Planet Cards

Attached are step by step instructions that I provide my students with in order to make their planet cards. You must be registered to use atomic learning.

Making Your Own Solar System Cards

In order to prepare to make a scale model of the solar system, you will need to make cards for each planet.

1. Log on to your computer
2. Go to internet explorer
3. Log on to internet explorer using you login name and password
4. Go to www.atomiclearning.com
5. Log on to this website using
a. Username:
b. Password :
6. Click on Our Tutorials and select English
7. Scroll down and find Access 2003 Intro – click on it
8. Minimize the internet explorer page (the box with the line in the top right corner) and open Microsoft Access.
a. Click on the green start menu box and go to programs
b. Select Microsoft Office, and you should see Microsoft Access with a purple key, open the program.
c. On the right hand side, select “Create a New File” and then “Blank Database.”
d. Make sure you are saving it in your folder, and save as “Planets”
9. Maximize your internet explorer page and watch the video “Creating a New Table From Scratch,” “Creating a primary key field in table,” and “Understanding Field Data Types.”
a. Once you have watched the video, return back to Microsoft Access and start by making your own table.
b. Use the following field names:
Field Name Data Type
Planet Name Text
Origin of Name Text
Type of Planet Text
Distance From the Sun Text
Length of Orbit Text
Diameter Text
Number of Moons Number
Special Landmarks/ Features Memo
Interesting Facts Memo
Picture OLE Object
c. Make your primary key the Planet Name
d. Close the design view and save as “Planet Information”
10. Return back to the Atomic Learning website. Watch the video “Creating a Form Using the AutoForm Wizard.”
a. Using the information from the video, make a form using the AutoForm Wizard.
i. Make sure you have closed everything but the main window
ii. Make sure you are in the table section.
iii. Highlight “Planet Information”
iv. Select box with lightning in top toolbar, select autoform.
b. Using your information from the “Name That Planet” worksheet and your notes to complete the form.
c. In order to insert pictures, you will need to go to Google images and copy and paste the small pictures into the square provided in the form.
d. Once you have completed the first planet, select the arrow with a star to add a new form.
e. Continue this until you have completed all nine planets, save your form as “Planet Form.”
11. Go back to the Atomic Learning website, watch “Creating a Report using Report Wizard”
a. Based on the video you just watched, make a report using your information from your Planet Table.
b. Select all fields by clicking on the double right arrow and select next.
c. Do not choose to group any levels, and select next again.
d. Do not choose any sort orders, and select next.
e. Choose the Justified Layout and select next.
f. Choose the Compact Style, select next.
g. Name your report “Planet Report” and select Finish.
12. Watch the video “Using the Spell Checker” and spell check your information. Make sure you close out of your report and go back to your table information to spell check correctly.
13. You are almost ready to print! Select the report button.
a. Right click on your “Planet Report” and select “Design View.”
b. Scroll down to Page Footer. Highlight and delete the “=Now” and type in the word “Name.”
c. Go to File, then Page Setup and set all margins to 0.5 then select ok.
d. Go to File, the Print Preview. It should ask you to type in your name, please enter first and last name! Scroll through the pages, you will see one planet on the first page and two planets all other pages.
e. Have Ms. W quickly check yours and then you are ready to print to the printer Lexmark Optra S 1650 MS Copy (1).