Space innovators
View Sequence overviewStudents will:
- use secondary sources of information to identify the size of different planets and their distance from the Sun.
- use the information to compare the relative size of planets.
- use the information to compare the relative distances of the planets from the Sun.
Students will represent their understanding as they:
- identify appropriate secondary sources of information.
- collate and tabulate their information of the size of different planets and their distance from the Sun.
- compare and order the planetary information according to planet size and distance from the Sun.
In this lesson, assessment is formative.
Feedback might focus on:
- students’ processing, modelling and analysing.
- Are they able to develop a physical model of the Sun and Earth using objects or role-play to describe their relative positions?
- Are they able to organise information in tables to describe patterns and trends?
In this lesson, assessment might also be also summative.
- Have students demonstrated an understanding of the relative position of the Sun and other planets in the solar system, particularly Earth, and used models to explain observable phenomenon?
- Refer to students’ labelled scale models or diagrams to determine their understanding.
- Does their diagram show an understanding of the relative position, size and distance between the Sun, Earth and Moon (allowing for limitations to the model caused by its form)?
- Does their diagram show an understanding of the movements of these objects?
- Do their annotations explain the observable phenomena they have explored?
Class science journal (digital or hard-copy)
Demonstration copy of Solar System information organiser Resource sheet
2 x balls, one large and one small
Access to information about the Earth via the internet or books etc. on the solar system
Optional: Objects to represent relative sizes of planets, for example:
- a poppy seed (Mercury)
- 3 x peppercorns (Earth, Mars and Venus)
- table tennis ball (Jupiter)
- large marble (Saturn)
- 2 x large peas (Uranus and Neptune)
Optional: 100m rope or similar
Optional: Measurement tools to measure distances of up to 100m
Solar System information organiser Resource sheet
Access to information about the planets via the internet or books etc. on the solar system. Useful pages include:
- Solar System Sizes - NASA Science
- Planet Sizes and Locations in Our Solar System - NASA Science
- About the Planets - NASA Science
- How Long is a Year on Other Planets? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
Optional: If building a scaled model, objects to represent relative sizes of planets, for example:
- a poppy seed (Mercury)
- 3 x peppercorns (Earth, Mars and Venus)
- table tennis ball (Jupiter)
- large marble (Saturn)
- 2 x large peas (Uranus and Neptune)
Individual science journal (digital or hard-copy)
Lesson
Re-orient
Review the notes taken during the modelling task in Lesson 2, where students selected different sized balls to represent the Sun, Earth and Moon.
Ask students: Now that you have learned more about space, would you select the same balls to represent the Sun, Earth, and Moon?
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkIdentifying and constructing questions is the creative driver of the inquiry process. It allows students to explore what they know and how they know it. During the Inquire phase of the LIA Framework, the Question routine allows for past activities to be reviewed and to set the scene for the investigation that students will undertake. The use of effective questioning techniques can influence students’ view and interpretation of upcoming content, open them to exploration and link to their current interests and science capital.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to spend some time considering the mindset of students at the start of each Inquire phase. What do you want students to be thinking about, what do they already know and what is the best way for them to approach the task? What might tap into their curiosity?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkIt’s all about perspective
Confirm for students that the Sun and Moon are indeed very different in size, but sometimes they can appear to be the same size in the sky. Ask students why they think that is.
Present two balls, one large and one small and ask students how they might make the two balls appear to be the same size. Allow students time to experiment with perspective, to see how far away they need to move the larger ball to make it appear the same size as the smaller ball.
Highlight that the larger the object, the further away it has to be to appear much smaller.
Pose the questions: What else is in our Solar System? How big and how far away are things?
Ask students to name/list any planets (or other things in the Solar System) that they know of.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkThe Investigate routine provides students with an opportunity to explore the key ideas of science, to plan and conduct an investigation, and to gather and record data. The investigations are designed to systematically develop content knowledge and skills through increasingly complex processes of structured inquiry, guided inquiry and open inquiry approaches. Students are encouraged to process data to identify trends and patterns and link them to the real-world context of the teaching sequence.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment (Launch phase) that identified the alternative conceptions that students held. Are there activities that challenge these ideas and provide openings for discussion? What content knowledge and skills do students need to be able to complete the final (Act phase) task? How could you systematically build these through the investigation routines? Are there opportunities to build students’ understanding and skills in the science inquiry processes through the successive investigations?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkResearching the Solar System
Students work in collaborative learning teams to gather information about objects in our Solar System, so that they can make an accurate model or labelled diagram of the Solar System later in the lesson.
Using the demonstration copy of the Solar System information organiser Resource sheet, model how to use the tables provided by gathering information about Earth.
