Terrestrial planets Lesson Plans

Students examine the solar system. In this space lesson, students identify the order of the planets and their relative size to the sun. Students create a scale model of our solar system using a variety of household objects.

Students identify the main components of the solar system. In this earth science lesson, students order the planets according to their distances from the Sun. They differentiate planets from dwarf planets.

Third graders research about the location of different planets from the sun. In this earth science lesson plan, 3rd graders discuss the weather in their place and identify common weather terminologies. They explain how tornadoes form and create a model in a bottle.

Students hear of the recent discovery of a group of planets orbiting the star Upsilon Andromedae. Each student create a page about an element of the universe,

Eighth graders calculate their age on different planets. In this astronomy lesson, 8th graders compare planetary orbits of all the planets in the solar system. They create a graph on age versus orbital period relative to Earth.

Students develop a sense of the scale of our solar system by creating a one to ten billion scale model. They calculate the relative sizes and distances for the planets and asteroid belt using a guiding worksheet. To create the model they place traffic cones at the appropriate distances on a field or sidewalk and use food items such as poppy seeds and gum balls to represent each planet.

Students discover the place of Earth in the solar system. In this earth science lesson, students study the different features of the planets. They compare and contrast Earth with the rest of the planets in the solar system.

Fifth graders research the planets. In this planet lesson, 5th graders look at the characteristics of the inner and outer planets. They look at the elements that make up the terrestrial planets and how those differ from the components of that comprise the Gas Giants.

Students study robotic spacecrafts that have provided detailed information about the inner and outer planets. In this exploring the planets lesson plan, students use posters and diagrams to study the various robotic spacecraft sent to the planets. They explore the different ways scientists have learned about our planets.

Students explore the Solar System and examine the characteristics of al the planets. Through research and discussion, they create catalogs of the Solar System's components. Next, students use their findings to create Powerpoint versions of their catalogs. The lesson concludes with students creating travel brochures of a chosen planet.