Solar System Teaching Resources
Rocket your students into your next space lesson with solar system projects and diagrams, activities designed around the planets and moon phases, and hundreds more teaching resources created by primary teachers for your classroom!
Aligned with Australian science standards, each solar system-focused teacher resource has undergone the Teach Starter teacher team's thorough review process to ensure it's ready to use in your classroom.
This collection of curriculum-aligned teaching resources makes teaching about the planets, sun, moon, and the rest of the galaxy easy with editable templates that can be easily adapted to differentiate instruction for your individual students.
New to this part of the science curriculum or just looking for fresh ideas to inspire kids about space? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Is the Solar System? A Kid-Friendly Definition
To start you off, our teacher team has created a definition you can use in the classroom to introduce the solar system to your students.
The solar system is made up of a single star with planets orbiting around it.
The solar system that we call home has the sun at the center — yes, the sun is a star! — and it includes planet Earth, plus other planets, moons, asteroids, comets and other outer space objects.
The sun, which is seen at left, is the only star in our solar system.
Solar System vs. Galaxy — What's the Difference?
If a solar system is made up of the sun and the planets, what's a galaxy?
The easiest way to explain the difference between these two is to tell your class that a galaxy is a gigantic group of solar systems, all gathered together.
Kids can think of the galaxy as a big, extended family of solar systems.
Earth is located in the Milky Way galaxy, which includes a huge number of different solar systems — more than 3000!
How Many Planets Are in Our Solar System?
The solar system that we call home as residents of Earth is made up of eight planets — Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — plus one dwarf planet, Pluto!
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Objects in the Sky – Mini Workbook
Observe, describe and illustrate different objects in the sky with this printable mini-workbook.
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Objects in the Sky – Write the Room Activity
Improve your students’ understanding of science vocabulary terms that relate to objects in the sky with this 'Write the Room’ activity.
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Day and Night Mini-Book
Learn about the differences between night and day with this printable mini-book.
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Phases of the Moon – Comprehension Worksheet
Analyse different moon phases and how their visual appearances change over time with this reading comprehension worksheet.
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Snapshots of the Moon – Moon Tracking Booklet
Obverse the moon over the course of the month and chart observations with this moon phases mini-book.
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Planet Puzzle Match-Up Activity
Use your knowledge of the solar system to complete 8 different planet puzzles.
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Moon Phases Mini-Book
Read, learn and complete comprehension exercises while studying the 8 moon phases.
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Moon Phases – Cut and Paste Activity
Create a diagram showing the different moon phases and their names with this cut-and-paste activity sheet.
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Oreo® Moon Phases Worksheet
Explore moon phases with Oreos® in this tasty worksheet.
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Planet Mini-Book Collection
Read and learn about the planets of our solar system with this collection of 8 mini-books.
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Why Teach About Aboriginal Astronomy? Poster
An educational poster providing a rationale for teaching Australian children about Aboriginal astronomy.
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The Nighttime Sky - Worksheet
Explore features of the nighttime sky with this one-page worksheet.
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The Daytime Sky - Worksheet
Explores features of the daytime sky with this one-page worksheet.
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We Are Moving Project
An Earth and Space project that develops knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts, research skills and writing skills.
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Earth's Rotation – Flipbook
Model and explain how Earth’s rotation causes the sun to move across the sky with this interactive flipbook.
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Objects in the Sky Bingo
Learn about different objects in the sky with a bingo game!
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Moon Phases Diagram
Learn the phases of the moon in the southern hemisphere with this set of two posters.
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All About Stars – Mini-Book
Learn about the stars in the night sky with this printable mini-book designed for year 1 and 2 students.
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Moon Phases Tic-Tac-Toe (Small Group)
Identify and remember the different phases of the moon with this small group tic-tac-toe game.
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Rotation vs. Revolution Poster Set
Display information in your classroom about the differences between rotation and revolution with this poster set.
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Sun, Earth and Moon Task Cards
Review information about the Earth, Sun and moon with this set of task cards.
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Aboriginal Interpretations of the Night Sky Worksheet
A worksheet that explores how Aboriginal peoples interpreted the night sky.
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Sun Observation Project
Use observations of the sun to describe patterns that can be predicted with this journal project.
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Phases of the Moon – Journal Project
Observe, describe and record patterns of the lunar cycle with this moon-tracking project.
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Rotation and Revolution Bingo
Engage your students with a lively game of bingo while learning about Earth’s rotation and revolution.
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Objects in the Sky – Interactive Peg Cards
Practise identifying different objects in the sky and associated vocabulary terms with this set of 24 interactive clip cards.
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Objects in the Sky Flipbook
Describe and illustrate different objects found in the sky with this printable science flipbook.
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Objects in the Sky – Sorting Activity
Determine if statements about different objects in the sky are true or false with this sorting activity.
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Objects in the Sky – Vocabulary Cards and Writing Templates
Create a vocabulary and writing center with a word wall and writing templates that cover objects in the sky.
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Objects in the Sky – Writing Prompts
Describe objects in the sky, such as the clouds, moon and sun, with this set of 8 space science writing prompts.
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Solar and Lunar Eclipse Posters
Display these solar and lunar eclipse diagrams in your classroom when learning about the alignment of the Sun, Earth and moon.
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Rotation vs. Revolution – Sorting Activity
Determine if examples are due to Earth’s rotation or revolution with this sorting activity.
