| Solar System Model
Sixth Grade Space Unit Projects |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Get
Ready:
You
are going to design and build a SCALE model of the small planets and the
large moons of our solar system.
Get
Set:
You will need paper, pencil, calculator, and materials to construct each item to the scaled down size. You will need to use reference books to locate the diameters of each body.
Use your mathematic skills to convert the actual the diameters of the five small planets and at least five large moons to a smaller scale. Earth will be the largest sphere in your model and should be no larger than 15cm in diameter. Because the calculations will be in decimal form, use SI units instead of British units.
Finish:
Construct each sphere to the correct diameter for your model. Paint or color each of the spheres the look like the solar system member it represents in your model. Construction materials should be Styrofoam balls, paper machete or any other material that matches the diameter form your calculations. Be sure to label each item so others know what the model represents.
| Must use these five planets | Must use at least five of these moons |
| Earth | Callisto (Jupiter) |
| Mars | Ceres (Asteroid) |
| Mercury | Charon (Pluto) |
| Pluto | Europa (Jupiter) |
| Venus | Ganymede (Jupiter) |
| Io (Jupiter) | |
| Luna (Earth) | |
| Oberon (Uranus) | |
| Rhea (Saturn) | |
| Titan (Saturn) | |
| Titania (Uranus) | |
| Triton (Neptune) |
Include this worksheet with your final display of your model
| Step 1 |
Select
a size to be Earth. This will be
the largest item in you model. The
model Earth should be no larger than 15 cm and no smaller that 5 cm.
Earth’s
model diameter = ________ cm |
| Step 2 | Find the diameter of each of the solar system members. |
| Step 3 |
Perform
the following math to calculate the diameter of each part of your model. You
will be setting up a proportion between the true sizes and the scale you
selected for Earth’s model size.
Planet
Diameter ÷ Earth Actual Diameter x Earth Scale Diameter = Scale
of Object |
| Step 4 | Build each of the objects. Color or paint each item to look like the real thing. |
| Step 5 | Create
information to be displayed next to the item in you model. Make
sure to include the name, true diameter, location in the solar system and
other important information about this solar system member. |
| Step 6 | Construct a support (like a board) to display all of the parts of your model. |
Must use these five planets
|
|
÷ |
Earth’s Actual Diameter | x | Earth’s
Scale Diameter |
= | Scale Diameter | |
| Earth | ÷ | x | = | ||||
| Mars | ÷ | x | = | ||||
| Mercury | ÷ | x | = | ||||
| Pluto | ÷ | x | = | ||||
| Venus | ÷ | x | = |
Must use at least five of these moons
|
|
÷ |
Earth’s Actual Diameter | x | Earth’s
Scale Diameter |
= | Scale Diameter | |
| Callisto (Jupiter) | ÷ | x | = | ||||
| Ceres (Asteroid) | ÷ | x | = | ||||
| Charon (Pluto) | ÷ | x | = | ||||
| Europa (Jupiter) | ÷ | x | = | ||||
| Ganymede (Jupiter) | ÷ | x | = | ||||
| Io (Jupiter) | |||||||
| Luna (Earth) | |||||||
| Oberon (Uranus) | |||||||
| Rhea (Saturn) | |||||||
| Titan (Saturn) | |||||||
| Titania (Uranus) | |||||||
| Triton (Neptune) |
Brochure Grading (90 pts.)
 | Scale spheres of planets & moons (30 pts.)--3 points for each sphere |
| Scale worksheet calculations (10 pts.) |
| Accurate color of the planets & moons (30 pts.)--3 points for each sphere |
| Display information for planets & moons (20 pts.)--2 points for each sphere |
| Description of model (5 pts.) |
| Preparation (5 pts.) |
First year this project has existed. Models will appearing soon.
| Nine Planets - take this multimedia tour of our solar system. |
| Nine Planets for Kids - this excellent site is a more basic version of the great Nine Planets site. Contains information on our solar system, some great pictures, and more. |
| Planetary Sciences at The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) - part of NASA |
| Solar System Live - live, up-to-the-minute graphics of the orbiting planets. |
| Volcanoes of Other Worlds - from Volcano World. Learn about volcanic activity on planets and moons. |
| Welcome to the Planets - a collection of many of the best images from NASA's planetary exploration program. |
Back to Space Projects - LMS Science Dept. Page
