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Unit Plan
NASA

Nasa: Space Place: Messenger: Planet Mass Comparison

For Students 3rd - 8th
Compare the masses of planets in this interactive animation. Simply pile a number of Earths on one side of the scale, to balance with the mass of one Jupiter. Then try this with all the planets.
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Website
US Environmental Protection Agency

Epa: Learn the Issues: Chemicals & Toxics

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides real-world issues as well as the scientific research and technology used to support the EPA's mission to protect human health and safeguard the natural environment.
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Website
Nine Planets

The Nine Planets: An Overview of the Solar System

For Students 9th - 10th
A detailed overview of the history, mythology, and current scientific knowledge of each of the planets and moons in the solar system.
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Handout
Web Elements

Web Elements Periodic Table: Mercury

For Students 9th - 10th
An excellent summary of basic information on mercury, including chemical and physical properties and uses.
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: What Is the Solar System?

For Teachers 1st
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the solar system. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: What's Up in Space?

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about outer space. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
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Handout
Encyclopedia Mythica

The Encyclopedia Mythica: Mercury

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief description of Mercury, the Roman god of trade, profit, merchants, and travelers.
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Website
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Centers for Disease Control: Atsdr: Superfund Hazardous Waste Sites

For Students 9th - 10th
Extremely detailed look at the dangers associated with the hazardous and solid waste sites in the U.S.
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Interactive
Soft Schools

Soft Schools: Space: Solar System Interactives

For Students 3rd - 8th
Identify the planets in our solar system and discover how much you weigh on another planet with these space interactives.
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Handout
Amethyst Galleries

Amethyst Galleries: Minerals: Mercury

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides information on Mercury.
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Website
NASA

Nasa Star Child: Space Probes to Mercury

For Students 3rd - 8th
Simple information about the first space explorer to visit Mercury. Good picture of the Mariner 10 probe. Links to a glossary of terms.
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Interactive
A&E Television

History.com: The Space Race: Interactive Universe

For Students 9th - 10th
A virtual journey through space offers photos and facts about Earth and its neighboring planets, comets, other celestial bodies of the Solar System, and the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies.
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Website
NASA

Nasa Star Child: Star Child

For Students 3rd - 8th
StarChild from NASA defines and describes the Solar System in a simple and easy-to-understand manner. The website is broken down into two versions for the student, grade school and junior high.
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Website
Other

The Apollo Society: The Solar System

For Students 9th - 10th
Contains a small set of images of solar system objects and a series of links to information about all solar system objects. Solar System Tours link to excellent image collections.
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Website
NASA

Nasa: Planetary Photojournal

For Students 9th - 10th
This NASA site provides access to publicly released images from various Solar System exploration programs.
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Website
NASA

Nasa: Planetary Data Sytem: Welcome to the Planets

For Students 9th - 10th
Collection of images, with vocalized explanatory captions, of the planets acquired by NASA as part of its exploratory space programs.
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Handout
European Space Agency

European Space Agency: Esa Kids: Our Universe: Mercury

For Students 3rd - 8th
A basic overview of the planet Mercury. Links to information about the other planets and objects in our solar system are included.
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Handout
Views of the Solar System

Views of the Solar System: Mercury

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover interesting information about the planet Mercury through a vast archive of photographs and scientific facts.
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Handout
Cool Math

Coolmath: Science Monster: Mercury

For Students 3rd - 8th
A cool fact sheet about Mercury including a place for students to enter their weight on Earth to convert it to what it would be on Mercury.
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Website
CNN

Cnn: Alan Shepard Was a "Pretty Cool Customer" July 22,1998

For Students 9th - 10th
Biography and obituary of Alan B. Shepard. He was America's first space traveler. This site has links to related sites about Shepard and the early days of the space program.
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Handout
NASA

Nasa: Astronaut Biography: Scott Carpenter

For Students 9th - 10th
The numerous accomplishments of astronaut/aquanaut Scott Carpenter are discussed in this biography. The biography details his work with NASA and the U.S. Navy and discusses his life after retirement.
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Handout
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Planets in Our Solar System Study Guide

For Students 9th - 10th
A quick overview of the eight planets in our solar system.
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Article
University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas Mc Donald Observatory: Mercury

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover interesting facts about the tiny planet Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun.
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: How Big Are the Planets in Our Solar System?

For Students 3rd - 5th
This activity explores the relative size of the eight planets that circle around the Sun.