S3.12.1 For the adult
The planets
Some bright dots in the night sky are planets, not stars. What is a planet?
What this chapter teaches
There are eight planets, in a fixed order from the Sun. The four nearest are small and rocky, then come two gas giants and two ice giants. The learner compares planets by size, distance and make-up.
Three questions to ask
There is no one right wording. Listen for the idea.
- Can you say the eight planets in order, starting from the Sun?
- Which planets are rocky, and which are giants?
- Why is it hard to draw all the planets and their distances on one page?
After the chapter, the learner can
- Name the eight planets in order from the Sun
- Compare planets by size, distance and what they are made of
What they copy into their notebook
Eight planets go round the Sun. Rocky: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars. Gas giants: Jupiter, Saturn. Ice giants: Uranus, Neptune. Jupiter is biggest.