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Memorizing the order the planets doesn't teach much about the planets. Try this: Divide students into eight pairs or groups (depending on how many students you have), and assign each group one planet to learn about and then make a presentation to the class. As a result of their investigation and the presentations, the students will automatically learn, not only the order of the planets, but also a lot more about them. For example, they'll learn about their moons, rings, etc., i.e., a lot that they wouldn't get by just memorizing the order of the planets.
In learning about the planets, students should find out not only the facts about the planets, but also how we came to know those facts. Remember, memorizing facts is not science. Science is a process of investigating the world -- and the universe -- through a variety of methods. (And, there is no one 'scientific method.')
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