THE PLANETS OF THE

SOLAR SYSTEM
for Science Grade 6
Quarter 4/ Week 6-7

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 FOREWORD

This Self Learning Kit is specially designed for Grade Six pupils. It
covers the lesson on describing and comparing the planets in the
solar system. Utilizing this Self Learning Kit will help you to identify
and describe each planet’s distinct characteristics. You can also
describe the eight planets using its relative size and distance from
the sun.
Furthermore, using their knowledge gained from this lesson,
they can now construct a model of the solar system showing the
relative sizes of the planets and their relative distances from the
Sun.
This learning kit is very useful to the science teachers because it
contains the different learning activities that are aligned with the
objectives and the identified learning competencies.
Explore, discover and enjoy. Knowledge is meaningful
especially if done through self-experience.

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OBJECTIVES:

K – Identify and describe the planets in the solar system.

S – Construct a model of the planets in the solar system.

A – Make a promotional brochure about other planets.

LEARNING COMPETENCIES

1. Compare the planets of the solar system. (S6ES-IVgh-6)

2. Construct a model of the solar system showing the relative sizes
of the planets and their relative distances from the sun.
(S6ES-IVij-7)

I. WHAT HAPPENED

PRE-ACTIVITIES/PRE-TEST:

LET’S TRY
ttps://hubblesite.org

Directions:

Study the illustration of the planet order and sizes in our solar
system below.
1. Identify all the 8 planets, outward from the sun (left to right).
2. Describe their appearance, sizes and apparent distances
from the sun.
3. Then, Answer the questions below it.

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 The Solar System

https://dribbble.com/shots/2767392-Solar-System-greyscale-illustration

The planets are heavenly bodies that revolve around the sun.
They do not have light in themselves but get their light from the sun.
The planets are spherical and have different sizes. As each planet
rotate on its axis it also travels around the sun in elliptical path called
its orbit. Each planet has its own orbit.

Questions to answer:

1. Which planet is nearest to the sun? ________________Which is the

farthest? ___________________

2. What is the exact location of the asteroid belt in the solar system?
______________________

3. What planet is the smallest? __________________ Which is the

largest? _____________________

4. Do you think Venus can be inhabited? _________ Why?

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II. WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

DISCUSSION

The planets in our solar system are divided into two groups.
These are the inner and the outer planets. The inner planets are the
four planets closer to the sun, they are called terrestrial planets. The
outer planets are those farther from the sun, they are called Jovian
planets.

The Characteristics of Eight Planets

Terrestrial Planets

Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are the four inner planets. They
are called terrestrial planets because, like the Earth, these planets
are made mostly of rocks and have few or no moons.

Mercury

https://astronomy.com/news/2012/03/
Mercury: The closest planet to the Sun
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 Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. It has an average
distance of 58 million km from the Sun and an equatorial diameter
of 4880 km. It revolves around the Sun in a period of 88 Earth days
and rotates slowly on its axis once in 59 Earth days.

Because of its nearness to the Sun, Mercury has a very high

daytime temperature reaching its hottest temperature at 430
degree Celsius (430°C) and very low nighttime temperature
dropping to a very cold -180 degree Celsius. Slightly larger than
Earth's moon, it is the smallest planet in the solar system. Its surface is
full of craters. It has no moon or rings around it.

Venus

https://cosmosmagazine.com
Venus: Earth’s twin planet

Venus is the second nearest planet to the Sun and has an

average distance of 108 million km from it. It has almost the same
size and density as the Earth. It is a rocky planet and has an
equatorial diameter of 12 104 km. It has mountains, craters and
volcanoes on its surface.

Its atmosphere is made up mostly of carbon dioxide which has

a surface temperature that arises to more than 470 degree Celsius.
The thick atmosphere traps heat in a runaway greenhouse effect,
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making it the hottest planet in our solar system with surface
temperatures hot enough to melt lead. The thick layer of clouds in
Venus’ atmosphere reflect sunlight very well, making it the brightest
object in the sky next to the moon, as seen from Earth. It is often
called Evening Star or Morning Star.

