The Solar System and Beyond

Active learning works for the Solar System and Beyond because students need to visualize vast distances and complex relationships between objects that are too large or distant to see. Hands-on activities build spatial reasoning and reinforce abstract concepts like scale and composition that textbooks alone cannot convey.

• Year 7
• Science
• 4 activities
• 25 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Classify the eight planets into inner rocky planets and outer gas giants based on their composition and distance from the Sun.
2. Compare and contrast the characteristics of planets, asteroids, and comets, including size, composition, and orbital path.
3. Explain the structure of the Milky Way galaxy and identify our solar system's position within it.
4. Analyze the relative scale and distances between celestial objects in our solar system.

Gallery Walk

⏱ 45 min·Whole Class

Scale Model: Solar System Walk

Mark distances from the Sun to Neptune on school grounds using chalk or tape, placing planet images or balls at scaled positions. Students walk the model, noting time and distance differences between inner and outer planets. Discuss relative scales back in class.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between the inner and outer planets of our solar system.

Facilitation Tip: During the Solar System Walk, place planet cutouts at calculated distances so students physically sense the vastness of space between inner and outer planets.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Gallery Walk

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Pairs Sort: Celestial Objects

Provide cards with images and descriptions of planets, asteroids, comets, and stars. Pairs sort into categories, justify choices, then share with class. Extend by creating Venn diagrams comparing planets and comets.

Prepare & details

Compare the characteristics of planets, asteroids, and comets.

Facilitation Tip: For the Celestial Objects Sort, provide criteria cards with clear definitions and examples to guide students as they debate borderline cases like Eris or Ceres.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Gallery Walk

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Small Groups: Comet Construction

Groups build edible comets using dry ice, nuts for dust, and water for ice. Observe sublimation and tail formation under heat lamps. Record changes and relate to real comet behaviour near the Sun.

Prepare & details

Explain the concept of a galaxy and our place within the Milky Way.

Facilitation Tip: When building Comet Models, have students test their creations under a lamp to observe how heat changes their comet’s behaviour, linking theory to observable phenomena.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Gallery Walk

⏱ 25 min·Individual

Individual: Galaxy Position Map

Students draw our solar system's position in the Milky Way, labelling arms and centre. Use online simulators to verify, then annotate distances and star counts.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between the inner and outer planets of our solar system.

Facilitation Tip: In the Galaxy Position Map, ask students to mark the Milky Way’s center and Earth’s position to visualize our solar system’s location within the galaxy.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teach this topic by prioritizing model-building and physical movement to overcome the limitations of scale. Avoid relying solely on diagrams or videos, as they often distort proportions. Research shows that students retain concepts better when they manipulate materials and discuss classifications with peers. Emphasize criteria-based reasoning over memorization to address common misconceptions about size, composition, and classification.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently distinguishing planet types, explaining why Pluto is not a main planet, and describing the differences between asteroids, comets, and stars. They should apply classification criteria independently and use models to justify their reasoning in discussions and written work.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Celestial Objects Sort, watch for students who categorize Pluto as a main planet or struggle to apply classification criteria without referencing the provided definitions.

What to Teach Instead

Use the criteria cards provided during the sort. Have students re-read the definition of a planet and ask them to justify Pluto’s placement by comparing its orbit to Neptune’s and checking if it clears its path.

Common Misconception

During the Small Groups Comet Construction activity, watch for students who assume asteroids and comets are the same because both are rocky.

What to Teach Instead

Ask students to compare their models under the lamp. Have them note the icy coating on comets and the rocky texture of asteroids, then revisit the criteria cards to reinforce the difference in composition.

Common Misconception

During the Scale Model Solar System Walk, watch for students who assume all stars are similar in size to our Sun.

What to Teach Instead

Bring out the sphere models used in the activity and ask students to arrange them from smallest to largest. Use the peer review moment to discuss how red dwarfs compare to supergiants like Betelgeuse.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After the Celestial Objects Sort, provide students with a list of celestial objects (e.g., Earth, Jupiter, Halley's Comet, Ceres). Ask them to sort these objects into three categories: Rocky Planet, Gas Giant, or Comet, and briefly justify their placement for two objects.

Exit Ticket

After the Scale Model Solar System Walk, ask students to write one key difference between inner and outer planets on an index card. Then, have them draw a simple diagram showing our Sun, Earth, and the asteroid belt, labeling each component.

Discussion Prompt

During the Galaxy Position Map activity, pose the question: 'If you were an astronomer discovering a new object in our solar system, what three characteristics would you measure to help classify it as a planet, asteroid, or comet?' Facilitate a brief class discussion on their reasoning.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to research and present on a lesser-known dwarf planet, comparing its orbit and composition to Pluto.
• Scaffolding for struggling students: Provide pre-sorted sets of celestial objects for the Celestial Objects Sort, then gradually remove support as their confidence grows.
• Deeper exploration: Have students calculate the time it would take for a spacecraft to travel from Earth to each planet using average orbital distances and a fixed speed.

Key Vocabulary

Asteroid Belt	A region between Mars and Jupiter containing numerous irregularly shaped rocky bodies, remnants from the early solar system.
Comet	An icy celestial body that orbits the Sun, developing a visible coma and tail when it gets close enough to the Sun for its ice to vaporize.
Galaxy	A vast system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, and dark matter, bound together by gravity. Our solar system is in the Milky Way.
Gas Giant	A large planet composed primarily of gases, such as hydrogen and helium, found in the outer regions of our solar system (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune).
Rocky Planet	A planet composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals, with a solid surface, found in the inner regions of our solar system (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars).