Grades 3–5
Phases of the Moon
Label the eight phases of the moon, then answer questions about how the moon seems to change.
Science worksheet · Solar system
Rocky Planets and Giant Planets
Sort the planets into rocky planets and giant planets, then answer five questions about them.
- Grade level
- Grades 2–4
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Topic
- Solar system
- Answer key
- Yes, page 2 of the PDF
- Kids practice
- The solar system, Planet facts, Moon phases
What kids do
Printed on the sheet:
- The four planets closest to the sun are small and rocky. The four planets farther out are giant planets made mostly of gas and ice.
- Write each planet in the right box.
- Circle the answer.
- Which planet is the Red Planet?
- Which is a giant planet?
- Which giant planet is the biggest?
- Where would you find a solid surface to stand on?
- Which planet is farthest from the sun?
Words on this sheet
Rocky planetsGiant planetsMarsVenusNeptuneEarthSaturnMercuryJupiterUranus
Teacher tip
Pass around a rock and a balloon to stand for rocky and giant planets.
How to use it
- Line up eight kids as the planets in order across the room or the playground.
- Use a lamp and a ball to show why the moon seems to change shape.
- Start with a two-minute “I notice, I wonder” talk about the picture on the sheet.
Watch for
The moon makes no light of its own. It reflects sunlight.
Talk about it
- Why can’t people live on most planets?
- What question do you still have?
Take it further
Build a scale model of the planets’ distances with toilet paper squares in the hallway.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More solar system worksheets
Grades 2–5
Space: True or False?
Ten facts about the sun, moon and planets to mark true or false, then fix two false ones.
Grades 2–5
My Planet Report
A research template for one planet: a drawing, its order from the sun, moons, length of a year and fun facts.
Grades 1–3
The Planets in Order
Label the eight planets in order from the sun, with a word bank and a sentence to remember the order.
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