Our Solar System
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Subject Area: Science | Grade Level: 5
Lesson Length: 1 hour
Keywords/Tags: Space Science, Solar System, The Sun
Lesson Description: By the end of this lesson, students should be able to identify the different parts of our solar system, recognize that the Milky Way is our galaxy, identify the position of the Earth in our solar system, recognize the differences between the inner and outer planets of the solar system, and can recreate the solar system based on planetary position in the solar system.

  • SC.5.E.5.1 Recognize that a galaxy consists of gas, dust, and many stars, including any objects orbiting the stars. Identify our home galaxy as the Milky Way.
  • SC.5.E.5.2 Recognize the major common characteristics of all planets and compare/contrast the properties of inner and outer planets.
  • SC.5.E.5.3 Distinguish among the following objects of the Solar System -- Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, comets -- and identify Earth's position in it.
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Video : Introduction to the Solar System: Crash Course Astronomy
Instructions: Please watch the following video as many times as needed and take detailed notes. Understanding the content of the video is very important since you will have a short quiz that follows!Please watch the following video as many times as needed before starting to go through other lesson pages. Understanding the content of the video is very important since the lesson activities will be all about this video content.")
Description: Learn the different components and ideas of the Solar System, including the concepts of geocentrism vs. heliocentrism, the makeup of the solar system, pluto, our solar system, how our solar system formed, and how a planet's formation depends on distance to the sun.
Quiz : Quiz: Introduction to the Solar System Crash Course.
Instructions: Please complete this quiz by choosing the correct answer for each question. You can take this quiz as many times needed.
Question #1

In the Geocentric model, which of the following were located in the center of the solar system? 

Question #2

In the Heliocentric model, which of the following are located in the center of the solar system? 

Question #3
Since the Sun has the largest gravity, it basically "runs" the solar system. 
Question #4

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and is nearly ___ times wider than the Earth. 

Question #5
According to the video, the term 'planet' can be defined clearly because it is a scientific concept. 
Question #6

The inner planets of the solar system - Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars - are all relatively what?

Question #7

Where is the Asteroid Belt located in our solar system?

Question #8
According to the video, the ice balls in the Oort Cloud follow the plane of the inner solar system. 
Question #9
Briefly describe the formation of our solar system. Make sure to include the following terms in your response: gravity, disk, planetesimals, and protosun. 
Question #10
Briefly describe how planet formation and features depend on the distance from the sun. 
Question #11
The Milky Way is our galaxy. 
Question #12
Describe where the Earth is located within our solar system. 
Description: This quiz will assess your understanding of the video you just watched. Feel free to use your notes!
Resources : Our Solar System
Instructions: Please see additional external resources below. Feel free visit each link to learn more about this lesson.
Interactive Solar System Tour
This interactive resource will allow you to see our solar system from a different perspective! View the different celestial objects present and learn more specific details about each of those in our solar system!
About the Solar System Reading
This reading will provide a more in-depth understanding of the solar system following the crash course video. You can even have the content read aloud, or you can read it yourself at your own pace!
Solar System Maker
Now that you have mastered the solar system, it is time to build it yourself! In this virtual activity, you will have the ability to recreate the solar system including the planet's structure, position in the solar system, color, rings, and moons. While you should try and model your solar system based on the real one, feel free to be creative with the planet designs and colors!
Description: The following resources will help you expand your knowledge on the content of our solar system, including: