My very eager mother just served us nine pizzas.
A silly sentence, yet schoolchildren have memorized it for years, because it helps them remember the planets in our solar system. The first letter of every word stands for a planet, in the order of how close it is to the Sun. My very eager mother just served us nine pizzas. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun, and tiny Pluto is the farthest away. That is, until recently.
When Is a Planet Not a Planet? The Story of Pluto by Elaine Scott is a book about scientist who have argued for years over the answer to this question. Central to their debate has been Pluto, the tiny orb circling the Sun at the outermost reaches of our solar system. Then on August 24th, 2006, a group of astronomers made a big announcement: Pluto could no longer be considered a planet.
This fascinating book explains in simple terms how advancements in technology have changed our understanding of the universe and exactly how and why the number of planets in our solar system went from nine to eight.
Curriculum Connections
When Is a Planet Not a Planet? is a book suitable for 5th graders learning the history of the planets and what astronomers believed to be true in reguards to the planets. This book compliments Virginia SOL 5.1-understanding the nature of science.
Additional Resources
- This lesson plan ask students to find out the process how paleontologists locate, excavate, and study dinosaurs.
- This experiment is an activity teaching students how a windmill works.
- This overview gives information about the orbits, sizes, and classification of the planets in the solar system.
Book: When Is a Planet Not a Planet? The Story of Pluto
Author: Elaine Scott
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication Date: 2007
Pages: 38
Grade Range: 3-5
ISBN: 978-0-618-89832-9