Curated OER
Our Solar System - Comparing Planetary Travel Distances
NASA presents a mini-unit on distances in our solar system. It incorporates scientific concepts of gravity, mass, density, and payload while your aspiring astronauts also employ mathematics skills. They calculate speed, they determine...
Voyage Solar System
Round and Round We Go — Exploring Orbits in the Solar System
Math and science come together in this cross-curricular astronomy lesson plan on planetary motion. Starting off with a hands-on activity that engages the class in exploring the geometry of circles and ellipses, this lesson...
Curated OER
Planets Beyond
Students recognize basic geometric shapes. They research the positions of planets in our solar system and find information on early theories about the location of planets and the sun. Students visualize planets as they might appear in an...
CK-12 Foundation
Venn Diagrams: Planets and Dwarf Planets of the Solar System
Yes, Venn diagrams are helpful in science, too. Learners use an interactive to classify celestial bodies as having moons, as dwarf plants, as both, or as neither. They answer a set of challenge questions based on the Venn diagrams they...
Curated OER
Not Your Average Planet
Fourth graders explore median, mode, mean, and range using information about the planets and our solar system.
Curated OER
The Mathematical Fingerprint of Our Solar System
Pupils study the beautiful mathematical model unique to our solar system.
Curated OER
Scale Activities
How do you put something as large as the universe in perspective? Use a series of scale experiments. Classmates collaborate around four experiments to examine the scale of the earth-moon system, our solar system, the Milky Way galaxy,...
Curated OER
You Are Here
Students determine the relative size and distance of the planets in the solar system. They use ratios in their mathematical calculations to make models of the planets after discussing the relative sizes of the planets. They keep a...
Curated OER
Space: Our Star, the Sun, and Its Friends, the Planets
Students examine the solar system. For this space lesson, students identify the order of the planets and their relative size to the sun. Students create a scale model of our solar system using a variety of household objects.
Curated OER
Email From Another Planet
In this article about emails and plants worksheet, students read short descriptions about 8 planets in the solar system and then imagine they are visiting one of the planets and send an email to a family member describing their...
Curated OER
Planet Fractions and Scales
In this planets and fractions worksheet, students solve nine problems about the sizes and scales of planets compared to each other using fractions.
Curated OER
Exploring The Neighborhood of the Solar System
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...
CK-12 Foundation
Circles Centered at the Origin: The Map of the Beta Solar System
Calculate galactic orbits in a far-out resource. Pupils drag a point on a circle to graph the orbit of a fictional planet. Using the equation, they find points through which the orbit passes. To finish the simulation, users determine the...
Curated OER
Planets an Introduction
Fourth graders investigate one planet, enter information into a database, and print the database sorting for each of the attributes.
Curated OER
Distance in Space
Sixth graders explore space science by measuring distances between planets. In this solar system lesson, 6th graders view a Bill Nye video and discover the conversion between the metric system and imperial measuring systems. Students...
Curated OER
Planetary Conjunctions
In this planetary conjunctions worksheet, learners read about planetary alignments and they solve 2 problems. They determine the location of 3 planets given their orbit time after 1, 2 , 3 and 4 years and they determine when three given...
Curated OER
Out of This World
Pupils are introduced to the solar system and its place in the universe. They begin to grasp the idea of very large numbers by estimating and computing how long it take the class to make a million x's.
Curated OER
Our Solar System to Scale
Students calculate the diameter of planets and their relative distances. In this space science lesson, students discover how small or big the planets are in comparison to each other. Students use cross multiplying fractions to find...
Yummy Math
Curiosity Landed on Mars
Out of this world math and science are mixed together on a learning exercise that would be a great enrichment activity classrooms that are studying our solar system. The information presented is best suited toward middle school math, and...
Curated OER
Meet the Neighbors: Planets Around Nearby Stars
Students explain why a transiting planet causes a periodic dimming in the light from its parent star. They determine the radius of a planet, and its orbital distance, by analyzing data and manipulating equations. Students compare the...
Curated OER
Exploring Dwarf Planet Eris
In this planet Eris instructional activity, students read about the discovery of this dwarf planet and its characteristics. Students answer 3 questions about the planets, the classification of planets and the definition of planets....
Curated OER
The Voyage Scale
Students identify how models are powerful tools of exploration and that the sizes of the planets and distances between the planets in the Solar System span a large range. They make a sign for each planet they have created in the lesson...
NASA
The Drake Equation
In this Drake Equation worksheet, students read about how scientists can estimate the number of intelligent civilizations that may exist in our galaxy. Students answer 7 questions about the Drake Equation and they use the internet to...
Curated OER
Volume Calculation Exercise
Middle schoolers work with scientific notation and rounding as they determine volume. In this volume instructional activity, pupils attempt to calculate the volume of the planet Jupiter. They use rounding to two significant digits and...