Solar System

Teacher Tools

What if I would like to subscribe to Chain Reaction?
If you would like to subscribe to Chain Reaction, please go to the Subscription page.

How can I use Chain Reaction in my classroom?
The following are suggestions for using Chain Reaction to meet some of the Arizona Department of Education teaching standards for students in grades 4-8. These suggestions are merely a guide and do not reflect all the possible ways to use Chain Reaction.

Science Standard 3: Personal and Social Perspectives in Science and Technology
3SC-E1. Recognize how scientific knowledge, thinking processes and skills are used in a great variety of careers.

• Read: Getting to Be the Mars Guy
• Read: Stoney’s Story
• Read: Meteorite Hunting
• Try This: NASA Spacelink: When I Grow Up

Science Standard 6: Earth and Space Science
6SC-E2. Describe common objects in the solar system and explain their relationships.

• Read: Travel Guide to the Solar System

6SC-E4. Provide evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed.

• Read: The Extreme Files

Language Arts Standard 1: Reading
R-E1. Use structural analysis skills such as identifying root words, prefixes, suffixes and word origins to decode words unfamiliar in print.

• Sprain Your Brain: Name that Phile

Social Studies Standard 3: Geography
3SS-E4. Demonstrate understanding of the characteristics, purposes, and use of geographic tools to locate and analyze information about people, places and environments.

• Read: Where in the World Are You?
• Try This: Make an Astrolabe

Technology Standard 5: Technology Research Tools
5T-E1. Locate information from Electronic Resources.

• Read: The Greatest Paper Ever Written

Need more?
Follow the links in the Surf section for more websites on deserts and Arizona.
In the Try This section, you will also find links to more experiments at other websites.

For more information on teaching standards, visit the following websites:

• Arizona Department of Education Teaching Standards
• National Science Education Standards

Additional Links:

Mars Student Imaging Project
Enroll your class in authentic Mars research with the ASU Planetary Imaging and Analysis Facility and Advanced Training Institute.

The Solar System Exploration Forum - Teacher/Educator Page
Visit NASA's Solar System Exploration Forum for lesson plans and other resources.

NASA Spacelink Instructional Materials
Classroom instruction materials related to NASA Aeronautics and Space Research are available here.

Science Education Gateway
This link will take you to the University of California, Berkeley's Science Education Gateway, where you'll find lesson plans for all grade levels.