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Activity
Education World

Every Day Edit - Pluto, the Dwarf Planet

For Students 3rd - 8th
In this everyday editing worksheet, students correct grammatical mistakes in a short paragraph about the planet Pluto. The errors range from punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Seeing a Dwarf Planet Clearly: Pluto

For Students 9th - 11th
For this dwarf planet worksheet, students use images from the Hubble Space Telescope and they determine the scale of the image, they identify the largest features in the images, they calculate the volume of Pluto and they create a model...
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Writing
Curated OER

Planet Pluto and Personification

For Students 5th - 6th
In this writing prompt worksheet students are asked to use personification in discussing the redefinition of "planet Pluto" to "dwarf planet." Students are asked to communicate the feelings of the planet as it pertains to its...
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Lesson Plan
Virginia Department of Education

Planet Line-Ups

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Should Pluto be considered a planet or a dwarf planet? Scholars research planets in our solar system to understand their similarities and differences. It also includes memory activities related to the order of the planets. 
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The Webb Space Telescope: Detecting Dwarf Planets

For Students 9th - 12th
In this detecting dwarf planets learning exercise, students read about the Webb Space Telescope that will be launched in 2014 to detect dwarf planets using an infrared telescope. Students solve 3 problems and create a graph for each...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Exploring Dwarf Planet Eris

For Students 8th - 10th
For this planet Eris worksheet, 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. Students define 7...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using a Graphic Organizer to Research a Question

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Is Pluto still a planet? Using this popular question, kids are introduced to graphic organizers as a writing tool. As a class, they watch a demonstration on how to use them and work together with a partner to research whether Pluto is a...
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Lesson Plan
University of Colorado

Looking Inside Planets

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Researchers use scientific data to understand what is inside each of the planets. The first in a series of six, this instructional activity builds off of that concept by having pupils use a data table to create their own scale models of...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Lab Activity: Model of the Planets

For Students 7th - 10th
This worksheet leads the class through the calculations needed to construct circles to represent the planets of our Solar System. The actual values are provided, as are suggested calculations to create the scale diameters. The ten...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ceres and Pluto: Dwarf Planets as a New Way of Thinking about an Old Solar System

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners examine the new categories of planets and how planets were reclassified.  In this solar system lesson students complete activities using Venn diagrams and images of planets. 
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Activity
Star Date

Astronomy Day from McDonald Observatory Solar System Scale Activity

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Add a visual aid to your solar system lessons. Enthusiastic astronomers create a model depicting the nine planets and their distance from the sun. 
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Handout
Mr. Hill's Science Website

Solar System Fact Sheet

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Here is a fantastic, educational handout packed with information and facts not only about the planets in our solar system, but also regarding major moons and their surface features, dwarf planets, comets, and asteroids. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar System and Planets

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students identify the main components of the solar system. For this earth science lesson, students order the planets according to their distances from the Sun. They differentiate planets from dwarf planets.
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PPT
Glynn County School System

Our Solar System: An Introductory Tour

For Students 6th - 12th
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...
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Worksheet
Simply Worksheets

Solar System - Missing Words

For Students 2nd - 4th
In this space science worksheet, students complete nine sentence fill-in's about the planets in the solar system. There is no word bank.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Planet Fractions and Scales

For Students 7th - 9th
In this planets and fractions worksheet, students solve nine problems about the sizes and scales of planets compared to each other using fractions.
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Lesson Plan
Journey Through the Universe

Our Solar System

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Take your class on a journey through our solar system. Learners explore each planet, from Mercury to Pluto, and discuss various features that differentiate one from another. They complete activities related to the topics and discuss the...
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PPT
Mr. E. Science

Our Solar System

For Students 7th - 8th Standards
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...
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Activity
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Center for Math and Science Education

Pocket Solar System

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
How in the world can something as big as the solar system possibly fit in your pocket? Complete this simple modeling activity and find out, as young scientists gain an appreciation for the incredible scale of outer space.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Pluto

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this planet science worksheet, students learn 6 facts about the planet Pluto. Students then read a short paragraph about the planet.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Reading Comprehension: Is Pluto a Planet?

For Students 2nd - 3rd
In this reading comprehension worksheet, students read a passage about Pluto, then complete a set of 5 multiple choice questions. An answer key is included as well as a reference web site for additional activities.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Categorizing Celestial Objects

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students work together to develop a classification system for planets. They take a class vote and read an article about an astronomer's classification system. They write an essay on how scientists make decisions for the general public.
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Lesson Plan
Journey Through the Universe

A Scale Model Solar System

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
Pacific Science Center

Worlds in Comparison

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Young astronomers follow a step-by-step procedure for dividing a lump of dough into parts, resulting in a scaled volume set of puny planets. Along with the printable directions is a template chart of planet names on which learners can...