Planets and Space Rocks in the Solar System Webquest (Astronomy)

The Planets and Space Rocks in the Solar System Webquest comes with a worksheet and an answer key. Each clickable link in the webquest points to information that your students need to complete the worksheet. Besides sharing the webquest with students and printing the worksheets, no other prep is needed to conduct this astronomy and space science lesson on planets and rocky objects in our solar system.

How to use this resource:

1.) Share the PDF webquest file with clickable links to student computers.

2.) Print the accompanying worksheets.

3.) That’s it! Students are ready to get started.

Students click the links embedded into stunning photographs in the webquest to find answers to questions on various web pages. (The questions follow the order of the links.) Students write their responses on the accompanying worksheet.

In this webquest, students will be introduced to the following astronomy concepts and vocabulary:

• The definition of a planet and the scientific debate about Pluto’s planetary status

• The eight planets in our solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

• More solar system objects: dwarf planets, asteroids, meteoroids, meteors (“shooting stars”), meteorites, comets, Kuiper Belt Objects, and the Oort Cloud

All Forward-Thinking Curriculum webquests meet the following stringent quality criteria:

· All links connect to very carefully-selected and modern websites.

· All linked online texts are from highly authoritative and reputable sources (specific sources for this webquest are shown below).

· Students can complete all of the included questions by accessing the online texts and the images alone. No earphones or other special technology are needed to access the information.

· The online texts are at a reading level that is accessible to middle and high school students.

· Very importantly, all links are routinely checked and maintained!

This resource includes the following:

• Webquest: Stunning images directly link students to relevant informational text from NASA, the European Southern Observatory’s Supernova Planetarium, the Hubble Space Telescope team, and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. Click the green preview button above to preview every page. (PDF, 7 pages)

• Student worksheet (PDF, 17 short-answer questions, 5 pages)

• Answer key to student worksheet (PDF, 5 pages)

You can enjoy this and the rest of the webquest set at a fraction of the price. Click any link below for previews:

Space Science Topics:

· The Universe and Our Milky Way Galaxy

· The Earth and Moon

· Planets and Space Rocks in the Solar System

· Stars and Black Holes

· The Sun

Atmospheric Science Topics:

· The Atmosphere

· Tornadoes, Thunderstorms, and Hurricanes

· Air Masses, Fronts, Weather, and Precipitation

· Air Pressure and Winds

· Clouds

Geology Topics:

· Rock Cycle and Rock Types

· Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition

· Plate Tectonics

· Earthquakes and Tsunamis

· Volcanoes

Hydrology Topics:

· The Water Cycle

· Watersheds, Rivers, and Lakes

· The Ocean

· The Cryosphere

· Groundwater

Please remember, this purchase is for the use of one teacher. It is not intended to be shared. Please use the “Buy Licenses to Share” button if more than one teacher will be using it. Thank you!

© Forward-Thinking Curriculum