How many planets can you name? Did you get all 13 in our solar system, including the dwarf planets, or were you surprised when you read there are 13 planets? The lesson helps scholars understand the scale of the universe including the different size of each planet and their distance apart using a large scale model. 

Concepts

the solar system, scale models

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Research the four other dwarf planets in our solar system
• Research when each planet was discovered and theorize why they were discovered in that order based on their size and distance
• Add moons to your model, including the correct number for each planet, their relative size, and relative distance from their planets

Classroom Considerations

• To complete the lesson, you will need a space about 100 meters in length, such as a sports field or parking lot
• You will need one group of learners for each planet covered in the activity
• The first in a set of five lesson plans

Pros

• Walking the relative length of the solar system solidifies the distance between planets
• Lesson is easy to build off of, adding more information as your pupils are ready

Cons

• Does not include assessment questions