1. Science Focus Lesson SC.5.E.5.3 Solar System
Elementary Science
Science Focus Lesson SC.5.E.5.3
Solar System
TEST ITEM SPECIFICATIONS: (NOTE- This benchmark is assessed every year on FCAT, but is NOT TAUGHT IN GRADE 5!)
Benchmark Clarifications
Students will distinguish among objects in our solar system based on their relative positions and/or their characteristics.
Students will identify common characteristics of all planets.
Students will compare and/or contrast the common characteristics of inner and outer planet groups.
Content Limit
Items will address a conceptual understanding of our solar system and the characteristics of objects in our solar system.
Items will not assess characteristics of the Sun.
Items assessing inner and outer planet groups are limited to: surface composition (whether they are mostly solid or gas), presence of an atmosphere, size, relative position to the Sun, presence of moons or rings, relative temperature, and relative length of a year.
Items will not require specific knowledge of quantitative astronomical data.
Items will not asses interactions of objects in our solar system.
Items will not assess the force of gravity.
Polk County Public Schools

2. SC.5.E.5.3
Benchmark: Distinguish among the following objects of the Solar System – Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, comets – and identify Earth’s position in it.
Essential Question:
Describe the planets, moons, asteroids, comets and identify Earth’s position in it.
Vocabulary:
Planet Comet
Moon Asteroid
Planet – a large object that orbits a star
Moon – a natural object that orbits a planet
Comet – a mountain – size chunk of ice and dust that orbits the sun
Asteroid – a large space rock that orbits the sun

3. Solar System
Our solar system includes the sun, planets and their moons, comets, and asteroids.
The Sun is the center of our solar system.
Everything in the solar system revolves around the sun. Everything is kept in orbit by the pull of the sun’s gravity.

4. Planets
Planets have mass, rotate on an axis and revolve around the sun in a flattened circle called an ellipse. The planets are much smaller than the sun.
Inner planets are much smaller than the outer planets.
The inner planets are mostly solid and the outer planets are mostly gas.

5. Moons
Moons are natural objects that orbit a planet.
The inner planets have very few or no moons
The outer planets have multiple moons.
Earth’s Moon
Earth’s moon rotates on its axis and revolves around Earth.
One moon rotation and one moon revolution take the same amount of time, about 28 days. Because of this we can only see one side of the moon from Earth.
Because of the way that the sun shines on Earth’s moon it appears to have different phases

6. Comets and Asteroids
Comets are mountain size chunks of ice and dust that orbit the sun. They streak towards the sun from beyond Pluto and then back into outer space. Some comets orbit the sun again and again. Others crash into the sun or only make one trip around the sun and never return.
Asteroids are small and large rocks in space that orbit the Sun. Most asteroids can be found in a large space between the orbit of Mars and Jupiter. This is call the asteroid belt.

7. Summarizing Partner A – identify the items in our solar system
Partner B – Describe three things that all planets have in common .
Partner C – Describe a comet
Partner D – Describe an asteroid
1 partner A – planets, moons, The sun, comets and asteroids
2 Partner B – have mass, rotate on an axis and revolve around the sun.
3. Partner A- see slide 7 comet –a mountain size chunk of ice and dust that orbits the sun.
4 Partner B –see slide 7 asteroid – small and large rocks in space that orbits the sun.

8. Order and Description of the Planets
Mercury (inner planet)
Mercury is the closest planet to the sun.
Surface is rocky
Almost no atmosphere
Diameter 4,878 km
0 moons
Temperature-180 OC at night to 450 OC during the day (HOT)
Length of Mercury’s year (orbit) is 88 Earth days.
Venus (inner planet)
Venus is the 2nd planet from the sun.
Surface is rocky
Very thick atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide
Diameter 12,104 km
0 moons
Temperature on the surface is about 470 OC (HOT)
Length of Venus’s year (orbit) is 225 Earth days.

9. Order and Description of the Planets (cont.)
Earth (inner planet)
Earth is the 3rd planet from the sun.
Surface is rocky; 70% is covered by water
Atmosphere consists of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% other gases
Diameter 12,756 km
1 moon
Length of Earth’s year is Earth days.
Mars (inner planet)
Mars is the 4th planet from the sun.
Surface is rocky with mountains and canyons.
Thin atmosphere made mostly of carbon dioxide
Diameter 6,786 km
2 moons
Temperature on the surface is about 20 OC to -123OC (WARM and COLD)
Length of Mar’s year is 687 Earth days.

10. Order and Description of the Planets (cont.)
Jupiter (outer planet)
Jupiter is the 5th planet to the sun.
Surface is liquid hydrogen gas
Atmosphere of very thick hydrogen gas.
Diameter 142,984 km; Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.
38 moons
Temperatures fall to about -160OC (VERY COLD)
Length of Jupiter’s year(orbit) is Earth years.
Jupiter has a storm
in its atmosphere
called the “Great
Red Spot”.
Saturn (outer planet)
Saturn is the 6th planet from the sun.
Surface is entirely gas, its surface IS its atmosphere!
Thin atmosphere made mostly of hydrogen and helium
Diameter 120,536 km; it is the second largest planet of the solar system.
30 moons
Temperature on the surface is about OC (VERY COLD)
Length of Saturn’s year is(orbit) Earth years.

