The Solar System 3rd Grade

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The Solar System3rd Grade
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Objectives

• You will learn important information about each
  of the nine planets and about our solar system!

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What is a planet?

• A large space body with reflects the light of a
  star around which it revolves
• There are NINE planets within our solar system!

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Vocabulary

• Orbit means to circle around. The planets orbit
  the Sun.
• Our moon is a body in space that circles planet
  Earth. Other planets have moons, too.
• Our solar system includes the Sun and all the
  planets, moons, and stars.
• A star is a body which looks like a bright point
  in the sky at night. A star is not a planet or a
  moon. Our sun is a star.
• Scientists pretend that planets and stars have a
  line drawn through their middles. This line is
  called an axis.

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The Order of the planets

• My
• Very
• Educated
• Mother
• Just
• Served
• Us
• Nine
• Pizzas

• Mercury
• Venus
• Earth
• Mars
• Jupiter
• Saturn
• Uranus
• Neptune
• Pluto

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Why is the Sun SOO Important!

• The sun is the CENTER of our solar system!
• It is our closest STAR!
• All the planets in our solar system revolve
  around the sun!

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Mercury!

• Mercury is the planet which is closest to the
  Sun.
• It is one of the four inner planets. (Mercury,
  Venus, Earth, and Mars)
• These four planets are also called the rocky
  planets because they are made of rocks
• 1 Earth year about 4 Mercury years
• Mercury is about 1/3 as big as Earth (3
  Mercurys 1 Earth)

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Venus!

• Venus is the second planet from the sun!
• Venus is very bright, and you can see it from
  Earth at sunrise and sunset
• 1 day on Venus longer than one year on Earth!!
• Venus is different from any other planet because
  it spins backwards on its axis

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Earth!

• Earth is the planet we live on!
• Earth is the third planet from the sun
• It only takes 24 hours to spin around its axis
  one day (1 day 24 hours)
• Earth orbits the sun in 365 days (1 year 265
  days)
• Earth is covered mainly by water
• Earth has 1 moon

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Mars!

• Mars is the fourth planet from the sun
• Mars is called the red planet because the dirt
  on the surface is a red color
• Mars has an atmosphere made up of almost all
  Carbon dioxide (with only a little oxygen) making
  it impossible for humans to breathe on Mars

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Jupiter!

• Jupiter is the fifth planet from the sun, and the
  largest of all the planets
• It is the first of the outer planets (Jupiter,
  Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto)
• Jupiter has three layers of clouds
• Jupiter has a lot of storms on its surface. One
  of these, Jupiters Red Spot has been going on
  for 300 years
• Jupiter has at least 61 moons

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Saturn!

• Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar
  system
• Saturn has many wind storms on its surface
• Saturn has rings which are made up of rocks and
  ice (ranging from as small as a pebble to as big
  as a building)
• The rings have a pretty color because of the way
  the sun shines on them from a distance

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Uranus!

• Uranus is the seventh planet from the sun
• 1 day on Uranus 17 hours on Earth
• 1 year on Uranus 84 Earth years!!!
• Uranus has more moons that any of planet (so far
  20 have been discovered)
• Clouds cover the entire surface of Uranus

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Neptune!

• Neptune is the eight planet from the sun
• (Like Uranus) Neptune is a blue color because
  its atmosphere is made up of mainly Methane Gas
• Neptune has something scientists call the great
  dark spot which they believe is a hole in its
  atmosphere
• Neptune has eight moons!

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Pluto!

• Pluto is the ninth planet (and is VERY far away)
• It takes Pluto about 248 years to orbit the sun
  once!
• We know the least about Pluto because it is so
  far away
• Pluto is smaller than Earth, and may have a
  temperature that is -300 degrees!

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Assignment

• Now that you know a little about our Solar System
  and the nine planets its your turn to do some
  research!
• You will be arranged into groups of 2 or 3, and
  assigned one of the nine planets
• Using Microsoft PowerPoint construct a slideshow
  of 8-12 slides about your planet
• Be sure to include the information that you
  learned in this PowerPoint as well as NEW
  information you have found during your research!
• Be creative and have fun!

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Resources

• http//www.nasm.si.edu/ceps/etp/etp.htm
• http//www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronom
  y/planets/
• http//starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/sola
  r_system_level1/solar_system.html
• http//www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm
• http//www.dustbunny.com/afk/planets/

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