Mapping the Solar System

I recently encountered this activity for the first time, on the McDonald Observatory website.  I've since found the same activity on numerous other sites.  I don't know where it came from first, but I'll give credit to the place where I first saw it.

Anyway... it's a super simple way for students to map the solar system and get a feel for how much distance is between the planets.  In short, it's brilliant!

Each student will need a sentence strip or a length of adding machine/calculator paper.

Hold the paper vertically and label (in small letters) one end of the strip "Sun" and the other end "Pluto".

At this point, you can have students fill in the planets with their best guesses as to their placement.  Or you can just make the accurate map.  It's up to you and your situation.

To make the map:
Fold Pluto to the Sun.  Label Uranus on the crease.
Fold Pluto to Uranus.  Label Neptune on the crease.

 Fold the Sun to Uranus.  Label Saturn on the crease.
Fold the Sun to Saturn.  Label Jupiter on the crease.
Fold the Sun to Jupiter.  You can label the crease Asteroid Belt or leave this space blank.

Fold the Sun to the Asteroid Belt.  Label Mars on the crease.
Fold the Sun to Mars. Label Venus on the crease.

Label the space between the Sun and Venus, Mercury.  (You could fold the Sun to Venus and label the crease, but the space gets a little tight to make more folds at this point).

Label the space between Venus and Mars, Earth.

That's it!  You've completed your map!  And it's incredibly accurate for such a simple model.

I'm thinking it might be fun to convert distances to some other notable bodies in the cosmos to this scale and lay out the sentence strips to show kids the vast amount of space in space.  I'll let you know what I come up with!

Solar System: Pictorial Comparison

Originally posted on February 2, 2010

I LOVE these pictures. I first learned of them a few years ago and promptly printed and laminated a set for my classroom. I was reminded of them recently when I received them as an email attachment.

I think the art is beautiful and I can just stare at them-my mind spinning, trying to comprehend the size of the universe, all the while.

I don't know the source for these pictures. If someone out there does, please let me know and I will gladly add it.

Teaching the Constellation Stories

These are the props I used this summer, when doing constellation programs at some local libraries. 

We did a quick review of what a constellation is and then I started to "quiz" them.

First, I showed them a picture of some stars and they had to decide what picture they might see in those stars.

Then I showed them those same stars with the "dots connected," and asked them again what picture they might imagine from that shape.

And finally, I showed them a picture that had the stars and lines drawn in. 

At that point I shared some of the stories associated with each of the constellations.  We incorporated as many different culture's variations on the myths and legends as I could find, which helped the children understand that the people making up the stories were using images and themes that were part of their everyday life.

We also discussed the great use of imagination in some of the constellations.  It was a good reminder that we were talking about groups of people for whom this was a form of evening entertainment - there weren't televisions or computers or iPods available.  There weren't even books readily available to some of these groups of people. 


Here's another set:

Solar System Beads

In this activity, students create a scale model of the distances between planets and get a feel for just how much space there is in space.  (Note: planet size is not to scale in this activity, just the distance - there is no scale in which you could both fit it in the classroom and still be able to see the planets). 

Even if you don't have the time or resources to have students make the models, I might recommend that you make one for demonstration purposes.

This activity is based on an activity, from COSI, and I found it by way of HowToSmile.org.  You can find other, similar activities, by searching "solar system bead distance."

For each model, you'll need about 5 meters of string or yarn and 11 pony beads* (one to represent each planet (Pluto was included in this model), one for the sun and one for the asteroid belt).  You'll also need rulers or meter sticks available. 

First you need to determine how far each planet is from the sun.  Here are the distances in astronomical units (AU).  1 AU = the distance between the Earth and the sun, about 150 million kilometers.

Mercury: 0.4 AU
Venus: 0.7 AU
Earth: 1.0 AU
Mars: 1.5 AU
Asteroid belt: 2.8 AU
Jupiter: 5.0 AU
Saturn: 10.0 AU
Uranus: 19.0 AU
Neptune: 30.0 AU
Pluto: 39.0 AU

For this model, we'll use a scale of 1 AU = 10 cm.  Students need to convert the above distances to cm.  (The original activity includes a nice table, with a space to put the scaled values.)

Now you're ready to create.

Slide the sun bead on the string and tie it in place, near one end of the string.

Now measure 4 cm (scaled distance for Mercury) and slide on the bead for Mercury.  Tie the bead in place, being careful to maintain the correct distance (you may want to find a partner to help make sure everything stays in the correct place). 

For Venus, you'll need to measure 7 cm from the sun (be careful, the distances above are from the sun to each planet, not the distances between planets).  Slide the bead on and tie in place.

Continue in the same manner until all the beads have been added and secured. 

 You'll quickly notice that the first four planets are quite close to one another:

But as you move further out in space, the planets become spaced further and further apart. 



Sorry to make you follow the wavy lines, but there's no way to get a picture of the whole thing spread out!



If you want to take the conversation a bit further... travelling at the speed of light (300,000 km/s), it would take 8 minutes to travel from the sun to the Earth.  How long would it take to travel from the Earth to each of the other planets?  At the same speed, it would take 4.3 years to reach the next nearest star (Alpha Centauri).  How far away is that star?

*I used the bead colors recommended in the original version, but I would have no problem allowing students to select their own colors.  I particularly like the idea of allowing students to choose what they deem an appropriate color after you've shared a bit of information about each planet - if the student makes a connection between the color they've chosen and a fact about the planet, it's likely to make the experience and the finished model all the more meaningful. 

Constellation Viewer

These constellation viewers are pretty simple to make, once you've gathered your supplies.  You'll need a Pringles can for each viewer you want to make (ideally, one for each student).  I haven't found any good substitutions for this, but let me know if you do.  Put the word out early that you're collecting the cans, and you'll probably make out just fine.

Use a large nail to punch a hole in the bottom of the can.

 Cut out circles of black paper (and if you don't have any black paper, use another dark color, like blue).  The circles should be the size of the can.

Place a diagram of the constellation you want on top of one of the circles and use a nail to poke a hole at each star.  Some nice diagrams (the same size as the circles you're using) are found here. 

After all the star holes  have been poked, place the paper in the can lid.

Then place the lid on the can (or the can on the lid, which may be easier, as pictured below), sandwiching the paper inside. 

Hold the can up to the light and look through the hole in the bottom of the can to view your constellation.  (Wish I could get a picture of what it looks like, but you'll just have to make one yourself).

You may want to write the name of each constellation on the back of the paper - that way you'll be able to see the name through the lid while it's inside:

Also, unless you're well-versed in constellations, you may want to draw in the lines of the constellation to help you identify what you're looking at.

Solar System: The Planets to Scale: Part II

While planet size is out-of-whack in textbooks, it's nothing compared to the distances between planets.  Most textbook pictures look a little something like my picture above (except, of course, the planets all look much closer in size), the planets are all right next to each other.  The textbooks do it for the same reason that I did: it's the way to make all the planets fit. 

There's so much empty space in space that it's darn near impossible to show students both the planets and their orbits to scale.

But, if you want to give it a shot, pick up your props from last week's solar system and head out for a walk....

Start at the sun and walk 190 feet.  Place the peppercorn (Mercury).

Walk 170 feet.  Place the mini-marshmallow (Venus).

Walk 131 feet.  Place the Gobstopper (Earth).

Walk 263 feet.  Place the split pea (Mars).

Walk 601 yards (about 1/3 mile).  Place the soccer ball (Jupiter).

Walk 1/3 mile.  Place the melon (Saturn).

Walk 1 mile.  Place the baseball (Uranus).

Walk 1 mile. Place the small apple (Neptune).

Walk 1 mile.  Place the sprinkle (Pluto).

You've walked more than 3 1/2 miles from the sun to get to that tiny sprinkle of Pluto.  How much sun do you think Pluto sees?  Not much! 

Given that you probably don't want to walk your students out 3 1/2 miles (and then back 3 1/2 miles), you might want to have them walk the first 190 feet, to get an idea of the distance.  And, then you could determine where each of the other planets would fall, within your school and community.  For example, the Earth is at the cafeteria, or Uranus is at McDonalds. 

It's completely mind-boggling and a lot to think about!

Solar System: The Planets to Scale

Textbooks are notorious for completely out-of-whack drawings of the planets in our solar system.  They're about as out-of-whack as the solar system models made by 3rd graders - you know the ones, made from styrofoam balls.  The craft stores only sell about 3 sizes of styrofoam balls, so Jupiter ends about being about twice as big as Mercury and Pluto. And the sun is maybe a little bigger than Jupiter...

Remember these pictures?  They're a good place to start your discussion of planet size. 

But, why not add some props to make the lesson even more fun and memorable.

For each planet (and the sun) I'll give you the object I used, the planet's actual diameter and the scaled diameter (so you can take your ruler with you to the produce department in search of the perfect melon to represent Saturn). 

The Sun:

1,400,000 km --> 140 cm

1/2 plastic tablecloth

Mercury:

4,900 km --> 0.49 cm

peppercorn

Venus:

12,100 km --> 1.21 cm

mini-marshmallow

(in the pictures, I used a Gobstopper for both Venus and Earth because my marshmallow was missing)

Earth:

12,800 km --> 1.28 cm

Gobstopper

Mars:

6,800 km --> 0.68 cm

split pea

Jupiter:

143,000 km --> 14.3 cm

small (size 3) soccer ball

Saturn:

120,000 km --> 12.0 cm

melon

Uranus:

51,800 km --> 5.18 cm

baseball

Neptune:

49,500 km --> 4.95 cm

small apple

Pluto:

2,300 km --> 0.23 cm

sprinkle

I like to begin the demonstration by showing students the sun and then having them guess how big Earth would be at that scale; everyone holds up their hands to show me how big it would be.  They always think it's way bigger than it is! 

