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Science Lesson Plan
Planets of our Solar System
Grade Level: 3
Overview
Objectives
Standards
Materials
Procedure
In this lesson, students will be introduced to the nine planets in our solar system-their order, size, and characteristics. They will then apply their newly gained
knowledge by creating a flowchart which lists each planet, along with several
characteristics.
After learning about the planets in our solar system, students will create a flowchart
in which they will correctly identify at least three characteristics for each of the nine
planets.
3.6.3 Explain how a model of something is different from the real thing but can be
used to learn something about the real thing.
 Four visual sets of planets cut out of different colored construction paper
 Index cards with key characteristics of each planet
 Handout of Solar System Supper Ingredients
 Peppercorn
 Green Peas
 Mushroom
 Orange
 Walnut
 Cherry tomato
 Grapefruit
 Cabbage
 Lettuce
 Computer with access to Mindmeister
 Print out of Mindmeister mind maps
 Children’s Space Atlas
1. What is the order of the planets in our solar system? Ask students to arrange
in order. Correct order is: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, Neptune, Pluto.
2. Name key characteristics of each planet and how the sizes the planets
compare to each other.
 Earth- only planet to support life as we know it, third planet from the
Sun, made of rock and surrounded by a layer of gas called and
atmosphere.
 Jupiter- largest planet, has Great Red Spot, has twice as much mass as
all other planets put together.
 Mars- the red planet, most like the Earth, has two moons called
Deimos and Phobos.
 Mercury- closest to the Sun, has craters, has no atmosphere.
 Neptune- has an icy moon called Triton, bluish in color, great gas ball.
 Pluto- smallest planet, last to be discovered, has moon called Charon.
Science Lesson Plan
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Evaluation
Reference
Saturn- has thousands of rings and most satellites, second largest
planet.
 Uranus- spins on a nearly horizontal axis, made of gas and liquid gas,
tipped on its side when it travels.
 Venus-atmosphere of hot, swirling clouds of carbon dioxide, called
the Evening Star
Solar System Scale Model (Solar System Supper)- Discuss the order of the
planets from the sun. Introduce food items in the solar system supper
handout and talk about the size differences of the planets. Demonstrate the
size of the planets with the ingredients in the solar system supper. Let
students predict what food item will represent each planet. Ingredients are as
follows: Pluto- peppercorn, Mercury- green pea, Mars- mushroom, Venuswalnut, earth- cherry tomato, Neptune- orange, Uranus- grapefruit, Saturncabbage, Jupiter- lettuce
Review:
How many planets are there in the solar system? What are their names?
Students will then list planets on the chalkboard. Students will then complete
a word search worksheet to get more familiar with the names of the nine
planets.
In 4 groups of 5, students will be given a set of construction paper planets
with the names written on them. Then they will be asked to put the planets in
order from the closest to the sun, out.
Students will get back in groups and will be given two cards with key
characteristics of two planets. They will try to figure out what two planets
that they have.
As a class, discuss the correct answers.
Using the web application, Minmeister, students will create a flow chart which
correctly lists each of the nine planets in order, along with at least three
characteristics for each.
Adapted from:
http://www.eduref.org/cgibin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Science/Space_Sciences/SPA0026.html