SOLAR SYSTEM WARM UP:
1. Pass out rolls of adding machine tape.
2. Instruct students to take as much as they need.
(about an arms length) This will represent our
solar system.
3. Write “sun” at one end.
4. List the planets, in order, and have students
approximate where the planets should be. Write the
name of the planets in their approximate locations
with a colored pencil. Another colored pencil will
be used for “actual” locations.
5. Make a key near the end farthest from the sun.
(Labeling colors as guess or estimation and
actual.)
6. Have students get another colored pencil and label
Pluto at the end farthest from the sun. (40 AU)
Note: Pluto is a dwarf planet.
7. Label each of the following planets and their
distances as the model is created.
8. Students should fold the model in half. At the
fold is Uranus at approximately 20 AU.
9. Fold the Pluto end in to the center fold. At the
new fold is Neptune at 30 AU.
10.
Fold the Sun end in to the center fold. At
this new fold is Saturn at 10 AU.
11.
Fold the Sun end in to the Saturn fold. At
this new fold is Jupiter at 5 AU.
12.
Fold the Sun end in to the Jupiter fold. This
is the location of the Asteroid belt at 2.5 AU.
13.
Fold the Sun end in to the Asteroid belt. This
fold represents 1.25 AU. Estimate the approximate
locations of Earth and Mars. Earth is located at 1
AU, Mars at 1.5 AU
14.
Fold the Sun end in to the 1.25 fold. This
fold represents .6 AU. Estimate the location of
Venus at .6 AU.
15.
Fold the Sun end in to the .6 fold. This fold
represents .3 AU. Estimate the location of Mercury
at .4 AU.
16.
Observe how far off you were!
17.
You now have a scale model of the distances of
the planets.