Touring the Solar System on the World Wide Web A multimedia tour presented by: Ellie Brand Gina Marie Dionne Maribel Gaar Lance Hoffman

Sunshine State Standard S.C.E (grades 6-8) The student knows that available data from various satellite probes show the similarity and differences among planets and their moons in the Solar System. In our research, we decided to look for sites that met the following criteria. • The site has current information about our Solar System. • The information has been gathered from various satellites and deep space probes. • The information and/or resources available would aid the teacher in lesson development.

Our 5 Most Recommended Web Sites •The Nine Planets •Space Link •NASA’s Photo Journal • Exploring the Planets in the Classroom •C/Net ‘s Download.com

If you are looking for information on the Solar System, then this is the site to start with. Whether you are looking for mythology, trivia, or modern facts about the planets, this site has more than enough to satisfy everyone. The Nine Planets This is the perfect site for both teachers that need to conduct background research, or for students to use for their own research projects.

If you are looking for great lesson ideas or classroom materials for any Space Science unit, Space Link has a lot to offer. You can find everything from current event articles to full color poster sets that can be downloaded from this site absolutely FREE. While visiting this site, you can gather all kinds of posters, slides, and lithographs that will help you teach a lesson on the Solar System.

If pictures are what you need to grab your students interest or make your lesson complete, than this is the site to get them from. The database currently has approximately 1490 images and is updated daily with new images. The image resolution is incredible and the pictures can be downloaded in multiple formats. NASA’s Photo Journal All pictures are from satellites or space probes, and there are many images taken using alternative EM photography.

What Space Unit would be complete without meaningful, hands-on activities to ensure that your students have a deep understanding of the Solar System. Exploring the planets has a wealth of easy to teach, hands- on lessons that can be downloaded and used in your classroom. All activities come with a teacher lesson plan, list of materials, and printable student resource pages.

This site is a treasure trove of FREE SOFTWARE. It is part of a very reputable web site called CNET.COM. In the education section, there are close to ONE THOUSAND TITLES! And there are OVER 150 TITLES in the SCIENCE area alone. Although there are plenty of software choices available from Chemistry to Biology, we found several titles that were perfect for enhancing any Space Science Unit.

Related Benchmarks Some other Benchmarks that can be researched with the previous Web Sites... S.C.E Students will know about the differences in the composition and orbits of the planets. S.C.E Students will understand the relative sizes (scales) found in the solar system. S.C.E Students will understand the motion of the planets, and the comparison of the sizes of the planets and their moons. S.C.E Students know of the similarities and differences of the planets. S.C.E Students will know why earth is unique as compared to the other planets in its ability to support life.

Related Web Sites While researching our benchmark, we located the following Web Sites that might be of interest… Exploring the Planets This educational site that focuses on history and accomplishments of planetary explorations. Derek's Planet Information Specific information and photos of the planets. Solar System Scale Model index.html A complete guide to building scale models of the Solar System. It even supplies planet dimensions for any size sun. Planet Locator /solarsystemjava.html Shows orientation of the planets "right now". Can tilt or rotate the solar system. JPL Education Outreach Site A variety of information, activities, and projects especially designed for both kids and teachers.

More Related Web Sites NSES Science Standards Site This site correlates various Space resources on the web to the National Science standards. Very organized & easy to use. Windows on the Universe Specific information and photos of the planets. Views of the Solar System This site presents a vivid multimedia adventure unfolding the splendor of the Sun, planets, moons, comets, asteroids, & more.. Solar System Resources for Creating Internet Based Activities Contains well documented interactive Internet tools, simulations, images, and samples of classroom activities Hubble Space Telescope Site This site contains many high quality images and data collected from the Hubble space telescope. It allows students to access up-to-date research and pictures from an active space probe.

The End If you would like a copy of this presentation, or have any questions or comments, please contact Gina Marie Dionne at