Let

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Lets Talk about the Solar System!By, Deanna
Kulesz
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Greetings from Planet Earth!

• Hello 3rd Graders, Im Ms. Kulesz
• I plan on teaching all of you about our Solar
  System
• So, put on your space helmets and lets start
  with the Sun!

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The Sun

• The star we call The Sun is HUGE!
• It is more than a hundred times wider than Earth
  (the Sun has a diameter of 870,000 miles)
• Because the Sun is so big, it attracts many
  objects with its gravity
• Some objects are large, such as planets, while
  some are small, such as moons and comets

IMAGE SOURCE http//www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/lin
k/sun/sun.html
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The Solar System

• These objects that are attracted and orbit the
  Sun are part of the Suns family
• This is our Solar System!

IMAGE SOURCE http//www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/lin
k/our_solar_system/solar_system_1.html
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The Planets

• Planets are part of our Solar System
• Did you know that according to recent research,
  there are only 8 planets?
• Before the year 2006 it was believed that there
  were 9 planets!
• Do you know which planet is now called a dwarf
  planet?
• Heres a hint, its the name of a Disney dog

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The Planets

• Pluto is now called a Dwarf-Planet!
• Other dwarf planets in our Solar System are
  called Ceres and Eris
• The planets in our Solar System in order from
  closest to farthest from the Sun are
• Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
  Uranus, and Neptune

MERCURY
VENUS
EARTH
MARS
JUPITER
SATURN
URANUS
NEPTUNE
IMAGE SOURCE http//www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/lin
k/our_solar_system/planets.html
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Eclipses

• Today, I will briefly teach you about eclipses!
• What in the world is an eclipse?
• Many third graders have this question
• Eclipses occur when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are
  in a line
• Eclipses have to do with shadows

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Solar Eclipse

• A solar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks the
  light from the Sun
• This causes a shadow to be casted on a small area
  of the Earth
• If the alignment is not exact, a partial eclipse
  occurs
• Only part of the Suns light is blocked

IMAGE SOURCE http//www.astro.umd.edu/educational
resources/astro/moon/eclipses.html
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Lunar Eclipse

• A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes
  through the Earths shadow
• Since the Earth is much larger than the Moon, a
  lunar eclipse can be seen by more people than a
  solar eclipse

IMAGE SOURCE http//www.astro.umd.edu/educational
resources/astro/moon/eclipses.html
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(On the Video)

• Now, lets see a demonstration.

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Conclusion

• Well, my student-astronauts, that ends todays
  preview of our unit on the Solar System
• I hope you are ready for an out of this world
  experience!

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References

• Eclipses. (n.d.). Retrieved February 29, 2008,
  from http//www.astro.umd.edu/educationalresources
  /astro/moon/eclipses.html
• Kerrod, R. (2003). Universe. New York, DK
  Publishing.
• Robson, D. (1991). Lets look up the planets. New
  York, Aladdin Books.
• Russel, R. (2007). Our solar system. Retrieved
  February 22, 2008, from http//www.windows.ucar.ed
  u/tour/link/our_solar_system/solar_system.html