Description

Planets Unit

This Planets Unit comes with hands-on science lessons and assessments! Everything you need for teaching about rotation and revolution, characteristics of the planets, and ordering the planets by distance from the sun and size can be found here. Save time planning, and your students will love completing the hands-on activities found in this unit.

For a closer look at the activities in this unit, see the product preview at the top of the page!

What topics are covered in this Planets Unit?

This Planets Unit includes 5 detailed lesson plans. All lessons are hands-on and incorporate literacy skills. Students will investigate–

• Early theories about the solar system, including a Sun-centered model of the solar system and an Earth-centered model of the solar system
• How planets rotate on their axes and revolve around the sun
• Characteristics and important facts about each planet
• The order of the planets by their distance from the sun
• The order of the planets by increasing size

What types of resources are included in the unit?

A variety of no-prep activities are included in these unit plans.

• worksheets
• hands-on activities
• foldables/booklets
• sorts
• quiz
• test
• word wall cards
• timeline of suggested activities: Provides a timeline for using the activities included within this unit and provides links to websites featuring videos about concepts being taught.
• answer keys included throughout

Students will become fully immersed in learning about the planets as they model the planets, make foldables, and complete hands-on activities!

Are digital resources included?

Most worksheets, the quiz, and the test within this Planets Unit are also included in an interactive Google Slides format and can be shared with students using your Google Drive.

Video tutorials are included to help you share interactive Google Slides with your students.

What standards are covered?

This Planets Unit is specifically aligned with the Virginia science SOL 4.5, although it closely matches most science standards related to rotation and revolution, characteristics of the planets, and ordering the planets by distance from the sun and size.

This unit has been updated to align with the 2018 Science SOLs AND the 2025 Science Instructional Guides.

What are other teachers saying about this unit?

• “This Solar System unit is an excellent resource for teaching space science in an engaging and student-friendly way. The lessons are well-organized, easy to use, and the digital and printable options make it perfect for both classroom and at-home learning.” (Colton C.)
• “I loved this purchase so much, I signed up for the VA Teacher’s Club.  These resources are so incredibly helpful and reduced my stress load.” (Jennifer L.)
• “I love all of Vestal’s 21st Century Classroom’s science units! My classroom flows so much better when using her planned units. Great purchase!” (Emily T.)
• “Thank you for another awesome resource. Activities are easy to incorporate, and they help engage the students.” (Sarah G.)
• “What a fantastic resource! I love all the lessons, projects, and ideas. I have bought many resources from the seller, and I am not done yet.” (Jackie K.)

Don’t Miss Out!

You don’t need to spend hours creating your Planets Unit! These lessons require minimal prep work and are easy to implement, whether teaching in-person or virtually. Students will also enjoy learning about the planets in our solar system as they complete hands-on activities and experiments.

 

Want to save money?

This Solar System Unit is included in my 4th Grade Science Unit Bundle for a discounted price!

 

More science resources:

• Planet Task Cards
• Planets Jeopardy Game
• Planets Escape Room
• Planets Study Guide
• Planets Slideshow

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Other Information:

©Meghan Vestal, Vestal’s 21st Century Classroom LLC. All rights reserved. This product is to be used by the original downloader only. Copying for teachers, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited. This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view. Teachers may NOT upload the product to school/district servers, or to any website, or share digital or print copies. Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All sales are final.