1

Lesson
Title/Focus

Class #1: Solar system and planets

November 17th, 2016
60 minute period x 2

Course

Grade 6 Art

PROGRAM OF STUDY OUTCOMES

Component 7: Emphasis: Students will create emphasis through the use of structural
devices and strategies.
Component 8: Unity: Students will create unity by integrating the parts of a composition
into the whole.
Component 9: Craftsmanship: Students will perfect images through economical use of
material and efficiency of effort.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson students will be able to:
1. Follow directions and cut and colour 8 planets and sun
2. Draw 8 orbits around the sun and glue planets in appropriate spot
3. Arrange given materials into a whole image that accurately represents the solar system
MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
SMART Board
Example project already made
2 pieces of white 8.5x11 paper (x23 students)
1 piece of large black construction paper (x23 students)
Stencils of 8 planets and sun (9 stencils x each row of 5 students)
Package of oil pastels
Package of chalk
Scissors
Glue stick
PREPARATION AND LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Before class ask the classroom helper to distribute two pieces of white paper on each of
the students desk

PROCEDURE
Introduction
Write the plan on the board for the lesson:
1. Cut out sun and eight planets
2. Colour each planet with correct colour (leave picture of planets on
smart board for students to look at while colouring)
3. Check with teacher and receive black piece of paper
4. Glue sun in center of paper
5. Draw 8 orbits around the sun with chalk

Time

2
6. Glue one planet on each orbit
Explain the importance of colouring on white paper to not make the desk a
mess with oil pastels
Body
Planet order and
1) Whole class discussion: What is a solar system? How
names reviewed
many planets are there? Is the sun a planet?
2) Write 9 planets on the board:
Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, Neptune
3) Ask students what an acronym is and write the
acronym on the board: MVEMJSUN (My Very Eager
Mother Just Served Us Noodles)
4) Review what an orbit is and explain that the planets
will be orbiting around the sun
Colouring the
1) Show the class the example of finished project and
planets
explain what elements must be on the picture
2) Explain how to blend colours with finger and using
white piece of paper
3) Explain that each planet does not have to be a specific
colour but that it can be used as a guide (refer to
picture on SMART board of planets)
4) Hand out tracers to each row and have students start
to trace planets and cut out
Gluing the
planets and
drawing orbits

1) Once students have finished colouring all 8 planets

and the sun instruct students to put up hand to check
with teacher before being handed a black sheet of
paper
2) Pass out black paper to students who have completed
colouring planets
3) For students who are not done colouring planets help
them to finish and use correct colours
4) Instruct students who are done to glue the sun in the
middle first and then draw the 8 orbits with white chalk
5) Delineate that each planet will be glued on a different
orbit and it does not matter where on the page as long
as it is in order of acronym: My Very Eager Mother
Just Served Us Noodles

Time

5 min

20 min

20 min

3
Final touches

1) Once students have glued all 8 planets and the sun

and made the 8 orbits direct the students that they can
add stars and final touches

Conclusion
Remind students that each picture will be unique and to be creative with the
layout
Clean up: Instruct students to clean up their desk and write their names on
their poster with chalk

10 min

Time

5 minutes

Assessment
Check to make sure each students has all 8 planets and the sun coloured (Learning
objective #1)
Each student has 8 orbits and correctly glued planets in order (Learning objective #2)

Additional Notes:
Acronym: My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Noodles
Planets in order of largest to smallest:
Jupiter (69,911 km / 43,441 miles) 1,120% the size of Earth
Saturn (58,232 km / 36,184 miles) 945% the size of Earth
Uranus (25,362 km / 15,759 miles) 400% the size of Earth
Neptune (24,622 km / 15,299 miles) 388% the size of Earth
Earth (6,371 km / 3,959 miles)
Venus (6,052 km / 3,761 miles) 95% the size of Earth
Mars (3,390 km / 2,460 miles) 53% the size of Earth
Mercury (2,440 km / 1,516 miles) 38% the size of Earth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5bVZTpVxy4