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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 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.
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
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.
Safety: None
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
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