Here are some ideas when it comes to teaching the solar system. Consult your grade level TEKS and Scope and Sequence for more detail. Topics below were based off of 2nd grade,3rd nine weeks, weeks 6-8.
Identify Earth's rotation as cause of night/day.
Activity Ideas for K-4
Cartoon Video Clip
Online storybook with audio
What are the Seasons and describe why the seasons change
Lesson K-2 Seasons
Another K-2 Seasons Lesson
Seasons lessons - upper grades
Cartoon Video Clip
Identify characteristics of the moon.
Background Info
Our moon has craters. Make your own craters with a pan of flour and small objects. Have students drop objects from different heights to see how deep or wide they can make craters. Have students (or as a class, depending on level) measure crater width in centimeters and keep a data table comparing height dropped with crater width.
Illustrate basic phases of the moon.
Big Idea: Students should understand what creates the phases of the moon and that it is a predictable pattern. The main phases they should know are: new, first quarter, last quarter, and full.
Activity Ideas:
· Look for repeating patterns in yearly moon calendars.
· Look at moon phase on yourstudent's birthday.
· Have students keep a moon journal for a month. Match their sketches with moon phase calendars online.
Short Videos:
Newton's Apple on moon phases
Websites:
Moon Phases by Month
Moon Phase by Date
Identify and order planets
Windows to the Universe (in Eng./Span. on 3 reading levels!)
Math connection: Use 1 cm to equal 1 million km. Make a scaled distance of the planets from the sun on adding machine tape (you will need approx 54 meters of tape per group to cover the distance of Neptune from the sun!)
Language connection: Have students create riddles, rhymes, pneumonic device, etc. about a specific planet, or the order of the planets.
Solar Systems Songs and Poems
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems34.html
http://www.preschooleducation.com/sspace.shtml
http://www.kidsknowit.com/educational-songs/play-educational-song.php?song=The%20Planets
