Solar System Lessons
At the website A to Z Teach Stuff, look for Astronomy - Surfing Through the Solar System. This is a complete unit for 3rd grade Solar System Exploration. The standards are for Arkansas but could be reworked for CA.
As The World Turns: a role playing activity demonstrating the motions of Earth as it revolves around the Sun. (Grade 3) CA Earth Science Standards 4d,e.
The Universe at Your Fingertips Activities: C-1, C-4, C-10, C-11 (Grades 3-9) is a resource notebook prepared by the Astronomy Society of the Pacific and is part of Project ASTRO. You can order the resource notebook from the website. The lessons are very good and are inquiry in nature.
Inner and Outer Planets
(Grade 5); CA Earth Science Standard 5b
This is a review activity where students drag images of planets into their correct order and classifying the planets according to their location in the Solar System. Uses Kidspiration or Inspiration software.
Lesson Objectives
- Students will differentiate between the inner and outer planets by dragging images of the planets into the correct super grouper.
- Students will order the images of the planets from closest to furthest from the Sun in the super grouper.
- Students will write one short paragraph about each planet that includes at least two facts about the planet.
Lesson: Kidspiration Version
