TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Our Big Blue Marble
Students are introduced to the fabulous planet on which they live. Even though we spend our entire lives on Earth, we still do not always understand how it fits into the rest of the solar system. Students learn about the Earth's position...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Not So Lost in Space
Learners learn how engineers navigate satellites in orbit around the Earth and on their way to other planets in the solar system. In accompanying activities, they explore how ground-based tracking and onboard measurements are performed....
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: Exploring the Planets: Earth's Lithosphere
The plate tectonics and other features of the Earth's lithosphere are explained and illustrated. Has links to definitions of the magnetosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere.
Ducksters
Ducksters: Astronomy for Kids: The Planet Earth
This site is astronomy for kids and teachers! Here students can learn about the planet Earth of the Solar System including fun facts, mass, day, year, and distance from the Sun.
Nine Planets
The Nine Planets: Chronology of Solar System Discovery
A chronology of Solar System discoveries made from before the 1600s to now.
Smithsonian Institution
National Air and Space Museum: Exploring the Planets: Mercury
This is a useful resource for facts and images pertaining to the planet Mercury.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: The Sun and Planets
Observe the sun and the rotation of the planets in this moving image from NASA. Observe the axial tilts and directional rotation of planets and how they differ for each planet. Be sure to read the background information on how planets...
NASA
Nasa: The Space Place: Looking for Water Everywhere!
NASA has discovered water in space. This interactive resource allows you to examine the different planets and moons in our solar system to find out where their water is located.
Other
Lunar and Planetary Institute: Explore! Ice Worlds
Features a collection of hands-on activities, investigations, and explorations designed to engage students in learning about ice, both in the solar system and on planet Earth.
Views of the Solar System
Solarviews: Vista Del Sistema Solar
This site offers an exploration and educational entertainment about the solar system. You will be able to study the history of the exploration of space, rockets, the first astronauts, space missions through a large archive of photos,...
Cosmos 4 kids
Cosmos4 Kids: Everything Gathers
Understand that smaller parts make up the larger parts of our solar system. See that gas and dust come together to form a star, small rocks and asteroids come together to form planets, and so on. This page is a reference page that...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: If Earth No Longer Existed. . .
Students will work in cooperative groups to research characteristics of each of the planets in our solar system. Students will design a travel brochure outlining the characteristics of each planet. Each group will make an oral...
NASA
Nasa Space Place: All About Neptune
Learn fascinating facts about Neptune, the last of the planets in our solar system.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Planetary Cereal Project
This is a project which would be appropriate to use at the end of a lesson about the solar system. Middle schoolers will decorate an empty cereal box with information and games showing their comprehension of factual information about an...
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Open Course Ware: Courses: Extrasolar Planets: Physics and Detection
A university-level course that examines the atmospheres and interiors of extrasolar planets, or exoplanets. The course also looks at the search for planets that could support life. Includes lecture notes and assignments.
NASA
Nasa: Mercury: Overview: The Swiftest Planet
Comprehensive look at the planet Mercury, with many useful facts, figures, photos, and related links. Provides an account of how Mercury got it's name and a timeline of significant dates.
BBC
Bbc: Uranus a Mission
Very good narrative about Voyager's mission past Uranus. Details the difficulties of the voyage, as well as containing very good pictures of its moons.
NASA
Nasa: 21th Century Explorer: Why Do We Want to Study and Travel to Mars?
This article answers some of the most common questions about Mars: Why is it red? Is there water on Mars? What else have scientists discovered from spacecraft that have landed there? Also, visitors can follow links to learn more about...
American Institute of Biological Sciences
Action Bioscience: Looking for Life on Mars and Beyond
Learn some of the characteristics of Mars. These characteristics lead some people to believe that life forms may be found on the fourth planet from the Sun.
Other
Celestia
This site provides a free space simulation that lets you explore the universe in three dimensions. There is a forum for teachers and lesson plans that help enhance student use of the simulation. A program must be downloaded in order to...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Inner Versus Outer Planets
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Compares the characteristics of inner and outer planets.
NASA
Nasa: Mars and Earth: Science Learning Activities for Afterschool
This set of activities teaches students about the big picture of science using Mars as an example: how to collect data, use evidence, and look at models.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Earth Science: Inner Versus Outer Planets
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Compares the characteristics of inner and outer planets.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Space Solar System
[Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson students will compare and contrast the attributes of star, star patterns and planets. Students will also have the opportunity to review facts about each planet and then complete various...