Science 6

Science – Grade 6
Quarter 4 – Self-Learning Module 15: Planets in the Solar System
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education Division of Pasig City

Development Team of the Module

Writer: Ronilyn O. Regalado
Editors: Joewel M. Armas, Rose Ann B. Pamintuan
Reviewers: Liza A. Alvarez, Janeth D. Morte
Illustrator: Edison P. Clet
Layout Artist: Margie A. Rosario
Management Team: Ma. Evalou Concepcion A. Agustin
OIC-Schools Division Superintendent
Carolina T. Rivera, Ed. D
OIC-Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
Manuel A. Laguerta, Ed. D.
Chief Curriculum Implementation Division

Education Program Supervisors

1. Librada L. Agon, Ed. D., EPP/TLE
2. Liza A. Alvarez, Science
3. Bernard R. Balitao, Araling Panlipunan
4. Joselito E. Calios, English
5. Norlyn D. Conde, Ed. D., MAPEH
6. Wilma Q. Del Rosario, LRMS
7. Ma. Teresita E. Herrera, Ed. D., Filipino
8. Perlita M. Ignacio, Ph. D., ESP/SPED
9. Dulce O. Santos, Ed. D., Kinder/MTB
10. Teresita P. Tagulao, Ed. D., Mathematics

Printed in the Philippines by Department of Education – Schools Division of

Pasig City.
 Science 6
Quarter 4
Self Learning Module 15

Planets in the Solar System

Introductory Message

For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Science 6 Self-Learning Module 15 on Planets in the Solar System!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators from
Schools Division Office of Pasig City headed by its Officer-In-Charge Schools Division
Superintendent, Ma. Evalou Concepcion A. Agustin in partnership with the Local
Government of Pasig through its mayor, Honorable Victor Ma. Regis “Vico” N. Sotto.
The writers utilized the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum using the Most
Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) while overcoming their personal, social,
and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning material hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Further, this also aims to help learners
acquire the needed 21st century skills especially the 5 Cs namely: Communication,
Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking and Character while taking into
consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage
their own learning. Moreover, you are expected to encourage and assist the learners
as they do the tasks included in the module.
For the learner:

Welcome to the Science 6 Self-Learning Module 15 on Planets in the Solar System!

The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner
is capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and
skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning material while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

Expectation - These are what you will be able to know after

completing the lessons in the module

Pre-test - This will measure your prior knowledge and the

concepts to be mastered throughout the lesson.

Recap - This section will measure what learnings and skills

that you understand from the previous lesson.

Lesson - This section will discuss the topic for this module.

Activities - This is a set of activities you will perform.

Wrap Up - This section summarizes the concepts and

applications of the lessons.

Valuing - This part will check the integration of values in the

learning competency.

Post-test - This will measure how much you have learned from
the entire module.
 EXPECTATIONS
This module will focus on the planets in the Solar System.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. describe the planets according to their movement in the Solar
System;
2. compare the sizes of the planets in the Solar System; and
3. appreciate the importance of knowing the distance and movement of
each planet.

PRETEST
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the letter of your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Which planet is considered Earth’s twin?

A. Mars
B. Moon
C. Sun
D. Venus

2. What planet is closest to the Sun?

A. Mars
B. Mercury
C. Sun
D. Venus

3. Which is the correct order of the planets from the Sun?

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

4. What is the common characteristic of the inner planets?

A. The distance between them is shorter.
B. The distance between them is longer.
C. They are gaseous
D. They have rings
 5. One complete rotation composes one day and one night. Which of the
following statements shows the value of time?
A. Play mobile games day and night with friends.
B. Browse the social media and post latest events in life.
C. Watch free movies and television series with friends online.
D. Communicate with friends to get performance tasks and written
works done.

RECAP

In the previous lesson, we compared Earth with other planets.

Now, let us try to do a simple activity to help freshen up your mind and
recall the past lesson. Ready? Get your notebook or your paper and pen and
be ready to record/write your answers.

Search for the words that are related to Solar System. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper.

