Download Planetarium Field Guide 2015-2016 Third Grade

Robert Scott Pohl Planetarium
Third Grade Field Trip Guide
Third Grade
Teacher Guide
TEKS
3.8 Earth and space. The student knows there are recognizable patterns in the natural world
and among objects in the sky. The student is expected to:
D. identify the planets in Earth’s solar system and their position in relation to the Sun.
Vocabulary:
Planet
Star
Orbit
Rotation
Revolution
Important Ideas:
How many planets are there in our solar system? Is it eight or nine?
What is the difference between the Sun and the planets?
How are the inner planets different than the outer planets?
Program: “Nine Planets and Counting”
The program takes students on a tour to explore the many objects that populate our solar
system. The students will be able to examine each individual planet and move outside to see
where the Earth fits in the larger picture.
The Solar System
a. What are the two things the Sun provides our planet that make life on Earth possible?
a. Heat, light
Terrestrial Planets and Gas Giants
a. Terrestrial planets are those having rocky surfaces and cores made of iron, as Earth
does. The terrestrial or inner planets include the four planets nearest the sun:
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Craters are common on the surfaces of most of the
terrestrial planets.
b. Gas giants are the planets that have surfaces made of a kind of slush that forms from
their gaseous atmospheres. Although their surfaces are not solid there is evidence
that the gas giants have solid cores made up at least partly of iron.
Technology Links:
Astronomy demonstrations using paper plates: http://analyzer.depaul.edu/paperplate/
NASA Website: www.nasa.gov
Science Note booking: Please use the following page for student science notebooks ☺
Pre-visit Activity
I wonder, what do you think our solar system looks like? Can you draw a picture of our solar system?
Write down one thing you would like to learn about the solar system.
Post-visit Activity
Can you draw a picture of the Sun, the Earth and some other planets?
I wonder, can you tell us anything you learned about the solar system?