Planets Teacher Resources

"Europa’s ocean is considered to be one of the most promising places that could potentially harbor life in the solar system,” said Geoff Yoder, with NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Show a video that shares four surprising facts...

Where is the hottest place on Earth, and how can scientists prove it? The video discusses multiple methods for measuring the temperatures across the planet. Then it discusses the hottest places measured by each method and their accuracy....

Oxygen keeps us alive, but did you ever consider how Earth found the right balance? Eons produced this video as part of a larger series that explores when Earth contained very little oxygen and green oceans ruled the planet. Viewers see...

A growing demand for sustainable food systems comes from schools and even some cities. So what are some solutions? Scholars consider four different ways to approach sustainable food solutions and list the pros and cons of each. The fifth...

In 2018, the average fast food burger cost $2.64 while a salad averaged $4.14. Does the price difference matter to public health? Scholars consider that question and others in a brainstorming session about improving our global food...

Approximately 50 percent of people in the world who are chronically hungry work in agriculture. While it seems counter-intuitive, the farther you live from a farm, the more food options are available. Scholars explore concepts related to...

Scholars approach a problem trying to plan a meal for a class party. They learn about the restrictions and must decide what information they need to plan the meal. The first lesson in a 13-part unit on Our Hungry Planet encourages...

Is there life on Mars? Is it likely? A video lesson analyzes the possibility of life on Mars. The discovery of water on Mars changes how scientists think about the likelihood of life on the red planet. Part of the SciShow Space series,...

The Big Bang Theory is more than a television show. Pupils read how Edwin Hubble observed other galaxies and noticed that the galaxies are moving away from each other. Scholars learn about the idea of the big bang and what happened next...

Students, in groups, research a planet from our solar system. They create Styrofoam models of the planets and place the planets on a correct distance scale from the sun.

Students study space. In this solar system lesson, students discover the correct order of the planets and create a diagram showing this knowledge. They listen to the book A New View of the Solar System and then work in groups on their...

Students are introduced to planetary research and familiarize them with the planets and their features. They see that each planet has unique features. Planets have some common features and that images can be used to study the planets and...

Young scholars compare and contrast the size, composition and surface features of the nine planets of our solar system with the possible sizes and compositions of extra -solar planets.

Fourth graders discuss what they know about the planets, space, and the solar system including the colors of the planets. They also talk about why the planets are the color that they are. Next, they color cut-outs of the planets using...

Fourth graders engage in a study of the solar system. The teacher constructs an outside model of it. They walk through it making constructive observations. Students conduct a class discussion about the solar system and planets. They...

Learners engage in a study about the planets and create a poster as one of the projects during the study. They create individual charts for mapping the solar system so the locations can be found in mock space missions to other planets.

Students make a model of the solar system. In this solar system lesson, students make paper mache models of the planets to hand in the classroom, measure the distance to each planet scaled with footsteps, and model the moon's movement...

Students investigate a topic and prepare a quiz activity. In this space science lesson, students investigate one of the planets and construct a quiz for their classmates.

Students research the characteristics of planets in our solar system. In this space science lesson, students create a solar system model with each planet arranged according to their distance from the sun. They solve problems using the...

Students explore the planets in our solar system and create a brochure on each planet. They read the book, The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System and write notes about solar system facts and watch a video. After the video, they...

In this solar system, students review information about the planets found in our solar system. Students complete 15 fill in the blank questions and then find the 9 planets in a word search.

Fourth graders explore the planets by researching and writing a report about one of the nine planets.

Students pretend they are the first student to be allowed in space. They examine all nine planets on their journey. They complete a KWL chart and worksheets before they do their research. They create an itinerary of their tour and...

Students conduct Internet research to find information about each planet and present their findings to the class. Students research statistical information and two interesting facts about each planet, then create a multimedia...