Discuss each part of the table, including:
- the size of the object is measured using its diameter (how wide the planet is if you measure from one point to another, going through the centre).
- how far the object is from the Sun.
- the length of a ‘day’ is how long it takes the object to rotate once on its axis.
- the length of a ‘year’ is the number of days it takes to orbit the Sun once. We often use ‘Earth days’ to measure the length of years on different planets, to help us compare values.
- the information source identifies where the secondary information comes from.
Remind students of the importance of recording the unit of measurement used for each answer, because it tells the reader the size of a number; for example, kilometres are 1000 times bigger than metres. Using the same unit where possible (e.g. km for size in diameter or average distance from the Sun) means that the numbers can be compared.
Note: If students end up using information sources from American-based websites (such as NASA), it might be helpful to discuss the different units of measurement used there in comparison to most countries in the world. In most instances imperial measurements will be given first followed by metric measurements. It might also be helpful to note other comparative language used that students might not have any reference for, for example, comparing the size of planets by referencing nickels and dimes.
In collaborative teams, students research and collect information on 2-3 objects in our Solar System, such as Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, the Kuiper Belt, and dwarf planets such as Pluto, Ceres, Orcus, Makemake.
Note: You might provide students with specific websites to find reliable information, such as:
- Solar System Sizes - NASA Science
- Planet Sizes and Locations in Our Solar System - NASA Science
- About the Planets - NASA Science
- How Long is a Year on Other Planets? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
Our Galaxy and Solar System
What’s in our Galaxy and Solar System?
The Galaxy within which our Solar System exists is called the Milky Way. It is shaped like a flat spiral and contains about 100,000 million stars.
The Milky Way is so immense that light takes about 100,000 years to cross it. Our sun could be considered just an ordinary star in that vast immenseness!
Our Solar System sits about two-thirds of the way out from the centre of the Milky Way. The Solar System is comprised of the Sun and all the space objects that are either in orbit around the Sun or in orbit around something that orbits the Sun, like the Moon (the Moon orbits the Earth, which is orbiting the Sun).
A planet is a large object that orbits a star like our Sun. Gravitational force causes planets to be spherically shaped and if the force is strong enough all other objects will be cleared from the planet’s orbit. Dwarf planets, such as Pluto, are often large enough to be spherical due to their own gravity, but the force is too small to clear their orbit of other objects.
The planets in our Solar System are kept in their orbits around the Sun by the force of gravity between them and the Sun. The further a planet is from the Sun, the longer it takes to go once around the Sun (its year). The four inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) consist of dense rocky material. The four outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) are collections of gases and are much less dense. Earth is the only planet to have liquid water at its surface.
The moons of planets are kept in orbit by their planet’s gravity. Mercury and Venus do not have moons; Saturn and Jupiter have dozens. Saturn and Uranus have rings made of a huge collection of small orbiting fragments. Generally, moons are made of rock and have little or no atmosphere. However, some moons of gas planets (for example, Jupiter) are very large and are almost like small rocky planets themselves. There are more than 160 known moons in the Solar System.
Between Mars and Jupiter there is a belt of asteroids that orbit the Sun, known as the main asteroid belt. Asteroids are smaller, rocky space objects. Some are quite large and have other asteroids orbiting them. The largest asteroid in the main asteroid belt is Ceres, which has been classified as a dwarf planet.
Beyond the last planet, Neptune, there is another ring of small bodies similar to the asteroid belt, called the Kuiper belt. The objects within the Kuiper belt are made of rocks and ice. Three of the larger bodies within the Kuiper belt—Pluto, Haumea, and Makemake—are also currently classified as dwarf planets.
The Solar System also includes objects humans have launched into space, such as space probes (robotic spacecraft sent to collect information), space stations and satellites.
Even though our Solar System, and then our Galaxy are already immense, that's not the end of it! The Milky Way is only a tiny part of the universe, with scientists estimating that there are about 100,000 million galaxies existing in the space that can be seen with the largest and most powerful telescope.
The Galaxy within which our Solar System exists is called the Milky Way. It is shaped like a flat spiral and contains about 100,000 million stars.
The Milky Way is so immense that light takes about 100,000 years to cross it. Our sun could be considered just an ordinary star in that vast immenseness!
Our Solar System sits about two-thirds of the way out from the centre of the Milky Way. The Solar System is comprised of the Sun and all the space objects that are either in orbit around the Sun or in orbit around something that orbits the Sun, like the Moon (the Moon orbits the Earth, which is orbiting the Sun).
