An educational worksheet discussing the debate over Pluto's planetary status, featuring an illustration of Pluto.

Let’s read the passage carefully and think about what it’s asking.

The title is “Is Pluto a Planet?” — so the whole text is talking about whether Pluto should still be called a planet or not.

Here’s what we learn:

- Some people say Pluto is no longer a planet.
- The International Astronomical Union (IAU) says a real planet must:
1. Orbit the sun.
2. Be big enough to be round because of its own gravity.
- Pluto doesn’t meet those standards, so the IAU calls it a “dwarf planet.”
- But not everyone agrees! Some scientists like Andy Cheng still think Pluto is a planet.
- Another scientist, Owen Gingerich, suggested calling the 8 big planets “classical planets” and keeping Pluto as a dwarf planet — so there would be two kinds.
- Even though some disagree, many textbooks now list Pluto as a dwarf planet.
- At the end, it asks: “What do you think it is?”

So the question isn’t asking for a math answer or a fact from memory — it’s asking YOU to form an opinion based on what you read.

You can choose either side — but you should explain why, using ideas from the text.

For example:
- If you think Pluto IS a planet, you might say: “I agree with Andy Cheng. The rules aren’t clear, and Pluto has always been called a planet. It shouldn’t change just because of new rules.”
- If you think Pluto is NOT a planet, you might say: “I agree with the IAU. A planet needs to be round from its own gravity and orbit the sun clearly. Pluto doesn’t fit that, so ‘dwarf planet’ makes sense.”

There’s no single right answer — the goal is to think critically and use evidence from the text.

Final Answer:
Pluto is classified as a dwarf planet by the IAU because it doesn’t meet all the criteria for being a full planet — but some scientists still consider it a planet. You can choose either view, as long as you explain your reasoning using information from the text.