Rocky Planets Word Search
- Free
- No account
- Answer key
- Standard
- About 16 min
- 10 words
Compare Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars with a printable Grade 3 word search, answer key, definitions, and a planet-model activity.
For parents and caregivers
What your child will practice
- Identify the four rocky planets in order moving outward from the Sun.
- Compare surface, atmosphere, temperature, and orbit as planetary features.
How to use this puzzle at home
- Read the four planet names and ask your child to place them in order from the Sun.
- Complete the puzzle, then use the definitions to circle one feature that all four planets share.
- Create a quick comparison chart showing one memorable fact for Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
Word List
- MERCURY
- VENUS
- EARTH
- MARS
- ROCKY
- SURFACE
- CRATER
- ORBIT
- ATMOSPHERE
- TEMPERATURE
Printable Puzzle
Vocabulary guide
Use these short definitions before or after the word search. Ask your child to explain a few in their own words.
- Mercury
- The smallest planet and the rocky planet closest to the Sun.
- Venus
- A rocky planet covered by thick clouds that trap intense heat.
- Earth
- The rocky planet where we live, with liquid water and known life.
- Mars
- A cold rocky planet with iron-rich soil that makes it look red.
- Rocky
- Made mostly of solid rock and metal rather than gas or ice.
- Surface
- The outermost solid layer of a planet that a lander could touch.
- Crater
- A bowl-shaped hollow made when a space rock strikes a surface.
- Orbit
- The curved path one object follows as it travels around another object.
- Atmosphere
- The layer or layers of gases surrounding a planet or moon.
- Temperature
- A measurement that describes how hot or cold something is.
Talk about the science
- What feature makes all four inner planets rocky planets?
- Why can two planets near each other still have very different temperatures?
- Which rocky planet would be hardest for a robot to explore, and why?
Try one more thing
Extension activity
Use four different-size balls or paper circles to model the rocky planets in order. Add labels for surface, atmosphere, and temperature, and explain that the spacing is not to scale.
Teacher and tutor note
Classroom adaptation
Use the puzzle as review after a rocky-planets lesson. Small groups can build a four-column comparison chart and cite vocabulary evidence for one similarity and two differences.
Keep learning
Same Grade
Healthy Heart and Lungs Word Search
Related Topic
Sun, Moon, and Sky Word Search
Keep learning at Grade 3
Ready for another puzzle?
Seasonal Changes in Nature Word Search
Continue with a different science topic at a familiar level.
Continue learning