Virginia Department of Education
Solar System Model
How many planets can you name? Did you get all 13 in our solar system, including the dwarf planets, or were you surprised when you read there are 13 planets? The lesson helps scholars understand the scale of the universe including the...
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
A Classroom Solar System
Create a scaled model of our solar system in your classroom! Scholars work collaboratively to build paper mache planets and hang them in their proper position to showcase each planet's location in the solar system.
Scholastic
Lesson One: The Earth, Background and Glossary
How much do you really know about our planet? Middle schoolers build up their prior knowledge about Earth, its placement in the solar system, its composition, and important geological vocabulary with an introductory earth science lesson.
Curated OER
What's "In" There: A Study of the Inner Planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
First graders identify and explore the four inner planets. In this planet science lesson, 1st graders watch a PowerPoint about the planets. Students read the book Our Solar System and discuss the inner planets. Students create a book...
Curated OER
A Trip To Outer Space: Planet Exchange
Students examine the different planets in outer space. Each class studies a different planet and creates a scavenger hunt for the other classes to explore that planet.
Glynn County School System
Our Solar System: An Introductory Tour
Take science lovers on an out-of-this-world tour of the solar system. A PowerPoint presentation gives a pictorial view of the planets of the solar system. Images highlight the unique features of each planet, and the final slides include...
Curated OER
What's "Out" There?
First graders investigate the five outer planets. In this space science lesson, 1st graders read the book Our Solar System and identify the five outer planets. Students create a booklet and write about outer planets.
Curated OER
Outer Space Circus
Students investigate the concept of other planets and conduct research using a variety of resources. They focus upon a planet and its gravitation, surface, and atmospheric conditions. The lesson plan contains specific steps for the...
Kelly's Kindergarten
Kelly's Kindergarten: Names of Planets
Need some helpful images for your astronomy unit? Check out a slide show that hosts several pictures of planets with their names.
Curated OER
Making Regolith
You may not be able to take a field trip to the moon, but that doesn't mean your class can't study moon rocks. Using graham crackers as the moon's bedrock and powdered donuts as micrometeorites, young scientists simulate...
Curated OER
Taking Outer Space to Cyber Space
Use the Internet, write an expository text, and have young scholars share their knowledge of the planets in our solar system. They compose an expository writing piece and publish it to a web page.
Mr. E. Science
The Earth in Space
Do you think Earth makes fun of other planets for having no life? The presentation covers the rotation and revolution of both the earth and our moon. It provides explanations for seasons, tides, and eclipses. Lesson is the 20th in a...
Mr. E. Science
Our Solar System
The presentation starts with the scientists who made discoveries about our solar system: Ptolemy, Copernicus, Galileo, Brahe, Kepler, and Newton. It also covers the planets, inner, outer, and Pluto, satellites, and an in-depth discussion...
Glynn County School System
Our Sun
The sun is responsible for almost 99 percent of the solar system's mass. As an essential part of our lives, the sun has many important features. A PowerPoint lesson presents information about features such as sunspots, the magnetic...
Curated OER
E.T., Are You Out There?
Research the necessary components of a planet that supports life after reading the article "All of a Sudden, The Neighborhood Looks a Lot Friendlier" from The New York Times. After finding their information, middle and high schoolers...
Curated OER
Digging the Earth's Crust
Students investigate the Earth's crust. In this geology lesson, students identify the materials made up of the Earth's crust and investigate the different kinds of soil.
Curated OER
Planets in Our Solar System
Second graders research climate and landforms on nine planets in our solar system, choose one planet to visit, gather information about their chosen planet's climate and landforms, and "invent" space suit that would enable them to...
Curated OER
The Drake Equation
Students use the Drake Equation to calculate the probability of sustaining life on various planets. Through the use of the equation, they determine whether intelligent and advanced civilizations can be developed on planets other than...
Curated OER
The Nine Planets
Sixth graders examine and investigate the solar system. They participate in a Webquest, and create a Powerpoint presentation that is meant to be a research guide to help alien visitors find a suitable habitat in the solar system.
Curated OER
A Model of the Sea-floor
Students create a paper model to illustrate sea-floor spreading.
Curated OER
What's This Solar System All About?
Sixth graders complete a unit of lessons on the solar system. In small groups, they participate in a Webquest, watch movies, complete graphic organizers, and answer questions, create a model of the planets, and develop a Powerpoint...
Curated OER
Destination Outer Space
Students investigate space travel. For this space travel lesson students examine space exploration history, engineers and scientists involved in space exploration, and Newton's third law of motion. Students make rockets.
Curated OER
Exploring the Planets
Sixth graders explore the planets through an interactive web site. In this astronomy based instructional activity, 6th graders compare planets, explore comets, and discover planet facts through a variety of activities provided by the...
Curated OER
Planet Vacation
For this planets worksheet, students fill out a chart where they fill in the distance each planet is from the Earth, and how much travel time in years and hours it would take to get there. Students do this for 8 planets.