American Museum of Natural History
Planetary Mysteries
Get to know our little part of the vast universe. Learners read about the common and not-so-common facts about each of the planets in the solar system. The interactive lesson includes a large amount of information as well as a quiz to...
NASA
Let's Investigate Mars
Take your science class on a hypothetical field trip to Mars with an engaging astronomy lesson. After first learning about NASA's Mars rover missions, young scientists plan their own scientific investigations of Earth's nearest neighbor.
National Academy of Sciences
Global Warming: Facts and Our Future
According to the United Nations, climate change affects every country on the planet. This research project encourages scholars to explore the factors that affect climate change from different perspectives: climate scientist, policy...
Midnight Martian
Mars Globe HD
Explore the surface of Mars without leaving the comforts of your home or classroom! Learn about volcanoes, missions to the red planet, view the topography, and more.
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.
Curated OER
Solar System and Planets
Students identify the main components of the solar system. In this earth science lesson, students order the planets according to their distances from the Sun. They differentiate planets from dwarf planets.
Curated OER
Could the Solar System have Ten Planets?
Students react to statements about the solar system, then read a news article about a recently discovered object that could be another planet. In this space science and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the lesson with a...
Curated OER
Blazing Gas
Fourth graders read and discuss the sun and the energy we use on Earth from the sun. In this sun lesson plan, 4th graders discuss the solar system, planets, and answer short answer questions.
Curated OER
Jeopardy 8th Grade (Science)
There are so many topics touched upon in this Jeopardy-style science game, that it is difficult to classify! The categories include electricity, matter, ecology, earth and space, and scientific investigation. This would best be used at...
National Wildlife Federation
Conceptualizing Module III
Many researchers focus on one impact of climate change in isolation, but researchers gain a global perspective when they come together. A timely lesson teaches scholars about the projected impacts of global temperature increases. Then...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Planetary Cereal Project
Sixth graders decorate an empty cereal box with information and games showing their comprehension of factual information about an assigned planet. This is a nice, creative lesson about the solar system.
Curated OER
Voyage to the Planets
Young scholars examine the planets in the solar system. In this planetatry instructional activity students complete a project using a WebQuest program.
Curated OER
Finding Out About the Stars and Planets
Young scholars complete a web-based activity to study the planets and solar system. Students complete a number of activities including a slide show that depict the true facts about planets.
Curated OER
Planets of the Solar System
Students use the internet to research the planets in the solar system. Using the information they collect, they design and create a webpage with the data. They present their material to the class and answer any questions presented to...
Curated OER
Inner Planets
Middle schoolers research characteristics of the planets and record their findings on Planet Web worksheet. They create fold paper to create a foldable booklet to display the information they discover about the planets.
Curated OER
Inner Planets
Young scholars create a booklet about the inner planets after researching the characteristics of each planet. Students research the following items for each planet: moons, size, rotation, orbit, atmosphere, an interesting fact. Their...
Curated OER
Planets for Sale
Student develop their technology skills. For this solar system lesson, 3rd graders create a movie featuring planets that they research. Students use flip video cameras to film commercials to market their planets.
Curated OER
Planet Research and Brochure
Fourth graders design a brochure based on the planet that they researched. In this planets lesson plan, 4th graders include the data, important facts, and completed as a team.
Curated OER
Create a Planet
Students craft planets from clay. In this geography skills lesson, students create model planets that mimic the geographic features found on Earth as well as the other planets. Students conduct research about characteristics of the...
Curated OER
Lining up the planets
Students follow cue cards in order to order the planets in the correct order in the solar system. For this planets lesson plan, students work in groups to make a 2D model of the planets.
Curated OER
Planets Online
Learners use bookmarked Internet web sites about Space to gather information and use desktop publishing software to write assignments. They participate in various web assignments on provided links to study the planets and the solar system.
Curated OER
100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet
Students examine the possible ways to recycle, reuse, and re-imagine products and objects in order to reduce pollution and waste on our planet. In this 100 things you can do to save the planet lesson, students take three actions to...
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Jupiter’s Relative Size
How do you properly illustrate the extreme size difference between two planets—Earth and Jupiter? With the help of jellybeans, of course! Create a scale model of Jupiter's mass compared to Earth using a fishbowl, 1,400 beans, and a dixie...
Curated OER
Scale Model of the Solar System
Young scientists gain a better understanding of space, the solar system and its vastness by creating a scale model. Students first need to calculate the distance between each of the nine planets according to the size of their scale. This...