Download scale on a string - Big History Project

TEACHER MATERIALS
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 1.3
SCALE ON A STRING
Scale model of the Solar System
The table below lists each of the planets for your scale model. If the distance from the Sun to the Earth is 2 feet in your scale
model, compute the rest of the values below.
Distance from Sun (Miles)
Distance from Sun (Feet)
Mercury
35,983,610
0 ft 9 in
Venus
67,232,360
1 ft 5 in
Earth
92,957,100
2 ft 0 in
Mars
141,635,000
3 ft 1 in
Jupiter
483,632,000
10 ft 5 in
Saturn
888,188,000
19 ft 1 in
Uranus
1,783,950,000
38 ft 5 in
Neptune
2,798,842,000
60 ft 3 in
TEACHER MATERIALS
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 1.3
SCALE ON A STRING
Scale timeline of the universe
The table below lists each of the big history thresholds for your scale model. If the length of your string is 100 feet, compute the
rest of the values below.
Years ago
Distance on string
(in feet)
Distance on string
(in feet and inches)
Threshold 1: The Big Bang
13,700,000,000
100.0
100 ft 0 in
Threshold 2: Stars Light Up
13,500,000,000
98.5
96 ft 6 in
Threshold 3: New Chemical Elements
13,499,000,000
98.5
96 ft 6 in
Threshold 4: Earth & the Solar System
4,560,000,000
33.3
33 ft 3 in
Threshold 5: Life
3,800,000,000
27.7
27 ft 9 in
200,000
0.001
0 ft 0 in
11,000
0.00008
0 ft 0 in
250
0.000002
0 ft 0 in
Threshold
Threshold 6: Collective Learning
Threshold 7: Agriculture
Threshold 8: The Modern Revolution
Note: The last three thresholds are extremely recent on this scale. Students don’t necessarily need to mark these milestones on the string, but they do
need to note the very brief period of human history in contrast to the big history of the Universe.
STUDENT MATERIALS
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 1.3
SCALE ON A STRING
Scale model of the Solar System
The table below lists each of the planets for your scale model. If the distance from the Sun to the Earth is 2 feet in your scale
model, compute the rest of the values below.
Distance from Sun (Miles)
Mercury
35,983,610
Venus
67,232,360
Earth
92,957,100
Mars
141,635,000
Jupiter
483,632,000
Saturn
888,188,000
Uranus
1,783,950,000
Neptune
2,798,842,000
Distance from Sun (Feet)
2.0
STUDENT MATERIALS
BIG HISTORY PROJECT / LESSON 1.3
SCALE ON A STRING
Scale timeline of the universe
The table below lists each of the big history thresholds for your scale model. If the length of your string is 100 feet, compute the
rest of the values below.
Threshold
Years ago
Distance on string (in feet)
Threshold 1: The Big Bang
13,700,000,000
100
Threshold 2: Stars Light Up
13,500,000,000
Threshold 3: New Chemical Elements
13,499,000,000
Threshold 4: Earth & the Solar System
4,560,000,000
Threshold 5: Life
3,800,000,000
Threshold 6: Collective Learning
Threshold 7: Agriculture
Threshold 8: The Modern Revolution
200,000
11,000
250