Scale Properties of Objects in Solar System Activity: TO SCALE Poster

Help students understand the true scale and proportions of our solar system with this clear, step-by-step astronomy activity! Students create a (really long!) poster of our solar system. NO CALCULATIONS REQUIRED!

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In this activity, students will follow these steps:

• Tape 9 pieces of copy paper together to create a long poster or use two 18″ x 24″ poster papers that have been halved.
• Follow specific, given measurements to create planets that are the correct diameter and distance apart
• Color the planets according to the provided information
• Label all space objects

PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASE: A note regarding the scale of the drawing… the scale of the distances of each planet from the sun is correct, and then separately the scale of the planet’s diameters is correct. However, combined in this drawing, the planet diameter measurements and distance from the sun measurements aren’t the same scale. This creates a MORE REALISTIC VIEW of the solar system than students are used to seeing, but it is not mathematically perfect. A drawing with the diameters AND distance from the sun being on the same scale would make drawing it in a classroom virtually impossible!

More Details:

• Find lots more space resources in the ASTRONOMY section of the shop!
• This resource is NOT editable.
• Related NGSS Standard: MS-ESS1-3
• NGSS Science & Engineering Practice: Developing and using models
• NGSS Science & Engineering Practice: Using mathematics and computational thinking