Grade 3 space and the solar system
The Sun, Moon and planets, day and night, and the phases of the Moon. Here is what we have for Grade 3.
Lessons
Bouncing Light: Mirrors, Water and Colour
Steer a beam around a wall with mirrors, find out why a pencil looks broken in water, and split white light into the colours hiding inside it. Three hands-on lessons on reflection, refraction and colour that build on shadows and work in any climate.
Stars and the Night Sky
Where the stars go in the daytime, why they wheel across the sky all night and why Orion is a winter sight in Canada but a summer one in Australia. Students sort real star data, spin and orbit as human models and read a printed sky chart. No materials needed: just the printed sheets, in either hemisphere.
Monsoon Science: Rain, Sun and the Nón Lá
Science and English together, for English learners (CEFR A2–B1). Why is the Vietnamese nón lá shaped like a cone? Students build paper hats, test them in 'monsoon rain' and 'midday sun', and find the best shape for a rice farmer.
Free tools
Moon Phase Finder
Pick any date and see the Moon's phase, how much of it is lit and when the next full and new moons are. Pairs with our Sun, Earth and Moon unit.
Solar System Scale
See the planets at true scale for size and distance, find your weight and age on each one, and work out how long light takes to reach them.
Sun and Shadow
Move through the day and the year to see where the Sun is in the sky, how long a stick's shadow is, and how many hours of daylight any latitude gets.
Space and the solar system in other grades:KindergartenGrade 1Grade 2Grade 4Grade 5Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8All grades