Solar System Lesson Ideas for First Grade

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Are you looking for out of this world resources to teach your first grade student about what makes up the solar system? Ready to blast off into space as you study stars, planets, the sun, and moon? This page contains links to resources and activities we used in kindergarten and first grade to study astronomy and the solar system.

Lesson Plans

There are no shortage of free lesson plans online to grab ideas to teach elementary students about space. Here are some of my favorite ones:

Solar System Resources

Are you planning to teach the entire solar system to your child? These resources are great for giving an introductory lesson to the solar system in both kindergarten and first grade.

Moon Resources

Ready to spend some time just talking about the moon? These free resources make learning about the moon fun and engaging.

    • Use the website to track the moon’s phases and draw them on the tracking sheet.

Sun Resources

Get excited teaching about the brightest star in the sky with these great elementary resources for teaching about the sun.

    • Flashlight will be the sun. Shine the flashlight on the United States.
    • When the sun is shining on us, is it day or night? (Day.)
    • Now look at the back side of the globe. Does the sunlight hit it? (No.) When the sun is not shining, is it day or night? (Night.)
    • Ask: “How do you think it turns from DAY to NIGHT?”  (Answer — the earth rotates)

Star Resources

Twinkle twinkle little star, how do I teach what you are? These resources are perfect for teaching first graders about stars in the Sky.