Lesson 10: The planets and their paths
Grades 3–5 · about 15 minutes · NGSS 5-ESS1-1, toward MS-ESS1-3. By the end: I can name the planets in order and explain that the farther a planet is, the longer its year.
Learn
- Eight planets travel around the Sun, each on its own path: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
- The first four are small and rocky. The last four are giants, made mostly of gas and ice.
- The farther a planet is, the longer its year: Mercury goes around in 88 days, Earth in one year, and Neptune takes about 165 years.
Try it
Play Planet Parade, then take a planet walk outside to feel how far apart the planets really are.
Quiz: five questions
Four right is a pass. Peabody reads every question; tap a box.
Peabody is getting the questions ready…
Tonight's task
Use Sky Tonight to find a planet that's up this week. Planets shine steadily and don't twinkle much.
🪐 Night task: The planets and their paths
Use Sky Tonight to find a planet that's up this week. Planets shine steadily and don't twinkle much.
A grown-up comes too. Never look at the Sun.
The planet I found:
Which way and how many fists high:
Did it twinkle?
Date: ____________ Clear? ☐ yes ☐ some clouds ☐ cloudy
“Owls are supposed to be wise. Mostly we just stay up late and look at things.”