This lesson plan teaches students about the Solar System through an engaging interactive activity. Students will represent different planets and stand in a large outdoor area to demonstrate the vast scale of the Solar System. The activity uses objects like balls and nuts to represent planets from the Sun to Pluto. Students will learn interesting facts about each planet as they place their object in order. The hands-on approach allows students to experience the inconceivable distances between planets in our Solar System.

1. Ana Perez
Vanessa Garcia
Cindy Alvarez
Eva Jacinto
Solar System Lesson Plan
Grade: K-12 appropriate
Content Area: Science and Geography
Subject: The Solar System
Content Standards
Earth Sciences
The solar system consists of planets and other bodies that orbit the Sun
in predictable paths. As a basis for understanding this concept:
o Students know the Sun, an average star, is the central and largest
body in the solar system and is composed primarily of hydrogen
and helium.
o b. Students know the solar system includes the planet Earth, the
Moon, the Sun, eight other planets and their satellites, and
smaller objects, such as asteroids and comets.
Content Objectives
To help students obtain a clear understanding of the size of the sun and the other planets
in our solar system. Help students grasp the concept of the vastness of our universe.
Student Objectives
Engaging students to be excited and in awe of the huge world we live in!
Teaching basic concepts of measurement and distance (inches, yards, miles)
Strengthening knowledge of planets in the solar system
Increasing understanding of size of the sun and other planets
Learning the scale of the solar system
Encouraging children to explore the universe on their own.
Materials
Sun – Inflatable Ball / bowling ball size
Mercury -a pinhead
Venus - a peppercorn
Earth- a second peppercorn
Mars -a second pinhead

2. Jupiter – a chestnut or a pecan
Saturn – a hazelnut or an acorn
Uranus – a peanut or coffee bean
Neptune a second peanut or coffee bean
Pluto - a third pinhead/ or smaller item
Pieces of paper or cards to pin/place planets on
Label each piece of paper with the name of the planets
The pinheads will need to be pinned to labeled cards or paper to make them visible.
Find space near the school where you can walk one thousand yards.
Questions
Does anyone know what makes up our solar system?
Who can tell me what is the biggest planet?
Does anyone know how far it is from the Sun to the Earth?
Who knows something really interesting about the solar system that you want to share
with the class?
o Teacher Information to share
o From the Sun to the Earth is about 93,000,000 (93 million) miles.
o The average distance from the Sun to Pluto is much larger, about 40 times the
distance from the Sun to the Earth.
o The Sun to the Plutoid Pluto distance is typically referred to as 3.7 BILLION.
 To give you a sense for how far this is, imagine you are driving to Pluto
on the highway at the speed of 60 miles per hour; it is going take you
about 7 thousand years to reach your destination!
Instruction
Put the objects out on a table and place them in a row. Explain to the class that these
objects will be used to create your class model of the solar system.
o Remind class about previous lessons in which we learned about the size of the
planets and their order. Remind the class about the mnemonics we have learned.
Before you leave, distribute the Sun, the planets, and the labeled paper to members of the
class. Make sure that each student knows the name of the object he or she is carrying. As
this model calls for participation from eleven students, you’ll want to pair up students and
assign a planet to more than one child.
Take 10 paces. Call out “Mercury, where are you?” and have the Mercury person put
down his/her card and pinhead.
Take another 9 paces. Ask Venus to put down her peppercorn. At this point you may
want to take out the megaphone so everyone can hear you. This is not essential but it may
place less strain on your vocal chords.
Take another 7 paces. It’s Earth’s turn.
o Ask the class if they notice anything amazing so far? Point out that Mercury is so
close to the sun but we never see it. It is like a scorched rock and it is lost in space.
And as for the distance between Earth and the Sun, can you believe that it warms us
so well and we are so far from it?

