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Overview: Students
model the relative sizes, distances, and movements of planets in
the solar system.
Booklink: A Book About Planets and
Stars by Betty Polisar Reigot, Scholastic, Inc., NY, 1988.
ISBN 0-590-40593-4
Science and Math Activity Link:
Students are provided with simple models of the planets in the
solar system. Beginning with a model sun, first they predict the
planets' relative distances from each other and the sun, then
measure them, and, finally, research and share information about
planets with the class.
Objective: Students will observe
relative sizes of the planets in the solar system, classify
sequentially their relative distances from the sun, and describe
important characteristics of each.
Science Processes and Content:
Processes—Observing, predicting, classifying, communicating,
measuring, collecting data, and constructing models.
Content—Characteristics of the sun, planets, and asteroids in
the solar system, developing scale models of sizes and
distances, and systems and subsystems.
Mathematics Processes and Content:
Processes: represent physical phenomena using models and
communicate mathematical thinking. Content: make reasonable
estimations, measure using standard and nonstandard units,
measure with multiple copies of units such as paces.
National Science Education Standards:
Unifying Concepts and Processes, (1) Science as Inquiry, (4)
Earth and Space Science, (6) Science in Personal and Social
Perspectives, (7) History and Nature of Science
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Principles and Standards: Number and Operations,
Measurement, Representation, and Communication
Materials: Book A Book About
Planets and Stars plus other references as available, craft
sticks, metric measurers, scissors, glue, markers and crayons,
and a round balloon.
Procedure:
Research shows that next to the study of animals, one of K-8
children's favorite topics of study is the solar system and
space. In this series of lessons children will learn about the
planets in the solar system, their relative sizes and distances,
and important characteristics. Further, they will have the
opportunity to use references about the solar system,
individually and in small groups, and to share planetary
attributes with the class.
1. Prepare ahead 3 or 4 sets of simple planetary models that
depict the relative sizes of the planets. You will need
approximately 3 Venuses, 3 Earths, etc. The models are actually
dots (for the smaller planets) placed on wooden craft sticks or
construction paper and cut-out circles glued on the craft sticks
for the larger planets. (Pages 10-11 of A Book About Planets
and Stars shows how the 9 planets compare in size with one
another. Copies of these pages could be made and the cut-out
planets could serve as models to be glued to the craft sticks.)
Print the name of each planet on the appropriate craft stick.
Eventually, the sticks will be distributed randomly, one per
student, for making their distance predictions, measurements,
and reference sharing. The relative sizes of the smaller planets
are: Mercury 1mm, Venus 2mm, Earth 2mm, Mars 1mm, and Pluto 1mm.
These can be made as dots on the craft sticks with a pencil,
pen, or marker. The relative sizes of the larger planets are:
Jupiter 31mm, Saturn 23mm, Uranus 10mm, and Neptune 10mm. These
can be circles cut from paper and glued to the end of the craft
sticks. Next, place 8-10 smaller dots on the ends of several
craft sticks to represent asteroids, which orbit the sun between
Mars and Jupiter. Finally, inflate a round balloon (orange or
yellow) to represent the sun. Although the Earth's diameter is
small in this model, the sun's diameter represents about 100
Earth diameters. Using this scale, the balloon should be
inflated to a diameter of 200mm. When using the scaled sizes and
distances of planets with students, remind them that these are
models only and really represent approximate sizes and
distances. They can check references for actual sizes and
distances.
2. You may want to begin the class by using the K-W-L technique.
Have the students describe what they know about the solar
system, about the planets and their relative sizes and distances
from each other, and any other interesting information they wish
to share. Also discuss with them what they wonder about the
solar system and what they would like to learn.
3. Randomly distribute the craft stick planet models. Depending
upon the number of students in your class, 2 to 4 children will
have similar models, e.g. in a class of 30, 3 students each will
have Mercury, 3 will have asteroids, 3 will have Pluto, and so
on. Explain that the dots or cut-outs show the relative sizes of
the planets to the balloon sun and that this system represents a
scale model.
4. Now take the class outside to a large lawn or field area or
into the gym. With you holding high the balloon sun, challenge
them to predict how far away their planet would be from the sun.
Have them move their sticks to the predicted distance and hold
up high their model planets. Encourage them to discuss their
predictions with other students with the same planets or, if
they prefer, make their own predictions. Expect a wide variety
of predictions.
5. Now bring together the entire group. Provide the scaled
distances (in feet, centimeters, or paces) and have the students
move their sticks to the provided distances, holding high their
planets when they arrive. The distances are: Mercury 30cm or 1
foot, Venus 60cm or 2 feet, Earth 90cm or 3 feet, Mars 120cm or
4 feet, asteroids 3 paces, Jupiter 5 paces, Saturn 8 paces,
Uranus 17 paces, Neptune 26 paces, and Pluto 34 paces. Have the
students observe the relative distances from the sun and from
each other, stressing the vastness and great distances in space.
6. Invite the students to assemble with you again. This would be
a good time to classify the inner planets (Mercury, Venus,
Earth, and Mars) and the considerably more distant outer planets
(Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto). You may also want
to discuss asteroids, the relatively small rocky bodies orbiting
the sun.
7. You may wish to simulate the movements of the planets in the
solar system. Select 10 students, each representing a different
planet plus one for the asteroids. Tell them to go to the
orbital distance from the sun (your balloon) and at your signal,
begin walking at the same time and speed in approximate,
counterclockwise circles (as viewed from above) around the sun.
Note which planets take longer to make the complete orbit and
discuss why (more distance to cover).
8. Once back in class, have the students become experts on their
particular planet. Use the book, A Book About Planets and
Stars, or other sources including science textbooks,
tradebooks, or the Internet as references. Students can work on
their own to collect, read, and record information, then join
with other students who also have the same planets to prepare
brief, joint presentations highlighting the characteristics of
their planet or asteroids. They may want to draw or color the
features of each planet. As the teacher, you may wish to begin
the sharing by modeling a presentation on the characteristics of
the sun.
9. Finish the K-W-L lesson by having the students write a
paragraph about "The Most Interesting Things I Learned About Our
Solar System." Have volunteers share selected paragraphs with
the class.
10. From the book, A Book About Planets and Stars, you
may wish to go beyond the solar system, sharing with children
interesting information about how the universe began, the life
of a star, the death of a star, and other information about
stars and the universe.
Related Books:
The Planets in Our Solar System by Franklyn M. Branley,
Harper Collins Publishers, NY, 1981. ISBN 0-06-445178X
The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System by Joanna
Cole, Scholastic, Inc., NY, 1990. ISBN 0-590-41429-1
Planets, Dutton Children's Books, NY, 1999. ISBN
0-525-46376-3
The Sun and Other Stars by Richard Harris, Troll
Associates, NY, 1977. ISBN 0-89375-044-1
Zoo in the Sky by Jacqueline Mitton, National Geographic
Society, Washington, DC, 1998. ISBN 0-7922-7069-X
Star Factories: The Birth of Stars and Planets by Ray
Jayawardhana, Steck-Vaughn, Austin, TX, 2001. ISBN 0-7398-2494-5
Earth: Our Planet in Space by Seymour Simon, Harcourt,
Orlando, FL, 1984. ISBN 0-15-314327-4
I Wonder Why Stars Twinkle by Carole Stott, Kingfisher
Books, NY, 1993. ISBN 1-85697-881-8
Starry Messenger by Peter Sis, Farrar-Straus-Giroux, NY,
1996. ISBN 0-374-37191-1 |
