ACTIVITY NAME PAGE

1. Word Scramble 2
2. Picture Matching 2
3. Crossword Puzzle 3
4. Word Search 4
5. QR Treasure Hunt 5
6. Running Dictation 7
7. Spectacular Space! 8
8. Tarsia Puzzle 9
9. Decode the Message 10
10. Dominoes 10-12
11. Memory Game 13
12. Go Fish! 13
13. Chicken Feed 13
14. Online Game Time 14
Teacher’s Notes & Answer Keys 15-21

© Diana J. Renke
 Instructions: Unscramble the letters to find the word/s.
For example: UNS = SUN.

Instructions: Match the names of the planets to their pictures.

Mercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus
© Diana J. Renke
Neptune
© Diana J. Renke
Instructions: Write the ordinal numbers in words:

first
1st ________________________
4t h________________________
7th________________________
10th _______________________
2nd ________________________ 3rd________________________
5th ________________________ 6th ________________________
8th ________________________ 9th ________________________
11th _______________________ 12th _______________________

Instructions: Find the ordinal numbers above in the word search puzzle:

© Diana J. Renke
Instructions: Our Awesome Solar System. Your job is to find the QR codes which your teacher has put on display
around the area. Scan each QR code into your mobile device to get a challenge question. Record the correct
answers to all of the *20* questions. The winner is the student with the most correct answers at the end of the
time available. Good luck!

ANSWER SHEET

1. ______________________________________ 11. ______________________________________

2. ______________________________________
3. ______________________________________
4. ______________________________________
5. ______________________________________
6. ______________________________________
7. ______________________________________
8. ______________________________________
9. ______________________________________
10. ______________________________________
12. ______________________________________
13. ______________________________________
14. ______________________________________
15. ______________________________________
16. ______________________________________
17. ______________________________________
18. ______________________________________
19. ______________________________________
20. ______________________________________

© Diana J. Renke
 STUDENT A:
Instructions: You are the
runner. Find the correct
word from the paragraphs
outside. Run back to tell
your partner. No pointing!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scientists say it could take at least 1,500 years before humans make contact with
species of aliens, or for them to communicate with or find us. Astronomers from
Cornell University in the USA combined two existing theories about the possibility
of life existing on other planets to form a new equation. One of these theories is the
Fermi Paradox described by physicist Enrico Fermi in 1950.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This states that while billions of Earth-like planets exist in our galaxy, not one has
made contact with Earth yet. The other is the mediocrity principle, which suggests
that because there is life on Earth, it will typically exist on Earth-like planets
throughout the universe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Study author Evan Solomonides will soon present a research paper on his theory.
He said: "We haven't heard from aliens yet, as space is a big place, but that doesn't
mean no one is out there." According to Solomonides, extraterrestrials could have
received signals from Earth.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
However, he proposes that ET would not have been able to decipher them. He said
they would need to decode the light waves into sounds and analyse 3,000 human
languages to understand any messages.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He said that signals from Earth have only reached about 8,500 stars and that the
Milky Way galaxy alone contains 200 billion stars. He added: "If we stop listening or
looking, we may miss the signals, so we should keep looking."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STUDENT B:
Instructions: You are the
writer. Listen carefully to
the word your partner
gives you and write it in
the correct place.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scientists say it could take at (1) ____________ 1,500 years before humans
make contact with (2) ____________ of aliens, or for them to communicate with
or find us. Astronomers from Cornell University in the USA combined two (3)
____________ theories about the possibility of life existing on other planets to
form a new (4) ____________. One of these theories is the Fermi Paradox
described by physicist Enrico Fermi in 1950.
This states that while (5) ____________ of Earth-like planets exist in our galaxy,
not one has made (6) ____________ with Earth yet. The other is the mediocrity
(7) ____________, which suggests that because there is life on Earth, it will
typically exist on Earth-like planets (8) ____________ the universe.
Study author Evan Solomonides will soon (9) ____________ a research paper on
his theory. He said: "We haven't heard from aliens (10) ____________, as space
is a big place, but that doesn't mean no one is out (11) ____________."
According to Solomonides, extraterrestrials could have received signals from
Earth.
However, he (12) ____________ that ET would not have been
able to (13) ____________ them. He said they would need to
decode the light (14) ____________ into sounds and analyse
3,000 human languages to understand any messages.
He said that signals from Earth have only reached about 8,500
stars and that the Milky Way (15) ____________ alone
contains 200 billion stars. He added: "If we stop listening or
looking, we may (16) ____________ the signals, so we should
keep looking."
Text ©Breaking News English.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1606/160620-aliens.html
© Diana J. Renke
Instructions: Read the directions below.

