Lesson 4: Sisters of the Solar System – The Terrestrial Planets

 Preparation

Equipment

• Research materials

 Lesson Plan

Tuning In

• Ask the students what they know about planets. What are they? How many are there in our solar system? Do planets exist elsewhere? Brainstorm ideas and write them on the board.
• Introduce the statement to be investigated: There are eight planets in the solar system with their own distinct characteristics.

Teacher Instruction

• Watch the video Solar System 101 (stop the video at 1:48) to start the investigation. Encourage the students to take notes.
• Afterwards, review the main points of the video and write them on the board. Ensure students have the information recorded in their notebooks.
  • There are eight planets in the solar system.
  • There are four terrestrial planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.
  • They are made of rocky material.
  • The planet surfaces are solid.
  • These planets don’t have rings, have few moons (if any) and are relatively small.

Guided/Independent Learning

• Distribute the Planets of the Solar System Factbook Worksheet. Explain to the class that they will be researching each of the four terrestrial planets and recording the information on the worksheet.
• Fill out the cosmic address on the second page as a whole class and then read through the information that students are required to research. Answer any questions the students may have about the task.
• The research can be completed by students independently or in groups e.g. one group per planet, jigsaw strategy. Provide students with access to research materials, such as the Planets of the Solar System Posters which contain all of the required information.
• Monitor and support the students as they complete the activity.

Wrapping Up

• Gather the class back together and review the information for the four terrestrial planets. Encourage students to have accurate findings and to make adjustments to their responses where necessary.
• Look at the revolution/orbit times for each of the planets. Encourage students to discuss why there are differences between the times it takes each planet to revolve around the sun and identify any patterns.
• Refer to the statement being investigated. Discuss whether it is supported or refuted by the information collated thus far.
• Ensure the students keep their factbooks for the next lesson.
• Add the words terrestrial, Mercury, Venus, Mars, rotation, orbit and moon to the Solar System Word Wall.

 Differentiation

Extending Students

• Encourage more capable students to estimate how long it will take Jupiter to complete one orbit around the sun. Have them justify their estimation by referencing the orbit times of the terrestrial planets.

Supporting Students

• Less confident students could work in small groups with more capable peers and/or adult support.

 Assessment Strategies

Suggested Assessment Strategies

• used strategic whole class or individual questioning
• observed student participation during learning activities
• recorded student progress on a checklist
• annotated student work samples
• collected and reviewed student work samples
• facilitated whole class or peer feedback sessions
• encouraged student self-reflection
• administered formal assessment tasks.

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