Everyone knows that the Solar System is a big place, and everyone knows that the other planets are different from Earth. What most people, and especially younger students, do not know is the science behind these facts. The following activities are designed to help students around the fourth-grade-level to learn just how much distance is between the individual planets, and some special aspects of the various planets and moons. They then get to stretch their creative muscles and design an alien for each planet.
Solar System Model
Many kids think of the planets in the Solar System as being somewhat close to each other. One effective way to get them to understand the massive distances involved in the Solar System is to build a model in which the distances between the planets are to scale. This particular Solar System model will require at least 30 feet of space. If this is not available in a classroom, a hallway would be a good substitute.
For this model, each foot represents an astronomical unit, a unit of distance often used by astronomers when describing the Solar System. A single astronomical unit is the distance between the Earth and the Sun, and represents 93 million miles. Designate a point to represent the position of the Sun. Mercury would sit about 4.6 inches away, Venus about 8.64 inches away, Earth 1 foot away, Mars 18.6 inches away, Jupiter 5 feet, 2.5 inches away, Saturn about 9.5 feet away, Uranus 19 feet, 2 inches away, and Neptune about 30 feet away. This way students can see for themselves the large distances between the planets.
Solar System Brochure
Now that they have an idea what the shape of the Solar System is, the students might want to learn more about the individual planets and their moons. One way to get them to learn is to get them to make a Solar System brochure. The idea is for them to make a brochure for ten or twelve memorable spots in the Solar System. This activity both gets them to do research and exercise their artistic sides, and might work well as a longer term project.
Some examples of Solar System sites that might be worthy of a brochure would be Mars' Olympus Mons, the largest mountain in the Solar System, or the mysterious geysers on Saturn's moon Enceladus, or the oceans suspected to be under the ice on the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. Almost every planet and moon has something that can capture a student's fancy.
Design an Alien
Now that they know a little about the environments that exist on the various planets and moons in the Solar System, the following activity requires students to think about the effects of those environments. Pick a planet or moon (or a few, if so desired) and, taking into account the conditions existing on that body, have them design an alien for it.
This activity requires students to take into account such things as pressure, temperature, length of day and night, and weather conditions. This can be done as an individual assignment or a classroom activity, and can be used as an art project as well.
Fun Ways to Learn About the Solar System
By the time these activities are done, kids will have learned a great deal about the Solar System, and they will have had fun doing it. They will know have an idea of the shape of the Solar System as a whole, and have a lot of information about the individual bodies in it. Teachers may well find themselves learning a thing or two as well.
Related Article: Astronomy Activities for Kids
Source: "Universe at Your Fingertips: An Astronomy Activity and Resource Notebook. Project ASTRO," Andrew Fraknoi (ed.). The Astronomy Society of the Pacific, San Francisco, 1995.
Talia Sepersky - I am a 2008 graduate of Wellesley College, where I earned my Bachelor's in astrophysics. A year later I earned my Master's in science ...
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