Download Artifact # 2, The Solar System

The Solar System
What’s out there!
Telescopes

These are the kind of instruments used to
discover our galaxy before satellite
imaging was available. The first telescope
capable of seeing beyond our moon was
built in 1609, by Galileo Galilei.
Where today’s pictures come from.
Satellites have been able to reach all of the
planets except Pluto. Without this technology,
we would not have the pictures or facts that we
enjoy today, about our solar system.
Mercury
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Closet Planet to the Sun
and one of the hardest to
observe because it hides
in the Sun’s glare.
It’s temperature is about
800 degrees Fahrenheit
and is the 8th largest
planet.
Visited by only one space
craft, the Mariner 10, in
1974 and 1975.
Credit: Astrogeology Team, U.S. Geological Survey
Venus
Venus is the 3rd
brightest object in
the sky. Often called
the Morning Star.
 It is slightly smaller
than Earth with a
thick cloud cover.
 The clouds rise the
temperature to 800
degrees Fahrenheit.

Earth
The 3rd Planet from the
Sun.
 The 5th Largest planet.
 It’s 71% covered by
water and the only planet
believed to have liquid
water.
 It has 1 natural satellite
the moon.

Our Moon

The moon is the only natural
satellite of Earth.

First visited by Soviet
Spacecraft Luna 2 in 1959.

It is the second brightest
object in our sky besides the
Sun.

It’s the 4th planet from
the sun and the 7th
largest.

It’s temperature
ranges from -67
degrees to 80 degrees
Fahrenheit.

As of 2004, there are
Mars Expedition
Rovers gathering
data on the surface of
the planet.

A rocky planet that is
cold and lifeless.
Mars
Jupiter
Jupiter is the 5th planet
from the Sun and the
largest.
 It’s massive size is more
than twice all the
planets combined.
 It has 16 satellites.
 It is a gaseous planet.

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This is one of
Jupiter’s moons.
What makes it
interesting is the
active volcanoes
present.
Io is slightly
larger than earth.
Io, Earth and
Venus are the
only planets or
moons that have
active volcanoes.
Io
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It’s the 6th planet from
the sun and the 2nd
largest.
It’s a gaseous planet
like Jupiter.
Saturn is visibly
flattened (oblate) from
it’s rapid rotation and
fluid state.
The rings are
composed of water
ice and rocky
material.
It has 18 moons.
Saturn
Uranus

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

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It’s the 7th planet from
the Sun and the 3rd
largest.
It is -300 degrees
Fahrenheit. Very cold!
It has 15 satellites.
It also has rings like
the other gaseous
planets.
The rings are made of
large particles and
dust.
Neptune

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It’s the 8th planet from the Sun
and the 4th largest.
It’s a gaseous planet with rings
and has a curious twisted
structure inside of one. The
content of the rings is unknown.
It has the fastest winds in our
solar system reaching
2000/km/hour.
The temperature is -391
Fahrenheit which is as cold as
Pluto.
Pluto
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The 9th planet from the sun.
We know very little about this
planet because it has not been
visited by a spacecraft yet.
It is smaller than 7 of the solar
system’s moons.
Some think it could be an
asteroid or comet and not a
planet.
Quiz
1-
Which planet is twice
the size of all the
planets in our solar
system combined?
2-
Which planet has the
highest speed of
winds?
7- Which is the closest
planet to the Sun?
3-
Which planet is covered
with clouds that rise the
temperature to 800-900
degrees Fahrenheit?
8- Which planet has an
oblate shape with
very visible rings?
4-
Which planet is the 7th
and 3rd largest?
9-
5-
Which planet is 71%
water?
6- Which planet has
expedition rovers
data on it’s surface?
Which planet does
people call a comet
or asteroid?
Student Links
Links to more information or activities:
Teacher’s Page
Note:
1.
This Power Point Presentation can be used only as
an introduction for your Solar System lesson by
using slides 1-14.
2.
Or, you can use slides 1-15, which includes a short
quiz to determine classroom comprehension.
3.
For individual student use, you can have them use
all slides and hide the Teacher’s Page. This allows
for discovery learning with more sites on the
Student Links slide.
4.
Remember to hide the Teacher’s Page for
classroom viewing.
Answers to Quiz: 1-Jupiter, 2-Neptune, 3-Venus, 4Uranus, 5-Earth, 6-Mars, 7-Mercury, 8-Saturn, 9Pluto.
Credits
Reference Links
Bill Arnett :For the use of his sites for educational
use which are listed below:
 www.nineplanets.org
 www.kids.nineplanets.org
 www.Bill.nineplanets.org
NASA: For the pictures used of the planets
included in the above websites.
Standards and Indicators

II-A: Teachers design developmentally appropriate learning opportunities
that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies to support the
diverse needs of learners. Rationale-Allows for group learning and singular
learning.

II-B: Teachers apply current research on teaching and learning with
technology when planning learning environments and experiences.
Rationale-Use of curriculum for K-4 knowledge of objects in our ski with the
latest information available form NASA, satellites available. This use of
technology puts everything together for a visual experience and discovery
based experience. IV-A

IV-A: Teachers apply technology in assessing student learning of subject
matter using a variety of assessment techniques. RationaleThis assignment allows for classroom discussion to evaluate
comprehension and the use of a quiz that can be taken and evaluated on
individual comprehension of the material presented.