1. The Solar System
Evelyn Montanez
RED 6545
Online Actions in Reading
Spring 2014

2. COMMON CORE STANDARDS
SC.5.E.5.3
DISTINGUISH AMONG THE FOLLOWING OBJECTS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM,
SUN, PLANETS, MOONS, ASTEROIDS, AND COMETS, AND IDENTIFY EARTH‟S
POSITION IN IT.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.2
SUMMARIZE A WRITTEN TEXT READ ALOUD OR INFORMATION PRESENTED
IN DIVERSE MEDIA AND FORMATS, INCLUDING VISUALLY, QUANTITATIVELY,
AND ORALLY.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2D
USE PRECISE LANGUAGE AND DOMAIN-SPECIFIC VOCABULARY TO INFORM
ABOUT OR EXPLAIN THE TOPIC.

3. Chris came home from school excited to share with his
big brother Nick what he had learned in school that day.
His teacher, Ms. Wilson, had discussed the Solar System
and the different objects in the Solar System. They had
even created a model of the Solar System and reviewed
the vocabulary terms to help them understand the new
science concept.
ELL: Chris le conto a su hermano, Nick, sobre lo que aprendio de el Sistema Solar y los objetos que
existen en el Sistema Solar.

4. “Nick, here is the vocabulary list I have to study. Ms. Wilson also
had them translated in Spanish. Neat, huh? Will you help me and
say the word correctly and I will repeat it?”
English
asteroid
comet
crater
dwarf planet
orbit
planet
Solar System
sun
Spanish
asteroide
cometa
crater
planeta enano
orbita
planeta
Sistema Planeta
sol

5. Chris began with, “The Solar
System is a star system and
the different objects in space
such as the Sun, 8 planets,
moons, asteroids and comets.”
ELL:
El Sistema Solar contiene el sol, las ochos planetas, lunas,
asteroides, y cometas.
What pattern forms when the planets orbit around the sun?

6. Chris asked Nick, “Did you know that
the Sun is the largest object in the Solar
System and it is made up of hot gases?”
“Yes!”, replied Nick. “The Sun is in the
center of our Solar System which gives
off light and other forms of energy we
need to survive on Earth.”
Describe the sun?
When do you see the sun?
When do you not see the sun?
ELL:
En el centro de el Sistems Solar se contiene el Sol. El Sol arma luz y otras
formas de energia nosotros necesitamos para sobrevivir en La Tierra.

7. Chris added that the
eight planets are nearly round
objects that orbit around the sun in an oval
shaped pattern called elliptical.
“Nick, what does orbit mean?”
“Orbit means „to travel around’. The planets
orbit around the sun”, said Nick.
ELL: Las planetas orbita el sol. Orbita significa dar la vuelta el la forma de un ovalo.

8. Which picture demonstrates the word “orbit‟ ?
ELL: Cual foto demuestra “orbita”?

9. The inner planets are also called the rocky planets
because they have a rocky surface. They are the
smallest planets and are closest to the Sun. The inner
planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
ELL: Las cuatros planetas cercana el sol.

10. The outer planets surface are made of gases and are
also called Gas Giants. They are the largest planets
and farthest away from the Sun. The outer planets are
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
ELL: Las planetas mas alejada de el sol.

11. INNER PLANETS
Mercury
The smallest, fastest, and
closest planet to the sun.
Venus
The 2nd planet to the sun.
Almost same size as Earth
Earth
The 3rd planet to the sun.
The 4th planet to the sun.
Known as the blue planet
because 70% of surface is water.
Known as the Red Planet due to
the heavy amount of iron on its
surface.
Surface covered by craters
Hottest planet
Temperature: 467 to -183
degrees Celsius, has extreme
temperatures – too hot or too
cold
Temperature: 465 degrees
Celsius
Only planet to have known life.
Length of rotation: 243 Earth
days
Temperature: 58 to -88 degrees
Celsius
Length of rotation: 59 Earth
days
Length of revolution: 225 Earth
days
Length of rotation: 24 hours
Has no moons
Length of revolution: 365 days
Length of revolution: 88
Earth days
Has no moons
Mars
Has one moon: Luna
Temperature: -30 to -100 degrees
Celsius
Length of rotation: about 1 Earth
day
Length of revolution: 687 Earth
days
Has two moons: Phobos and
Deimos