A planet is a large object that orbits a star like our Sun. Gravitational force causes planets to be spherically shaped and if the force is strong enough all other objects will be cleared from the planet’s orbit. Dwarf planets, such as Pluto, are often large enough to be spherical due to their own gravity, but the force is too small to clear their orbit of other objects.
The planets in our Solar System are kept in their orbits around the Sun by the force of gravity between them and the Sun. The further a planet is from the Sun, the longer it takes to go once around the Sun (its year). The four inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) consist of dense rocky material. The four outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) are collections of gases and are much less dense. Earth is the only planet to have liquid water at its surface.
The moons of planets are kept in orbit by their planet’s gravity. Mercury and Venus do not have moons; Saturn and Jupiter have dozens. Saturn and Uranus have rings made of a huge collection of small orbiting fragments. Generally, moons are made of rock and have little or no atmosphere. However, some moons of gas planets (for example, Jupiter) are very large and are almost like small rocky planets themselves. There are more than 160 known moons in the Solar System.
Between Mars and Jupiter there is a belt of asteroids that orbit the Sun, known as the main asteroid belt. Asteroids are smaller, rocky space objects. Some are quite large and have other asteroids orbiting them. The largest asteroid in the main asteroid belt is Ceres, which has been classified as a dwarf planet.
Beyond the last planet, Neptune, there is another ring of small bodies similar to the asteroid belt, called the Kuiper belt. The objects within the Kuiper belt are made of rocks and ice. Three of the larger bodies within the Kuiper belt—Pluto, Haumea, and Makemake—are also currently classified as dwarf planets.
The Solar System also includes objects humans have launched into space, such as space probes (robotic spacecraft sent to collect information), space stations and satellites.
Even though our Solar System, and then our Galaxy are already immense, that's not the end of it! The Milky Way is only a tiny part of the universe, with scientists estimating that there are about 100,000 million galaxies existing in the space that can be seen with the largest and most powerful telescope.
Students’ conceptions
What conceptions might students hold about the size of space?
The distances between the major objects (e.g. planets) in the Solar System can be difficult to imagine because they're so large. Light, which is the fastest thing in the universe, takes about eight minutes to travel from the Sun to Earth. Students often have little understanding of the sizes of different space objects and the distances between them.
Some students might believe that the Solar System only contains the Sun, planets and moons. However, it also contains other natural objects, such as comets and asteroids, and human-made objects, for example, space probes. Students might think that the Solar System contains the stars they see in the night sky. However, the Solar System only contains one star, the Sun. The lights we see in the sky come from stars many light years distant, which might have systems of their own.
Students might have little awareness of the difference between stars and planets. Stars are massive space objects and produce their own light through nuclear fusion. Planets can be rocky or gaseous, but they are much smaller and colder than stars and do not produce their own light.
The distances between the major objects (e.g. planets) in the Solar System can be difficult to imagine because they're so large. Light, which is the fastest thing in the universe, takes about eight minutes to travel from the Sun to Earth. Students often have little understanding of the sizes of different space objects and the distances between them.
Some students might believe that the Solar System only contains the Sun, planets and moons. However, it also contains other natural objects, such as comets and asteroids, and human-made objects, for example, space probes. Students might think that the Solar System contains the stars they see in the night sky. However, the Solar System only contains one star, the Sun. The lights we see in the sky come from stars many light years distant, which might have systems of their own.
Students might have little awareness of the difference between stars and planets. Stars are massive space objects and produce their own light through nuclear fusion. Planets can be rocky or gaseous, but they are much smaller and colder than stars and do not produce their own light.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkFollowing an investigation, the Integrate routine provides time and space for data to be evaluated and insights to be synthesized. It reveals new insights, consolidates and refines representations, generalises context and broadens students’ perspectives. It allows student thinking to become visible and opens formative feedback opportunities. It may also lead to further questions being asked, allowing the Inquire phase to start again.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment that was undertaken during the Launch phase. Consider if alternative conceptions could be used as a jumping off point to discussions. How could students represent their learning in a way that would support formative feedback opportunities? Could small summative assessment occur at different stages in the teaching sequence?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkComparing data
Teams share and compare their findings with other groups. Create a complete picture of the objects in the Solar System by compiling all groups information. Discuss any unusual findings, for example, any differences between data found about the same object and why that occurred, or that a day on Venus is longer than a year (a full orbit of the Sun).
- Is _____ larger or smaller than _____?
- Is _____ closer to the Earth or further away from the Earth?
- Why do you think different resources might report slightly different distances between the Sun and any given planet?
- For example: Orbits are elliptical, which means the distance from the Sun might vary depending on when the measurements were made.
