Name
Date
The Solar System
■
Class
Adapted Reading and Study
The Inner Planets
Introduction
(pages 712–717)
(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 are called the terrestrial planets.
• The inner planets are more like one another than they
are like the five outer planets. For example, the inner
planets all have rocky surfaces.
Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and the
ideas above.
1. The inner planets are called the
planets.
2. Circle the letter of how many inner planets there are.
a. 2
b. 4
c. 6
Earth
(pages 712–713)
Key Concept: Earth is unique in our solar system in
having liquid water at its surface.
• Earth has three main layers. The surface layer is the
crust. Below the crust is the mantle. At Earth’s center is
the core.
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337
Name
Date
The Solar System
■
Class
Adapted Reading and Study
• Most of Earth’s surface—about 70 percent—is covered
with water. Earth is the only planet with liquid water on
its surface.
• Earth’s gravity holds onto most gases. The gases
around Earth make up Earth’s atmosphere.
Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and the
ideas on page 337 and above.
3. Is the following sentence true or false? Most of Earth’s
surface is covered with water.
4. Read each word in the box. Then fill in each blank in
the picture below with one of the words.
mantle
crust
core
a.
b.
c.
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338
Name
Date
The Solar System
Class
Adapted Reading and Study
■
Mercury
(page 714)
Key Concept: Mercury is the smallest terrestrial planet
and the planet closest to the sun.
• Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. Mercury is the
smallest of the inner planets. It is not much larger than
Earth’s moon.
• Mercury has almost no atmosphere because it has very
weak gravity.
• Mercury has extreme temperatures on its surface. It is
very hot during the day and very cold at night.
Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and the
ideas above.
5. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about
Mercury.
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. Circle
the planet Mercury.
Sun
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339
Name
Date
The Solar System
Venus
■
Class
Adapted Reading and Study
(pages 714–715)
Key Concept: Venus’s density and internal structure
are similar to Earth’s. But, in other ways, Venus and
Earth are very different.
• Venus is very much like Earth in size and mass.
• Venus’s atmosphere is very thick. It is always cloudy on
Venus.
• Venus has the hottest surface of any planet. Venus’s
atmosphere traps the sun’s heat. The trapping of heat
by the atmosphere is called the greenhouse effect.
Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and the
ideas above.
7. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about
Venus.
a. It is much larger than Earth
b. It has a very thick atmosphere.
c. It has no clouds in its atmosphere.
8. The trapping of
by Venus’s
atmosphere is called the greenhouse effect.
9. Is the following sentence true or false? Venus has the
hottest surface of any planet.
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340
Name
Date
The Solar System
Mars
■
Class
Adapted Reading and Study
(pages 716–717)
Key Concept: Scientists think that a large amount of
liquid water flowed on Mars’s surface in the distant
past.
• Mars is called the “red planet” because it looks red from
Earth.
• The surface of Mars has huge canyons and ancient
coastlines. Scientists think that liquid water may have
formed these features. There is no liquid water on
Mars’s surface now.
• Mars has two very small moons. They are called Phobos
and Deimos.
• Many space probes have been sent to Mars.
Answer the following questions. Use your textbook and the
ideas above.
10. Circle the letter of each sentence that is true about
Mars.
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 space
probe has been sent to Mars.
12. What do scientists think formed the features on the
surface of Mars? Circle the letter of the correct answer.
a. the sun
b. space probes
c. water
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341