1. Our Solar System

2. Making your Solar System Model
Cut out your 8 cover sheet pages.
Cut out your 8 fact sheet pages.
Staple the two pages together.
Cut out your first planet. Glue it to your cover page and write the planet’s name at the top.

3. Vocabulary Solar System: sun and objects that orbit around the sun
Planet: large body of rock or gas that orbits the sun
Moon: a round body that orbits around planet
Star: hot ball of glowing gases
Asteroid: Chunk of rock or metal that orbits the sun

4. Solar System up close

5. Vocabulary Rotation: spinning of an object on its axis
Revolution: movement of one object around another
Rotation: spinning of an object on its axis
Orbit: path an object takes around another planet
Axis: imaginary line that goes through the North Pole and South Pole

6. The Sun is a star and is the center of our Solar System
The Sun is a star and is the center of our Solar System. The Sun is the closest star to our planet. It is also the largest, hottest, and brightest object in the Solar System. The Sun also has more mass than any other object in the Solar System. Due to the Sun’s mass it exerts a powerful gravitational pull, which holds all the planets in orbit around it.
Sun

7. Sun Facts: 93 million miles apart
The Sun is about 5-billion-years-old.
All of the planets and moons (satellites) of the solar system could fit inside of the Sun.
The Sun is much larger than the Earth, but looks smaller because it is so far away (93 million miles or 150 million kilometers away).
All the planets revolve around the sun.
The Sun revolves around the center of the Milk Way Galaxy.
The Sun mainly contains hydrogen gas.
Sun’s core may reach up to 27 million degrees Fahrenheit and the surface is about 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hydrogen atoms constantly crash into each other forming another gas called helium. When this occurs, it releases energy and this energy warms the Sun and causes it to shine.
The Sun provides sunlight, which helps plants make food for us to eat and oxygen for us to breathe.
93 million miles apart

8. My Very Energetic Mother Just Sent Us Nachos
Planet Order
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Hint to Remember:
My Very Energetic Mother Just Sent Us Nachos

9. Inner Planets Mercury Venus Earth Mars Rocky surfaces
Closest to the Sun
Warmer because they are
closer to the Sun
None of the planets have
more than 2 moons
Inner planets are a smaller
than the outer planets

10. Add facts and color the planet Mercury in your planet book.
Known as the Planet Closest to the Sun and named for the fast-footed Roman messenger of the gods
First planet from the Sun or the first planet in the Solar System
About 58 million kilometers from the Sun (36 million miles)
A year on Mercury is only 88 Earth-days long.
One day is 59 Earth-days long.
Mercury is a small, rocky planet with a dusty surface filed with craters (round holes).
Mercury doesn’t have an atmosphere, so that means there is no air on this planet.
Resembles the Earth’s moon (satellites)
Add facts and color the planet Mercury in your planet book.

11. Venus The second planet in the order from the Sun
Named for the Roman God of Love and Beauty and known as the
Earth’s twin
The second planet in the order from the Sun
It is about 108 million kilometers from the Sun (67 million miles)
One year on Venus is 225 Earth-days long
One day is 243 Earth-days long
Venus is a dry, hot planet with tall mountains, deep valleys, and is
covered in thick, yellow clouds.
Has no moons (satellites) and is almost the same size as Earth
Add facts and color the planet Venus in your planet book.

12. Add facts and color the planet Earth in your planet book.
Known as the “Water Planet”
Third planet from the Sun with one satellite (Moon)
It is about 149 million kilometers from the Sun (93 million miles)
A year on Earth is 365 days long.
Every four years we have a leap year – making 366 days per year.
One day is 24 hours long.
Earth is the only planet that can sustain life as it has water, air, and food.
This planet is not too hot or too cold. It is also the only planet that has plants
and animals.
Earth looks like a ball covered with white clouds, brown land, and areas of
blue oceans.
One moon (satellite) and is mostly covered by craters.
Add facts and color the planet Earth in your planet book.

13. A satellite is a body in the sky that orbits a larger body
A satellite is a body in the sky that orbits a larger body. Earth is a satellite of the sun. The moon is a satellite of Earth. The moon is Earth’s only natural satellite.
It takes the moon (satellite) about 27 1/3 days to complete one revolution around Earth.
The moon is about 240,000 miles from Earth.
We can only see one side of the moon (satellite).
We see the moon (satellite) because the sun shines on it. Sunlight hits the moon and is reflected back to Earth. The moon does not make light of its own.
There is no air or water on the moon (satellite).
The surface of the moon is covered with rocks, dust, and craters. The craters are bowl-shaped like holes.
Craters were formed more than 4.5 billion years ago. They were made by meteors crashing into the moon (satellite).
Mo o n

14. Mars Known as the “Red Planet” and named for the Roman God of War
Is the fourth planet from the Sun
141 million miles (227 million kilometers) from the sun
A year on Mars is 687 Earth-days long.
One day is 24 ½ Earth-hours long.
Is known as the Red Planet
Mars is about half the size of Earth. It is a desert except for the ice caps at
the north and south poles. It has tall mountains and deep canyons. The soil
is full of rust-colored iron dust. This makes Mars look red. Strong winds
blow up big storms of the red dust. It is very cold on Mars. It doesn’t
have an atmosphere.
Mars has 2 moons (or satellites)
Add facts and color the planet Mars in your planet book.