Circle the 3rd third planet on the right.

Circle 5thalien on the left.

Circle the 2nd spaceship on the right.

Circle the 4th star on the left.

Draw our moon:

© Diana J. Renke
Instructions: You will receive 18 triangles. Fit the clues and answers together to form one big triangle.
Paste them in the space below. You may work in pairs or in a small group.

© Diana J. Renke
Instructions: Imagine aliens came to visit Earth for a day. They communicate in their own language. Luckily you
have the cipher to decode their message. What is their message?

A 
D 
G 
J 
M 
P 
S 
V 
Y 

Work with a partner. Write your answers in the blank spaces:
B 
E 
H 
K 
N 
Q 
T 
W 
Z 
C 
F 
I 
L 
O 
R 
U 
X 

           

         
         
           
           
            
            
            
            
            
            

Discuss this message with a partner. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?

© Diana J. Renke
Instructions: Cut the cards out along the solid lines. Divide them up in your group. When it is your turn, see if you
can match one of your words with the picture. If you can match them, you need to state ONE fact about your
matched cards, for example: “The Sun is the nearest star to Earth.”. If you can’t match any of your cards, skip a
turn.

Sun

Mercury

Venus

Earth
© Diana J. Renke
 Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

© Diana J. Renke
Neptune

Comet

Meteor

Meteorite

© Diana J. Renke
Instructions: Cut the cards you used for Dominoes into individual cards. Shuffle the cards, face down.
Lay them out in a grid format. Take turns to turn over two cards at a time. If they match, remove the
pair.

Instructions: Join with another group. Shuffle and give each person 4 cards. Put the remaining cards in a
deck in the middle. In turns. Going clockwise students try to match up their cards by asking other
students if they have a matching card. Interactions are as follows:

STUDENT A: Do you have/Have you got a satellite orbiting Neptune?

STUDENT B: Yes, I do. (Student B gives card to Student A and Student A gets a
point).

or

STUDENT A: Do you have a spaceship taking off from the moon?

STUDENT B: No, I don't. Go Fish! (Student A takes a card from the deck).

Instructions: Listen to your teacher’s instructions. Gather as

many cards as you can find from the word your teacher calls
out, chicken!

© Diana J. Renke
Instructions: Click on the URL link to play the following online games.

Quizlet
- Gravity Activity: https://quizlet.com/504955518/gravity

- Matching Game: https://quizlet.com/504955518/match

- Live Quiz: https://quizlet.com/504955518/live

Class Tools
- Arcade Games: http://www.classtools.net/arcade/202011_KMBReC

- QR Code Treasure Hunt: https://www.classtools.net/QR/32-jWAXQ

Explayn
- Explayn it to me!: https://explayn.co.uk/game/576800

Word Wall
- Labelled Diagram: https://wordwall.net/resource/23670570/solar-system

- Word Search: https://wordwall.net/resource/22934314/solar-system

- Game Show: https://wordwall.net/resource/20244845/planets-in-the-solar-system

English Learn Online

- Hangman Game: https://www.english-learn-online.com/vocabulary/solar-system-space/solar-system-and-
space-vocabulary-wetman-hangman-game-in-english/

NASA Space Place

- Various Games https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/play/

ESL Games Plus

Space, Solar System and Planets Vocabulary Interactive Games: https://www.eslgamesplus.com/space-solar-
system/

© Diana J. Renke
Note to the teacher:
Many of these activities can be adjusted to suit both online & in situ lessons. Many require glue and scissors.
Indicated by level:
E = Elementary
I = Intermediate
A = Advanced
Vocabulary & Grammar focus: Ordinal Numbers, Comparatives & Superlatives

1. WORD SCRAMBLE (E) 2. PICTURE MATCHING (E)

Find the answers here:

https://quizlet.com/vn/504955518/the-planets-ordinal-
numbers-diagram

© Diana J. Renke
3. CROSSWORD PUZZLE (A)

4. WORD SEARCH (E)

© Diana J. Renke
5. QR CODE TREASURE HUNT (A)

A. Prior to the lesson:

1. Arrange students into groups. Each group needs at least ONE person who has a mobile device (note: an
internet connection will not be needed).

2. Ask students to:

 Download a QR reader (e.g. I-Nigma | NeoReader | Kaywa) onto their mobile devices
 Bring these devices into the lesson.

3. Print off these QR codes for each of these quiz questions.

Copies of the QR codes on next page.

