Our Solar System to Scale

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In this activity, learners plan and create a 24-foot long, two-dimensional model of our solar system, and compare and contrast the differences between planets and the sun. Learners calculate the distances, in scale, between our planets and the sun, and consider which planets in our solar system are the hottest or the coldest. This activity can be found on pages 29-30 of the activity guide. [Activity is publicly available through a web crawler capture on Archive.org.]

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Learning Time:
45 to 60 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
1 cent - $1 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Model
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • Masking tape
  • Chalk or markers
  • A ruler, yardstick or tape measure to measure 24 feet
  • Worksheet - Our Solar System to Scale

Keywords

Subjects

  • Earth and Space Science
    • Astronomy
    • Solar System
      • The Sun
      • The Planets
  • Mathematics
    • Measurement

Informal Categories

  • Model Building

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • read

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves teamwork and communication skills
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Source Collection

  • Science After School Consumer's Guide

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, TERC, 2007

Funding Sources:

  • NASA, NAS5-26555
  • National Science Foundation, NSF 9730728