Objective:
Students will learn about the solar system and know the names of the eight planets and their sequence.
st
Arkansas State Standards Addressed:
English Language Arts
RI.1.2
Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
Science
ESS.10.1.1
Illustrate the sequence of planets in the solar system.
Learning Goals:
Students will…
Understand that the Earth is part of a solar system made up of eight planets and the Sun
Know
The names of the eight planets and their sequence
Do
Create two models of the solar system
Materials Needed:
 Planet Name Game by Tish Rabe; illustrated by Tom Brannon. [ENF 523.4 RAB] o Any other book that lists and discusses the planets in order could be substituted.
 Copy of the Solar System picture cards (Sun, Moon, and Planet cards only). PDF included; originally found: http://researchparent.com/solar-system-cards/
 Our Solar System cut-and-paste worksheet. PDF included; originally found: http://homeschoolclipart.com/science/solar-system-clipart/
 Scissors and glue sticks (one for each child)
Procedures:
 Before reading, show students a picture of our solar system. Ask them: What is this a picture of?
Do you know what the objects in the picture are? (The Sun, planets, etc.) Point out Earth and tell students that this is the planet we live on. Explain that Earth is one of eight planets in our solar system. These plants orbit (or move in a circle around) the Sun.
 Read Planet Name Game to students. Starting at page 24, prompt students to see if they can remember which planet comes next in the order.
 After reading, use the solar system picture cards to review with students the order of the planets. Show the students each picture and share a fact or two about each planet.
 Next, select 10 students as volunteers to create a “life-size” model of the solar system. Give eight students a planet card, and two students the Sun and Moon card, respectively. Have the rest of the class help put the students in order. If time, select a different 10 students to create the model to allow more students to participate. Balls of varying sizes could also be

added to this model to help students visualize the scale of the planets (i.e., a beach ball for
Jupiter, a marble for Mercury, etc.)
 Once finished, place each picture card in order on a white board or bulletin board, where students can see and refer back to them.
 Students will then color, cut, and paste the Our Solar System worksheet, placing the planet words in order.
 This could be extended to a multi-day lesson with a focus on one planet each day. This extension could allow focus on informational writing skills as well as on measurement and data representation frameworks.
Explore Space Exhibit Information:
Explore Space: A Cosmic Journey, a traveling exhibition for libraries, is part of the STAR Library Education Network (STAR_Net) led by the
National Center for Interactive Learning at the Space Science Institute. Exhibit partners include the American Library Association, the Lunar and Planetary Institute, and Afterschool Alliance. Explore Space is supported through a grant from the National Science Foundation.
405 S. Main St. Bentonville, AR| www.bentonvillelibrary.org | 479.271.3192 | spekel@bentonvillear.com

Solar System Cards
ResearchParent.com

Solar System Cards
ResearchParent.com

Solar System Cards
ResearchParent.com

Solar System Cards
ResearchParent.com

Solar System Cards
ResearchParent.com

Solar System Cards
ResearchParent.com

Solar System Cards
Our Solar System by NASA - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=19046
A Handle on the Sun by Science@NASA - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=106
Mercury Globe by NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie
Institution of Washington - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=19427
Computer-Simulated Global View of Venus by NASA/JPL - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=6183
Earth by NASA - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=9643
Lunar Nearside by NASA - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=17427
Hubble Snaps Mars by STScl – https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=124
Ceres by NASA/ESA/SWRI/Cornell University/University of Maryland/STSci - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=10723
Jupiter Globe by NASA/JPL/University of Arizona - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=9523
True Saturn by NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=8983
Uranus Composite Ring Image by W. M. Keck Observatory (Marcos van Dam)- https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=15384
Neptune by NASA - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=15663
Pluto: Natural Color by NASA/JHUAPL/SWRI - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=20310
Haumea by NASA - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=10784
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Solar System Cards
Makemake by Princeton University – https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=10804
Eris and Dysnomia by Caltech - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=10024
"Terrestrial planet sizes" by NASAMercury image: JHUAPLVenus image: JPLMars image: HST -
Mercury Globe-MESSENGER mosaic centered at 0degN-0degE.jpgVenus globe.jpgThe Earth seen from Apollo 17.jpgMars 23 aug 2003 hubble.jpg. Licensed under Public Domain via
Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Terrestrial_planet_sizes.jpg#/media/File:Terrestrial_plane t_sizes.jpg
"Gas giants and the Sun (1 px = 1000 km)" by Urhixidur, successive modification by Jrockley -
Image prepared by myself from NSSDC (National Space Science Data Center) images. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gas_giants_and_the_Sun_(1_px_%3D_1000_km).jpg#/m edia/File:Gas_giants_and_the_Sun_(1_px_%3D_1000_km).jpg
Infographic: Dwarf Planet Size Comparison by NASA - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=10197
Eros’ Northern Hemisphere by NASA/JPL/JHUAPL - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=19346
Quadrantid Fireball by Jimmy Westlake - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=17587
Comet Halley by ESA/Max-Planck-Institute for Solar System Research - https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/multimedia/display.cfm?Category=Planets&IM_ID=16967
"InnerSolarSystem-en" by Mdf at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons..
Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:InnerSolarSystem-en.png#/media/File:InnerSolarSystemen.png
"Kuiper belt plot objects of outer solar system" by WilyD at English Wikipedia. Licensed under CC
BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kuiper_belt_plot_objects_of_outer_solar_system.png#/ media/File:Kuiper_belt_plot_objects_of_outer_solar_system.png
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