After revealing the Earth, we then go back to Mercury and work our way through all the planets in the same way. 

It's a good way to begin a discussion of Pluto's classification, as Pluto looks absolutely puny after those gas giants. 

Rotate/Revolve Model

Make this simple model to demonstrate the differences between rotation and revolution.

Thread a practice golf ball onto a pipe cleaner.  Twist the pipe cleaner closed, to make a loop. 

To show rotation: spin the ball.

To show revolution: slide the ball around the pipe cleaner.

The materials are so simple and inexpensive, you could make a classroom set of these and have students try it out themselves.  


You can make a larger scale model using a hula hoop and a wiffle ball.  You will have to cut part of the ball open to get it around the hula hoop. 

Sun Says...

This is a great activity to do out on the ball field, if you have the opportunity.  If not, it works perfectly well in the classroom, though you may have to move a few desks around.

The students form a large circle - they are the planets.
You stand in the middle of the circle of the students - you are the sun.

You, as the sun, call out directions to the planets, your students.  There are three different directions, you can all them out in any order you please, as many times as you please.

The directions are:
--"Rotate" - the students spin around in one place
--"Revolve" - the students walk around the sun in their large circle
--"Rotate and Revolve" - the students do both of the above tasks at the same time.

It's a great way to help students learn and understand the difference between rotating and revolving.  It's simple enough for 3rd grade students and fun enough for middle school students (who always love a reason to be out of their seats). 

Earth vs. moon: Diameter Comparison

Draw a 40 cm (diameter) circle on your board.  [You could also cut out a 40 cm circle, but that takes a bit more work - you need to use a piece of poster board or tape several pieces of paper together].

Tell your students that that circle is the Earth (you could get creative and add some continents and oceans to your circle drawing to make it more convincing, if you're so inclined).  They now need to cut out a circle to represent the size of the moon.

Have the students tape their moons on the board around the Earth drawing.  Are the moons about the same size, or was there a lot of variation in the students' guesses?

The correct size for the moon is approximately 10 cm.  Measure the students' moons and remove all but the one closest to accurate (if there are none that are terribly close, you might want to remove them all and replace them with one of your own that's correct).

After comparing the size of  the Earth and moon next to each other, move the moon 1200 cm (12 m) away from the Earth - that's the distance between the two to the same scale.  Quite something, isn't it?

******
Presented by Dr. Christine Anne Royce (Shippensburg University) at the 2007 New Jersey Science Convention.

Moon vs. Earth: Volume Comparison

Here's a hands-on way for your students to learn about the size difference between the Earth and moon.

Each group of students (2-4 works well for this) will need three cans of play-doh (full-size cans).  They can be the same color or different, it doesn't matter, but play-doh from the different cans will get mixed together.


The group begins by dividing the play-doh into 51 lumps/balls; that's 17 from each can.  These do not need to be exactly the same size, and they do not need to be rolled into perfect balls.  You will have some students who want to be very exact about it and it will frustrate them a bit (myself included); try to keep them moving so this doesn't become an all day activity.

After each group has their 51 lumps of play-doh, they will need to decide how to lump them back together so that they have two balls - one representing the Earth and the other the moon.

For example, they could smush 20 lumps together to make the moon and the other 31 together to make the Earth.  Or 11 lumps to make the moon and 40 to make the Earth.

They need to work as a group to come up with some sort of consensus about how to divide their lumps.  Once a consensus has been reached (some discussion will probably need to take place), they can go ahead and smush the play-doh together to create the Earth and moon.

Upon completion of this, time should be taken to go around the room and have each group share their Earth and moon and the number of lumps of play-doh found in each.

Then it's time for the big reveal... Using this model, the moon should be made of 1 lump of play-doh and the Earth made of 50 lumps of play-doh.  The moon is approximately 1/50 of the Earth's volume.

If you wish to continue... the distance between the Earth and the moon is approximately 30 times the Earth's diameter.  So, measure you Earth lump, multiply the number by 30 and move the moon that far away from the Earth.  

Now, if you start thinking about how small the Earth is in comparison to the Sun, you get a feel for how tiny our moon is within the solar system.... but that's a discussion for another day...

******
Presented by Dr. Christine Anne Royce (Shippensburg University) at the 2007 New Jersey Science Convention.

Solar System: Pictoral Comparison

I LOVE these pictures. I first learned of them a few years ago and promptly printed and laminated a set for my classroom. I was reminded of them recently when I received them as an email attachment.

I think the art is beautiful and I can just stare at them-my mind spinning, trying to comprehend the size of the universe, all the while.

I don't know the source for these pictures. If someone out there does, please let me know and I will gladly add it.