12. OUTER PLANETS
Jupiter
Saturn
The 5th planet from the sun
The 6th planet from the sun
Largest planet
Second largest planet
Its famous Red Spot is a rotating storm
Has many rings
Has rings
Temperature: about -168 degrees Celsius
Temperature: -145 degrees Celsius
Length of rotation: 10 hours 14 minutes
Length of rotation: 9 hours 56 minutes
Length of revolution: about 12 Earth
years
Length of revolution: about 29.5 Earth
years
Uranus
Neptune
The 7th planet from the sun
The 8th planet from the sun
Third largest planet from the sun
Similar to Uranus; blue surface due to
methane gas
Has blue surface due to high methane gas
Is very windy
Is tilted on its side and rolls like a ball
Has rings
Has 11 rings
Temperature: -214 degrees Celsius
Temperature: -216 degrees Celsius
Length of rotation: 16 hours 7 minutes
Length of rotation: 17 hours 14 minutes
Length of revolution: 165 Earth years
Has at least 60 moons
Length of revolution: 84 Earth years
Has at least 62 moons
Has at least 13 moons
Has at least 27 moons

13. “You are right, Nick! The planets are all different, but I always wondered what
happened to Pluto. Why is Pluto not a planet anymore?”
“Well, Pluto is a dwarf planet?” said Nick.
“What is a dwarf planet?” asked Chris.
Nick explained the term „dwarf‟ meant “too small” and the planet Pluto planet was
too small to be either an inner or outer planet. So in 2006, Pluto was no longer
considered one of the major planets in our Solar System.
ELL: Una planeta enano significa un planeta muy pequena para ser considerada una primaria planeta. En 2006, Pluto fue clasificado como explaneta.

14. “Earth has one moon but some planets like Jupiter
has about 62 moons!”, exclaimed Chris. “Our moon
has craters but I am not sure what that means?”
“Craters are holes on the moon‟s surface that are
caused when objects in space collide, or bump into,
the moon‟s surface. Let‟s look at some images
online”, said Nick.
What space objects cause the craters?”, asked Chris?
ELL: La luna tiene huecos que se llaman “craters”. Objetos en el
Sistema Solar forman estos craters cuando tocan el rostro de la luna.

15. Two of these objects can be asteroids and comets, said Nick.
“What are they?”, asked Chris.
Nick explained both asteroids and comets have irregular shapes and
can usually be identified as asteroids being large rocks, and comets as
dirty snowballs.
ELL: Aun los asteroides y cometas tiene formas irregular, asteroides aparecen como rocas grandes, y cometas
como bolas de hielo susio.

16. “An asteroid is a rocky object in space that's forms from space junk
and orbits around the sun. It is smaller than a planet and is usually
found in the Asteroid Belt found between Mars and Jupiter.
A comet is a ball of dirt and ice normally found in the Kuiper Belt
beyond Neptune. When comets get close to the sun, the sun
vaporizes the ice, creating a tail. Let‟s look on the internet and see
what we can find.”
comet
asteroids

17. Observe this picture.
How can you tell the difference between an asteroid and a comet?
ELL: Como puedes detectar entre el asteroide y la cometa?

18. “Nick, for homework I have to write a summary of the inner and
outer planets. In my writing I have to include 3-5 vocabulary
terms and a model of the Solar System. Will you help me with my
homework?”
“Before I do, name the planets in order of how far they are from
the Sun,” Nick said.
“Sure, after we have a bite of moon pie,” chuckled Chris.

19. READER’S RESPONSE
1.
Write a summary of what you learned about the
Solar System. Elaborate using specific details and
include 3-5 science vocabulary in your writing.
2. Create a model of the Solar System and include a
drawing with appropriate labels of the Sun, eight
planets, at least two moons, asteroids and comets.