3. Take another 14 paces. Mars.
Take 95 paces from there to Jupiter.
o As you or the Pace Explorer is taking paces, continually ask the class questions such
as “Who knows an interesting fact about Jupiter?” What is so amazing about this?
Point out that Jupiter is so large that you could fit all the other planets inside it. And
in our model it is just a chestnut, more than a city block from its nearest neighbor in
space!
Another 112 paces. Saturn
Another 249 paces. Uranus
Another 281 paces. Neptune
Another 242 paces. Plutoid, Pluto
“What observations they have about the model?
o Point out that the sun ball is no longer visible even with binoculars from the pinhead
Pluto. The inconceivable size and wonder of space may now start to set in.
Extension of Activity
Moon
An early target for spacecraft and astronauts. It is very unearthlike - no air,
no water, no active volcanoes. As such it preserves its ancient geological
record much better than Earth.
Sun
The central mass which holds the Solar System together and provides us with warmth and
light. The sun, a fairly average star, produces power by converting hydrogen to helium. It
will do so for several billion years more, gradually becoming warmer.
Earth
Earth is the only planet known to support life.
Mars
Planet Mars is the 4th planet from the Sun, and is named after the Roman god of war;
perhaps for its red coloring. It is intermediate in geological development between Earth
and the Moon. It has had water on its surface in the past, though now all water is frozen.
Venus
Venus was named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, but is now known to be
very different from Earth. It has no oceans and is surrounded by a heavy atmosphere
Mercury
Mercury was named by the Romans after the fleet-footed messenger of the gods because
it seemed to move more quickly than any other planet
Jupiter
the largest planet in the Solar System.[9][10] It is the fifth planet from the Sun. Jupiter is
classified as a gas giant, because it is so large, and is made up mostly of gas.
Saturn
The sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System,
Evaluation
By observing that each person is interacting in the solar system you are able to observe
that each child is engaging. By having each child answer questions about the planet they
represent the class is able to learn and their comprehension is evaluated.

4. Follow- Up Activity
Ask student pairs to write up fun facts on their planet cards about the planet they
represent. Have them share their facts and see who can guess which planet they are.
Do the walk once more from the Sun to Pluto and then immediately in reverse, starting
with Pluto. This will help reinforce the concept of the scale of the solar system through
repetition.
Description of lesson plan: Student will learn how to locate the planets in order. They will also
get an idea of how far apart they are from each other. Another thing will be students will get an
idea of a relevant size of each planet. Students will understand why Pluto is not a planet any
more.
Description of how geography is used in the lesson plan:
Geography is included in this lesson plan because students will learn about The Solar System -
the sun and all things bound to it - is our neighborhood in space. Previously the object of only
astronomical study, it is now accessible to human endeavors, at least in its nearest parts. This is a
Geography course, and it would be thought of it in geographical terms: places, resources,
hazards, etc. The Solar System would be briefly discussed in astronomical terms. Students will
also get an idea of how each planet got is name.
Mnemonic Refresher
My = Mercury
Very = Venus

5. Easy = Earth
Method = Mars
Just= Jupiter
Speeds = Saturn
Up = Uranus
Names = Neptune
Mercury
1. Mercury is the eighth largest planet (or second smallest) in the Solar System.
2. The orbital speed of Mercury is 47.8 km/sec
3. Mercury has no atmosphere and no known satellites, perhaps because of its proximity to the
Sun.
4. The diameter of Planet Mercury is 4,878 km
5. The only visit to Mercury was a flyby made by the Mariner 10 spacecraft in 1974.
6. Mercury, often identified with the Greek god, Hermes, is the messenger of the gods in Roman
mythology.
7. Mercury orbits the sun once every 87.97 Earth Days
8. A day, from sunrise to sunrise, on Mercury is equivalent to 176 Earth Days
9. Mercury’s maximum distance from the Sun = 70 million km (43.5 million miles)

