In this lesson, students will gain understanding of informational text about our solar system through active reading. Informational text contains many facts and details. Active readers process informational text with deliberate speed that enables them to focus on and retain the facts presented.
Math activity: “In Our Corner of Space”
There are two parts to this activity. First, read and learn about the objects in the solar system. Then, complete an activity sheet to develop vocabulary, learn concepts, and solve related math problems.
Materials needed: one student sheet per person, blank sheet of paper
This activity can be completed even if every student doesn’t have their own sheet. As you read the “In Our Corner of Space” pages, you can have students point to, instead of circle, the informational text. The answers to “Identify the Planets and Their Positions” and “Do the Math!” can be written separately.
Then, after reading the “In Our Corner of Space” pages, have students complete the STEM student sheet. Check their answers using the answer sheet.
Extend the project
Pluto was once classified as a planet but is no longer considered to be one. In 2006, astronomers changed the definition of a planet, requiring it to have an orbit clear of other objects. Pluto shares its orbit with several other large objects that are not moons of Pluto. The scientists decided that Pluto no longer fulfills all the requirements to be classified as a planet.
Want to learn more? Visit NASA’s solar system exploration site.
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This blog, originally published in 2020, has been updated for 2025.
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