Out of This World Solar System Unit Study
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Let’s jump into our space shuttle and blast off into a space lesson! I’m filling this post with some great solar system activities for kids to help you with an out-of-this-world homeschool unit study.
Solar System Activities for Kids
I have created a Solar System unit study that is perfect for young students in upper elementary or middle school grades. To ensure they are remembering what they learn about space, I highly recommend getting them their own science notebook where they can capture their thoughts, track their science experiments, and make their notes on this space unit (and other future science units!).
Teaching About the Solar System
Outer space and the solar system are some of the most fascinating topics that kids learn about because it is a world of mystery up there in the dark blackness. The countless colorful heavenly bodies up there above us and knowing that our creative Creator God designed so much more outside of planet earth for us to learn about is exciting!
In the few decades since space exploration began, probes have reached the far regions of the solar system. The solar system is the group of celestial bodies, including Earth that orbits around the Milky Way galaxy. Some hundred billion stars can be found in the universe while more than 1,000 comets have been observed regularly through telescopes.
Introducing the Unit Study
As an introduction to the subject, take your children outside (both daytime and nighttime if possible) so they can see what makes up the sky. Never look directly into the sun because, even though it is so far away, the light will burn the tissue in your eyes which can lead to blindness.
If your kids are very interested in learning about space, get your family a telescope so you can look closely at the moon and all of its craters, see the stars, and even the satellites as they orbit the planet. This is such a fun way to learn about space!
Explain that our entire solar system is made up of our sun and all of the heavenly bodies that travel around it. Once they have familiarized themselves with the concept of space and the solar system, you can start moving on.
Parts of Our Solar System
Let’s begin with finding out exactly where we live in space.
We are living on a planet that is part of a solar system. Our solar system is made up of five components:
- The sun
- The planets
- Dwarf planets
- Dozens of moons
- Millions of asteroids, comets, and meteoroids
These are all bound together by gravity.
Now, our solar system lies in the galaxy called The Milky Way. It does get quite technical, but all we need to know for now is that there are many galaxies in the universe, our galaxy is only one of them, and our solar system lies in that galaxy.
Learning the Different Planets of our Solar System
What is a Planet?
Our solar system consists of eight planets in total. Each one is in its own orbit which means that it is on its path traveling around the Sun. To qualify as a planet, these massive round celestial bodies need to have their own gravity.
The Order of the Planets
The order of the planets, starting with the one nearest to the sun is:
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
Pluto used to be included in this list, after Neptune, but it was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006. A fun and easy way to remember the order of the planets is to learn the following pneumonic:
My Very Empty Mouth Just Slurped Up Nesquik
The first letter of each word is the same as the name of the planet and is in the correct order.
M = my = Mercury
V = very = Venus
E = empty – Earth
M = mouth = Mars
J = just = Jupiter
S = slurped = Saturn
U = up = Uranus
N = Nesquik = Neptune
It is easier for younger children to learn a fun sentence like this and relate it to the planets, than just to learn the names of the planets. The best way to reinforce this is to build your own model of the solar system.
My Solar System Unit Study is a great way to learn about all sorts of aspects of the Solar System, and it includes your own planet project model, which you can use the printables to make your own model.
Another way to help your children learn about the planets is to create your own flash cards.
You can print cards with a picture on one side and a couple of facts on the back and your child needs to guess which planet this is. You could also use these planet fact cards to play Headbandz, where one person takes a card but doesn’t look at it. They show the picture to the other players who then give the cardholders facts about the planet, and the cardholder needs to guess which planet they’re describing.
This solar system cootie catcher activity is another great resource you can use with your kids when teaching basic facts about the planets.
Inner and Outer Planets: Inner planets
The inner four planets closest to the sun – Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars – are often called “terrestrial planets” because of their rocky surfaces. These four smaller planets are smaller than the four outer planets and are mostly made of rock and metal.
Mercury – this is the closest planet to the sun, has a rocky surface similar to earth, and doesn’t have much of an atmosphere. The surface temperature during the day can reach 840 degrees Fahrenheit and can drop right down to a freezing negative 275F. Because this planet spins so slowly, it takes 59 earth days to make a full rotation. That is slow!
Venus – even though Venus is not the closest planet to the sun, it is still the hottest. It has a thick layer of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid clouds that trap the heat, making the temperatures hot enough to melt metals! Venus is another slow spinner but it rotates in the opposite direction to earth.
Earth – well, what can we say about Earth that you don’t already know? Well, there is quite a lot. Earth is on a tilted access and rotates once in 24 hours. It takes 365 1/4 days for the Earth to rotate around the Sun, and we have four seasons in a year. And don’t forget, we have our own moon – that is really far away! In fact, it is 30 Earth planets away, even though we can see it quite clearly with the naked eye.
