Help your class understand the magnitude of the distance between Earth and Mars with an activity that asks small groups to use balloons to create scale models of the Earth, Moon, and Mars. Class members figure out the distances between these three bodies and determine whether they would fit within the classroom. 

Concepts

mars, space, the solar system, scale models, scale, scale factors, proportions, technology resources

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Additional Tags

mars, solar system, space

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Instructional Ideas

• Have groups determine the scale distance to the sun
• Determine the size the earth would need to be to fit the Earth-Mars model in the classroom

Classroom Considerations

• Requires several large calipers to aid in the measuring of the balloons
• The second part of a 13-part series

Pros

• The resource comes with an answer key for the worksheet
• The assessment section has questions for before, during, and after the activity

Cons

• The materials list uses different measurement system tools; use only metric measurement tools

Common Core

6.RP.A.3.d 6.NS.B.2 6.NS.B.3 7.G.A.1 MP4