Children can draw on information they already know to understand new Spanish vocabulary and structures. When teachers and parents talk about familiar subjects in Spanish, children associate concepts they understand with the new language. This way, children learn Spanish vocabulary in context and applied to content, rather than as lists of vocabulary words which are often memorized and then quickly forgotten.
In the early grades, children learn the basic facts of the solar system. When children then hear or read this information in Spanish, they will not understand every word, but they will understand and absorb key vocabulary. There are many Spanish language materials about the planets that parents and teachers can use with school age children. Just as in English, the older materials include Pluto as one of the planets and the new newer ones do not. These are a few useful resources.
Wall charts and information to print or download
This is a chart of the orbit of the planets in Spanish to print or download.
This is a chart of the planet Earth and its position in the solar system. This chart has all of the planets clearly labeled and several sentences of text in Spanish about characteristics of the planet Earth.
This set of materials in Spanish from NASA presents the planets in an entertaining format. Each planet introduces itself with basic information. The materials include a teacher’s page and activities.
Websites for children with information about the solar system in Spanish
This site introduces children to the solar system. The scroll box has basic information in simple Spanish.
This site Pregúntale a un astrónomo – para niños (Ask an Astronomer -for kids) is set up as a series of questions. The information is presented in a format that raises kids’ curiosity and encourages them to think about the solar system.
This blog in Spanish is dedicated to teaching children about the universe.
Printable activities
This has information about each planet. Each page gives facts about a planet including its size, number of moons, temperature and a few lines of information.
This astronomy workbook in Spanish has activities on the sun, moon, planets, and cardinal directions.
Game
In this game you identify the planets. When you click on the planet it names, the game gives a line or two of information in Spanish.
Song
This song teaches the names of the planets in Spanish. The words appear on the screen, so it is easy to sing along. These are the lyrics with a word-for-word translation. The translation is for meaning only. It is for parents who are learning Spanish with their children.
Nueve globos giran bajo el sol/ Nine spheres spin under the sun
y en el tercero, según sumes, vivo yo/ and in the third, according to the math, live I.
Nueve nombres tienes que aprender, / Nine names you have to learn,
pues el sistema planetario has de saber/ because you have to know the planetary system.
Y si te es difícil entender esta lección, / and if it is hard for you to understand this lesson
canta con nosotros esta mágica canción: / sing with us this magic song:
Nuestro planeta es la Tierra, y los demás se llaman: / Our planet is Earth, and the rest are called:
Mercurio, Venus, Júpiter y Marte / Mercury, Venus, Jupiter y Mars
Saturno, Urano, Neptuno y Plutón / Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
Mercurio, Venus, Júpiter y Marte / Mercury, Venus, Jupiter y Mars
Saturno, Urano, Neptuno y Plutón, ton, ton, ton, ton…/ Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
Plutón, ton, ton, ton, ton / Pluto…
Plutón, ton, ton, ton, ton / Pluto…
Venus tiene alma de mujer / Venus has the soul of a woman
Saturno tiene anillos- uno, dos y tres / Saturn has rings – one, two and three
Mercurio vive muy cerca del sol / Mercury lives very close to the sun
Neptuno juega al baloncesto con Plutón / Neptune plays basketball with Pluto
Y si te es difícil entender esta lección, / and if it is hard for you to understand this lesson
canta con nosotros esta mágica canción: / sing with us this magic song:
Nuestro planeta es la Tierra, y los demás se llaman: / Our planet is Earth, and the rest are called:
Mercurio, Venus, Júpiter y Marte / Mercury, Venus, Jupiter y Mars
Saturno, Urano, Neptuno y Plutón / Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
Mercurio, Venus, Júpiter y Marte / Mercury, Venus, Jupiter y Mars
Saturno, Urano, Neptuno y Plutón, ton, ton, ton, ton…/ Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto…
Plutón, ton, ton, ton, ton / Pluto…
Plutón, ton, ton, ton, ton / Pluto…
Urano es el rey del gas butano / Uranus is the king of butane gas
En cambio Marte brilla mucho por su arte / Whereas Mars shines brightly for its art
Júpiter enorme es un gandul / Enormous Jupiter is a lazybones
Y nuestra Tierra es el planeta más azul / and our Earth is the bluest planet
Y si te es difícil entender esta lección, / and if it is hard for you to understand this lesson
canta con nosotros esta mágica canción: / sing with us this magic song:
Nuestro planeta es la Tierra, y los demás se llaman: / Our planet is Earth, and the rest are called:
Mercurio, Venus, Júpiter y Marte / Mercury, Venus, Jupiter y Mars
Saturno, Urano, Neptuno y Plutón / Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
Mercurio, Venus, Júpiter y Marte / Mercury, Venus, Jupiter y Mars
Saturno, Urano, Neptuno y Plutón, ton, ton, ton, ton…/ Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
Plutón, ton, ton, ton, ton / Pluto…
Plutón, ton, ton, ton, ton / Pluto…
Videos
Listening for key vocabulary is a very important language learning skill. These videos are at normal speed for native speakers, so Spanish language learners will not catch every word. They will be able to hear important words though, especially if they watch the video more than once. Be sure to watch the video all the way through once before listening for a specific word.
This video from Discovery Kids is called Doki descubre porque se hace de noche (Doki discovers why night falls).
Try listening for these key words:
la noche – night
el sol – the sun
la Tierra – the Earth
iluminada – illuminated, lit up
oscuro – dark
el lado – side
girar – spin
el día – day
This video is called Doki descubre los planetas (Doki discovers the planets). It mentions the eight planets and some of their distinctive features. Listen for the names of the planets and these phrases:
más ceracano al sol – closet to the sun
el planeta más grande – the biggest planet
un planeta rojo – a red planet
tener un anillo – to have a ring
Picture books
These picture books in Spanish introduce children to the solar system.
El sistema solar. This book comes with a multimedia CD-ROM with activities. It is appropriate for intermediate Spanish language learners.
