Activity/Project Title: Solar System

Subject Area: Science Grade Level: 5th

Lesson Length/Number of Sessions: 5-10 one-hour lessons

Content (Concept/Understanding or Skill/Ability): Each planet in our solar

system is unique; other elements of our solar system include the Sun, the Moon,

asteroids, meteors, comets, etc.

Prerequisites: Basics of Google Sky and Google Docs

http://earth.google.com/ig/directory?synd=earth&pid=earth&cat=sky

State Standards addressed: 5.5 The solar system consists of planets and other
bodies

that orbit the Sun in predictable paths. As a basis for understanding this concept:

a. Students know the Sun, an average star, is the central and largest body in the
solar

system and is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. b. Students know the
solar

system includes the planet Earth, the Moon, the Sun, eight other planets and their

satellites, and smaller objects, such as asteroids and comets. c. Students know the
path of

a planet around the Sun is due to the gravitational attraction between the Sun and
the

planet.

NETS*S (National Educational Technology Standards*Students): 1b, 1c, 2a,

2b, 2d, 3a, 3b, 3d, 4a, 4b, 4c, 5b, 6b

Instructional Goals & Objectives:

•Name the planets of the Solar System and know basic characteristics that make
each one different from the other.
•Conduct research on one of the planets.
•Give a class presentation about one of the planets.
•Learn about some of the celestial objects in the sky and be able to find/recognize
them in Google Sky.
•Identify the physical properties (color, temperature, etc.) of the Sun and other solar
bodies.
•Define the terms: rotate, revolve, and orbit.
•Graph or record information collected.
•Locate and identify constellations.
•Strengthen the skills of visual perception, observation, and recording.

Description of Activity/Procedure (Introduction – Direct Instruction –

Guided Practice/Check for Understanding – Independent Practice –
Closure):
•Use the KWL Graphic Organizer - In groups of 3 or 4 students brainstorm prior
knowledge on space and the solar system - "What do I know about space and the
solar system?" "What do I want to find out about space and the solar system?" Come
back to the whole group and gather their ideas.
•Plan a field trip to a nearby planetarium or observatory (De Anza Community
College has a great planetarium.)
•Introduce Google Sky. In the sidebar turn on Imagery and Welcome to Sky by
clicking in the boxes. Click on Welcome to Sky and choose either Getting to Know
Sky or Touring Sky.
•Make a model of the solar system. Check out this website for lots of help.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/solar_system/
•If you use learning centers, here are some ideas. Or you can do any of these as a
class activity.
★ Create a planet advertisement and persuade people to visit your planet.
★ Postcards From The Field – send postcards from your planets.
Use Windows to the Universe: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/ Postcards From the
Field as your model. Include an image, a message, and your name.
★From a list of occupations decide which people should be among the first on your
planet OR generate a list of things you would take with you on a trip into outer
space. Prioritize occupations/supplies.
★Research center (must have computers with Internet capabilities) - Create a
Google Docs Presentation about the Solar System.
★Create cards with key characteristics of the planets. Exchange with other students
who have to identify the planets using the characteristics on the cards.
★Create a Solar System Jeopardy Game – divide the class into 5 groups, give each
group one category: sun and moon, planets, dwarf planets, constellations, and
asteroids, comets, meteors, etc.
★North Polar Constellations Activity - See this website for ideas.
http://www.eduref.org/cgi-
bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Science/Astronomy/AST0004.html
★Create a catchy phrase to remember the order of the planets. Mercury, Venus,
Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune (My very energetic mother juggled
seven unpeeled nectarines.)
★Create a set of construction paper planets with the names written on them;
students put the planets in order from the closest to the sun on out.
★Complete a word search to become familiar with the names of the planets and
other things in our solar system. Create your own or use one of these.
http://homeschooling.about.com/od/freeprintables/ss/solarsysprint.htm
http://members.aol.com/lisajg5222/space/solarsystemsearch.html
http://bogglesworldesl.com/solarsystem_worksheets.htm
★Use various food items to talk about the size differences of the planets. Have
students predict which item represents each planet. Discuss what size the Sun would
need to be proportionally.
Jupiter (1) = lettuce, Saturn (2) = cabbage, Uranus (3) = grapefruit, Neptune (4) =
orange, Earth (5) = radish, Venus (6) = cherry tomato, Mars (7) = brussel sprout,
Mercury (8) = pea
Depending on the size of the various foods you find in the store, you may need to
reorganize this list. Consider using things like nuts or candies.

