winds that has been active for over 100 years.
c. How many moons does Jupiter have?
Jupiter has 62 moons
7. Saturn
a. What is Saturn known for?
Saturn is most famous for its rings around it.
b. How many rings does Saturn have and what are they made of?
7 in total, they are made of rocks, dust and ice.
c. What would happen to Saturn if it was placed in water?
It would float
8. Uranus
a. Although Uranus is extremely cold, what on Uranus could be extremely hot?
There is believed to be an ocean on Uranus that could possibly be 5000 degrees Fahrenheit.
b. What could possibly be found on Uranus that humans use in Jewelry?
Trillions of large diamond on the surface of Uranus
c. What is the nickname of Uranus and why is it called this?
It is called the “Ice Giant” because it is a very cold planet

10. 9. Neptune
a. What kind of weather would you experience on Neptune?
Neptune has very active weather. It sometimes has up to 400 miles per hour winds. There have
been storms on Neptune that has lasted for 100s of years.
b. When was Neptune discovered, and by whom?
Neptune was discovered by Johann Galle and Heinrich D’Arrest in 1846.
We have now visited all of the planets in our Solar System.
Which one was your favorite?
________________________________________________________________________
Why was this planet your favorite?
________________________________________________________________________
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11. http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level1/solar_system.html Picture of Solar System
http://see-see-the-sun.seebyseeing.net/ Sun picture
http://answers.yourdictionary.com/answers/science/how-many-moons-mercury-have.html picture of mercury
http://www.windows2universe.org/venus/venus.html Picture of Venus
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=57723 Picture of Earth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars Picture of Mars
http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/captions/jupiter/jupiter.htm Picture of Jupiter
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-saturn.html Picture of Saturn
http://www.crystalinks.com/uranus.html Picture of Uranus
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/solarsystem/sun_and_planets/neptune Picture of Neptune