15. Outer Planets Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune They are made mostly
from frozen gases.
They are bigger than
the inner planets.
Jupiter is the largest
planet.
Colder than the inner
planets.
Rings of dust and ice
around them.
Many moons.

16. Jupiter
Known as the largest planet and named for the Roman King of the gods
Is the fifth planet form the Sun
483 Million miles from the sun
One year on Jupiter is 12 Earth-years long
One day on Jupiter is 10 Earth-hours
Is the largest of all the planets and is also one of the brightest.
Jupiter is a giant ball of gas with a small rocky center. It is covered by thick
clouds. It is freezing at the top of the clouds.
There is a giant storm on Jupiter known as “The Great Red Spot.”
A thin ring of rocks orbits the planet
1,000 Earths could fit inside Jupiter if it were hollow
Has at least 63 satellites (or moons)
Add facts and color the planet Jupiter in your planet book.

17. Jupiter’s Moons Io Callisto Ganymede Jupiter’s Great Red Spot
Io & Jupiter

18. Add facts and color the planet Saturn in your planet book.
Known as the “Ringed Planet” and named for the Roman God of Agriculture
Is the sixth planet form the Sun
887 million miles (1 billion, 416 million kilometers) from the sun
A year on Saturn is about 30 Earth-years long
One day is only 10 ½ Earth-hours long.
Second largest planet
Like Jupiter, Saturn is a giant ball of gas with a rocky center.
Saturn is freezing cold at the top of the clouds.
It is very hot at its center.
Has at least 34 satellites (Moons) and is known for its many rings that orbit
the planet.
Add facts and color the planet Saturn in your planet book.
Infrared image of Saturn

19. Dione, Tethys, Mimas, Enceladus, Rhea, and Titan
Saturn’s Moon
Titan
Dione, Tethys, Mimas, Enceladus, Rhea, and Titan

20. Uranus Known as “Neptune’s Twin” Is the seventh planet from the Sun
1 billion, 783 million miles (2 billion, 870 million kilometers) from the sun
A year on Uranus is 84 Earth-years long.
One day is 17 Earth-hours long.
Uranus rotates in a different way than the other planets. It tilts over on its side.
Uranus, too, is a giant gas ball with a rocky center.
Has some rings and the rings are thin and dark.
Uranus looks blue-green and has a thick haze that covers the planet.
Uranus is so far from the sun that it is very, very cold.
Can sometimes be seen with the naked eye
5 large moons (satellites) and at least 22 small moons (satellites)
Add facts and color the planet Uranus in your planet book.

21. Neptune Known as the “Blue Planet” and named for the
Roman God of the Sea
Neptune is the eight planet in order from the Sun.
2 billion, 794 million miles (4 billion, 497 million kilometers) from the sun
A year on Neptune is 165 Earth-years long.
One day is about 16 Earth-hours long.
Neptune has high winds and many storms and sometimes these storms
show up as dark spots.
Neptune is a large blue-green ball of gas with a center rock and iron. The
planet is covered with clouds.
Neptune has faint rings.
Because Neptune is so far from the sun, it is very, very cold.
Has at least 13 moons (satellites)
Add facts and color the planet Neptune in your planet book.

22. Asteroids Belt
Asteroids are small bodies that orbit the sun, mostly between Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid belt is filled with irregularly shaped chunks of debris called asteroids. Objects in this asteroid belt are made of rock and metal, mostly nickel and iron. Scientists believe the asteroids are pieces of a planet that never formed.

23. The Sun, the Moon, and the Earth
The sun, the moon, and Earth are part of the solar system.
The sun, the moon, and Earth all affect one another.
The Sun is the center of our solar system. The sun is a star. It is the closest star to Earth. It gives off light and heat.
The Earth is the planet where you live. It is the third planet from the sun. Earth moves around the sun.
The Moon moves around the Earth. It does not give off its own light or heat. The light from the moon is reflected light from the sun.
The sun, the moon, and Earth are part of our solar system.

24. What Makes Day and Night on Earth?
The spin of Earth on its axis makes day and night.
The Earth Rotates
Earth completes one rotation, or spin, around its axis every 24 hours. When it’s daytime on one half of the Earth, it’s nighttime on the other half of the Earth. There are about 365 rotations, or days, in one year.
The Sun Stays in One Place
The sun looks as if it moves across the sky, but it does not move. It is the Earth that is actually moving. So does everything else on Earth, including you.
Remember
The spinning of Earth on its axis makes day and night.
Earth completes one rotation every 24 hours.
When it is day over one half of Earth, it is night over the other half.
The sun stays in one place.

25. The planets revolve around the sun, Hooray, hooray
The Planets Go Spinning (Sing to the tune of When Johnny Comes Marching Home)
The planets revolve around the sun,
Hooray, hooray
The planets revolve around the sun
And spin on the axis, everyone
And they all go spinning,
Around and around they go!
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
Hooray, hooray.
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars,
All whirling and twirling around the stars.

26. Jupiter and Saturn are next in place, Hooray, hooray!
Uranus and Neptune when we count make eight.
And they all go spinning,
Around and around they go!