Grades 3 - 8

Synopsis

Join Sam Snork, P.I. (Planetary Investigator) and his assistant Elmo as they try to find the source of disturbing radio emissions coming from a nearby solar system. The solar system happens to be our own and Sam and Elmo visit all the planets in it looking for the radio source. They learn all about these amazing planets, and finally end up at Earth, where the radio noise is coming from. After commenting on the amount of pollution they found on Earth, they return to their home planet Nork, amazed at the diversity of planets they have seen.

Objectives

After seeing The Planet Patrol, the student should be able to:

• List one or two of the main features of each planet in the solar system.
• Identify a planet (or a major moon) of our solar system by its photograph or from a list of its characteristics.
• Give several characteristics of each of the nine planets.
• Explain that the Sun is a star and that it supplies energy to its planets.

Lesson Builders

Before the advent of telescopes, the planets were little more than dots in the sky that moved through the stars. People had no idea that these were worlds like the Earth, with amazing and special features. After telescopes were invented and aimed at the skies, the planets were seen as diverse in their own right, but it wasn't until the advent of the space age that astronomers have been able to see these worlds close up. Discuss with the students what they think the surfaces of the outer planets look like. Draw pictures or write a description after this discussion before visiting. Compare the student ideas to what they learned in the Planet Patrol, and discuss how their perceptions and ideas changed.

Curriculum Objectives (1994 NC Course of Study: Science)

Links

Solar System Tours: