Interactive
BBC

Bbc Schools: Ks2 Bitesize: Science: Physical Processes: Earth, Sun, and Moon

For Students 3rd - 5th
Help Sarah Jane and her team put the solar system's planets back in order. Following the activity, read more about the sun, the Earth, and its moon, and then take a quick quiz to check for understanding.
Online Course
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Open Course Ware: Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences: Solar System

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A university-level course that looks at the structure of the solar system, the sun, the planets, and other bodies in space. Includes course readings, assignments, and study notes.
Activity
National Geographic

National Geographic: Planetary Size and Distance Comparison

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students review the sizes of planets and their order relative to the Sun. They then learn about astronomical uses and create a model of the solar system that reflects planetary distances. Includes handouts and worksheets as well as a...
Website
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: Planet Earth

For Students 9th - 10th
A series of seven instructional, hour-long videos presenting Earth-science topics such as plate tectonics, oceans, climate changes, natural resources, the Sun, and the future of our planet. Closed captioning option provided for each video.
Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: All Planet Sizes

For Students 9th - 10th
This illustration from the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory shows the approximate sizes of the planets relative to each other. Note that the planets are not shown at appropriate distances from the Sun.
Unit Plan
Texas Education Agency

Texas Gateway: The Sun Is the Center of the Solar System

For Students 9th - 10th
See what you know about the solar system by taking this brief interactive quiz and learning module.
Website
Other

Sea and Sky: A Tour of the Solar System

For Students 9th - 10th
Take a virtual tour of the solar system starting with detailed information about the sun.
Article
American Institute of Biological Sciences

Action Bioscience: Looking for Life on Mars and Beyond

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn some of the characteristics of Mars. These characteristics lead some people to believe that life forms may be found on the fourth planet from the Sun.
Interactive
Wisc-Online

Wisc Online: Space Science: The Planets: Jupiter

For Students 9th - 10th
Answer questions about the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. Play along as you learn more about Juno and its mission to Jupiter.
Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Earth, Sun and Moon

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
[Free Registration/Login Required] In this unit children learn about the shapes and relative sizes of the Earth, Sun and Moon. Using models they learn how the three bodies move relative to each other and how these movements relate to...
Unit Plan
Wonderville Media

Wonderville: Planets

For Students K - 1st
There are eight planets in orbit around our Sun. These planets form our solar system. The eight planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. There are also rocks, moons, comets, and other objects going...
Website
NASA

Nasa Space Science Data Archive: Photo Gallery

For Students 9th - 10th
A website featuring a collection of images from NASA. Collection includes images of planets, comets, nebulae, galaxies, stars, sun, and spacecrafts.
PPT
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Scaled Images of the Solar System

For Students 6th - 8th
Use the following lithographs to envision the scale of our solar system. View different models of planets at different scales, an infographic about the relative sizes of the planets and distance from the sun, and images of the largest...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Investigating Ordering Planets: Math Connections & Number Sense in Science

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this Solar System Investigate, students will determine ways to order the planets. Teacher directed inquiry will suggest that they first order the planets according to their distance from the sun. Students will then work on their own...
Website
Enchanted Learning

Enchanted Learning: Zoom Astronomy: All About Space

For Students 3rd - 8th
A fantastic collection of information about the solar system. Includes information on all of the planets, the moon, the sun, asteroids, comets, meteoroids, and stars. Also find puzzles, a dictionary, quizzes, classroom activities, and...
Handout
Other

University of Leicester: The Solar System

For Students 9th - 10th
Resource explores the solar system, with an in depth discussion of each of the planets and their properties.
Website
Other

Spacetech's Orrery: Earth Our Home Planet

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides a very interesting overview of our home planet, Earth. Content includes a focus on the atmosphere, the pull of gravity, and the active surface.
Website
Nine Planets

The Eight Planets: Just for Kids

For Students 9th - 10th
Here is a clear, simple picture of the solar system. Click on the names of the planets to learn more about each. Clicking on underlined terms takes you to more and more detailed scientific information.
Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Astronomy and the Solar System

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart presents the layers of the Sun and the components of the solar system.
Website
Nine Planets

The Eight Planets: The Sun Solar Wind

For Students 9th - 10th
This Eight Planets site briefly describes solar wind, a low density stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun. It also provides the basics on the sun's composition and additional sun links.
Activity
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Planets Made Real: Creating Size and Distance Scale of Planets

For Teachers 6th - 8th
An activity where students build a scale model of the solar system based on a marble they pick from a bowl. After choosing a marble that represents Earth, students must calculate the size of the other planets and the sun. Site includes...
Lesson Plan
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

Ucar: The Sun Earth Connection: Sunspots and Climate

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Through graphing data and interpretation, young scholars learn about sunspots and their effect on the climate of our planet.
Graphic
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Link Between Arctic Sea Ice and Solar Radiation Absorbed

For Students 9th - 10th
The Arctic plays an important role in regulating Earth's climate. The region reflects much of the Sun's energy and helps keep the planet cool. Data collected by NASA have revealed that sea ice in the Arctic has steadily declined over the...
Website
Natural History Museum

Natural History Museum: Our Place in the Universe

For Students 9th - 10th
Part of a larger online exhibit on the moon and space, this site deals with one's place in the universe. The topics covered include the sun and solar system, the galaxy, and the universe.

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