11. Order and Description of the Planets (cont.)
Uranus (outer planet)
Uranus is the 7th planet to the sun.
Surface is thought to be mostly gaseous
Atmosphere of very thick hydrogen, helium, & methane gas.
Diameter 51,108 km
24 moons
Temperatures are as low as -220OC (VERY COLD)
Length of Uranus’
year (obit) is
84 Earth years.
Neptune (outer planet)
Neptune is the 8th planet from the sun.
Surface is made of gaseous elements
Thick atmosphere made of hydrogen, helium, &methane gases
Diameter 49,538 km
8 moons
Temperature on the surface is the coldest at a little below -220OC (VERY COLD)
Length of Neptune’s year (orbit) is 165 Earth years.

12. Summarizing
Create a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the characteristics of the inner and outer planets.
Inner planets
Outer planets
Inner planets rocky, few moons, size smaller than 12,756 km, planets year (time it takes to go around the Sun) measured in Earth days.
Outer planet mostly gas, many moons, much larger than 13,000km, planets year is measured in Earth years, Temperatures are below zero, some have rings

13. Guided Practice
Talk to your shoulder partner about the answer to each question. Check your work.
A star named Sirius appears as the brightest star in the nighttime sky, even though a star named Pollux actually gives off more light. Which of the following best explains why Sirius appears brighter than Pollux in our nighttime sky?
Sirius has a different color than Pollux does.
Sirius has different gases than Pollux does.
Sirius is closer to Earth than Pollux is.
Sirius is larger than Pollux is.
Have the students hold up a card with their response on it (A,B,C,D) so that you can easily see if the students are getting the correct answer.

14. C Pollux Sirius The answer is Stars that are closer
appear to be brighter.
Pollux
Sirius

15. Guided Practice
2. What is the shape of the orbit of a planet around the sun?
elliptical
circular
Semi-circular
identical
Have the students hold up a card with their response on it (A,B,C,D) so that you can easily see if the students are getting the correct answer.

16. A
The answer is
The planets travel in an elliptical path around the sun. An ellipse is described as a flattened circle that is longer than it is wide.

17. Guided Practice
3. Jacob started creating a diagram to show some of the common characteristics of the planets in our solar system. Which characteristic should Jacob write in the empty circle of the diagram?
made mostly of gas
has a rocky surface
revolves around a star
is a satellite of another planet
Have the students hold up a card with their response on it (A,B,C,D) so that you can easily see if the students are getting the correct answer.

18. C
The answer is
Planets revolve around a star. The length of time that one revolution takes is called a year.
Our planet, Earth, revolves around our star, The Sun, in approximately 365 days.

19. Guided Practice
4. Keisha wants to show Amy what happens during one Earth day. Keisha holds a small globe representing Earth, and Amy holds a large ball representing the Sun. What should Keisha do to show Amy what happens during one Earth day?
Keisha should move the globe in one complete circle around Amy.
Keisha should move the globe toward Amy and then away from her.
Keisha should slowly lift the globe above her head and then lower it.
Keisha should slowly spin the globe one complete time about its axis.
Have the students hold up a card with their response on it (A,B,C,D) so that you can easily see if the students are getting the correct answer.

20. D
The answer is
Planets rotate on their axis. The length of time it takes for a planet to rotate is called a day.
The Earth takes approximately 24 hours to rotate on its axis, this is the length of one Earth day.

21. Summarizing
Pass a piece of paper around the table. Each group member adds a detail that answers the question. Keep the paper moving until time is called- see how many ideas your group can generate!
Essential Question: Describe the planets, moons, asteroids, comets and identify Earth’s position related to them.

22. Check Your Understanding
1. Which of the following happens because of a combination of Earth’s rotation and the moon’s revolution around
seasons
day and night
changes in the appearance of the moon
climate changes

23. Check Your Understanding
2. Life on Earth is possible because of the Sun. The Sun provides energy for all living things to grow. Plants need the Sun to make their own food. The water cycle would not be possible without the Sun. Which statement best describes the Sun?
The Sun is a large planet that provides heat and light to Earth.
The Sun is the largest star in the universe and provides heat and light to Earth.
The Sun is a comet that provides heat and light to Earth.
The Sun is a medium-sized star that provides heat and light to Earth.

24. Check Your Understanding
3. Constellations are patterns of stars in the sky. Which statement best describes these stars?
The stars in a constellation are equal distances from Earth.
The stars in a constellation are the same size.
The stars in a constellation pattern never move.
The stars in a constellation are different distances from Earth.

25. Check Your Understanding
4. Why does the Sun seem larger and brighter than other stars?
The Sun can be seen from Earth during daylight hours.
The Sun is closer to Earth than other stars in the universe.
The Sun reflects light from all the moons in the solar system.
The Sun can make its own light.

26. Check Your Answers c d b
The alignment between the Earth, Moon, and Sun determines the amount of light reflected by the Moon. This causes us to view phases of the moon.
Although the sun appears to be very large to us, it is actually a medium sized star
Stars are at varying distances from the Earth, if they appear close together when we gaze at the night sky they may be a part of the same constellation. However, in reality these stars are not at all close to one another.
The Sun appears larger to us because it is our closest star.

27. Summary Question
In your science journal Compare and Contrast what you know about the Earth with the inner and outer planets, moons, asteroids and comets.
Be sure to set high expectations for a written summary!