Lesson 1: The Earth in the Solar System

Lesson Plan
Suggested time: 5–6 periods (40 mins each)

Heavenly bodies

Stars

Constellation
The Solar System
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Asteroids Meteors
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• The Earth
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• The planets
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• The moon

Objectives To enable students to:

• identify and describe the various heavenly bodies
• identify the various objects that make up the Solar System
• describe in detail about the Sun, the planets, the Moon and the Earth
• compare the features of the major planets
• examine the phases of the Moon
• identify and define the other celestial bodies such as asteroids and meteors
Tools/Materials New GettingAhead in Social Science 6, board and chalk, photographs of the Sun, Moon,
used the Earth, the solar system, constellations, asteroids and meteors. Use slide presentations
or smart class modules, if any.

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 Introducing the Ask the students whether they can tell the difference between a star and a planet when
Lesson they look at the night sky. Tell them that if the point of light in the sky twinkles then it is a
star, whereas if the point of light is steady then it is a planet.
Ask them to look at the night sky and try to spot stars and planets.
Methodology Teaching the lesson
• Explain the term heavenly bodies. On the board, write the terms stars and
constellations. Explain how stars are formed.
• Explain the term galaxy and universe. Show the class pictures of our galaxy the
Milky Way. Tell the class that there are millions of galaxies like the Milky Way. Each
galaxy is said to contain 200–400 million stars and our solar system is located in the
Milky Way.
• Show the class pictures of constellations. Explain the term. Tell that there are
hundreds of constellations in space. Call a student to the board to draw any one of the
better known constellations. Tell the class the stars that make up the constellations
are actually many light years away from each other, though they appear close to each
other when seen from the Earth.
• Draw the picture of the solar system on the board. Ask the students to name the
planets in the solar system. Ask the class how far away the Earth is from the Sun.
• Explain the geocentric and heliocentric theory with the help of pictures or a diagram
on the board. Distinguish between these theories.
• Explain the features of the Sun. Tell the class that the Sun is the major source of
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energy for life on the Earth. Ask the students to imagine what would happen to the
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Earth if the Sun did not shine for one day. Sum up the answers.
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• Talk to the class about rotation and revolution. Ensure that they understand the
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concepts clearly. You can ask the students to demonstrate the two movements of the
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Earth in front of the class by asking one child to be the Sun and 8 others to be the
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planets rotating and revolving around the Sun.

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• Explain the many features that make the Earth the only planet that supports life. Tell
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the class that so far scientists have not discovered life forms on other planets. Show
them the picture of the Earth taken from space so that they understand why it is
called the Blue Planet.
• Explain the table that compares the different planets.
• Show them pictures of the Moon. Explain the different phases of the Moon. Show or
draw pictures as you explain so that the students understand the concept.
• Explain what asteroids are. Show the class the picture of a meteor. Explain why they
appear as shooting stars. Tell the students to look up at the night sky to see shooting
stars. Tell the class the difference between meteors, meteoroids and meteorites.
• Tell the class about the advancements India is making in space exploration. Tell them
about the latest Chandrayan mission.
Exercises
The teacher can help the students complete exercises I, II, III, and IV orally. The students
can then be asked to write the answers on their own from home.

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 Enrichment Activities
A wide variety of activities have been given keeping in mind the fact that the students in a
classroom have multiple intelligences. You could use them to assess the understanding of
the students either at the end of the chapter, or at the end of each section.
• Project Work: Ask the students to work in groups to complete the activity.
• Chart Work: The students can paste or draw pictures of the solar and lunar eclipse
and give information about it.
• Model Making: Ask the students to complete the activity and display the same in the
class.

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• Peer and self-assessment: Use the Fill in the blanks, True and false sentences and the

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MCQs for peer and self-assessment.

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HOTS

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The HOTS question can be discussed in class.

Life skills
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Ask the students to make a model and display it in class.

Values that enrich

Ask the students to discuss the answers for the questions.
Follow-up • Take the students to visit a planetarium in your town or city.

Answer key for the exercises in the lesson

Exercises III. Define the following terms.
I. Fill in the blanks. 1. Stars
1. Asteroids are also called planetoids. • are the twinkling spots of lights that we
2. Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon in the see in the sky at night.
year 1969. • are self luminous celestial bodies made
3. The planet which has the Red Spot is Jupiter. of very hot gaseous matter that emit heat
4. The outer planets are also known as Jovian and light.
planets. 2. Solar System
• The Sun and the various objects that move
II. True or false?
around it (like the planets, their satellites,
1. Millions of stars together form the solar asteroids, comets and meteors) together
system. (False) form the Solar System.
2. Jupiter has several rings. (False)
3. Planet
3. The Earth is called the Blue Planet. (True)
• is a non-luminous celestial body that
4. Venus is called the ‘evening star’ when it is
orbits a star.
seen in the western sky after sunset. (True)
• reflects the light of the Sun that falls
5. The distance travelled by sunlight in a year is
on it.
called a solar year. (False).

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