S U N T I C M A F E
A F E R R T A E R A
E P L U T O R I I R
I I A S S S S A S T
A S A F M T D M M H
M M S L I D A N G O
A S R I R C S L O B
R I A F A D U S B F
M E R C U R Y A F A
 LESSON

Movement of the Planets in the Solar System

We live on a planet called Earth that orbits the Sun once every 365 ¼
days. Earth is one of the eight known planets in the Solar System while the
Sun is a very ordinary star about half-way through its lifetime with
another 5,000 million years to go. The only reason the Sun does not look like
the other stars is because it is much nearer to us. Even so, at 147 million
kilometers (93 million miles) away, it still takes about 8 minutes for light from
the Sun to reach us. All the planets orbit the Sun in more or less the same
plane. This is called the plane of the ecliptic.

The planets are not evenly spaced but are in three groups: the inner
planets, the gas giants, and the outer planets. The inner planets are Mercury,
Venus, Earth and Mars. The gas giants are Jupiter and Saturn. And the outer
planets are Uranus and Neptune.

Pluto lost its status as a planet in 2006 and analysis of the orbits of
comets has suggested that there may be another planet, between 1 and 10
times the size of Jupiter. This planet, if it exists, is about three trillion miles
out from the Sun and is invisible to telescopes.

Much of the information about the planets in the Solar System has been
determined by observation. The planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn can
all be seen with the naked eye. However, much better information can be
gathered with a telescope and, better still, by satellite and space probes.

The name planets come from the Greek word planetos which means
wanderer. This is because, unlike the stars whose position relative to each
other is fixed, the planets appear to wander across the sky, first going ahead
of the fixed stars and then appearing to stop and fall behind. As you can
imagine, trying to devise theories to explain why this happened was a major
preoccupation for many astronomers for much of history.

As seen from the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, and the planets all appear
to move along the ecliptic. More precisely, the ecliptic is the Sun's apparent
path among the stars over the course of a year. It is actually the Earth that
moves about the Sun, and not the other way around, but because of our
orbital motion, the Sun seems to move across the backdrop of distant stars.
The planets do not remain exactly on the ecliptic, but they always stay fairly
close to it.

Unlike the Sun, however, the planets do not always make steady
progress along the ecliptic. They usually move in the same direction as the
Sun, but from time to time they seem to slow down, stop, and reverse
direction. This retrograde motion was a great puzzle to ancient astronomers.
Copernicus gave the correct explanation. He said all planets, including the
Earth, move around the Sun in the same direction. Retrograde motion is an
illusion created when we observe other planets from the moving planet Earth.

It is easiest to understand the retrograde motion of the inner planets,

Mercury and Venus. These planets are closer to the Sun than Earth, and they
orbit the Sun faster. From our point of view, the Sun trundles along the
ecliptic due to our orbital motion while Mercury and Venus run rings around
the Sun. So, at some time we see these planets moving in the same direction
as the Sun while at other times we see them moving in the opposite direction.

For the outer planets, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and so on, the explanation
is a bit subtler. These planets are farther from the Sun than Earth, and they
orbit the Sun more slowly. From time to time we pass one of these planets,
and when that happens, the planet seems to be moving backwards because
we are moving faster than it does. At such times we naturally see the Sun and
the planet in opposite parts of the sky; the planet is said to be in opposition to
the Sun. Opposition is a good time to observe an outer planet; it is above the
horizon all night, and relatively close to the Earth.
 An outer planet's apparent motion is always retrograde for a month or
more before and after opposition. The duration of retrograde motion depends
on the planet; it's shortest for Mars, and generally longest for Neptune. The
moment when a planet's apparent motion changes direction is called
a stationary point, because at that instant the planet appears to be more or
less stationary with respect to the stars. An outer planet always has one
stationary point before opposition, and another stationary point after
opposition.

Venus and Mars are the two planets that come nearest to the Earth. As
all three planets orbit the Sun, the view of our neighbors will constantly
change in various ways. By watching the apparent motion, change in
distance, and change in phase of these two planets, we can see that many
different effects are explained by one basic idea that all planets orbit the Sun.

The Planets in the Solar System in Order of Size

If you are interested in planets, the good news is there is a variety to
choose from in our own Solar System. From the ringed beauty of Saturn, to
the massive hulk of Jupiter, to the lead-melting temperatures of Venus, each
planet is unique — with its own environment and own story to tell about the
history of the Solar System.

What is also amazing is the sheer size difference of planets. While

humans think of Earth as a large planet, in reality it is dwarfed by the massive
gas giants lurking at the outer edges of our Solar System.
Sizes of the Eight Planets

According to NASA, this is the estimated radii of the eight planets in the
Solar System, in order of size. We also have included the radii sizes relative to
Earth to help you picture them better.

