https://sciencetheatre.kaedon.net/mediawiki/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Solar_System_Scale 2026-06-14T23:27:57Z Revision history for this page on the wiki MediaWiki 1.45.3 https://sciencetheatre.kaedon.net/mediawiki/index.php?title=Solar_System_Scale&diff=50&oldid=prev 2013-09-11T02:33:07Z

<p>Created page with &quot;== Age == Elementary School, Middle School, High School == Format == Stage Show,Hands-on == Materials == Mini solar system Million Dot Book Marble planet-composi...&quot;</p> <p><b>New page</b></p><div>== Age ==<br /> <br /> Elementary School, Middle School, High School<br /> <br /> == Format ==<br /> <br /> Stage Show,Hands-on<br /> <br /> == Materials ==<br /> <br /> Mini solar system<br /> Million Dot Book<br /> Marble planet-composition models <br /> <br /> == Safety Precautions ==<br /> <br /> Science Theatre demonstrators must keep the safety of themselves and their audience in mind at all times. All Science Theatre demonstrators must have read through the Safety Training page. The ST Safety Box with first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc. should always be available to demonstrators. Always wear safety gloves, glasses, and a labcoat if handling chemicals; always perform potentially dangerous demonstrations at a safe distance from the audience; and always keep a very close eye on any volunteers you call from the audience. Make sure the sun doesn&#039;t fall over!<br /> <br /> == Preparation ==<br /> <br /> Be sure the sun is secure and will not fall over. Do not let kids play with sun or it could fall!<br /> <br /> == Demonstration ==<br /> <br /> The purpose of this demonstration is to give a very visual representation of the relative sizes and distances to the different planets and to the closest star Proxima Centauri.<br /> <br /> Start by showing the earth and simply asking what it is. Explain that it represents the scale of the earth and using that scale the kids will discover the sizes of the other planets as well as the composition and general information about the planets. Explain that the scale of the earth is so that the radius of the earth is one centimeter (meaning that the actual earth prop is two centimeters in diameter).<br /> <br /> It would then follow to ask how large the sun might be if that were the size of the earth. After taking some guesses, set up the sun to show how large it truly is (over 218 cm or 7’ in diameter). Follow this by working outward away from the sun with each planet (Mercury, then Venus, etc). Be sure to ask the kids if they know which planet comes next (if they don’t know try to hint at what it might be) and explain the marble planet-composition models for each planet.<br /> <br /> Once the planets have been distributed to the kids ask if any of them know the distance to the sun. If no one knows, tell them that the earth is 93 million miles from the sun (it would be useful to write this on a board if available or to have a poster with the number written on it) use the Million Dot Book to give a more visual representation of a million. Show the rope and explain that the distance between the earth and sun is going to be represented by one foot and ask the volunteer with earth to stand at the appropriate location. Continue in the same fashion as with the planets, working outwards from Mercury to Neptune. After all the planets have been placed at their appropriate locations, have the group come back together and ask if anyone can guess how far away the closest star is at this scale. The effect may be greater if they’re simply told to go higher and higher in number before revealing it’s distance. Be sure to reiterate that the scales are NOT the same. This is easily accomplished by saying that if the scale of the planets and distances were the same, the earth would be around 770’ away from the sun, Neptune would be more than 4 miles away and Proxima Centauri would be 39,000 miles away, more than half way around the real earth! Bear in mind the age group of the kids; younger kids will get more confused if you throw too many numbers and conversions at them and won’t be as able to grasp the large numbers used in this final comparison as well.<br /> <br /> == What to Say ==<br /> <br /> See &#039;Demonstration&#039;<br /> <br /> <br /> == Why It Is ==<br /> <br /> == Life Examples ==</div>

imported>Stwikiadmin