The Planets by the Numbers
Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher
"The Planets by the Numbers" is written for 6th Grade (Ages 11-12), and it covers NGSS MS-ESS1-3. If your student is a year younger but already steady on Earth and space, the page still works. You may just need to read the instructions out loud. And if they are older and solar system never quite stuck, this is a short review rather than busywork.
2 pages in this set
6th grade science worksheet: graph the diameters of eight planets, then compare inner and outer planets from a data table. Answer key included. Part of our solar system earth and space collection. Aligned to NGSS standards.
How do I use this worksheet?
Have students round each diameter to the nearest thousand km before they draw the bars, since the axis counts in thousands of km. Use the vocabulary sheet as a review after the other earth and space sheets.
What students will practice
- Students will title and draw a bar graph of the diameters of the eight planets.
- Students will compare inner and outer planets by diameter and known moons.
- Students will describe how the length of a planet's year changes with its distance from the Sun.
Curriculum Links
Next Generation Science Standards
Science · 6th Grade
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FAQ
How do I use this solar system worksheet?
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Have students round each diameter to the nearest thousand km before they draw the bars, since the axis counts in thousands of km. Use the vocabulary sheet as a review after the other earth and space sheets.
What does this worksheet teach?
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Graph the diameters of eight planets, then compare inner and outer planets from a data table. The directions on the page read: Read the text and the table. Write a title, then draw a bar for each planet's diameter on the graph. An answer key is included.
Can I use this solar system worksheet for homeschool or classroom?
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Yes, both. We made it for 6th Grade Earth and space, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with solar system. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.
Which planets are inner planets and which are outer planets?
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The inner planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Every inner planet on the data table is less than 13,000 km wide, and every outer planet is more than 49,000 km wide.
What is an astronomical unit?
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One AU, or astronomical unit, is the average distance from Earth to the Sun. Neptune is listed at 30.1 AU in the table on The Planets by the Numbers.
Which planet has a day longer than its year?
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Venus. The data table lists a day on Venus as 243 days and its year as 225 days.
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Worksheet Details
| Grade | 6th Grade |
| Subject | Science |
| Topic | Earth and Space |
| Standard | MS-ESS1-3 |
| Pages | 2 pages |
| Difficulty | Medium |
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