Jennifer Engo

Grade Level packet

ELD 376-03
October 2013
Your Exclusive Invitation to
Miss Engos Trip Through Space
Directions: Welcome to the beginning of your space adventure. On your trip you will be
in charge of collecting data (aka completing all the assigned activities) in order for you
and your crew to be able to complete your space journey. At each stop in your journey
you will have to stop and get a signature from your captain (Miss Engo) before moving
onto the next task. Make sure you use your time wisely! You may use resources for
this assignment such as the NASA website, two other peers or your textbook. Additional
resources must be approved before using them.
Activity #1: Houston Weve Found a Planet
1. You will begin your space journey by visiting http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/solarsystem-explorer/en/#/review/solar-system-explorer/game.swf and completing the
first activity worksheet. This worksheet will be located at the back of the packet.
On this worksheet your mission is to go to the website printed above and explore
two planets and write down three important facts about that planet. Youre more
than welcome to explore more than two planets and complete up to five for extra
credit.
Signature: ____________________

Activity #2: Star-Crossed Puzzle

2. A star-crossed lover is a popular term in our culture. For this activity you will
complete a word puzzle called Star Crossed Puzzle. Complete the puzzle to the
best of your knowledge before using credible resources to help you find the
answers. There will be seven across answers and ten down answers. All clues
have something to do with the planets and space.

Signature: ____________________

Activity #3: Mission Control

3. Congratulations youve been promoted to an astronaut! Your first assignment
will include three parts, but NASA really needs your help on gathering data from
the planets in our solar system. Your only restriction is that you may not research

the planets you have already looked up for your first activity. In this packet you
will find three data collection sheets that you must complete.

Signature: ____________________

Activity #4: A Fiddler on the Planets?

A neat and exciting way for you and your crew to start memorizing some key facts about
outer space! Here in your next mission you will have to use the super fun riddles
provided for you to figure out which planet the riddle is describing. Youve already
learned some key facts about planets on your other missions, but if you find that you are
having difficulty you may ask a fellow crew member (classmate) for a clue.

Signature: ____________________
Activity #5: Telescope Adventure:
Welcome crew to your next mission. Since we all cant be astronauts some people would
still like to see outer space. It is all possible with a simple item called a telescope. How
does a telescope work? What is a telescope? Go to the link provided below and search
for those answers! Place your research on a full sheet of paper with any information you
find important, but try to place the information in your own words (do not copy and paste
everything).
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/telescopes.htm

Signature: ____________________

Activity #6: Rocket Man

Rocket ships are the way for man to send himself into space. We know what a rocket
does, but most of us may not know what the rocket is itself. The link provided below will
allow you to explore the inside and outside parts of a rocket ship. On a full sheet of paper
list two to three different parts of the internal and external parts of the rocket ship and
write detailed summaries of their purpose.
http://www.apogeerockets.com/Tech/Parts_of_a_Rocket

Signature: ____________________

Activity #7: Moon Cruising

The moon has many different phases. These phases are different when viewed from the
northern and southern hemisphere. The link below gives information about the different
phases of the moon why the moon changes its shape.
Your activity is to create a moon phase chart. Over the next 2-4 weeks you will have to
draw what phase of the moon you see out at night. As you document your moon chart
make sure to write down what type of phase you see as well.
http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/moon/shape.htm

Signature: ____________________

Activity #8: Asteroids and Comets Oh My!

The galaxy that we live in is made up of many different planets, starts, comets, asteroids,
meteors, etc. It is your job to find out what is true and what is false on the asteroid
worksheet. Then your next task is to fill in the correct blank with a word from the word
bank to make the sentences about comets correct. Good luck astronauts! This is your last
mission.

Signature: ____________________

Worksheet #1
Name: ________________________

Date:_____________

The Beginning of Your Journey Into the Unknown

1. Planet #1
Name: _______________
Fact #1:______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________.
Fact #2:______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________.