- How many years old might you be on that planet?
- Have you noticed that a day on Venus is longer than a year? How do you think that could happen? How could you model it?
Reorganise the information by asking students to place their findings in order of size. Discuss how the planets start small closest to the Sun, become larger in the middle distance, and become smaller again as the objects are placed further away from the Sun.
Discuss with students what making something ‘to scale’ means, for example, ensuring that all parts of the model are the correct size relative to each other. Add an agreed-upon description to a word wall or glossary in the class science journal.
Next, students build a scale model using objects to represent the planets, or draw a scaled and labelled diagram.
If building a scale model
Show the objects students will have available to them to represent the planets (poppy seeds, peppercorns, peas, marbles, table tennis balls, basketballs). Discuss which objects could represent the planets in the Solar System and why, noting that Pluto and any moons will be too small to be represented. Also discuss with students how to represent the different distances between the planets.
Allow students time to create their scale model. Take a photograph of each student’s model, and ask them to label each object.
If drawing a scaled diagram
Discuss how students might compare the diameters of different planets to work out how large they might draw each object. For example, you might discuss how Earth and Venus are similar in size, with Mars about half the size, and Mercury about a third. Jupiter is 11 times bigger than Earth while Saturn is 9 times bigger than Earth. The sun is 10 times bigger than both of them! Also discuss with students how to represent the different distances between the planets.
Note: Students might find it difficult to make comparisons between such large numbers. If required, support your students by making these comparisons as a whole class, on all the objects you want them to include in their diagrams. Do the same for the distances between them.
Discuss how well students’ models represents the Solar System, where the objects in it are relative to one another, the distances between them, and how the objects move.
- Was everything we know about the Solar System accurately represented in the scale model?
- What did you find challenging about arranging a model to scale?
- What have you found out?
- What are the strengths of this model?
- What are the weaknesses of this model?
- For example, some planets are harder to see as they are so small compared to the Sun.
Optional: To demonstrate the comparative distance between the planets, build a ‘human-sized’ model of the Solar System in a large open area. Position a student/s representing the Sun in the centre of the space and hand them a 100m rope. The student/s representing Neptune walk out along the rope for 97 metres to represent the distance between Neptune and the Sun. Repeat with the other planets using the information below. Use appropriate measuring devices as needed.
| Planet | Scaled distance from the Sun (m) |
|---|---|
| Mercury | 1.25 |
| Venus | 2.33 |
| Earth | 3.23 |
| Mars | 4.91 |
| Jupiter | 16.77 |
| Saturn | 30.75 |
| Uranus | 61.85 |
| Neptune | 96.92 |
Discuss how long or short the orbits were and what this might mean in terms of ‘years’ and how fast the planet is moving.
Note: Depending on the available space, some space objects may not be able to ‘orbit’ the Sun.
Discuss how a planet further away from the Sun takes longer to complete an orbit. Model this by asking students to walk around a central ‘Sun’ at the same speed. Students who are further away will need to walk a greater circumference than students who are closer to the ‘Sun’.
Optional: View some of the standard images of the Solar System that students are likely to have seen in books or during their research. Discuss how neither the relative sizes nor the distances are to scale in these diagrams, why people choose to represent it this way, and the advantages and disadvantages of doing so.
Reflect on the lesson
You might:
- consider, given the difference between the relative sizes and distances of planets, why scientists use scaled models to show what is happening in the Solar System.
- consider how we use the movements of the Earth and Moon to count time. While Europeans use Earth’s orbit around the Sun to identify a person’s age, the Ngarrindjeri Peoples of South Australia traditionally used the number of full moons to count the age of a baby under one year old.
- add relevant terms to the class word wall or glossary.
- add to the L and H columns of the TWLH chart.
Adapting to your context
How might you extend students’ understanding of earth and its atmosphere by considering the livability of other planets?
There are many factors that make the Earth the perfect place to sustain human life, whilst other planets are not suitable.
Museums Victoria's ScienceWorks project have created an investigation Planets, dwarf planets and moons in a bottle, in which students create a simulation of Earth’s atmosphere and add components that mimic the atmosphere on other planets. From this, students might determine why these planets are not livable for humans, and/or why specialised equipment is needed for exploration of these planets.
There are many factors that make the Earth the perfect place to sustain human life, whilst other planets are not suitable.
Museums Victoria's ScienceWorks project have created an investigation Planets, dwarf planets and moons in a bottle, in which students create a simulation of Earth’s atmosphere and add components that mimic the atmosphere on other planets. From this, students might determine why these planets are not livable for humans, and/or why specialised equipment is needed for exploration of these planets.