Venus rotates from east to west once every 243 Earth days and
revolves around the sun for 225 Earth days. Like Mercury, it has no
moon and ring around it.

Earth

https://pixabay.com/illustrations
Earth: the only planet to sustain life

Earth is the only planet in the solar system that can sustain life. It
is known as the blue planet because it looks blue as seen from the
outer space.

Earth has an average distance of 149 million km from the Sun

and has an equatorial diameter of 12 756 km.

About 70% of the Earth is covered by water and about 30% by

land. It’s atmosphere is made mostly of 77% nitrogen gas and 21%
oxygen with traces of argon, carbon dioxide and water. The
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presence of gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide is the distinct
characteristics of Earth that make it habitable. Oxygen gas is used
by plants, animals and human beings to burn food to produce
energy. Carbon dioxide is used by plants to make food for the
animals and human beings.

The average surface temperature of planet Earth is 15°C. This

temperature is another distinctive characteristic that makes Earth
habitable. It allows water to exist in three forms, namely, ice, liquid
and vapor. It is also very important in maintaining a climate that
allows life to exist on Earth.

It takes 365 ¼ days for the Earth to complete its revolution and
24 hours to complete its rotation. The Earth has only one moon that
revolves around it every 27.3 days.

Mars

Mars is called the red planet. It looks red because of the

presence of iron on its surface. Mars has an equatorial distance of 6
788 km. Its average distance from the Sun is 227 million km.

Mars has a very thin atmosphere which consists largely of

carbon dioxide and a percentage of other gases.

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/146296687883800906
Mars: The Rusty Planet
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 It has an average surface temperature of -63ªC. It is also known
for its volcanoes. It has one of the largest volcanoes in the solar
system, the Olympus Mons.

Mars takes 687 Earth days to complete its revolution. Like Earth,
it takes 24 days to complete its rotation. Mars has two moons.

Jovian Planets

The outer planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune

are called Jovian planets because, like Jupiter, these planets are
large and gaseous. (Jove is another name for the Roman god
Jupiter)

Jupiter

Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system. It is bigger and

heavier than all other planets combined. It has an equatorial
diameter of 142 984 km. Its average distance from the Sun is 774
million km.

https://hubblesite.org/image/3756/news/20-jupiter
Jupiter, the biggest planet in the solar system
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 Jupiter is covered with thick clouds. There is no solid ground on
Jupiter. It is called a gas giant planet which is made up mostly of
hydrogen helium rather than rocks and metals as Earth. The average
surface temperature at the top of its clouds can reach about -
149°C.
Jupiter takes 12 Earth years to complete one revolution and 10
hours to complete its rotation. It has a huge storm in its atmosphere
called as great red spot. Jupiter has 50 moons (with an additional of
17 moons recently discovered and currently being confirmed). One
of its moons, Ganymede, is the largest in the solar system.

Saturn

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun, which has an average
distance of 1.4 billion km. from it and is the farthest planet visible to
the naked eye. Saturn has an equatorial diameter of 120 536 km. It
takes 10.7 Earth hours for Saturn to complete a rotation and 29 Earth
years to complete a revolution.

https://hubblesite.org/image/4213/gallery
Saturn with the beautiful rings around it

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 Saturn is a cold planet. The temperature at the top of the
Saturn’s clouds can reach about -176°C. Like Jupiter, Saturn is also a
gas giant without a solid surface. It is composed mostly of hydrogen
and helium.
There are 53 known moons surrounding Saturn. Its largest moon
is Titan. It is the second largest moon in the solar system.

Uranus

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/454/hubbles-uranus
Uranus: the only planet that rotates on its side

Uranus is the seventh planet of the solar system and is the first
planet discovered by means of a telescope. Its average distance
from the Sun is 2.9 billion km. It is four times bigger than the Earth. Its
diameter is 50 800 km.
This planet is considered an ice giant because it is mostly made
up of frozen water, methane and ammonia. Its atmosphere is made
mostly of hydrogen and helium. Astronomers believe that these
gases give the planet its bluish-green color. Its average surface
temperature can reach -215°C.