Materials/Equipment Needed:
•Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
•A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle
•Computers with Internet access and Google Earth downloaded.
•Laptop computer hooked up to a projector and a computer lab or laptop cart.

Research Links:
Lesson Plans and Activities
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/teacher_resources/main/activity.html&edu
=mid

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/

http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/
http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html

http://www.proteacher.com/cgi-bin/outsidesite.cgi?
id=23&external=http://www.nineplanets.org/&original=http://www.proteacher.com/
110066.shtml&title=The%20Nine%20Planets

http://www.allaboutspace.com/subjects/astronomy/

http://science.msfc.nasa.gov/

http://starryskies.com/

http://www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/space/index.html

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/solar_system.htm
l

Space the Final Frontier Lesson Ideas

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson212.shtml

Mission to Mars Lesson Ideas

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson003.shtml

Lesson Idea
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/techlp/techlp038.shtml

Video Links:

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Solar+System&hl=en&emb=0#

http://www.avantgravity.com/3d_solar_system.html

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Solar+System&hl=en&emb=0#q=Solar
%20System&hl=en&emb=0&start=10

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Solar+System&hl=en&emb=0#

Asteroids, comets, meteors

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Solar+System&hl=en&emb=0#

Assessment/Evaluation:
•Can name all the planets and place them in their correct order.
•Accuracy of information included in the various projects.
•Planet advertisement is creative and accurate.
•Postcards From the Field will be assessed on creativity and correctness of postcard
form.
•Grading Rubric for Multimedia Presentation
•Participation in group discussions.

Follow-up Activities/Next Steps/Future Lessons:

•Draw the phases of the moon
http://tycho.usno.navy.mil/vphase.html
•Colonization of Mars Unit
http://www.proteacher.com/cgi-bin/outsidesite.cgi?
id=9944&external=http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/1804/page4.html&ori
ginal=http://www.proteacher.com/110066.shtml&title=The%20Colonization%20of
%20Mars%20Unit
•More lesson ideas
http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/Science/Space_Sciences/SPA0007.html

Contributor:
Donna Axelson
Cupertino, CA

Additional Resources:
Creating a Presentation in Google Docs.

A Google Docs Presentation is made up of slides. Each slide is a separate screen or

page. A finished presentation with numerous slides is called a deck.

Each slide should have:

• A title
• An illustration
• Text (phrases not sentences)

Your slides will have bullets to help with your spoken presentation, so the text is
short and to the point. Remember the Rule of Sixes.
* No more than 6 bullets per page
* No more than 6 words per bullet
* 6 slides with the same theme

You can find pictures for your slides using Google Images.
• Click the images link on the top left of the Google search box.
• Type in what you want a picture of and press Google Search.
• Click the picture you want several times until you get the full-size image.
• Mac - Control-click the image. PC – Right Click the image
When a dialog box comes up choose Save image as . . .
• Save into your activity folder and insert it into your document later.

Add a theme or a little color (not too much) so the pages have eye appeal.

Check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

After you save your presentation, ask a classmate to check that your presentation
makes sense.

Practice your presentation.

Share your presentation with your class.

What to Include in Your Google Docs Presentation

A Google Docs Presentation is made up of slides. Each slide is a separate screen or

page. A finished presentation with numerous slides is called a deck.

Ideas for your slide.

•Map showing the location of your planet or object (Use Google Sky)
•What is unique/unusual/special about your planet or object?
•What is the weather like here at various times of the year?
•Fun Facts

Does the slide have eye appeal?

Check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
After you save your slide, ask a classmate to check that your presentation makes
sense.
Practice your presentation.
Share your presentation with the class.

Example of a slide.