4. Cut them out and place them around your class / school.

B. The lesson:
1. Have the first ('introduction') QR code on display on your whiteboard.

2. Each team scans it into their device and gets told to start hunting around the school for the remaining QR
codes.

3. Away they go! The winner is the first team to return with the most correct answers in the time available.

C. TIPS / OTHER IDEAS

1. Award teams ONE point for each question they successfully decode, and a further TWO points for each
correct answer that they provide.

2. Students in each team that do not have access to a mobile device can be responsible for research answers
/ hunting down the other QR codes for their teams.

3. A detailed case study in how to set up a successful QR Scavenger Hunt using this tool can be found here.

© Diana J. Renke
QR CODES TO PRINT & CUT OUT

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

7. 8. 9.

10. 11. 12.

13. 14. 15.

16. 17. 18.

19. 20.

© Diana J. Renke
ANSWER KEY: QR TREASURE HUNT

Question Answer
The name of a star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in our
Sun
solar system.
This is the closest planet to the Sun, very cold on one side and very hot on the
other, smallest planet, and no moons. This is the smallest planet in our solar Mercury
system.
This is the 2nd planet from Sun, covered with volcanoes, no moon, hottest
planet, and rotates very slowly and backwards. This planet is also known as Venus
"Earth's Twin" because it is similar in diameter and size.
This is the 3rd planet from Sun. It has one moon, orbits the sun in 365 days
Earth
and one rotation in 24 hours, and life exists on this planet.
This is the 4th planet from Sun. It is called the "Red Planet" because red colour
caused by iron in the crust that has rusted, has polar ice caps and it is 1/2 the Mars
size of Earth.
This is the 5th planet from Sun. It has the most moons, is the largest planet, is
Jupiter
a gas giant and has a large red spot.
This is the 6th planet from Sun. It has spectacular rings made mostly of ice and
Saturn
frosted rock and it is a gas giant made mostly of hydrogen gas.
This is the 7th planet from Sun. rotates on its side, blue green colour and is a
Uranus
gas giant.
This is the 8th planet from Sun. This planet appears blue when viewed through
a telescope, and has the highest winds in solar system, and it rotates counter- Neptune
clockwise.
Since 2006, it is no longer termed a planet, but now called a "Dwarf Planet". Pluto
This is a huge group of single stars, star systems, star clusters, dust, and gas,
Galaxy
bound together by gravity.
This is a celestial body of hot gases. Star
This is a satellite that revolves around a planet. Effects the tides in the ocean
Moon
on Earth.
This is an object consisting of ice and dust that leaves a tail pointing away
Comet
from the sun. It is a dirty space snowball.
This is a small rocky body orbiting the Sun. Asteroid
This is a celestial body orbiting a star. There are 8 in our solar system. Planet
This is a large cloud of dust and gas in space. Nebula
This is material from outer space that burns up as it enters Earth's
Meteor
atmosphere.
This is a meteoroid that reaches the Earth's surface without burning up
Meteorite
completely.
The name of our galaxy. The Milky Way

6. RUNNING DICTATION (I)

In pairs, choose a runner and a writer. Paste the full text in strips around the classroom.

7. SPECTACULAR SPACE!
A very simple matching exercise to practice ordinal numbers.

© Diana J. Renke
8. TARSIA PUZZLE (E)

As the teacher, ahead of class, cut out one Tarsia Puzzle per pair or in a small group.

Solution:

9. DECODE THE MESSAGE (I)

“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”

© Diana J. Renke
10. DOMINOES (E)
Cut out the various strips. Students take turns to match up the words to the pictures.

11. MEMORY GAME (E)

Next, use the same cards above, divide strips in two.

12. GO FISH! (E)

Students each get 2 or 3 cards dealt to them. Going clockwise students try to match up their cards by asking
other students if they have a matching card. Interactions are as follows:

STUDENT A: Do you have/Have you got a satellite orbiting Neptune?

STUDENT B: Yes, I do. (Student B gives card to Student A and Student A gets a point).

or

STUDENT A: Do you have a spaceship taking off from the moon?

STUDENT B: No, I don't. Go Fish! (Student A takes a card from the deck).

13. CHICKEN FEED! (E)

Have you ever been to a farm and fed chickens? Similar concept – mix up the pictures and words above, throw up
into the air, call out the word the students need to find.

14. ONLINE GAME TIME (ALL)

This is a small collection of various online games related to the topic of Our Awesome Solar System.

For more activities that can be used for interactive learning, please contact teacherdianaonline@gmail.com. We
run interactive online tutor training workshops every Tuesday and Thursday!

© Diana J. Renke