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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Explore Our Solar System

For Teachers 2nd - 4th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] This informational text passage shares facts about planets in the solar system. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills and strategies and establishes...
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Website
National Earth Science Teachers Association

Windows to the Universe: Our Solar System

For Students 9th - 10th
Our solar system is filled with a wide assortment of celestial bodies - the Sun itself, our eight planets, dwarf planets, and asteroids - and on Earth, life itself! The inner solar system is occasionally visited by comets that loop in...
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Website
Enchanted Learning

Enchanted Learning: The Planets

For Students 3rd - 5th
This survey of the planets includes all the basics, size, mass, atmosphere, length of day, and the like. It features interactive activities and learning exercises and compares all of the planets in colorful tables.
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Unit Plan
E-learning for Kids

E Learning for Kids: Science: Seychelles: What Is the Solar System?

For Students 2nd - 4th
In this lesson, students learn about the planets, their moons, asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets in our solar system.
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Handout
Cool Math

Coolmath: Science Monster: Introduction to Our Solar System

For Students 3rd - 8th
Find out about all the planets and other solar system characteristics in this colorful, illustrated tutorial on our neighborhood in space.
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Interactive
Soft Schools

Soft Schools: Space: Solar System Interactives

For Students 3rd - 8th
Identify the planets in our solar system and discover how much you weigh on another planet with these space interactives.
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Graphic
Other

All (Known) Bodies in Our Solar System Larger Than 200 Miles in Diameter

For Students 9th - 10th
How big is the Earth compared to the Sun? Is Mars bigger than the Moon? Seeing all bodies in the solar system larger than 200 miles in diameter side by side provides an excellent comparison and an interesting perspective.
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Activity
National Geographic

National Geographic: Educator Resources: Extreme Weather on Other Planets

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Find lesson plans, worksheets, photo galleries, and related links for teaching about the weather systems of planets in our solar system.
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: In Our Galaxy, Far, Far, Away

For Teachers 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about earth-like planets in other solar systems. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
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Unit Plan
NASA

Nasa: Solar System Exploration

For Students 9th - 10th
Enter our solar system to interact with the planets, moons, asteroids, meteors, and more. Investigate with NASA scientists and explore missions related to space exploration. Read facts, compare statistics, look through resources, and...
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Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Solar System!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
An introduction to our solar system: the planets, our Sun and our Moon. Students begin by learning the history and engineering of space travel. They make simple rockets to acquire a basic understanding Newton's third law of motion. They...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Solar System Scale Model

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Teach the concept of scale models and the size of the solar system through this extensive lesson plan. Students will learn about scale models, estimate which objects to use to create a scale model of Earth and Sun, and figure out how far...
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Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Know Your Neighbors: Researching the Planets

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners will study planets and moons in our solar system by working online and other resources. This activity has students working together to generate a spreadsheet of data found. Learners will use this information to describe why...
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Handout
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Earth Science: Formation of the Sun and Planets Study Guide

For Students 9th - 10th
Understand the formation of the sun and planets in our solar system.
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Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Solar System Quiz

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This is an assessment flipchart that explores the location of planets in our solar system.
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Website
California Institute of Technology

Spitzer Science Center: Historias Desde Espacio: Premiacion a Las Planetas

For Students 3rd - 8th
All the planets are competing to see who is the best planet in the Solar System. Read the story in Spanish to learn the results of the pageant. Excellent source of information presented in a fun manner.
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Handout
NASA

Nasa: Space Place: How Long Is One Day on Other Planets?

For Students 3rd - 7th
Here on Earth a day takes 24 hours. How long are days on other planets in our solar system? Find out here in three different ways, whichever meets your learning style the best.
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Website
NASA

Nasa: Sci Jinks: How's the Weather on Other Planets?

For Students 9th - 10th
Compare weather here on Earth to other planets and moons in our solar system. You will find many similarities and differences.
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Website
Extreme Science

Extreme Science: Space Science: Our Solar System

For Students 6th - 8th
Read about our solar system and its formation over 4.6 billion years ago. Find out about the planets, asteroids, meteors, satellites, and comets. More in-depth planet background can be accessed through links.
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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...
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Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History: Ology: Cosmic Cookies

For Students 3rd - 5th
Roll your mouse over the planets in our solar system to read a vignette about each. Then, link to the recipe for directions to create miniature planet cookies that look like the real thing.
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: If Earth No Longer Existed. . .

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students will work in cooperative groups to research characteristics of each of the planets in our solar system. Students will design a travel brochure outlining the characteristics of each planet. Each group will make an oral...
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Handout
NASA

Nasa Space Place: All About Neptune

For Students 3rd - 8th
Learn fascinating facts about Neptune, the last of the planets in our solar system.
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Website
Fourmilab Switzerland

John Walker: Solar System Live

For Students 9th - 10th
This planetarium program allows you to create an accurate model of the solar system with icons or pictures of each planet. You can specify a date in the past or the future, change the viewpoint to any latitude/longitude, and even view in...