ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Smile and Learn English Terrestrial planets – The Solar System for kids
Welcome to the amazing world of the solar system! Today, we’re going on a fun journey to explore some of the planets that are closest to the Sun. Are you ready? Let’s go!
First stop, Mercury! It’s the closest planet to the Sun, and from here, the Sun looks three times bigger than it does from Earth. Even though Mercury is close to the Sun, it’s not the hottest planet because it has a very thin atmosphere that doesn’t hold in the heat. There are even icy spots in the dark areas where the Sun’s rays don’t reach.
Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system and is covered in craters from meteorite impacts. It’s also the fastest planet, zipping around the Sun in just 88 Earth days! If you weighed 1 gram on Earth, you’d weigh only 0.38 grams on Mercury because of its small core and low gravity.
Next, let’s visit Venus, the second planet from the Sun. Venus is almost the same size as Earth but much hotter because it has a thick atmosphere that traps heat. This makes it the hottest planet in our solar system!
Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty because it shines so brightly in the sky. It’s also called the morning star or evening star because we can see it at sunrise and sunset. Did you know Venus spins in the opposite direction of most planets? That’s pretty unique!
Now, let’s take a closer look at our home, Earth. Earth is the only planet we know of that has life. It takes 365 days for Earth to orbit the Sun, which gives us our seasons. Earth also spins around itself in 24 hours, creating day and night.
About 70% of Earth’s surface is covered in water, making it a blue and green planet. Long ago, people thought Earth was flat, but now we know it’s shaped like a sphere. Isn’t that cool?
Our last stop is Mars, the red planet. Mars gets its color from iron in the soil and is named after the Roman god of war. It’s similar to Earth in some ways, with seasons and volcanoes, but it’s smaller and doesn’t have liquid water.
Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos. Phobos is slowly getting closer to Mars and might crash into it one day! Mars also has the tallest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons, which is three times taller than Mount Everest!
Did you know that the first person to see Mars through a telescope was Galileo in 1610? What an adventure we’ve had learning about these amazing planets!
Thanks for joining this space journey! Keep exploring and learning about our incredible solar system!
Planet Size Comparison: Gather different-sized balls or round objects from around your home, like a tennis ball, a marble, and a basketball. Use these to represent the terrestrial planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Arrange them in order from the smallest to the largest. Discuss with a friend or family member why the sizes of the planets are different and how this affects their gravity and atmosphere.
Create Your Own Crater: Fill a shallow tray with flour or sand to represent the surface of Mercury. Drop small rocks or marbles from different heights to see how craters are formed. Observe the different sizes and shapes of the craters. Discuss why Mercury has so many craters and how this is different from Earth.
Observe the Sky: With the help of an adult, go outside at sunrise or sunset and try to spot Venus, the morning or evening star. Use a simple star map or a stargazing app to help locate it. Talk about why Venus is so bright and how its thick atmosphere affects its temperature.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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You are looking at the solar system. We are going to take a look at Mercury. Do you want to come? It is the closest to the Sun, so close that the Sun looks three times as big from Mercury than it does from Earth. Grab on; we’re headed that way!
We are now on Mercury, the smallest planet in the solar system. Even so, it isn’t the hottest because the atmosphere is really thin and doesn’t trap the Sun’s rays. There is even ice in some of the cold and dark areas where the rays don’t reach. It is grey and has many craters due to meteorite impacts. Be careful; they can hit you!
Hello, Earthling! Welcome to Mercury. Life has never been found here, but I will share some interesting facts about the planet. Many years ago, it was covered in graphite, a mineral used to make pencil lead. Today, there are remains of this mineral.
Did you know that Mercury is the fastest rotating planet around the Sun? It rotates at 50 kilometers per second and takes only 88 Earth days to complete one trip. As you can see, Mercury experiences meteorite showers, making it the planet with the most craters in the solar system. Its core is so small that its gravitational force is lower than on Earth, meaning that one gram on Earth is equal to 0.38 grams on Mercury.
Did you enjoy the quick trip around Mercury? Now you can go back to Earth to share all you’ve learned. Have a good trip!
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You are looking at the solar system. We’re going to take a look at Venus. Do you want to come? It is the second planet in the solar system and is almost the same size as Earth. Grab on; we’re headed that way!
Now we’re on Venus, the hottest planet in the solar system. It has a really dense atmosphere, causing a greenhouse effect that traps the Sun’s rays. That is why it is so hot. You don’t happen to have a fan, do you?
Hello, Earthling! Welcome to Venus. Here, there used to be a big ocean like on Earth, and because of that, it is possible that there was life. However, the ocean disappeared for unknown reasons. I will tell you some more facts about Venus.
The name Venus comes from the Roman goddess of love and beauty, as its shine reminds us of her. Venus is also known as the morning star or evening star because from Earth, it can only be seen at sunrise and sunset. On this planet, there is a lot of volcanic activity, and we can find basaltic rocks like the ones used for construction.
Did you know that Venus’s rotation is opposite to all the other planets in the solar system? More than 40 unmanned spaceships have explored this planet.
Did you enjoy your quick trip around Venus? Now you can go back to Earth to share all that you’ve learned. Have a good trip!
You are looking at the solar system. We are going to take a deeper look at planet Earth. Do you want to join us? Earth is the only known planet to have life. Hold on tight; here we go!
Now we’re on Earth, a planet full of life. That is why it is so important for us to protect and take care of the environment. Hello, Earthling! I am going to tell you some interesting facts about the planet where you Earthlings come from.
Like the other planets, Earth rotates around the Sun, taking 365 days to complete a full orbit. We call this a complete revolution. Thanks to this revolution, we have different seasons throughout the year, and days and nights have different lengths. At the same time, Earth rotates around itself, taking 24 hours to complete a full trip. This movement is called rotation.
Earth’s rotation is responsible for the change between day and night and for the rising and falling of temperatures. Did you know that many years ago, people thought that Earth was flat like a pizza? Now we know that Earth has the shape of a sphere. Approximately 70% of Earth’s surface is covered in water.
Did you enjoy this quick trip around Earth? Now it’s time to collect all the information you have learned. Have a good trip!
[Music]
You are looking at the solar system. We are going to take a look at Mars. Do you want to join? It is the fourth planet in the solar system. Grab on; we’re headed that way!
We’re now on Mars, the red planet. We call it that because of its color, but the name comes from the Roman god of war. Mars is similar to Earth; it has seasons, volcanoes, and mountains, but it is smaller and doesn’t have water. There are many wind and sand storms, so be careful and protect yourself!
Hello, Earthling! Welcome to Mars. In the past, there was water on Mars, but it hasn’t been confirmed if there is life or not, although some of NASA’s photographs show possible signs of life. I will tell you some interesting things about it.
Due to high volcanic activity, the mineral tritaminite is formed. One of its volcanoes, Olympus Mons, is the biggest in the solar system and is three times taller than Mount Everest. Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos. Phobos keeps getting closer and closer and will eventually crash into Mars.
Did you know that the first person to see Mars with a telescope was Galileo in 1610? Did you enjoy our quick trip around Mars? Now you can go back to Earth to share what you’ve learned. Have a good trip!
Wow, what a trip! We have learned so many things about this planet. Do you want to keep learning? Click on the seal and subscribe to the Smile and Learn channel to keep up with new adventures!
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