Did you know that Pluto is smaller than the United States of America? It is difficult to conceptualize the size of planets and the distance between them, and the lesson addresses those exact issues. After a discussion, pupils create their own models of the solar system at a 1:10 billion scale.

Concepts

the sun, planet earth, the solar system, scale models

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Have a scale challenge where each person randomly draws a scale number from one to ten and must make a model of themselves at the correct scale

Classroom Considerations

• Be aware of all allergies
• The second activity needs 600 meters in a straight line ideally, but you can do it in only 300 meters if space is limited
• The second lesson in a series of 10

Pros

• Offers a thorough science overview
• Provides assessment criteria
• Includes lesson adaptations for talented and gifted pupils
• Suggests extension ideas

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.6-8.3