Curated OER
Exploring the Solar System
Students are introduced to the nine planets and countless moons of the solar system. Using the internet, they research one of the planets to determine if a manned mission to the planet would be possible. They share their information...
Glynn County School System
The Outer Planets
Are outer planets just like inner planets? Nope! The outer planets are much more spread apart than the inner planets. An informative PowerPoint presentation shows why this is true as well as facts about the individual planets in the...
Curated OER
Crossword: Solar System
For this crossword worksheet, students complete a crossword puzzle by solving clues about the solar system. For example, "All nine planets can be seen through a..."
Curated OER
Planets Worksheet
In this planets worksheet, students use Internet research to complete 5 pages about solar system facts. Students answer 25 essay questions and label a diagram of the solar system.
Curated OER
The Solar System
High schoolers research origin of solar system, discuss theories they have found, and create paper mache solar system models.
Curated OER
Bringing the Solar System to Life
Students make models of the planets and use the models to show revolution of the planets around the sun. They explain the rotation of the planets after demonstrating with balloons.
Smarter Balanced
View Through a Telescope
Preparing for an assessment? Here's an activity that will ensure that all class members have the background knowledge they need to demonstrate their skills on a performance task related to the solar system and the tools astronomers use...
Curated OER
The Planet Mars
Fifth graders gain knowledge about Mars and Earth. In this compare and contrast lesson, 5th graders use visual representations of the solar system to observe the characteristics of the planets. Students read fiction and nonfiction...
Curated OER
How Much Would You Weigh On Distant Planets?
Students study the effects of gravity on the planets of the Solar System. They view movies from the lunar Apollo missions, calculate their own weight on other planets, and propose what they might weigh on newly discovered planets around...
Teach Engineering
Get Me Off This Planet
What do Newton's Laws have to do with getting from Earth to Mars?The activities in this resource show how Newton's Laws work with rockets to get them into space. Background information includes facts about orbits and how orbits...
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
The Solar Wind Tunnel
The winds of change are blowing in our very own solar system! But what makes some heavenly bodies more affected by solar winds than others? Pupils discover the concept of magnetic forces at work in space in this...
McGraw Hill
Extra Solar Planets Interactive
Studying what you can't see can be challenging. Discover how scientists use indirect measurements to prove the existence of planets and estimate their sizes. The introduction explains the symbiotic movement of planets and stars during an...
Glynn County School System
Our Sun
The sun is responsible for almost 99 percent of the solar system's mass. As an essential part of our lives, the sun has many important features. A PowerPoint lesson presents information about features such as sunspots, the magnetic...
Curated OER
The Solar System
In this solar system activity, students will name the two models of the solar system and compare their differences. Students will state the hypothesis behind the formation of the sun and planets. Students will compare and contrast the...
Curated OER
Scale Model of the Solar System
Students work in groups of 4-6 for the experiment/activity part of this exercise. Students know that earth is the third planet from the sun in a system that includes the moon, the sun, eight other planets and their moons, and smaller...
Virginia Department of Education
Planet Line-Ups
Should Pluto be considered a planet or a dwarf planet? Scholars research planets in our solar system to understand their similarities and differences. It also includes memory activities related to the order of the planets.
Glynn County School System
Terrestrial Planets
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are collectively known as the terrestrial planets. Although part of the same group, each planet has its own set of characteristics. Scholars explore the characteristics that make the planets unique and...
Curated OER
Solar System Crossword 2
In this solar system instructional activity, students fill in a crossword that gives them clues about the solar system. Students solve 41 clues for the crossword.
Curated OER
Nebular Theory-Origin of the Solar System
In this Nebular Theory activity, 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...
Curated OER
Flying Through the Solar System
Students create a model of the solar system out of candy. They write a book about their travels through the Solar System, beginning at age ten and reaching Pluto at age seventy.
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year
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...
Curated OER
Journey To The Solar System
Third graders engage in a lesson to find different facts and connect them to the concept of the solar system. They conduct research using the technology integration of the internet. Using the information the students create a classroom...
Curated OER
Ceres and Pluto: Dwarf Planets as a New Way of Thinking about an Old Solar System
Students examine the new categories of planets and how planets were reclassified. In this solar system instructional activity students complete activities using Venn diagrams and images of planets.
Curated OER
Solar System Differentiation
Students explore the solar system. In this solar system science lesson plan, students choose 3 out of 12 centers to visit, each of which contains an activity related to the planets. The station activities are designed to address...