Our Galaxy & Solar System
- Our Galaxy & Solar System
- Inquiry Question and Main Ideas
- Lesson on Our Galaxy and Solar System
- Reading
- Videos
- Activity: My Cosmic Address
- Galaxy Sensory Bin
- iOS App: Tinybop Space
- Model the Solar System
- Constellation Stories from Around the World
- Extentions
- Wordwall Digital Games
- Printables
Inquiry Question and Main Ideas
What makes up our galaxy and solar system, and how do the parts work together?
Lvl 1:
- We live in a galaxy called the Milky Way.
- Our galaxy has stars, including the Sun.
- The Sun is in the center of our solar system.
- The planets go around the Sun in space.
Lvl 2:
- Each planet has its own path (orbit) around the Sun.
- The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy made up of stars, planets, gas, and dust.
- Our solar system orbits within one arm of the Milky Way.
- The Sun is a star, and the solar system formed from a cloud of gas and dust.
Lesson on Our Galaxy and Solar System
1. The Milky Way Galaxy
Long ago, after many stars had been born, one special collection of stars began to take shape. Gravity pulled gas, dust, and stars into a swirling, spinning pattern. Over time, this spiral of stars, gas, and dust became known as the Milky Way galaxy.
The Milky Way is not just a random collection of stars—it is a grand, organized system. It has spiral arms, where billions of stars, planets, and clouds of gas and dust are held together by gravity. And somewhere in one of these arms, far from the center but part of the great galaxy, our solar system began to form.
2. Birth of Our Solar System
In the arm of the Milky Way where our solar system would live, a cloud of gas and dust slowly drifted together. Gravity pulled it into a tighter, spinning disk. In the center, material compressed until it became hot enough to ignite nuclear fusion. The Sun was born—a star at the heart of our solar system.
Around the Sun, the remaining gas and dust began to clump. Tiny pieces collided, stuck together, and grew larger. Over millions of years, these clumps became the planets we know today. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars formed closer to the Sun. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune took shape farther out. Each planet followed its own path, or orbit, around the Sun, tracing invisible lanes in the vast space of our galaxy.
3. Orbits and the Solar System in Motion
The planets continue to move in steady orbits around the Sun, each with its own speed and distance. Mercury races closest to the Sun, while Neptune drifts slowly in the outer reaches. Moons orbit the planets, and comets and asteroids travel like cosmic travelers, all moving together in harmony.
Our solar system itself drifts through the Milky Way, orbiting the galaxy’s center along with billions of other stars. Even though the galaxy is enormous, our solar system has a quiet, steady path in its spiral arm. It is a tiny but important part of the Milky Way’s great structure.
4. Cosmic Connections
The Sun is more than a bright star, it is the anchor of our solar system. Its gravity holds the planets in orbit, its heat makes life possible on Earth, and its light travels across space, touching every corner of our world.
All the planets, moons, and other objects orbit the Sun, moving in an elegant cosmic dance. And this dance takes place inside the Milky Way, a galaxy full of stars, gas, and dust—each with the potential to host its own planets, solar systems, and maybe even life.
When we look up at the night sky, we are seeing just a tiny fraction of our galaxy. Yet even that tiny part contains the Sun, Earth, and everything we know. The Milky Way is our home in the universe, and the solar system is our local neighborhood—a small but shining story of stars, planets, and the paths they follow.
Optional: Video Lesson “The birth of the galaxy in 60 seconds”
Optional: Video Lesson “How did the Solar System form?”
Reading
Our World in Pictures
pg. 16-17
pg. 20-29
DK’s Science as You’ve Never Seen it Before
pg. 114-115
pg. 118-121
Extra Books
- Your Place in the Universe (Chin)
- Here We Are
- Mars: Welcome Earthlings
- Pluto: Not a Planet? Not a Problem
- Sun: One in a Billion
- Science Comics: Solar System
Videos
Activity: My Cosmic Address
Version 1: Nesting Boxes (3D)
Make a set of nesting containers using boxes, plastic tubs, or even paper cups. Label each to represent a level of the universe. Below is the basic cosmic set up, but for older learns you could also incorporate more levels like street, city, state, country, and continent.
- You
- Planet (Earth)
- Solar System
- Galaxy (Milky Way)
- Universe
- Some Visual Examples of this activity can be found here: https://livingmontessorinow.com/montessori-monday-diy-cosmic-nesting-boxes-map-towers-and-me-on-the-map/Links to an external site.
- I found free art to go with this here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Cosmic-Nesting-or-Stacking-Pages-13649213Links to an external site.
