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...
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Planet Discovery and Identification
Students explore the internet world of Second Life and create a portfolio about the planets in our solar system. In this planets lesson plan, students provide many facts about 1 specific planet.
Curated OER
Finding Out About the Stars and Planets
Young scholars complete a web-based activity to study the planets and solar system. Students complete a number of activities including a slide show that depict the true facts about planets.
Curated OER
Finding Extra-Solar Planets
Students plot and analyze NASA data to determine the period of an invisible planet orbiting a wobbling star. They explore the motion of a two-body system around a center of mass to better explain how extra-solar planets are discovered.
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Inner Planets
Students research characteristics of the planets and record their findings on Planet Web worksheet. They create fold paper to create a foldable booklet to display the information they discover about the planets.
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Planets for Sale
Student develop their technology skills. In this solar system lesson, 3rd graders create a movie featuring planets that they research. Students use flip video cameras to film commercials to market their planets.
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An Out-of-This-World Crossword Puzzle
An interactive web site allows students to create crossword puzzles online after researching planets and Sun in the Earth's solar system facts. They complete crossword puzzles created by classmates.
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The Toilet Paper Solar System
Explore the solar system with this lesson. Learners create a model of the solar system using toilet paper. With this creative approach, learners create a solar system according to distance and scale parameters, and write down a list of...
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Travel Brochure
Use the Internet to find facts about the planets. Cooperative groups design a travel brochure for a planet. They use a desktop publishing program to create the travel brochure.
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Graphing the Facts
Middle schoolers investigate the correlation between our planet's weather and solar activity. They analyze and discuss data regarding the solar activity cycle, graph annual precipitation and temperature averages over a period of 100...
Teach Engineering
Get Me Off This Planet
What do Newton's Laws have to do with getting from Earth to Mars?The activities in this resource show how Newton's Laws work with rockets to get them into space. Background information includes facts about orbits and how orbits...
Curated OER
100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet
Students examine the possible ways to recycle, reuse, and re-imagine products and objects in order to reduce pollution and waste on our planet. In this 100 things you can do to save the planet activity, students take three actions to...
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Discovering Our Planets
Fifth graders use a website to research the planets. They complete an activity sheet and discuss their planet facts. They demonstrate revolution and rotation.
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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.
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Space and Science Fiction
Use the Franklin Institute's exhibition "An Inquirer's Guide to the Universe" to have learners research ideas for a science fiction story. After completing their research, writers will compose science fiction stories that incorporate...
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Exploring Space Fact and Fiction Unit: Creating Space Fiction
Students create stories about imaginary planets.
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Earth Science
Students explore the planets and celestial bodies in our solar system. In this outer space lesson, students identify the planets and record journal information about them and other celestial bodies. Students define outer space words.
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KNOW YOUR PLACE IN SPACE
Students examine the positions of the nine planets in respect to our solar system and explain the unique characteristics of each planet.
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Online Planetary Tour
Young scholars develop an interactive presentation about the planets for their fictional interplanetary travel agency. They demonstrate their knowledge of internet research techniques and the Solar System through their interactive...
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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...
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Jupiter’s Relative Size
How do you properly illustrate the extreme size difference between two planets—Earth and Jupiter? With the help of jellybeans, of course! Create a scale model of Jupiter's mass compared to Earth using a fishbowl, 1,400 beans, and a...
Virginia Department of Education
Scientific Notation
Writing a number is all in the notation. The resource introduces the class to scientific notation. Pupils learn the process of taking a very large or small number in standard form and write it in scientific notation. To practice,...
Curated OER
Solar System Fun Facts
Students read facts about the Solar System. In this solar system lesson plan, students read facts on the dimensions, planets, and workings of the solar system. There is a big emphasis on Saturn.
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Planet Research
Students recognize that the other eight known planets, which revolve around the Sun, have characteristics and surface conditions that are different from Earth; and identify examples of those differences.