Solar System Teaching Resources
Rocket your students into your next space lesson with solar system projects and diagrams, activities designed around the planets and moon phases, and hundreds more teaching resources created by teachers for your classroom!
Aligned with NGSS curriculum standards, each solar system-focused teacher resource has undergone the Teach Starter teacher team's thorough review process to ensure it's ready to use in your classroom.
This collection of curriculum-aligned teaching resources makes teaching about the planets, sun, moon, and the rest of the galaxy easy with editable templates that can be easily adapted to differentiate instruction for your individual students.
New to this part of the science curriculum or just looking for fresh ideas to inspire kids about space? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including a definition of solar system to share with students and a look at the difference between this space concept and galaxies.
What Is the Solar System? A Kid-Friendly Definition
To start you off, our teacher team has created a definition you can use in the classroom to introduce the solar system to your students.
The solar system is made up of a single star with planets rotating around it.
The solar system that we call home has the sun at the center — yes, the sun is a star! — and it includes planet Earth, plus other planets, moons, asteroids, comets and other outer space objects.
The sun, which is seen at left, is the only star in our solar system.
Solar System vs. Galaxy — What's the Difference?
If a solar system is comprised of the sun and the planets, what's a galaxy?
The easiest way to explain the difference between these two is to tell your class that a galaxy is a gigantic group of solar systems, all gathered together.
Kids can think of the galaxy as a big, extended family of solar systems.
Earth is located in the Milky Way galaxy, which includes a huge number of different solar systems — more than 3,000!
How Many Planets Are in Our Solar System?
The solar system that we call home as residents of Earth is made up of eight planets — Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — plus one dwarf planet, Pluto!
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Objects in the Sky – Google Slides Interactive Activity
Demonstrate an understanding of the sun, moon, stars, and clouds with this interactive activity.
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Objects in the Sky – Write the Room Activity
Improve your students’ understanding of science vocabulary terms that relate to objects in the sky with this “Write the Room” activity.
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Day and Night Mini-Book
Learn about the differences between night and day with this printable mini-book designed for kindergarten and first-grade students.
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Objects in the Sky – Sorting Activity
Determine if statements about different objects in the sky are true or false with this sorting activity.
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Objects in the Sky – Vocabulary Cards and Writing Templates
Create a vocabulary and writing center with a word wall and writing templates that cover objects in the sky.
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Moon Phases – Poster Set
Learn about the lunar cycle with this this set of posters showing the different phases of the moon.
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Moon Phases Diagram
Learn about the position of the moon and its phases as it orbits the Earth with this illustrated diagram.
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All About Stars – Mini-Book
Learn about the stars in the night sky with this printable mini-book designed for kindergarten and first-grade students.
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Celestial Bodies – Earth, Sun, and Moon – Instructional Slide Deck
Learn information about the Earth, sun, and moon while comparing the physical characteristics of each with this 22-slide instructional slide deck.
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Day and Night Worksheets
Use this set of printable worksheets to encourage students to think about the differences between night and day.
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Night and Day Word Wall
Use this set of word wall cards when teaching concepts and vocabulary related to Earth's day and night cycle.
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Solar and Lunar Eclipse Posters
Display these solar and lunar eclipse diagrams in your classroom when learning about the alignment of the Sun, Earth, and moon.
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Day and Night Cycle – Poster
Display information about Earth’s day and night cycle with this colorful science poster.
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Snapshots of the Moon – Moon Tracking Booklet
Obverse the moon over the course of the month and chart observations with this moon phases mini-book.
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The Solar System - Planets in Order
Show the planets in order with this beautifully designed printable science poster.
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The Solar System to Scale – Poster
Display information about the order, scale, and the diameter of the planets with this colorful science poster.
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The Moon – Reading Passage and Response Sheet
Engage your students with a high-interest reading passage about the moon with this informative article and accompanying response sheet.
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Formation of Earth – Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Use this reading comprehension activity that helps develop literacy skills and outlines the events and processes that led to the formation of our home planet.
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Moon Phases – Instructional Slide Deck
Learn about the different phases of the moon and how its appearance changes over time with this instructional slide deck.
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Cause of the Seasons – Word Wall Cards
Reinforce science vocabulary in your classroom with this set of word wall cards that focus on what causes the change of seasons.
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We Are Moving – Planet Project Bundle
Use this printable Earth and Space project teaching resource bundle to create projects that develop knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts, research skills and writing skills.
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Phases of the Moon Bulletin Board Kit
Display information about the phases of this moon with an out-of-this-world bulletin board display.
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Phases of the Moon – Data Worksheet
Use data to identify and predict when different phases of the moon are visible with this worksheet.
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Moon Phases – Task Cards
Review information about the different moon phases with this set of 24 task cards.
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Moon Phases – Vocabulary Cards
Reinforce science vocabulary with a set of 15 vocabulary cards covering the different phases of the moon and related terms.
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Moon Phases Tic-Tac-Toe (Small Group)
Identify and remember the different phases of the moon with this small group tic-tac-toe game.
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Moon Phases Mini-Book
Read, learn, and complete comprehension exercises while studying the 8 moon phases.
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Rotation vs. Revolution Poster Set
Display information in your classroom about the differences between rotation and revolution with this poster set.
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Planets of Our Solar System – Worksheet
Use this worksheet to review planet order, features, and classifications.
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Planet Mini-Book Collection
Read and learn about the planets of our solar system with this collection of 8 mini-books.
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Planets of Our Solar System – Teaching Presentation
Practice identifying the planets in Earth's solar system and their position in relation to the Sun with this 21-slide presentation.
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The Nighttime Sky - Worksheet
Explore features of the nighttime sky with this one-page worksheet.