🪐 Science Explorer • Level A2

Four Planets in Our Solar System

Explore size, weather, and time on Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, and Mars!

🍎 Teacher Quick Guide

• Pacing & Goal: Spend 12 minutes reading aloud and comparing numbers across the four planets.

• Active Check: Ask learners to highlight evidence directly in the text before picking an answer.

🚀 Student Mission

• Read Closely: Check how long a day lasts on each planet and how hot they get.

• Solve Clues: Match facts with text sentences to complete your space logbook!

📌 Target Article (138 words)

Reading Passage

Our solar system has many wonderful worlds. Let's explore four fascinating planets!

Jupiter is the biggest planet of all. It is so large that it can hold about 1,000 Earths inside it! A day on Jupiter is very fast, lasting only 9.9 hours.

Venus is nearly as big as Earth, but it is the hottest world. Its surface reaches about 467°C, which is hot enough to melt lead! Strangely, one day on Venus lasts 243 Earth days, which is longer than its year of 225 days.

Mercury is the smallest planet and nearest to the Sun. It is only a little bigger than our Moon and has no moons at all.

Mars is about half the size of Earth. It looks red because there is rust in its rocks and dust. A day on Mars lasts 24.6 hours.

A colorful, clear educational scientific illustration showing four distinct planets of different sizes in deep space aga

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Words to Know & Patterns

Noun

surface

The outside or top layer of something solid.

Verb

melt

To turn from a solid into a liquid with high heat.

Noun

lead

A very heavy grey metal that melts at 327°C.

Noun

rust

A reddish-brown substance on iron caused by water & air.

💡 Simple Comparison Patterns in Science

We compare planets easily with phrases like: nearly as big as..., about half the size of..., and longer than....

Interactive Exercises

8 Progressive Practice Tasks

Answer each question by checking direct clues from the article.

Question 1 • True / False Level 1

Mercury has two small moons.

____ True ____ False

Question 2 • True / False Level 1

A day on Jupiter is shorter than a day on Mars.

____ True ____ False

Question 3 • Multiple Choice Level 2

Why does Mars look red?

____ a. Because its surface is extremely hot ____ b. Because there is rust in its rocks and dust ____ c. Because it is nearest to the Sun ____ d. Because it has two red moons

Question 4 • Multiple Choice Level 2

What is unusual about a day on Venus?

____ a. It lasts only 9.9 hours ____ b. It is colder than a day on Earth ____ c. It is longer than its year ____ d. It has no daytime at all

Question 5 • Matrix Matching Level 3

Match each planet to its correct size description:

Planet

Nearly as big as Earth

Half the size of Earth

Can hold 1,000 Earths

A little bigger than Moon

Jupiter

____ Jupiter: Nearly as big as Earth ____ Jupiter: Half the size of Earth ____ Jupiter: Can hold 1000 Earths ____ Jupiter: A little bigger than Moon

Venus

____ Venus: Nearly as big as Earth ____ Venus: Half the size of Earth ____ Venus: Can hold 1,000 Earths ____ Venus: A little bigger than Moon

Mercury

____ Mercury: Nearly as big as Earth ____ Mercury: Half the size of Earth ____ Mercury: Can hold 1,000 Earths ____ Mercury: A little bigger than Moon

Mars

____ Mars: Nearly as big as Earth ____ Mars: Half the size of Earth ____ Mars: Can hold 1,000 Earths ____ Mars: A little bigger than Moon

Question 6 • Multiple Choice Level 3

Which planet is the hottest and can melt lead?

____ a. Mercury ____ b. Mars ____ c. Jupiter ____ d. Venus

Question 7 • Short Answer Level 4

How long is one day on Mars?

Enter the number of hours in a day on Mars (e.g., 0.0).

____ (Type the number of hours...)

Question 8 • Short Answer Level 4

Which planet is the smallest and nearest to the Sun?

Write the name of the planet.

____ (Type planet name...)

Four Planets in Our Solar System

Four Planets in Our Solar System

Words to Know & Patterns

8 Progressive Practice Tasks

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