6. 10. Mercury’s minimum distance from Earth = 77 million km (48 million miles)
11. Mercury is known as a terrestrial planet consisting of about 70% metallic and 30% silicate
material.
12. Galileo first observed Mercury during the 17th century.
13. If you weigh 100 lbs, your weight on Mercury would be 38 lbs. (Multiply your actual weight
by 0.38)
Venus
1. The diameter of Venus is 12,100 km (7,522 miles)
2. The interior of Venus is composed of a central iron core and a molten rocky mantle, similar to
the composition of Earth.
3. The surface of Venus is very dry with flat plains, highland regions, and depressions.
4. Venus is the sixth largest planet in the Solar System
5. Venus is the second closest planet to the Sun.
6. Planet Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty.
7. The atmosphere of Venus is primarily composed of carbon dioxide (96%) and nitrogen (3%),
with traces of other gases and little to no water vapor.
8. Similar in size, density, and mass, Venus and Earth often referred to as sister planets.
9. The orbital speed of Venus is 35 km per second.

7. 10. Maximum distance of Venus from the Sun is 109 million km (68 million miles)
11. Minimum distance of Venus from the Earth is 40 million km (25 million miles)
12. Venus is the hottest planet in the Solar System.
13. Venus is one of the brightest objects in the sky, next to the Sun and Moon.
14. It takes 243 days for Venus to rotate on its axis.
15. The surface of Venus may have been formed by a lot of volcanic activity. It is said to have
167 volcanoes that measure up to 100 km across.
16. If you weigh 100 lbs, your weight on Venus would be 88 lbs. (multiply your actual weight by
0.88)
Earth
1. The Earth is around 4.6 billion years old.
2. The Earth is the densest planet in the Solar System.
3. The Earth’s atmosphere is composed mainly of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), argon
(.93%), and carbon dioxide (0.03%).
4. Earth’s atmosphere divided in 5 sections from the surface: Troposphere (0-13 km),
Ozone Layer (13-25 km), Stratosphere (25-50 km), Mesosphere (50-75 km), and
Thermosphere (75-150 km)
5. Earth is the fifth largest planet in the Solar System.
6. The Diameter of the Earth is 12,756 km (7,926 miles)
7. The earth’s orbital speed is 29.8 km per second.

8. 8. Earth has only one satellite, the Moon. The Moon is the second brightest object in the sky
from Earth.
9. Earth has an average surface temperature of 13 degrees C (55.4 degrees F).
10. The greenhouse effect raises Earth’s temperature 35 degrees C (95 degrees F).
11. Earth’s distance from the Sun – Min. 146 million km (91million miles) Max. 152 million
km (94.5 million miles).
12. Earth is composed of: iron (32%), oxygen (30%), silicon (15%), magnesium (14%),
sulfur (3%), nickel (2%), calcium (1.5%), aluminum (1/4%) and the remainder made up
of other elements.
Mars
1. Known as the Red Planet, Mars is characterized by its red, dusty landscape.
2. The atmosphere on Mars is very thin, composed mainly of carbon dioxide (95%), nitrogen
(2.7%), and argon (1.6%), with traces of oxygen and water.
3. The orbital speed of Mars is 24.2 km per second.
4. Temperatures on Mars vary from a maximum of 0 degrees C (32 degrees F) to minimum -100
degrees C (-148 degrees F).
5. The diameter of the planet Mars is 6,785 km
6. A Mars year is equal to 686.98 Earth Days
7. A day in Mars is equal to 24.6 Earth Hours
8. Mars maximum distance from the Sun = 249 million km (155 million miles)

9. 9. Mars is 35 million miles from Earth
10. Mars is the god of war in Roman mythology (Ares).
11. Mars has two small satellites named Phobos and Deimos.
12. Asaph Hall discovered both of Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos, in August 1877.
13. Mariner 4 – first successful flyby mission to Mars. Launched on November 28, 1964 and
arrived at Mars on July 14, 1965.
14. Mariner 9 – first successful orbit of Mars. Launched May 30, 1971 and began orbit
November 13, 1971.
15. Viking 1 – Successful orbit and landing on surface of Mars. Launched August 20, 1975 and
arrived at Mars July 20, 1976.
16. If you weigh 100 lbs, your weight on Mars would be 38 lbs. (multiply your actual weight by
0.38)
Jupiter
1. Jupiter’s equatorial diameter is 142,984 km
2. Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is 318 times larger than Earth.
3. The orbital speed of Jupiter is 13.1 km/sec
4. A year on Jupiter is equal to 11.9 Earth Years
5. A day on Jupiter is equal to 9.8 Earth Hours
6. Jupiter, sometimes called Jove, was the King of the gods in Roman mythology and the
son of Saturn.
7. Jupiter’s maximum distance from the Sun = 817 million km (508 million miles)
8. Jupiter’s minimum distance from Earth = 588 million km (365 million miles)

