Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar System Unit

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students probe an interdisciplinary unit on our solar system. Distances between planets, their characteristics, and applications to student's personal lives are analyzed in this experience. The unit contains seven lessons.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Classroom Planetarium

For Teachers K - 4th
Students work in groups to create the planets of the solar system.  In this planets lesson, students create a hanging solar system taking into account the size, shape and position of the planets.  Students discuss the gravity...
Organizer
Curated OER

Comparing Planets in our Solar System to Stars

For Students 3rd - 5th
In this solar system worksheet, students complete a Venn diagram by comparing and contrasting the characteristics of planets and stars.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Solar System Cryptogram

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
In this solar system cryptogram worksheet, students reveal the names of the planets as they use their problem solving skills to complete the letter code and the word puzzle.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planets

For Teachers 1st
First graders study the planets in the solar system.  In this planets instructional activity, 1st graders read Planets, then create a mobile containing all of the planets in the correct order. Students will label the planets with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Voyage to the Planets

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students examine the planets in the solar system.  For this planetatry lesson students complete a project using a WebQuest program.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring The Neighborhood of the Solar System

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explain why exploring the universe for life on other planets is an important field of study. They use mathematical formulas to calculate the temperatures of planets as it relates to their distance from the sun. Students use...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Tour of the Solar System

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students construct a spacecraft out of Lego blocks and other materials. They work on their models in small groups while building. They become familar with the planets while working cooperatively.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Visit Our Solar System

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students learn about the planets by creating a MediaBlender travel brochure. In this space science worksheet, students do research on a planet and create an interactive brochure for a visit to this planet. Students include facts about...
Activity
1
1
NOAA

The Great, Glowing Orb What You Will Do: Make a Solar Heat Engine

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
How is solar energy able to move wind and water to control the climate? Scholars explore the concept of solar energy in the first of 10 activities in the Discover Your Changing World series. They follow instructions to build homemade...
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

What Do You Know About Stars?

For Students 6th - 12th
Illuminate the information about stars. Pupils respond to 10 multiple choice questions about stars. The questions cover topics such as the size of the Milky Way Galaxy, the Sun, and the life cycle of a star. The resource works as a...
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
How many times have you traveled around the sun? Aspiring astronomers grasp what a year is and they differentiate between orbit and rotation by walking around the sun right within your classroom. Place a lamp in the center of the room to...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Out of this world! 2

For Students 5th - 10th
For this solar system worksheet, students fill in the blank to sentences that refer to the solar system. Students fill in 15 blanks with planet names.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Space Science: Journey Through the Solar System

For Teachers 5th - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sun-Earth Connection

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders research about the location of different planets from the sun. In this earth science lesson, 3rd graders discuss the weather in their place and identify common weather terminologies. They explain how tornadoes form and...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Nebular Theory-Origin of the Solar System

For Students 8th - 10th
In this Nebular Theory worksheet, students are given diagrams of the stages that occurred in the formation of the solar system. They order the diagrams based on the occurrences of each event and answer twelve questions about the Nebular...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sun and Moon Folktale

For Teachers K - 4th
Students become familiar with characteristics of folktales by reading or listening to African folktale that explains why sun and moon live in the sky. Students then create their own folktales about the sun and moon or another aspect of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water, Weather, and the World

For Teachers 4th - Higher Ed
Students in a special education classroom examine the role of weather and water in their lives. Each day, they add a symbol for the weather outside and identify the proper activities for the weather on that day. In groups, they...
Lesson Plan
Pacific Science Center

Worlds in Comparison

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Young astronomers follow a step-by-step procedure for dividing a lump of dough into parts, resulting in a scaled volume set of puny planets. Along with the printable directions is a template chart of planet names on which learners can...
Activity
Mr. Jones's Science Class

Planet Presentation

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Upper-elementary astronomers take on the role of interplanetary real estate salesmen. They research an assigned planet and create a PowerPoint to persuade the rest of the class to purchase property and move there. This fun project would...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Observing the Outer Planets

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Learners observe the outer planets. For this science lesson, students use a telescope locate the outer planets of the solar system. Learners create a video of their observations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Simple Searches

For Teachers 7th - 10th
In this space worksheet, students load a copy of ViewPoint and open the Solar System datafile. There they look through database sheets, using the Preview Sheet and Next Sheet buttons and respond to 8 questions. Then students do some...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Solar System

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Learners explain the classification of planets according to various criteria. They create charts illustrating comparative data.
Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Moons in Comparison

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Just how big is Earth's moon? With a hands-on simulation, scholars use Play-Doh to model the sizes of the planets Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and their moons. They make predictions as a class, work together to make their models, and discuss...