If you have a little space-lover who’s always looking up at the sky, Our Solar System Family Unit Study is for you! I am so excited to share this unit study with you – a curiosity-filled adventure through space that you can enjoy right alongside your kids.
In Our Solar System, you’ll explore all eight planets plus the Sun and dwarf planets in 10 fun and engaging topics.
Your kids will love the hands-on learning… and you’ll love how easy it all is!
Grab a sample to see inside a Family Unit Study! You can also check out the entire collection of Unit Studies available in the How Wee Learn Shop.
What is a Family Unit Study?
This unit study, like all of our ever-growing library of unit studies, takes one big theme – like “Our Solar System” – and breaks it down into 10 manageable, bite-sized learning opportunities. Perhaps you do one area per day, perhaps one per week. Whatever suits your fancy! You can learn and explore from start to finish in about 1-2 hours per bite-sized learning topic.
Each Unit Study covers 10 topics, and each of those 10 topics includes:
- An interesting fact and discussion question,
- Informative readings at your fingertips,
- A suggested book that fits that topic,
- ‘What’s Happening’ information to accompany your hands-on activity,
- A curated YouTube video,
- A math word problem or literacy enrichment activity,
- AND an ultimate can’t-be-beat hands-on activity!
Plus, all subjects are covered across the 10 topics! Geography, History, Science, Art, Music, Social Studies, Health, Math, and Literacy.
When everything connects across subjects, learning just makes more sense. Kids remember more, understand better, and actually enjoy the process. It’s the kind of learning that really sticks.
All ages. All Subjects. One Coursebook. 🙌
Our Solar System Family Unit Study
Let’s take a more detailed look at what you can expect with the Our Solar System Family Unit Study! Below are the 10 topics and the hands-on activities you will enjoy.
Topic #1: The Sun
The Sun is a star and the center of our Solar System. It is orbited by eight planets, along with dwarf planets, asteroids, and comets. The Sun is made of gas, primarily helium and hydrogen, and gives off the heat and light that allow life to survive on Earth. Our hands-on activity for this section is to make a super cool—and super easy—sundial! You will learn about the parts of a sundial and how a sundial works, and engage in some critical thinking as you explore what happens when certain changes are made to your sundial.
Topic #2: Mercury
Mercury is the smallest planet and the one closest to the Sun. Its rocky surface is covered in craters, making it look a lot like our Moon. In this topic, we explore why Mercury has so many craters, then jump into a hands-on activity where kids create their own cratered surface to see how different impacts change the results. Simple, a little messy, but oh so fun and memorable!
Topic #3: Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun and is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Even though it isn’t the closest planet to the Sun, it is the hottest. On Venus, metal would melt into puddles of liquid! Our hands-on activity for this section is to create our very own rocky Venus! As you create your art, you’ll learn all about this terrestrial planet and the similarities and differences between Earth and Venus.
Topic #4: Earth
Next up is Earth, our home sweet home! Earth has just the right mix of water, air, and temperature to support life. In this topic, we explore what makes Earth so special and why it’s the only known planet that can sustain life. Then, kids get hands-on by building a simple playdough model of Earth’s layers, making the crust, mantle, and core!
Topic #5: Mars
Mars is the 4th planet from the Sun, named after the Roman god of war. It is also known as the “Red Planet” and is a cold, desert-like world. Our hands-on activity for this section is all about finding out what it would take to create a home on Mars… and then creating that home out of Lego! You will have to consider how you will breathe, what food you will eat, how you will stay safe in the extreme temperatures and dust storms, and more in this creative, hands-on activity.
Topic #6: Jupiter
Now it’s time to meet the giant of the Solar System – Jupiter! Jupiter is a swirling ball of gas with no solid surface and some truly wild weather. In this topic, we explore what makes Jupiter so different from the rocky planets, including its colorful cloud bands and famous Great Red Spot. Then, kids get hands-on by creating and painting a simple model of Jupiter, bringing its stripes and storms to life in a fun, creative way.
Topic #7: Saturn
Next up is Saturn, the gas giant famous for its stunning rings. Saturn is the second-largest planet in our solar system, made mostly of hydrogen and helium. But here’s the surprising part: it’s incredibly light for its size! In this topic, we explore what Saturn’s rings are made of and why this giant planet has such a low density. Then, kids jump into a hands-on density challenge, testing which objects float or sink to help them understand why Saturn would actually float in water (if you could find a bathtub big enough!).
Topic #8: Uranus
Let’s travel way out into the chilly outer Solar System to meet Uranus. This icy blue planet is famous for spinning on its side and for its cool, blue color. In this topic, we explore what makes Uranus so unique and why it appears such a beautiful shade of blue. Then, kids dive into an icy blue process art activity, using frozen materials and paint to create their own swirling Uranus.
Topic #9: Neptune
Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and is named after the Roman god of the sea. Like Uranus, it is an ice giant and appears blue due to methane in its atmosphere. However, scientists are baffled by how blue Neptune is, as it actually has less methane than Uranus! Our hands-on activity for this section dives into learning about the planet’s moons. As you build Neptune and all 14 of its moons, you will learn about Triton – Neptune’s largest moon – and why that moon, in particular, is so strange.
Topic #10: The Dwarf Planets
We wrap up our journey through the Solar System by exploring the dwarf planets. These small but fascinating worlds – like Pluto and its distant neighbors – help scientists better understand how our Solar System formed. In this topic, we learn what makes a planet a dwarf planet and why there may be many more still waiting to be discovered. Then, kids slow things down with a music-inspired art activity – listening, imagining, and creating as they reflect on these far-off worlds. A gentle, creative way to end our space adventure.
And there you have it. The 10 bite-sized learning topics that make up the great big Our Solar System Unit Study! I hope you will pop over to check it out and consider purchasing it for you and yours.
Get the “Our Solar System” Family Unit Study today!
https://shop.howweelearn.com/products/family-unit-study-our-solar-system
And be sure to check out our ever-growing collection of Family Unit Studies in the How Wee Learn Shop while you’re there!
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Thank you for reading, my friend!
xo
Sarah
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