Overview: This is a foldable designed to help students identify the planets within the Solar System as well as the Asteroid Belt and Kuiper Belt. As shown in the picture below, students identify the planets/belts under each tab of the foldable and record important ideas, definitions, and attributes about each. This is a great activity/handout for interactive notebooking. Depending on how you utilize the foldable, it could serve as a nice formative assessment.

Materials prep:
o Print foldable in color (two-sided printing option) or copy in black and white (two-sided option

Instruction:
o Fold along dark dotted line so that the title “The Solar System” is still visible.
o Cut along the light dashed lines between the planets.
o Label each planet and the Asteroid and Kuiper Belt Orbits under the tabs as shown in the picture. Note: You can also have them label on the underneath side of each tab (where I have notes/definition in the picture). This may leave more room for notes under the tabs.
o Provide any notes, definition, attributes or other important information for students to jot down. Students can also gather their own information if you prefer.
o If you use interactive notebooks in your classroom, have students glue/type their foldable in their notebook. It can be used as a study/review tool or as a reference for them as they learn about the Solar System.

© Marianne Dobrovolny – www.science-lessons.org