The Inner Planets (pages 712–717) - ISD 15

NameDateThe Solar System ClassAdapted Reading and StudyThe Inner PlanetsIntroduction(pages 712–717)(page 712)Key Concept: The four inner planets are small anddense and have rocky surfaces. The four planets closest to the sun are called the innerplanets. The four inner planets are Mercury, Venus,Earth, and Mars. The inner planets are called the terrestrial planets. The inner planets are more like one another than theyare like the five outer planets. For example, the innerplanets all have rocky surfaces.Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and theideas above.1. The inner planets are called theplanets.2. Circle the letter of how many inner planets there are.a. 2b. 4c. 6Earth(pages 712–713)Key Concept: Earth is unique in our solar system inhaving liquid water at its surface. Earth has three main layers. The surface layer is thecrust. Below the crust is the mantle. At Earth’s center isthe core. Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.337

NameDateThe Solar System ClassAdapted Reading and Study Most of Earth’s surface—about 70 percent—is coveredwith water. Earth is the only planet with liquid water onits surface. Earth’s gravity holds onto most gases. The gasesaround Earth make up Earth’s atmosphere.Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and theideas on page 337 and above.3. Is the following sentence true or false? Most of Earth’ssurface is covered with water.4. Read each word in the box. Then fill in each blank inthe picture below with one of the words.mantlecrustcorea.b.c. Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.338

NameDateThe Solar SystemClassAdapted Reading and Study Mercury(page 714)Key Concept: Mercury is the smallest terrestrial planetand the planet closest to the sun. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. Mercury is thesmallest of the inner planets. It is not much larger thanEarth’s moon. Mercury has almost no atmosphere because it has veryweak gravity. Mercury has extreme temperatures on its surface. It isvery hot during the day and very cold at night.Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and theideas above.5. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true aboutMercury.a. It is the closest planet to the sun.b. It has a very thick atmosphere.c. It is the smallest of the inner planets.6. The picture shows the sun and the inner planets. Circlethe planet Mercury.Sun Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.339

NameDateThe Solar SystemVenus ClassAdapted Reading and Study(pages 714–715)Key Concept: Venus’s density and internal structureare similar to Earth’s. But, in other ways, Venus andEarth are very different. Venus is very much like Earth in size and mass. Venus’s atmosphere is very thick. It is always cloudy onVenus. Venus has the hottest surface of any planet. Venus’satmosphere traps the sun’s heat. The trapping of heatby the atmosphere is called the greenhouse effect.Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and theideas above.7. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true aboutVenus.a. It is much larger than Earthb. It has a very thick atmosphere.c. It has no clouds in its atmosphere.8. The trapping ofby Venus’satmosphere is called the greenhouse effect.9. Is the following sentence true or false? Venus has thehottest surface of any planet. Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.340

NameDateThe Solar SystemMars ClassAdapted Reading and Study(pages 716–717)Key Concept: Scientists think that a large amount ofliquid water flowed on Mars’s surface in the distantpast. Mars is called the “red planet” because it looks red fromEarth. The surface of Mars has huge canyons and ancientcoastlines. Scientists think that liquid water may haveformed these features. There is no liquid water onMars’s surface now. Mars has two very small moons. They are called Phobosand Deimos. Many space probes have been sent to Mars.Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and theideas above.10. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true aboutMars.a. Mars is called the “red planet.”b. There are two moons that orbit Mars.c. The surface of Mars is covered with water.11. Is the following sentence true or false? No spaceprobe has been sent to Mars.12. What do scientists think formed the features on thesurface of Mars? Circle the letter of the correct answer.a. the sunb. space probesc. water Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved.341

Name Date Class The Inner Planets (pages 712–717) Introduction (page 712) Key Concept: The four inner planets are small and dense and have rocky surfaces. The four planets closest to the sun are called the inner planets. The four inner planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. The inner planets