Intro to Planets

Lesson Preparation

I. Learning Objectives

1. Students will be able to identify the planets in the solar system and research a
planet assigned to them.
2. Students will be able to order the position of the planets from the sun.

II. Standards

a. PA Standards:
i. Standard - 3.3.4.B1
Identify planets in our solar system and their basic characteristics.
Describe the earth’s place in the solar system that includes the sun (a star),
planets, and many moons.

1. S4.D.3.1.1 Describe motions of the Sun - Earth - Moon system.

b. NCSS Standards:
i. People, Places, and Environments
1. Construct and use mental maps of locales, regions, and the world that
demonstrate understanding of relative location, direction, size, and shape.

c. 21st Century Standard:

i. Communicate Clearly. Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written
and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts.
ii. Apply Technology Effectively. Use technology as a tool to research, organize,
evaluate and communicate information

III. Academic Language

1. Solar: sun
2. Solar System: the collection of eight planets and their moons in orbit around the sun,
together with smaller bodies in the form of asteroids, meteoroids, and comets
3. Planet: large natural objects that orbit, or travel around, stars
4. Orbit: rotating around a center object in a circle or an oval, or flattened circle.
 5. Acronym: an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced
as a word

IV. Technology, Materials, Resources

1. basketball (Jupiter)
2. soccer ball (Saturn)
3. 2 softballs (Uranus, Neptune)
4. 2 Ping Pong balls (Earth, Venus)
5. 1 jacks ball (Mars)
6. 1 marble (Mercury)
7. “Planets” worksheet (24 copies)

Instructional Delivery

V. Anticipatory Set
a. The teacher will introduce the lesson by asking the class if anyone can name all eight
planets. After there have been multiple attempts, the teacher will write all eight planets
on the SMARTBoard.
b. The teacher will then ask the class if anyone can come up and number the planets in the
order they are from the sun. The teacher will allow a couple of attempts before moving
on.

VI. Instructional Activities

a. The teacher will tell the students that today they will be learning about the order of the
planets from the sun and how the planets move around the sun.
b. The teacher will instruct the students to each go get their iPads. The teacher will put the
students into eight groups. The groups will be made so that there is a range of ability
level in each group.
c. Each group will be given a planet to research. The groups will be given a worksheet with
questions to look up about their planet.
d. Once the students are given enough time to research their planet, the teacher will tell the
students to write the information they found on a large piece of construction paper with
markers. The groups will be able to create their “mini poster” however they want as long
as the name of their planet is large and at the top. The students will have 15 minutes to
research and create their posters.
e. Based on the last question on their worksheet, the teacher will ask each group to share
the acronym they came up with to remember the order of the planets. The teacher will
write each one on the SMARTBoard.
f. The students will then be asked to come up to the front of the room in their groups and
position themselves in the correct order that their planet is from the sun. Each group will
 share what they researched and learned about their planet and hold up their
construction paper.
g. The teacher will then lay out the various balls and tell each group to get a specific one.
The teacher will tell the students that the ball they have represents the size of their
planet.
h. The students will then model how each planet orbits the sun. The teacher will be the
sun.
i. Once each group has orbited the sun, everyone will go back to their original seats.
j. The class will then have a discussion about what they learned today and what orbit
means.

VII. Closure
a. Before the class can line up for lunch, they will complete an exit ticket. Each student will
write three new facts they learned about their planet and write all of the planets in order
on their notecard.
b. The teacher will ask a few students to share a fact that they learned about their planet.
c. The teacher will introduce to the students that they will be researching a space explorer
tomorrow in class and writing a biography on he/she. The teacher will pull student sticks
and have them come up and chose a space explorer from the list. They will write their
person down in their notebook, so they don’t forget.
d. They will then hand their notecard to the teacher as a form of a formative assessment
and line up for lunch.

Meeting All Learners

VIII. Differentiation
a. Multiple intelligences are being met in throughout this lesson:
i. Linguistic student’s needs are being met by allowing the students to research
and read about planets on various websites. Students then record their answers
to specific questions on their worksheet.
ii. Interpersonal student’s needs are being met by allowing students to work in
groups as they research a planet assigned to them and come up with an
acronym that helps them remember the order of the planets. They get to interact
with one another to help them learn.
iii. Bodily-kinesthetic students needs are being met by having the students
physically get up in the front of the class and putting themselves in the spot/order
that their planet is in the solar system and orbiting around the “sun” like their
planet would.
b. The groups for this lesson are heterogeneously grouped by achievement level. Students
of all academic ability are represented in each group, so the group has mixed abilities.
IX. Accommodations
a. Students with an IEP/504 will be placed in a group with students of higher academic
ability and who are especially patient and understanding. The student with the IEP/504
will be placed in a group that will explain what the process of the assignment is.

X. Modifications
a. Students with an IEP/504 will only be required to write 1-2 facts that they learned about
their planet on their exit ticket rather than 3.

Meeting Objectives

XI. Assessments
a. The “Planets” worksheet will serve as an informal formative assessment as to whether or
not students can research and gather information on a planet in the solar system that
was assigned to them and record their answers on the worksheet. (Objective 1)
b. The exit ticket will serve as a formal assessment to see whether or not students can
independently write down three facts they have learned about the planet assigned to
them and correctly write down the order of the planets. (Objective 2)

PLANETS

Name: _________________ Date:______________

1. What is the name of your planet?

2. What is the position of your planet?

3. How large is your planet?

4. How far away from the sun is your planet?

5. What does orbit mean?

6. How long does your planet take to orbit around the sun?

7. Draw a sketch of your planet.

8. What is an acronym that your group has come up with to help you remember the order
of the planets?