Fact #3:______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________.

2. Planet #2
Name: ________________
Fact #1:______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________.
Fact #2:______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________.
Fact #3:______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________.

Worksheet #2
Name: ____________________________

Date: _____________

Star Crossed Puzzle

Clues can be found on the back of this worksheet

Clues for worksheet #2

Across
5. A person who studies space.
6. Saturn has these around it.
12. Invisible line from North to South Pole on Earth.
14. Seventh Planet closest to the sun.
15. The largest planet in the solar system.
16. To travel around another object.
17. Third Planet closest to the sun.
Down
1. Planet closest to the sun.
2. Eighth planet closest to the sun.
3. Fourth planet closest to the sun
4. Halley's ________
5. A person who travels and works in space.
7. Sixth Planet closest to the sun.
8. A force that exists among all material objects in the universe.
9. Instrument used to view far away objects.
10. Earth has one and you see it at night.
11. Second Planet closest to the sun.
13. Center of our solar system.

Activity #3 (Part 1)

DATA COLLECTION SHEET 1

Astronaut Name: ____________________________
Planet destination: ___________________________
Who or what is your planet named after (namesake)?

(Use the back of this sheet if you need more space to write.)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
How far is your planet from the sun (distance in kilometers)?
How big is your planet (in diameter)?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
List some interesting facts about your planet.
_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Activity #3 (Part 2)

DATA COLLECTION SHEET 2

Astronaut Name: ____________________________
Planet Destination: ___________________________
How many moons does your planet have and what are their names?

(Use the back of this sheet if you need more space to write.)

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________
How long is one year on your planet in comparison to Earth years
(period of revolution)? One day on your planet is equal to how many
hours/days on Earth (period of rotation)?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
List some interesting facts about your planet. (What are its special
features? Does it have volcanoes, craters, rings, valleys, etc..?)
___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Activity 3 (Part 3)

DATA COLLECTION SHEET 3

Astronaut Name: ____________________________
Planet Destination: ____________________________
What is your planet made of (composition)?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
What is the air like on your planet (gases in the atmosphere)? What
is the weather like on your planet? What is the temperature
during the day and at night?)
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
List some interesting facts about your planet. (What are its special
features? Does it have volcanoes, craters, rings, valleys, etc..?)
___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Activity #4
Name: ___________________________

A Fiddler on the Planet?

1. I'm the planet that everyone calls Red,
But really my soil is rust-colored instead.
Look up and you may spot me in the sky,
I'm the orange-colored dot, way up high.
Which planet am I? __________________________________
2. With over 63 moons, you might say I have a lot.
Look with a telescope to see my big, red spot.
The spot is a wind storm, swirling around.
High in the night sky is where I can be found.
Which planet am I? ______________________
3. I'm blue and green and a little brown.
I'm a small planet with life all around.
They call me the third rock from the sun.
I don't have many moons - just one.
Which planet am I? __________________________________

4. No matter how hard you look, you'll never find

me, unless you have a telescope to help you see. I
was once called a planet, but not any more.
Now I'm just a Dwarf Planet, but too important to
ignore. Which planet am I?
__________________________________

5. Look very close to the sun and you'll spot,

A tiny, cratered planet that's very hot.
I have no moons but I orbit the sun very fast.
Can you guess my name at last?
Which planet am I?__________________________

6. I'm yellow and cloudy and super hot.

Look low in the sky, I'm easy to spot.
People call me the Evening Star
From planet Earth, I'm not very far.
Which planet am I? ___________________

7. Named for the Roman god of the Sea,

Look past Saturn and Uranus for me.
I had a black spot that was a huge storm.
Now it's all gone, but I'll still never be warm.
Which planet am I? _____________________

8. I'm a giant gas planet out in space,

There are bands or stripes all over my face.
When it comes to size, I'm number two,
I have bright rings. That's an easy clue.
Which planet am I?
_____________________________

9. A gas planet that's off in the distance,

Only recently they found my rings in
existence. I'm blue and cold and far away,
People say I'm funny because I spin
sideways. Which planet am I?
__________________________________

Activity #5
Name:______________________

Date:__________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________

Activity #6
Name:______________________

Date:__________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________

Name:

Date:

Directions: Please include the dates that you record your moon sightings.