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 Uranus is the only planet that rotates on its side. It takes 17 hours
to complete its rotation and 84 Earth year to complete its revolution.
Its equatorial diameter is 51 118 km.
Uranus has 11 rings around it. The rings are dark, narrow, and
widely spaced. The planet has 27moons. Titania is the largest moon
of Uranus.

Neptune

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/611/neptune

Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and is the first planet
to be discovered using mathematical calculations before confirmed
by a telescope. Its average distance from the Sun is 4.5 billion km.
Neptune’s rotation lasts about 16 Earth hours. It completes one
revolution around the Sun every 165 Earth days.
This planet also has no solid surface. It is a gas giant with a
surface temperature of -214°C, mostly the same as Uranus. Its
equatorial diameter is 49 532 km. Neptune and Uranus are called
twin planets because they have about the same size and mass. They
also both look blue green because of methane gas in their
atmosphere.
Neptune has 6 dark rings made up of very fine particles. It has
13 moons, the largest of which is called Triton.

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https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources
Pluto is a dwarf planet beyond
Neptune. It is used to be considered
as a planet, but in year 2006 it was
degraded into a dwarf planet
because it did not meet the
International Astronomical Union
(IAU) criteria for planets.

LET’S EXPLORE
Safety Precautions in doing the activity
1. Be sure to do the activity with the supervision of your
parent/guardian or adult.
2. Used the materials with care for the purpose of which it
is intended.
3. Carefully follow the instructions on how to make a
model of the solar system.

THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Materials Needed:
Styrofoam balls or clay stick
Art paper glue
¼ illustration board coloring materials

Instructions:

Make your own model of the solar system. You can use
Styrofoam balls or clay for your planets and the Sun. The following
are the suggested color and size of the planets:

Mercury (Orange): 3 cm
Venus (Yellow): 5 cm
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 Earth (Blue): 5 cm
Mars (red): 4 cm
Jupiter (brownish with a red spot): 10 cm
Saturn (yellow with red ring): 10 cm
Uranus (green): 8 cm
Neptune (blue): 8 cm
Sun (yellow): 25 cm
https://sciencing.co
m

If you are using clay, you may arrange and glue your
planets on the cardboard. Do not use stick.

Solar System Project Grading Rubric

Criteria Points Points
Possible Earned
Name, Title, Planets Label correctly 10
All planets are in correct order 40
Models shows reasonable 40
differences in terms of sizes and
color
Creative, colorful and neat 10
Total 100

II. WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

EVALUATION/POST TEST:

A. Read each sentence carefully. Choose the letter of the

correct answer and write it in your notebook.

1. Which of the following is a terrestrial planet?

A. Neptune C. Earth
B. Uranus D. Jupiter
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2. Which is the hottest planet in our solar system?
A. Mercury C. Mars
B. Venus D. Jupiter

3. Why do planets have different periods of revolution around

the Sun?
A. Some of them have no atmosphere.
B. They differ in sizes and color.
C. They have different distances from the Sun.
D. They have the same number of moons and rings.

4. Which planets are correctly grouped and classified?

A. Jupiter, Mars, Neptune, Uranus
B. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Mercury
C. Mercury, Mars, Earth, Jupiter
D. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

5. Which is the only planet that can sustain life?

A. Earth C. Mars
B. Jupiter D. Venus

6. Why is Mars called a “red planet”? The presence of ________.

A. hydrogen in the atmosphere.
B. iron on its surface.
C. oxygen in the atmosphere.
D. rocks and metals in the core of the planet.