Rank Planet Estimated Radii Size

According in in Relative
to Size kilometer mile to the Earth
1st Jupiter 69,911 43,441 1,120% the size of Earth
2nd Saturn 58,232 36,184 945% the size of Earth
3rd Uranus 25,362 15,759 400% the size of Earth
4th Neptune 24,622 15,299 388% the size of Earth
5th Earth 6,371 3,959 ---
6th Venus 6,052 3,761 95% the size of Earth
7th Mars 3,390 2,460 53% the size of Earth
8th Mercury 2,440 1,516 38% the size of Earth

ACTIVITIES

To further enhance your knowledge about the sizes of the planets, let
us do some activities.

Activity 1: Fact or Bluff

Directions: Write FACT if the statement is correct and BLUFF if the statement
is incorrect.
_____ 1. The inner planets are the largest group of planets.
_____ 2. Earth is the largest of the inner planets.
_____ 3. Mars is the closest planet to the Sun.
_____ 4. Mercury is the twin planet of Earth.
_____ 5. Venus is an outer planet.

Activity 2: Complete Me

Directions: Complete the table. Choose your answer from the box. Write your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.

25,362 km / 15,759 miles 1,120% the size of Earth

6,052 km / 3,761 miles 388% the size of Earth
69,911 km / 43,441 miles 53% the size of Earth

Rank Planet Estimated Radii Size

According in in Relative
to Size kilometer mile to the Earth
1st Jupiter 69,911 43,441 (3)
2nd Saturn 58,232 36,184 945% the size of Earth
3rd Uranus (1) 400% the size of Earth
4th Neptune 24,622 15,299 (4)
5th Earth 6,371 3,959 ---
6th Venus (2) 95% the size of Earth
7th Mars 3,390 2,460 (5)
8th Mercury 2,440 1,516 38% the size of Earth

Activity 3: Draw Me!

Directions: The planets are not evenly spaced and they are grouped in three.
Draw the three groups.
 WRAP–UP

To wrap up everything that we have discussed about the movement and

comparison of planets in the Solar System. Draw the eight planet and write
their movement in the Solar System.

VALUING

Study the picture and answer the questions that follow.

Questions:

1. What is the picture all about?

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

2. Based on the picture, what is the importance of knowing the distance and
movement of each planet?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

POSTTEST

Directions: Write the letter of the correct answer on a separate sheet of

paper.

1. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are called __________.

A. Jovian Planets
B. Outer Planets
C. Inner Planets
D. Gas Giants

2. What do we call Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune?

A. Gas Giants
B. Inner Planets
C. Outer Planets
D. Terrestrial Planets

3. Which planet is closest to the Sun?

A. Mars
B. Mercury
C. Neptune
D. Venus
4. Why do we need to study the movement of the planets?
A. To know the characteristic of each planet
B. To use it for commercial purpose
C. To find out how other planets work so we can predict the future
of our planet and so the future of humanity
D. None of the above.

5. Why is it important to know the movement of the planet?

E. It is helpful in doing assignments.
F. It helps us gain a greater appreciation on God’s creation of
Earth.
G. It will give us wisdom on predicting other future and our
horoscope.
H. None of the above

KEY TO CORRECTION

5. B
4. C Answers may vary.
3. B Activity 3
2.C 5. 53% the size of Earth MERCURY
1.C 4. 388% the size of Earth EARTH
POSTTEST 3. 1, 120% the size of Earth PLUTO
2. (6,052 km/ 3,761 miles) MARS
Answers may vary 1. (25,362 km/15,759 miles) SUN
VALUING Activity 2 RECAP
BLUFF 5.
Earth 5. BLUFF 4. C 5.
Venus 4. BLUFF 3. A 4.
inner 3. FACT 2. A 3.
2. BLUFF 1. B 2.
Eight 1. Activity 1 D 1.

WRAP-UP ACTIVITIES PRETEST

 REFERENCES
Book
 Milagros S. Ignacio, Irene P. Santiago, Maria Niña Torralba, Annalyn
Orcine. 2016. Investigating Life's Wonder Science 6 . Quezon City:
Triumphant Publishing.pp179-192
Web References
 https://spark.iop.org/movements-solar-system#gref
 https://www.universetoday.com/36649/planets-in-order-of-size/
 http://www.infolaso.com/english/science/75-size-planets-solar-
system/330-planets-solar-system-size