Activity #7 Moon Cruising chart

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Week
1

Week
2

Week
3

Week
4

Saturday

Name:
Activity #8

Date:
Asteroids and Comets Oh My!

1. T or F An asteroid is a large rock in outer space.

2. T or F All asteroids are very large.
3. T or F Some Asteroids are as small as a grain of salt.
4. T or F Asteroids do not have enough gravity to pull themselves into the shape
of a ball.
5. T or F The asteroids belt is made up of just an outer belt.
6. T or F The inner asteroids belt is made of asteroids that are made of metal.
7. T or F The outer belt contains asteroids that are made up of metal.
8. T or F The asteroids in the outer belt appear darker than the asteroids of the inner belt
and are rich in carbon.
9. T or F Asteroids are left over materials from the formation of the Solar System.
10. T or F These materials were never incorporated into a planet because of their
proximity to Jupiters weak gravity.
11. T or F 28 very large asteroids have been discovered.
12. T or F The very large asteroids that have been discovered are probably most of the
big ones.
13. T or F There are millions of small asteroids that we have not seen because they are so
small.
14. T or F If we put all the material together from all the asteroids into one planet it
would be the size of the Earth.
15. T or F All of the asteroids can be found in the Asteroids Belt.

Activity 8 Part II
Comets
Directions:
Place the correct answer from the word bank in the blank spaces for each sentence.
Word Bank:
77: tail: Halleys: ice: head:
full: different: dust: orbit: solar system

Comets are another part of our _______________

2. They look like a fuzzy star with a

long ____________ and a rocky _____________ .

3. They are made up of frozen gases ___________, and ___________ .

4. Every comet takes a __________amount of time to make a

_____________orbit.

5. One famous comet called _________ Comet takes about

______years to ____________once around our sun.

Name:
Activity #8

Answer Key

Date:

Asteroids and Comets Oh My!

1. T or F An asteroid is a large rock in outer space.
2. T or F All asteroids are very large.
3. T or F Some Asteroids are as small as a grain of sand
4. T or F Asteroids do not have enough gravity to pull themselves into the shape of a ball.
5. T or F The asteroids belt is made up of just an outer belt.
6. T or F The inner asteroids belt is made of asteroids that are made of metal.
7. T or F The outer belt contains asteroids that are made up of metal.
8. T or F The asteroids in the outer belt appear darker than the asteroids of the inner belt
and are rich in carbon.
9. T or F Asteroids are left over materials from the formation of the Solar System.
10. T or F These materials were never incorporated into a planet because of their
proximity to Jupiters weak gravity.
11. T or F 28 very large asteroids have been discovered.
12. T or F The very large asteroids that have been discovered are probably most of the
big ones.
13. T or F There are millions of small asteroids that we have not seen because they are so
small.
14. T or F If we put all the material together from all the asteroids into one planet it
would be the size of the Earth.
15. T or F All of the asteroids can be found in the Asteroids Belt.

Activity 8 Part II ANSWET KEY

Comets
Directions:
Place the correct answer from the word bank in the blank spaces for each sentence.
Word Bank:
77: tail: Halleys: ice: head:
full: different: dust: orbit: solar system

Comets are another part of our __ solar system _______

2. They look like a fuzzy star with a

long __tail__________ and a rocky ___head__________ .

3. They are made up of frozen gases ___ice________, and

__dust_________ .

4. Every comet takes a _ different ___amount of time to make a

___full______orbit.

5. One famous comet called _ Halleys __ Comet takes about

__77____years to ___ orbit _____once around our sun.