Mars – seems to be the planet where everyone says the aliens come from, but in actual fact, there is no life on Mars. It is known as The Red Planet because of the iron that is in the ground. It’s a dry, desert-like planet and even though no humans have gone there yet, NASA has sent rovers there (little robot-controlled, all-terrain miniature vehicles). They drive around Mars, take pictures, collect samples, and take measurements as needed by the scientists.
Inner and Outer Planets: Outer planets
The outer planets in our solar system are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Jupiter – Jupiter was the first planet in our solar system to be discovered by Galileo, way back in 1610. It is the largest planet in our solar system and has a mass of 11 times that of Earth! Jupiter is a gas planet composed primarily of hydrogen and helium. It has a magnetic field that is 2.5 times as strong as Earth’s, which helps protect us from solar winds. At least 80 moons are orbiting Jupiter, and 23 of them are still waiting to be named!
It takes Jupiter 12 years to orbit the sun!
Saturn – Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun and this is the planet surrounded by amazing rings made from chunks of ice and rock. It is not the only planet with rings however Saturn’s rings are considered to be the most beautiful. In the 2nd century, when Saturn was discovered, the Romans named the day ‘Saturday’ after the planet Saturn. This planet is made up of gasses, mostly hydrogen and helium, similar to Jupiter.
Uranus – Uranus is another ice giant, and its atmosphere is made up mostly of hydrogen and helium. There is also methane in its atmosphere which gives it a blue color. Uranus has 13 rings around it but they are very faint and were only discovered in the 70s. It is a huge planet, about four times the size of Earth. If Earth were an apple, Uranus would be a basketball. That’s massive!
Did you know? Uranus is the only planet in our solar system that spins on its side!
Neptune – who else do we know is called Neptune? King Neptune, of course, the Roman God of the Sea! And that is precisely who this outer planet is named after. Lying eighth in line from the Sun is the fourth largest planet in our Solar System. It is a gas giant, it is cold and it’s dark. Even though it has a diameter approximately four times that of Earth, it is the only planet in our solar system that you cannot see with the naked eye because it is so far away!
It takes Neptune a whopping 165 years to orbit the sun! (and… it rains diamonds!)
Teaching About Our Moon
The reason I say ‘our’ moon is because there are so many different moons in space. Our moon, a celestial body, rotates around the Earth in its own orbit, completing a rotation in 24 hours.
The moon never changes size, as we know, but younger children don’t really understand that. Some nights they might look outside and there it is, big and bright and round like a saucer. Other nights they might take a look and there is only a sliver of the moon. This is due to where the sun, moon, and earth are all positioned, and how the sun’s light is shining on the moon.
All of these changes (or what we can see) are called the different phases of the moon.
You can also make a yummy edible ‘phases of the moon’ mini project, and enjoy other fun activities from my Solar System unit study which you can grab here. This phases of the moon wreath is also a really fun idea!
Fun Fact: Have you ever heard of a ploonet? Yes, it’s a real thing! A ploonet is actually an orphaned moon that has broken away from its parent planet.
Field Trips
Why not take your kids on a field trip to to find out more! There are some amazing places you can visit where they can learn all about the vastness of space.
Think of planetariums, and of course, observatories.
If you are in Houston, Texas, don’t miss out on NASA! They offer half-day or full-day tours around their facilities. NASA does have 20 centers across the USA, the head office is in Washington D.C, and the official launch site for rockets is in Florida.
Space Movies for Kids
There are many space movies available for all ages of people, it can be difficult to choose. And let’s not forget about the massive hits of Star Wars and Star Trek. Beam me up, Scotty!
Here is a brief list of the movies that we have enjoyed, and you might enjoy them too.
If your children do enjoy space, here are some movies that we watched and loved (all available on Prime video):
For middle to high school kids (as well as adults!), try:
- Passengers
- The Martian (a favorite of mine!)
- Interstellar
- Gravity
- Deep Impact
Enjoy These Space Activities for Kids
When you are busy with your lesson plans for science, you absolutely must include a space theme in your planning! No matter what age, kids love space and the idea of space travel! Part of the learning experience will include space activities that young children and older children can do at the kitchen table.
Don’t forget to grab my Solar System Unit Study as a companion. It’s filled with solar system activities for kids to keep them engaged in their learning.
If your kids are around middle school age and able to use a computer independently, you might also love this Solar System Online Unit Study from Techie Homeschool Mom.
I hope this post gave you some great ideas and helps you walk through your Solar System Unit Study! Happy Learning!
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