Teaching Themes
Solar System: Everything You Need
Lesson plans, interactive activities, and other resources to help students learn about and explore our solar system
 Lesson Plans, Extension Activities Making Models of the Solar SystemGrades: 1–2, 3–5 Students learn the positions of the planets in the solar system as well as relative distances and sizes through modeling. |
Lesson Plans, Extension Activities, Writing Activities Using a Graphic Organizer to Research a QuestionGrades: 1–2, 3–5 Offers a lesson plan in which students learn about the solar system and sharpen their research skills. Involves researching a question and... |
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Lesson Plans, Writing Activities The Earth: An Interdisciplinary UnitGrades: 6–8 This interdisciplinary curricular unit focuses on the geology of the Earth. It contains background information, a detailed glossary, fun earth... |
Lesson Plans, Book Resources Books for Teaching About the Solar SystemGrades: 1–2 Recommends books, videos, and web sites to help you teach the solar system. |
 Teaching Guides NASA: Challenging the Space Frontier Teacher's GuideGrades: 1–2, 3–5, 6–8 Lesson planning suggestions, cross curricular extensions, assessments, and more for teachers using the "NASA: Challenging the Space Frontier"... |
Articles The EarthGrades: 1–2, 3–5 How fast is the earth spinning and why can't we feel it spin? Astronomer Cathy Imhoff answers students'questions about the earth. |
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Articles The Inner PlanetsGrades: 1–2, 3–5 Learn about the four planets closest to the sun: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. |
Articles MarsGrades: 1–2, 3–5 What is the atmosphere like on Mars? Could a human breathe there? Astronomer Cathy Imhoff answers students'questions about Mars. |
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Articles MercuryGrades: 1–2, 3–5 Why does Mercury have such extreme temperature differences and Earth does not? Astronomer Cathy Imhoff answers students'questions about the planet... |
Articles All About the MoonGrades: 1–2, 3–5 How far is the moon from the Earth? Why does the moon change its shape (as in full, half, and quarter moon)? Astronomer Cathy Imhoff answers... |
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Articles NeptuneGrades: 1–2, 3–5 Learn about Neptune, the gas giant planet that is the eighth planet in our solar system. |
Articles The Outer PlanetsGrades: 1–2, 3–5 Learn about the outer planets of our solar system: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. |
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Articles PlanetsGrades: 1–2, 3–5 What was the first planet discovered? Who discovered it? What kind of equipment did they use? Astronomer Cathy Imhoff answers students'questions... |
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Articles SaturnGrades: 1–2, 3–5 How did Saturn get its rings? Astronomer Cathy Imhoff answers students'questions about planet Saturn. |
Articles The Solar SystemGrades: 1–2, 3–5 Find out about the planets, asteroids, comets, and other matter that orbit our star, the sun. |
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Articles The Solar SystemGrades: 6–8, 9–12 How big is the Milky Way? Why are the orbits of celestial bodies not circular? An astronomer answers students'questions. |
Articles The SunGrades: 6–8, 9–12 How much does the sun weigh? How do you measure how hot the sun is if you can't get that close to measure? An astronomer answers students'... |
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Articles UranusGrades: 6–8, 9–12 Why is Uranus so cold and why is it blue? An astronomer answers students'questions about the seventh planet from the sun. |
Articles History of AstronomyGrades: 6–8, 9–12 Features an article on the history of astronomy including the motion of planets and moons, characteristics of celestial bodies, and astronomy's... |