- Paid Version of the activity: https://montessorikiwi.com/products/my-cosmic-addressLinks to an external site.
Version 2: Flat Version
You can do this activity similarly to how you would a “me on the map” layered book.
Materials Needed:
- 5 (or more) sheets of colored paper or cardstock (or template)
- Scissors
- Markers, crayons, or pens
- Optional: glue stick or brads to attach in a flipbook or fan shape
Instructions:
- Cut 5 (or more!) Nesting Shapes
- Cut your paper into 5 rectangles or circles, each one slightly smaller than the last so they can nest or layer on top of each other. Neatness isn’t as important, this is about understanding how each level fits into the next.
- Label each one (largest to smallest):
- Layer and Discuss
- Starting with the largest shape (Universe), lay out the pieces in order, each one centered on top of the last like nesting dolls or a flipbook.
- As you go, talk about how each layer fits inside the one before:
- “The universe holds everything there is—every star, every planet, every galaxy.”
- “Our galaxy, the Milky Way, holds billions of stars—including our Sun!”
- “Our solar system is just one little neighborhood in the galaxy.”
- “Our planet, Earth, is just one of the planets that orbits the Sun.”
- “And YOU live on Earth—so you’re part of the whole universe!”
- Customize
“The Planets” by Gustav Holst
Recommended Book:
The Story Orchestra: The Planets: Press the note to hear Holst’s music
Level 1: Listening with Curiosity and Imagination
How to Listen:
- Find a comfy place to sit or lay down, close your eyes, and just listen.
- Focus on how the music makes you feel. Is it fast or slow? Loud or quiet? Does it sound happy, scary, exciting, or sleepy?
What to Do:
- Ask: “What do you think is happening in this music?” “If this music was in a movie, what scene would it go with?”
- Use coloring pages or draw your own planet while listening.
- Act it out! Move your body the way the music makes you feel—stomp like Mars, float like Neptune, twirl like Venus.
Appreciation Tip:
You don’t need to understand all the parts—just enjoy the ride and notice the feelings it brings!
Level 2: Listening with Curiosity and Thought
How to Listen:
Holst gave each planet its own “personality” in music. Try listening to each movement and ask:
- What instruments do I hear?
- What kind of mood or story does the music tell?
- How does each piece match the name of the planet?
What to Do:
- Compare two movements (like Mars, the Bringer of War vs. Venus, the Bringer of Peace). How are they different?
- Create a listening journal with a few notes for each planet: mood, tempo, instruments, and what it made you imagine.
- Research how Holst’s planets are based on astrology, not astronomy, and reflect on whether you’d describe the planets differently based on space facts.
Appreciation Tip:
Holst used music to imagine the personality of each planet—how would you describe them?
Resources
Galaxy Sensory Bin
Note: This activity can be used repeatedly for as ever long as it holds interest to your learner!
Materials (Use what you have!)
- Base: Black beans, dyed black or dark blue rice, lentils, or kinetic sand
- Stars/Planets: Glow-in-the-dark stars, marbles, pom-poms, small bouncy balls, glass gems, or beads (obviously be mindful of choke-able items for young children)
- Galaxies: Swirled pipe cleaners, sparkly ribbon, spiral cut paper, or corks with glitter
- Extras:
- Small bowls or lids
- Scoops/spoons/tweezers = for fine motor practice
- LED tea lights = glowing stars or suns
- Space toys (optional)
- Potential Add In Ideas:
- https://www.safariltd.com/products/toobs-space-figurines-699804?variant=5223876952101
- https://www.amazon.com/Great-Explorations-3-D-Planets-Box/dp/B0006HCY3I/ref=asc_df_B0006HCY3I?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80608063550921&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584207589848060&psc=1
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I0CEAZG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=bt4t-20&linkId=b1cfbae9e1a29006f5ebde78b8aa8523&language=en_US
Guided Play & Learning Prompts
- “Can you find all the stars?”
- “Which planets are close to the sun? Which are far away?”
- “Make a planet orbit the sun—what shape does it make?”
- “Can you sort the stars by size or color?”
Optional Extensions
- Art: Let kids sketch what they built, then label it: galaxy, star, orbit, planet, etc.
- Math: Count stars and planets, sort by size or color, or measure distances with a ruler.
- Storytelling: “Imagine your galaxy has aliens—what are they like? Where do they live?”
iOS App: Tinybop Space
https://tinybop.com/apps/spaceLinks to an external site.
*This is the information a friend wrote and is okay with me posting here, but I 100% LOVE this app and recommend it to you throughly*
Space is an interactive exploration of the Sun and eight planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—designed for curious kids aged roughly 6–8+.