10. 9. Pioneer 10 first spacecraft sent to explore Jupiter in December 1973. Pioneer 10 only did
a flyby.
10. Jupiter has sixty three moons or satellites, eight are regular and 55 irregular.
11. Jupiter’s four largest moons are named: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
12. Voyager 1 provided some of the earliest clear and up close photographs of Jupiter in
January of 1979.
13. Jupiter has rings, the third planet discovered to have a ring system in our Solar System.
14. Jupiter’s rings are identified as: Halo ring, Main ring, Amalthea gossamer ring, and
Thebe gossamer ring.
15. Jupiter’s rings were discovered by Voyager 1 in 1979.
16. If you weigh 100 lbs, your weight on Jupiter would be 234 lbs. (multiply your actual
weight by 2.34)
Saturn
1. Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest.
2. Saturn was the god of agriculture in Roman mythology. Saturn is also the father of Jupiter, the
king of the Roman gods.
3. Saturn is flattened at the poles, due to a fast rotation on its axis.
4. Saturn has 62 known moons; fifty-three have been named. Most of them are small in size.
5. Names of some of Saturn’s moons: the largest is Titan, discovered in 1655; Tethys, Dione,
Rhea, & Iapetus, discovered from 1671 to 1672; Mimas & Enceladus, discovered in 1789; and
Hyperion, discovered in 1848.

11. 6. A year on Saturn is equal to 29.5 Earth Years
7. Saturn is the only planet in our solar system that is less dense that water.
8. A day on Saturn is equal to 10 hours and 14 minutes in Earth days.
9. Diameter of Saturn is 119,871 km (74,500 miles)
10. Saturn’s maximum distance from the Sun is 1.5 billion km (938 million miles)
11. Saturn’s minimum distance from Earth is 1.2 billion km (746 million miles)
12. Saturn has fourteen subdivisions of its rings, the widest is at 25,500 km, the B ring.
13. Saturn’s rings are made primarily of “water ice” mixed with dust and other chemicals.
14. Saturn’s fame has been observed going back to ancient times, the Babylonians, Romans,
Greek, Hindus, and many more ancient civilizations have taken great interest in studying this
ringed planet.
15. If you weigh 100 lbs, your weight on Saturn would be 108 lbs. (multiply your actual weight
by 1.08)
16. The temperature on Saturn by the clouds is at -274° F.
Uranus
1. Uranus is named after the Greek god of the sky. Uranus was the husband of Gaia, the goddess
of the Earth.
2. The orbital speed of Uranus is 6.6 km/sec
3. A year on Uranus is equal to 84.01 Earth Years
4. Uranus is the third largest planet in the Solar System.
5. The atmosphere of Uranus is composed of hydrogen, helium, and methane. The methane in
the atmosphere absorbs red light, giving the planet a blue-green color.

12. 6. Uranus is considered unusual because the planet is tipped on its side. The poles actually point
towards the Sun. This is due to the fact that its magnetic field is tilted 60 degrees from the axis of
rotation.
7. Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have visited Uranus.
8. Like Venus, Uranus spins from east to west, which is opposite from the spin of Earth.
9. A day on Uranus is equal to a little more than 17 hours on Earth.
10. Uranus maximum distance from the Sun is 3 billion km (1.88) billion miles
11. Uranus minimum distance from the Earth is 2.6 billion km (1.6 billion miles)
12. Diameter of Uranus is 51,488 km (32,000 miles)
13. The 27 moons of Uranus are named after characters created by William Shakespeare and
Alexander Pope.
14. William Herschel identified Titania and Oberon in 1787, these are the first two moons of
Uranus that were discovered.
16. If you weigh 100 lbs, your weight on Uranus would be 89 lbs. (multiply your actual weight
by 0.89
Neptune
1. Neptune is the fourth largest planet in the Solar System.
2. Neptune is a gaseous planet, composed of hydrogen, helium, methane, with traces of ammonia
and water.
3. Neptune was discovered by Urbain Le Verrier, John Couch Adams, and Johann Galle on
September 23, 1846.
4. The only spacecraft ever to visit Neptune was Voyager 2 in 1989.
5. In Roman mythology, Neptune is the god of the sea.