7. What is the most ringed planet?

A. Neptune C. Saturn
b. Jupiter D. Venus

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 8. Which is considered as the brightest object in the sky next to
the moon?
A. Neptune C. Saturn
b. Jupiter D. Venus

9. Why is earth called a blue planet? It is because of the _____.

A. presence of oxygen in the atmosphere. C. sunlight
b. abundance of water D. distance

10. Which planet was first discovered by a telescope?

A. Neptune C. Saturn
b. Jupiter D. Uranus

LET’S APPLY IT
Make a promotional brochure for one planet that is not Earth.
Include relevant information and history of its discovery. List its
features and then pretend to encourage people to “visit” the
planet.
You are going to make a tri-fold brochure. Be creative! You
must label it like the one below.

http://coppins6.weebly.com

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 GRADING RUBRIC
Parts of the Brochure Points Possible Points Earned
Cover 10
Interesting Facts 40
Size and distance facts 20
Free choice and what to pack 20
Creativity 10
Total points 100

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 REFERENCES
BOOKS:
Ecaldre, Felix G. et al. Copyright 2003. The New Science, Health and
Environment 5. Quezon City, Philippines.

Sarte, Evelyn T. et al. Copyright 2016, Science Beyond Orders. Quezon

City, Philippines
INTERNET

https://astronomy.com/news/2012/03/data-from-messenger-spacecraft-
reveals-new-insights-on-planet-mercury

https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/venus-may-have-hosted-life-
researchers-say/

https://pixabay.com/illustrations/planet-earth-cosmos-continents-
1457453/

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/146296687883800906

https://hubblesite.org/image/3756/news/20-jupiter

https://hubblesite.org/image/4213/gallery

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/454/hubbles

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/611/neptune

https://sciencing.com/make-solar-system-model-home-school-project-
12071411.html

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 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF NEGROS ORIENTAL

SENEN PRISCILLO P. PAULIN, CESO V

Schools Division Superintendent

FAY C. LUAREZ, TM, EdD, PhD

OIC - Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Acting CID Chief

NILITA L. RAGAY, EdD

OIC - Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

ROSELA R. ABIERA
Education Program Supervisor – (LRMS)

ARNOLD R. JUNGCO
PSDS – Division Science Coordinator

MARICEL S. RASID
Librarian II (LRMDS)

ELMAR L. CABRERA
PDO II (LRMDS)

CRISTITA R. TINGUBAN
Writer/Illustrator

JANE C. RIVERA
Lay-out Artist

ALPHA QA TEAM

ELVIE E. SIENES
MERCY G. DAGOY

BETA QA TEAM
DORIN FAYE D. CADAYDAY
MERCY G. DAGOY
MARY JANE E. ELMA
MARIA ELVIE E. SIENES
JIMUEL SUN, EdD
CRISTITA R. TINGUBAN, PhD
DISCLAIMER
The information, activities and assessments used in this material are designed to provide accessible learning
modality to the teachers and learners of the Division of Negros Oriental. The contents of this module are carefully
researched, chosen, and evaluated to comply with the set learning competencies. The writers and evaluators were clearly
instructed to give credits to information and illustrations used to substantiate this material. All content is subject to copyright
and may not be reproduced in any form without expressed written consent from the division.

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SYNOPSIS
This Self- Learning Kit is designed to address the needs of the
pupils to gain knowledge and concepts in science in spite of the
COVID-19 pandemic. The author believes that the actual experience
of the learners with the different activities designed in this SLK will lead
them to discover a new learning that they deemed to acquire.
Furthermore, it is expected that the pupils will develop a sense
of being responsible in undertaking the different activities and learn
independently to compare and classify the planets in the solar
system based on its distinct characteristics, sizes and distances from
the Sun.

10. D
The Author Mrs. Cristita R. Tinguban 9. B
is a Master Teacher II of 8. B
Bacong Central School, 7. C
Bacong District. She has
6. B

been teaching Science for

5. A
4. D
25 years and has an 3. C
experience of being a 2. B
winning Coach in 1. C
conducting Science Post Test
Investigatory Project (SIP).
system

She graduated Master

in the solar
hottest planet
of Arts in Educational 4. No, it is the
Management and Doctor of 3. Mercury, Jupiter
Philosophy in Educational and Jupiter
Management (PhD-EM) at between Mars
Negros Oriental State
2. Located

University (NORSU), Main

1. Mars, Neptune
Pre-test
Campus, Dumaguete City. Answer Key:

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