All about the Solar System Thematic Unit

1. Solar System
By: Grace Hege
Thematic Unit

2. The Importance of LanguageArts
Language Arts are fundamentally important because Language is used in every
area of study, and in every area of life. For this reason Incorporating language arts
into content areas is very useful. There are 6 main areas of language arts. These
include: reading, writing, speaking, viewing, listening, and visually representing.
Knowledge of these content areas is very important for students to learn. Practical
application of these content areas is important for students to develop. Guiding
students through a thematic unit while incorporating all the areas of language arts
helps them develop skill with language while learning about a certain theme in an
engaging way. When selecting literature for a themed unit it is important to include
informational and expository books to aid learning. As teachers we hand students
the tools to succeed with language arts and life.

3. Solar System Thematic Unit
Grade level: 2nd grade

4. 1. Take a trip to the library and
have each student chose a
book about the sun to read.
2. Have students take turns
(maybe in small groups)
reading the interactive book,
“Voyage Through Space”.
ReadingActivities
Our Sun
By: Ian Graham
Voyage Through Space
by: Ian Graham

5. WritingActivities
1. Each student fills out a work
sheet labeling the 8 planets.
2. Each student selects at least
one Planet they are interested
in and writes 5 facts they have
learned about it (continued in
speaking activities)

6. SpeakingActivities
1. Each student shares with the class 5 facts
they have learned about a specific planet.
(continuation of activity from writing activity)
2. Following a read-aloud by the teacher the
students talk about what interested them in
small groups. This could be done like a
think-pair-share.

7. Viewing Activities
1.View one of these YouTube videos,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1
Eh5BpSnBBwhttps://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=eGd7G92Gv00
2.View a slideshow that’s full of
pictures and intriguing facts about
the solar system.

8. ListeningActivities
1. Students listen as classmates
share 5 facts they have
learned about a specific
planet. (continuation of
activity from writing activity
and speaking activity)
2. The teacher reads aloud a
book about the moon.
The Moon
By: Robert Hitt Jr.

9. Visual RepresentationActivities
1. Have the students help to draw, color and cut out
planets and the sun to scale. Tape the sun and
planets to a string to represent their distance and
positions compared to the sun.
2. Using a large roll of paper represent a space ship,
adding details as desired, and make a story as a
class about a trip to the moon or a planet.

10. Math and ScienceActivities
1. Math activity: visual representation activity
#1 would include math concepts. The
teacher would explain how it incorporates
math.
2. This whole subject of the solar system is
a topic of science therefore viewing
videos about the solar system, as well as
many other of the included activities, is a
science activity.

11. Books For This Unit:
The Outer Planets
By: Francine Jackson
The Inner Planets
By: Amie Gallagher
The Moon
By: Robert Bitt Jr. Voyage Through Space
By: Ian Graham

12. More books:
Seeing Stars
By: Dandi Danley
Mackall
Asteroids and Comets
By: Ian Graham
Our Sun
By: Ian Graham

13. Personal Reflection
I have enjoyed putting this project together. The solar
system, astronomy and space have always been
among my favorite subjects so I'm exited about this
topic. The focus of language arts and its importance is
of growing interest to me. Learning about each of the
areas of language arts has been very useful and finding
supporting activities was a very good exercise. Over all
this has been a fun and very good project.
Grace Hege