13. 6. Neptune has strong winds which is more than any other planet in the Solar System. Winds on
Neptune can get up to 2,000 km/hour (1,200 miles/hour). “The Scooter” is a cloud that moves
around Neptune about every 16 hours.
7. The blue color of the planet is due to the absorption of red light by methane in the atmosphere.
8. The orbital speed of Neptune is 5.4 km/second.
9. The diameter of Neptune is 49,493 km
10. One Neptune day is equal to 16 hours in Earth time.
11. One Neptune year is equal to 164.83 Earth Years
12. Neptune’s maximum distance from the Sun – 4.5 billion km (2.8 billion miles)
13. Neptune’s minimum distance from Earth – 4.3 billion km (2.7 billion miles)
14. Neptune has 13 moons, the largest of which is named Triton. The other moons are: Naiad,
Thalassa, Despina, Galatea, Larissa, Proteus, Nereid, Halimede, Sao, Laomedeia, Neso, and
Psamathe.
15. Neptune has five main rings, they are named after the people who had been doing work on
the planet; the rings are: Halle, Le Verrier, Lassell, Arago, and Adams.
16. If you weigh 100 lbs, your weight on Neptune would be 113 lbs. (multiply your actual weight
by 1.18)
Reasons Pluto isn’t a Planet
The requirements are:
It needs to be in orbit around the sun--Yes, Pluto does orbit the sun
It needs to have enough gravity to pull itself into a spherical shape -- Pluto has sufficient
gravity to have become spherical. (This is called hydrostatic equilibrium, by the way.)
It needs to have "cleared the neighborhood" of its orbit -- Uh oh. Here's the "problem" with
Pluto. According to this IAU rule, Pluto is not a planet.

14. We see the "rule violation" that has arisen, but what does "cleared its neighborhood" mean? As
planets form, they become the dominant gravitational body in their orbit in the Solar System. As
they interact with other, smaller objects along their orbital path, they either consume them or
sling them away with their gravity. Pluto is only 0.07 times the mass of the other objects in its
orbit. The Earth, in comparison, has 1.7 million times the mass of the other objects in its orbit.
Any object that doesn't meet these 3rd criteria is considered a dwarf planet. And that makes Pluto
is a dwarf planet. There are still many objects with similar size and mass to Pluto jostling around
in its orbit. And until Pluto crashes into many of them and gains mass, it will remain a dwarf
planet. Eris suffers from the same problem.
It's not impossible to imagine a future, though, where astronomers discover a large enough object
in the distant Solar System that could qualify for planet-hood status. Then our Solar System
would have 9 planets again.
Even though Pluto is a dwarf planet, and no longer officially a planet, it'll still be a fascinating
target for study. And that's why NASA has sent their New Horizons spacecraft off to visit it.
New Horizons will reach Pluto in July 2015, and it will capture the first close-up images of the
(dwarf) planet's surface.
Space enthusiasts will marvel at the beauty and remoteness of Pluto, and the painful deplaneting
memories will fade. We'll just be able to appreciate it as Pluto, and not worry how to categorize
it. At least now you know why Pluto was demoted.
Pluto is not considered a planet because it shares its orbit with many other objects, so it fails one
of the criteria for a planet established in 2006:
1. The object must orbit a star such as the sun
2. Must be rounded by its own gravity and be in hydrostatic equilibrium
3. Must have cleared its orbital path of other objects