Leaders Guide
Brownie Space Science Adventurer Badge Workbook

The first two pages are about the planets. Leaders should talk about each planet and either read or have girls read a fact about each of them from the below. Tell them to pay close attention because this information will be important for a game later.

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• Mercury:

  • Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system, even smaller than some moons.

  • It is the closest planet to the Sun, so it gets very hot during the day.

  • Mercury doesn't have any moons.

  • It has lots of craters on its surface, like the Moon.

  • A year on Mercury (the time it takes to go around the Sun once) is just 88 Earth days.

• Venus:

  • Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system, even hotter than Mercury, because it has a thick blanket of clouds that trap heat.

  • It's the brightest planet in our sky and is sometimes called the "evening star" or the "morning star."

  • Venus spins in the opposite direction compared to most other planets.

  • It has volcanoes on its surface, which sometimes shoot out lava.

  • Venus has a really long day that lasts about 243 Earth days!

• Earth:

  • Earth is the only planet in our solar system known to have living things like plants, animals, and humans.

  • It has a lot of water on its surface, like oceans, lakes, and rivers.

  • Earth has an atmosphere that protects us and allows us to breathe.

  • It takes 24 hours for the Earth to complete one rotation, which is why we have day and night.

  • We have one moon that orbits around our planet.

• Mars:

  • Mars is often called the "Red Planet" because it has a reddish color.

  • It has the tallest volcano in our solar system called Olympus Mons.

  • Scientists have found evidence that water once existed on Mars, which means it might have had life at some point.

  • Mars has the biggest dust storms in our solar system.

  • The length of a year on Mars is about 687 Earth days.

• Jupiter:

  • Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system and is more than twice as big as all the other planets combined.

  • It has a big storm called the Great Red Spot, which has been going on for hundreds of years.

  • Jupiter has a lot of moons. In fact, it has the most moons of any planet in our solar system!

  • It is made mostly of gas and doesn't have a solid surface like Earth.

  • Jupiter has very strong gravity, which means if you were on Jupiter, you would feel really heavy!

• Saturn:

  • Saturn is known for its beautiful rings, which are made up of ice, rocks, and dust. It's like wearing a fancy belt made of ice and dust particles!

  • It is the second-largest planet in our solar system and is about 95 times bigger than Earth.

  • Saturn has more than 80 moons. One of its moons, called Titan, is even bigger than the planet Mercury!

  • It is made mostly of gas, just like Jupiter. If you could find a bathtub big enough to hold Saturn, it would float because it's less dense than water.

  • Saturn spins really fast, completing a full rotation in only about 10 hours. That's why it looks squished or stretched out.

• Uranus:

  • Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun and is the third-largest planet in our solar system.

  • It's a pretty unique planet because it rotates on its side, almost like it's rolling around the Sun! No other planet does that.

  • Uranus has a bluish-green color because its atmosphere contains a gas called methane, which makes it look different from other planets.

  • It has a total of 27 known moons. The five largest moons of Uranus are named Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon.

  • Uranus is an icy planet, and its surface is made up of ice and rock. It's like a giant, frozen ball floating in space!

• Neptune:

  • Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun. It is the fourth-largest planet in our solar system.

  • It is a beautiful shade of blue because its atmosphere has a gas called methane, which absorbs red light and reflects blue light.

  • Neptune has strong winds that create big storms. The most famous storm on Neptune is called the Great Dark Spot, similar to Jupiter's Great Red Spot.

  • It has 14 known moons. The largest moon, named Triton, is one of the coldest places in our solar system and has ice volcanoes!

  • Neptune is also an icy planet, and it's made up of a mix of water, ammonia, and methane ice. It's like a giant, freezing cold slushie!

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Now that they know the planets, have them create a mnemonic device to help them remember the order. A mnemonic deivce is anything that helps with the recall of information, such as "Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge" to remember the notes on the lines of the treble clef or "30 Days has September, April, June, and November". Have the girls come up with their own for the planets and share with the troop.

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