Making+The+Models

Making the Models of the Planets Prior to the Lesson:

If possible, arrange to get assistance from the art teacher to help in the construction of the models. For the larger planets, you can use some thin wire to wrap around all sides of an inflated balloon, ensuring that the balloon has the right measurements for the planet it is representing. You can pop the balloon and remove it, but ensure the wire model is very sturdy. Roll up balls of tape and scale them to the four small planets. Double check the circumference with a piece of string.

If time will allow, make two models of the first four planets so the students get to focus on the both the size and different features of each planet. One model will be to scale, and the other can be a controlled size, decorated in a way that reflects the surface type of the planet. The first four planets are too small in their scaled size to really decorate properly.


 * || Diameter || Circumference ||
 * Sun || 45cm* || 141cm* ||
 * Mercury || 1cm || 3cm ||
 * Venus || 2.5cm || 7.5cm ||
 * Earth || 2.75cm || 8.5cm ||
 * Mars || 1.5cm || 4.5cm ||
 * Jupiter || 29cm || 91cm ||
 * Saturn || 24cm || 75cm ||
 * Uranus || 10.5cm || 33 cm ||
 * Neptune || 10.25cm || 32cm ||
 * Pluto (Dwarf) || 0.2cm || 0.6cm ||

*Not to scale
If you are going to create a second version of some of the planets, make the diameter 10cm with a circumference of 31.5cm. Use balloons for these models so you can cover them in vaseline to paper mache over later.

Activity:

Once the students have compiled all their information about the planets, hand one model out randomly to each group and let the students figure out which planet is which together with the other groups.

Paper-mache time! [|Instructions for coating your models.] This is a handy slide show which takes you through all the steps involved in creating the models. All the scaling down has been done in the table above, so feel free to skip past that section.

If setting up the display, use the attached Planet fact cards and place them alongside each planet. If the classroom space is limited, use the [|cut-outs] of each planet and have the kids place them around the room on the walls or ceiling at a scaled distance apart from each other and the sun. [|This is a handy guide on how to do this as an activity.] This will help teach the kids the order of the planets. The models can be hung in place of the pictures if you are able to do so, if not just have them displayed separately.