Educators in many school systems teach their second-grade classes the names of the planets and their locations in relation to planet Earth. One school system, the Campbell County School District, cites awareness of space and the solar system as goals for the curriculum. Other schools use projects to help students understand the differences between the planets. Poncantico Hills Central School in New York uses drawings of the planets along with short narratives by each child to help them reach the curriculum goals. For example, one child's narrative on Mercury included basic observations about the planet's temperature (hot), distance to the sun (36 million miles) and the planet's appearance (gray and brown with craters).
Narratives and drawings help second graders study the planets, but they aren't the only options. Schools use craft projects that include a model of the solar system out of paper mache or another material. Worksheets containing puzzles and graphics to color can help with learning the vocabulary used in discussing the planets. Words like "moons," "revolve," "atmosphere," and the names of the planets are examples. Along with readings from the textbook and other stories about the planets, hands-on activities help the children retain much of the information they learn.
Schools in close proximity to science museums or planetariums can use those institutions to make studying the planets in second grade a fun experience. Kentucky Educational Television observes that field trips help make the lessons come alive for the child. As with crafts and other activities, field trips also help students remember the information. A new experience outside of the classroom setting is stored in the brain as an episode, according to KET, and episodic memories are the ones that last the longest and are easily recalled.
Parents helping their second graders study the planets should keep in mind that the information being delivered by the teacher is introductory. Make any project assignment a general learning experience and not so much an obsession on details. Parents can also help by watching programs about space with their children and reading books on the topic together as well. Talking about the solar system lessons learned and clarifying any confusion for the children will help prepare them for a broader space study the following year, in third grade.