In this online interactive Solar System activity, learners access a specific website to locate the multiple choice answers to 4 questions dealing with the Solar System. Students answer 3 short answer questions and draw a line connecting...

Did you know that Pluto is smaller than the United States of America? It is difficult to conceptualize the size of planets and the distance between them, and the activity addresses those exact issues. After a discussion, pupils create...

The Galle crater on Mars is also known as the Happy Face crater because of its appearance. First, scholars use pebbles and flour to simulate craters and study their properties. They then apply this knowledge to help decipher the history...

Have your class learn about the solar system using this hands on technique. Learners review what they know about the planets, and create a clay model of the solar system. There are a list of resource links to make this lesson a complete...

Learners identify and explain natural cycles and patterns in the solar system. They write short reports about the solar system. Students plot the order of the planets in a colorful diagram. They use Crayola Gel Markers to add a colorful...

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...

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...

Students are introduced to earth's moon and the eight other planets in our solar system. Also, students explore the geology, composition, and orbits of other planets by planning a trip to another planet.

Eighth graders are introduced to concepts related to the Solar System. In groups, they participate in an experiment in which they must describe a ray of light and how it travels. They draw a diagram of the electromagnetic spectrum and...

Young scholars examine effects of the sun on the planets in our solar system.

Students examine the solar system. In 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.

Sixth graders research one of the planets in the solar system based on questions that they develop using information from the Internet. They create a travel brochure using the research information.

Sixth graders investigate the relative diameters of planets and distances between them and the cause for seasons on Earth using the 5-E Learning Model. They appreciate the size and distances involved with objects in the real universe....

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...

Photographs and graphics bring the solar system and Earth to life in this presentation. Viewers are taken on a virtual field trip, beginning with the sun and planet placement, and proceeding through both Earth and the moon's movements....

Sixth graders investigate the livability of different planets in the universe by researching and organizing information from a number of sources in this unit project. They decide on a location for a space station which they support in an...

Scholars gain an insight into the relative size of planets and distance between inner and outer planets with the help of informational text, a data table, and a series of four questions.  

Between the time scientists discovered Pluto and reclassified it as a dwarf planet, it did not even make one full revolution around the sun. In two activities, scholars investigate scale models and their properties. Pupils find that it...

Pupils learn of multiple ways astronomers look for planets outside of the solar system. By completing a hands-on activity, scholars discover that trying to see the planets directly because of the glare from the nearby star is nearly...

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...

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,...

Get a close-up view of Saturn. Pupils read a NASA eBook filled with images of the Saturn system, including the rings and moons of Saturn along with images of the planet itself. Learners become familiar with the planet's system as they...

Looking for a terrific lesson on the phases of the moon that has lots of good worksheets? With two excellent websites are embedded in the plan, the activity is sure to spark some interest in your astronomy unit. Some common...

In this solar system worksheet, students determine the correct unit of measurement to use when measuring a list of items. Students list the five outer planets and four inner planets. This worksheet has 20 fill in the blank questions.