Download For Space: Our Solar System and Beyond The Solar System Planets

DE Science Elementary
“5-Minute Prep” For
Space: Our Solar System and Beyond
The Solar System
Planets in Our Solar System
Planets in Our Solar System – The Big Ideas
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The solar system includes the sun and the objects
that orbit around it: the planet, moons, asteroids
and comets, and Kuiper belt objects.
Earth is one of eight planets that orbit the sun in
predictable paths called orbits.
From the ground, planets appear to change their
positions in the sky against the background of
stars.
The planets are roughly spherical in shape and
have nearly circular orbits.
Most planets have moons that are much smaller
than they are.
Planets in Our Solar System – The Big Ideas
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The inner planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and
Mars are small and mostly solid. The outer
planets of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
are large and made mostly of gases.
Between the inner and outer planets is a belt of
rocks called asteroids that orbit the sun.
Lying beyond the gas giants, the Kuiper belt
includes Pluto, Charon, and millions of other rocky
objects orbiting the sun.
Comets are icy gaseous objects that leave dust
trails when their orbits come near the sun.
Planets in Our Solar System – Prior Knowledge
Students probably will come with some general
background knowledge about many, but not all
of the planets. Students may know the names of
the planets, but will need instruction on what
these planets are composed of, and where they
are located in relation to the sun. It would be
helpful if students viewed the FUN-damental
Your Place In Space before beginning this unit.
In addition, it would help students if they:
– Have basic definitions of celestial objects.
– Have seen pictures of the planets.
– Know the order of the planets from the sun.
Planets in Our Solar System – Common Misconceptions
• Saturn is the only planet with rings.
– Reality: All of the giant planets in our solar system have rings:
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Jupiter's ring is thin and
dark, and cannot be seen from Earth. Saturn's rings are the most
magnificent. Uranus has nine dark rings around it. Neptune's rings
are also dark.
• Giant planets have solid surfaces.
– Reality: The giant planets are all made of gas.
• Planets move at the same speed.
– Reality: The speed of the planets varies. Each planet speeds up
when it is near the sun and travels more slowly when it is far from
the sun.
• Planets are in arranged in straight line.
– Reality: It is impossible for all the planets to form a straight line
out from the sun because each planetary orbit is tilted slightly.
Planets in Our Solar System –
Using DE Science Content
When you close this presentation, you can review the
following recommended resources for Planets in Our Solar
System.
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Exploration: Planets in Our Solar System
Virtual Lab: Is Anyone Out There?
E Book: Little Moons, Big Moons
Video: The Inner and Outer Planets
Use the PowerPoint version of this presentation for
hyperlinks to these resources or you can get to them
through the browser or search feature.
Planets in Our Solar System – Instructional Ideas
• As students watch the Video called The Inner and Outer
Planets, they are prompted to consider how the planets
are alike and how they are different.
– In addition, it would be a good idea to give the students a pack of
10 index cards on a ring.
– Each card will contain a planet’s name, with two additional cards
for extra information.
– As students learn about the planets, they can jot down notes and
facts on the cards.
• Students can read about the different moons in the
eBook Little Moons Big Moons. Ask students to calculate
the total number of moons in the entire solar system by
adding the number of known moons for each planet.
Planets in Our Solar System – Instructional Ideas
• In the Exploration, students can drag and drop each planet into
it’s correct place in the solar system.
– They will see animation of the movement of the solar system.
– They can also see up close images of the Asteroid belt and the
Kuiper belt.
– Finally, students can see what it looks like when a comet orbits the
sun.
– As the students are using the exploration, encourage them to use the
index cards they used from the video to add new information.
• In the Virtual Lab, students will study variables that determine
which planets can sustain life. As the students change variables,
they will record their results and come to a conclusion. At the end
of the activity, students can summarize by explaining which
factors or variable contributed to a high likelihood of life, and
which factors contributed to a low likelihood of life.
State standards:
If you wish to review your state standards about
Planets, click here to get to the curriculum
standards search feature of DES.
http://discoveryeducation.com/forward/curriculum.cfm
You can click on any standard to see what
resources are available to teach it.
Additional Information:
For additional content, check the Extend section
within the concept.