American Museum of Natural History
Cosmic Cookies
Scholars read about each planet then bake a plate of cosmic cookies—no-bake cookies decorated to look like the planets; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
PBS
The Planets of the Solar System
Launch a lesson that's sure to capture middle schoolers' interest! Exploration enthusiasts examine the planets of our solar system using an activity from PBS's Space series. The resource includes images and information for each planet,...
Space Awareness
Know Your Planets
Does your class know their planets? Implement an activity that has them describing the solar system, identifying properties of the planets, and placing them in order from their distance from the sun.
Research Parent
Solar System Cards
Find all things solar system in a set of reference cards. Even Pluto makes an appearance! Each of the 24 cards has a picture and accompanying informational text that gives brief background about the object.
SciShow Kids
Let's Make the Solar System
Get crafty with the help of pictures and a real-time demonstration from a video that details the step-by-step process in creating a paper solar system.Â
Star Date
Solar System Scale Model Demonstration
Explore outer space and decorate your classroom with an astronomy project. Learners create a visual model with the creation of a scaled solar system using different sized balls.
Star Date
Astronomy Day from McDonald Observatory Solar System Scale Activity
Add a visual aid to your solar system lessons. Enthusiastic astronomers create a model depicting the nine planets and their distance from the sun.Â
TLS Books
Uranus
After reading an informational text passage, learners answer four multiple choice questions about the third largest planet in our solar system.
Voyage Solar System
Round and Round We Go — Exploring Orbits in the Solar System
Math and science come together in this cross-curricular astronomy lesson plan on planetary motion. Starting off with a hands-on activity that engages the class in exploring the geometry of circles and ellipses, this lesson plan then...
Center for Math and Science Education
Pocket Solar System
How in the world can something as big as the solar system possibly fit in your pocket? Complete this simple modeling activity and find out, as young scientists gain an appreciation for the incredible scale of outer space.
Center for Math and Science Education
Solar System Launch
Trying to understand the vastness of outer space can be quite a challenge for young scientists. Help put things in perspective with this cross-curricular activity as students work in pairs creating scaled models of the solar system,...
Simply Worksheets
Solar System - Identifying Planets
In this space science worksheet, students read the five descriptions of various planets and match the description with the picture of the planet.
Curated OER
Earth Science
A slide for each of the planets (including recently downgraded Pluto), the sun, our moon, four of Jupiter's moons, and the rings of Saturn make up this visually appealing PowerPoint. A few facts for each body in the solar system...
Curated OER
Characteristics of the Outer Planets
A brief reading comprehension exercise, this worksheet covers the characteristics of the outer planets. It still considers Pluto a planet and Charon its moon. It is therefore a little out of date, but this fact can be discussed as part...
Curated OER
The Outer Planets
In this outer planets worksheet, students determine if 15 statements about Neptune, Pluto, Saturn and Uranus are true or false. If they are false, students change the italicized words in the sentences to make the statements true.
Curated OER
Email From Another Planet
In this article about emails and plants worksheet, students read short descriptions about 8 planets in the solar system and then imagine they are visiting one of the planets and send an email to a family member describing their...
Curated OER
What Are the Outer Planets?
In this outer planet worksheet, students complete a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the characteristics of Saturn and Uranus.
Curated OER
The Outer Planets
In this outer planets worksheet, students will write in the names of the outer planets on a chart. Then students will fill in the chart with information about each of these planets including size and composition, atmosphere, below the...
Curated OER
A Tour of Saturn and Uranus
Second graders draw and label each planet, Saturn and Uranus, showing 2 specific individual characteristics of each.
Curated OER
Uranus Facts Research Recording Worksheet
In this Uranus research recording worksheet, learners see a black line picture of the planet in the middle of the page. They fill in 5 facts about the planet which include its distance from the sun, its distance across, and the length of...
Curated OER
Space, The Funky Frontier Internet Research Worksheet
For this solar system worksheet, students explore a web site called The Nine Planets, to refresh their knowledge of the solar system, and to research new facts about Uranus. They answer three questions about Uranus, write an essay about...
Curated OER
Planets
In this planets worksheet, students access a website and record two unique facts about each planet in 1 graphic organizer. Then students go explore different sections of the website and answer 6 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Uranus
In this planet science instructional activity, students learn 6 facts about the planet Uranus. Students also read a paragraph containing more information about the planet.