Hobbies And Interests
Live Solar System Model
In this project, a teacher separates her class into groups and assigns each group a planet, the sun or the asteroid belt. Each group must research their spatial body and build a model of it, including moons, rings and accurate colors. Each group should also write a short report addressing what makes up their spatial body and how large it is. Use all the planets and make about a dozen asteroids of different sizes. When everyone is finished with their spatial bodies, present them to the class. The teacher then assigns one student from each group to hold their planet in a giant solar system. The students should move in the direction and approximate the speed of their planet around the sun.
Constellation Movements
Students create constellations in this project with large pieces of black poster board and glow in the dark paint. Assign each student or group of students a constellation. The group must research the constellation and reproduce it in dots of paint. Hang up the poster boards around the room, positioning the constellations where they are in the sky when you do the project. Assign one student to be Earth and another to be the sun. Pull the curtains and turn out the lights. Lead the Earth student around the sun, instructing her to turn as the Earth does. Stop the student at different points and ask wheter the constellations look different. Allow several students to be the Earth.
Planetary Movements
Assign planets to 13 students and ask one to be the sun. Have the students move around the sun student as the planets would in the sky. Have them all move at the same rate by counting out a beat and ask them who circles the sun the fastest. Mercury should take the shortest time while the dwarf planet Eris should take the longest. Ask them why this is true if everyone is moving at the same speed. Have them speed up and slow down to see what it would take for all the planets to have a 365-day year.