Problem Based Learning Activities Projects on the Solar System

Earth's Seasons

• Building a model of the solar system can help students see and understand why our planet has seasons. To represent the sun, use a hand-held spotlight, and shine it on a model of the Earth as it orbits the sun. Have students take note of the increased tilt of the planet at different points in it's orbit. A digital thermometer can be used to illustrate temperature changes as they relate to the planet's orbit and it's axial tilt. When students are able to experiment with the facts they are shown, they can better retain the information, which means less time spent relearning the same data at a later date.

Lunar and Solar Eclipses

• Divide the class into small working groups, and give each group a challenge: Reproduce lunar and solar eclipses, and demonstrate how they occur. Not only will the students learn the secrets of eclipses, but they will also be able to visualize how an eclipse might look as seen from space---which can give them a fresh perspective on a phenomenon that has amazed humanity for thousands of years. The model can be set up as a science fair project using a desk lamp and Styrofoam balls. Pierce the balls with a pencil to define the axis of the orbital body, and use fishing line or string to establish set distances from the "sun."

Solar System Models

• It may surprise most students that we actually know very little about the other planets in our solar system. Projects involving models of the solar system can be used to study why the planets are located in the orbits where they are found. Experiments might include items such as planetary alignment and how they affect gravity or theoretical explanations of which basic elements are commonly found nearer or farther from the sun. High school students can expand on the idea and plot the orbits of man-made objects or even the trajectory required for a space ship to rendezvous with the International Space Station. Be sure to stress the scientific mysteries of the solar system, and encourage the class to come up with theories that explain those mysteries.