What You Can Do:
- Hurl meteorites at planets to study atmospheres and gravity
- Spin Saturn’s rings, observe planet orbits, and launch the Curiosity rover on Mars
- Peek inside planetary layers, test surface conditions, and see why Mercury is cratered
What You Can Learn:
- Compare size, mass, rotation, and day length across planets
- Track the Moon’s phases and adjust Earth’s axis to explore seasons
- Discover unexpected phenomena—like diamonds on Neptune!
Why It’s Great:
- No ads, no third‑party tracking—designed for safe family use
- Trusted by educators and kids: Editor’s Choice and awarded “Best App for Older Children” by KAPi
- Comes with a free Space Handbook for parents and teachers, offering tips, facts, and discussion starters (look at the bottom of the website link!!!!)
Bottom line:
Space is a beautifully illustrated, playful, and scientifically rich app that invites kids to explore the solar system through open-ended, discovery-based interaction, making learning both fun and memorable.
Solar System Model
Model the Solar System
Models help kids see and feel the scale, layout, and motion of the solar system. While no model is perfect (space is really big!), hands-on projects make learning more memorable.
1. DIY Low-Cost & Upcycled Versions
Use what you have!
- Playdough Planets: Use different sizes/colors to show planet differences. (hint: use a CD for Saturn’s rings!)
- Bottle Caps / Lids: Sort by size and paint them for planets.
- Paper Circles: Cut and color from construction paper, scrap paper, or cereal boxes (or use a coloring sheet!)
Printable Mobile Version:
https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/143016/solar-system-mobile-project/Links to an external site.
2. Kit Options
There are tons of kits available—from dollar store foam balls to more detailed STEM sets.
Foam Ball Kits: Great for painting and labeling.
Generic Example:
Glow-in-the-Dark Model:
3. More Accurate Versions
Playdough + Household Items
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/planet-size
Uses toliet paper to mark distance!
https://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/AtHomeAstronomy/activity_10.html
NASA’s JPL has an AMAZING project for scale (advanced)
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/resources/project/make-a-scale-solar-system/
Prompts & Extensions
“Why do the outer planets take longer to go around the Sun?”
“Which planet would you want to live on?”
“What’s the hottest? Smallest? Furthest?”
Constellation Stories from Around the World
Star Stories: Constellation Tales From Around the World by Anita Ganeri
Goals:
- Explore how different cultures explain the stars through myths
- Identify some major constellations and their associated stories
- Create their own myth based on a constellation they invent or learn about
- Appreciate cultural diversity through storytelling and sky watching
Before Reading Discussion
- What is a constellation?
- Why do you think people around the world told stories about stars?
- Do you know any constellation stories already (like Orion or the Big Dipper)?
Read & Explore
Choose 2–3 stories from the book, ideally from different continents or traditions
- What is the name of this constellation?
- What is the story behind it?
- What values or lessons does the story reflect?
- Where in the world did this story originate?
- What does this myth show us about the people who told it?
Map and Match
Use a world map to locate where each story originated. Optional: Add a small star sticker or draw a constellation icon over each region:
Example: Story of Scorpio – Ancient Greece → Sticker over Greece
Activities
1. Constellation Storybook
- Have learners choose one constellation from the book
- Retell the myth in their own words (orally or written)
- Add an illustration of the constellation with connecting lines
2. Create Your Own Constellation & Myth (repeat from last lessons)
- Dot stars randomly on black paper
- Connect them to form a shape
- Write a new myth about how it came to be in the sky”Long ago, in the land of ________, there was a _______ who wished to be remembered forever…”
3. Compare Myths Across Cultures
| Element | Story 1 | Story 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | (Country/Culture) | (Country/Culture) |
| Constellation Name | ||
| Main Characters | ||
| Conflict or Message | ||
| Connection to Sky |
Critical Thinking Prompts
- Why do so many cultures have stories about the stars?
- What can we learn about a culture by reading its myths?
- How do myths and science work together in helping people understand the world?
Optional Extension: Skywatching
- Use a free stargazing app (like Star Walk or SkyView) to locate real constellations
- Go outside at night and try to find a few of the ones from the book
- Sketch them and label them in a stargazing notebook
Extentions
Fabulous information and experiments here!
https://palebluemarbles.com/how-big-is-the-solar-system/
Art Activity: Galaxy in a Jar
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Galaxy-in-a-Jar-Free-Video-Art-Lesson-8297241
Rabbit Hole Learning 