Download National Science Standards: Grades 5-8

Haumea
Makemake
makemake
make
Part 1: Zoom Out
This sortie requires students to select scale-sized planets from a set of Solar
System planetary body cards and place the cards in their correct sequence from
the Sun. The last step requires students to place the cards in the correct order in
a scale distance using scale astronomical units to build a model of the solar
system.
This sortie is adapted from an activity originally published in the Teacher Handbook for
the video “Cosmic Voyage.”
For decades, we considered our solar system to be composed of the sun and nine
planets: Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and tiny little Pluto, the
farthest planet from the Sun.
But the resolutions of the 26th General Assembly of the International Astronomical
Union (IAU) of 2006 changed the definition of a planet and added the definition of
dwarf planets. Since 1992, numerous celestial bodies orbiting around the Sun beyond
Neptune’s orbit have been discovered. .
Our solar system is now determined to be composed of eight planets: Venus, Earth,
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. There are currently five dwarf planets:
Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris. All other objects, except satellites, orbiting
the Sun shall be referred to collectively as “small Solar System bodies”. As more
observations are acquired it is highly likely that other objects will be classified as
dwarf planets. For more information go to:
www.perthobservatory.wa.gov.au/information/planet_defn.html
or
www.windows.ucar.edu
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For the purposes of this sortie, we will use the Sun, the eight planets, and the five
dwarf planets Ceres, Pluto and Eris, Makemake, and Haumea as our Solar System.
But regardless of the number of planets, how can we begin to appreciate the size of the
planets and the vast distances between them? In this activity students compare the
relative size of the planets and use a ratio to calculate scale distances from the Sun.
Later discussion can extend this experience to more distant members of the universe.
Materials in sortie box
Box labeled Zoom Out
Inventory sheet is located on the box lid.
The materials section lists suggestions for objects to represent the planets in the scale
model, but substitutions may be made. The sizes are only approximations.
Boxed Materials include:
Materials you bring:
16 Solar System Card Sets
1ps pencil
8 30cm metric rulers
1ps data collection sheet
8 30-meter tape measures
1ps supplemental sheet (part 4)
8 50-meter tape measures
Trundle wheel set
Calculator set
16 *sets of Solar System Planetary body outdoor stands (craft stick and clothespin)
16 sets of Solar System Planetary body indoor stands (2” binder clamps)
*Caution students about the planetary body stands. The stands are fragile and
they will need 2 sets of 15 stands. A prediction set (one set for the sun, 8 planets
and 5 dwarf planets and a spare stand) and the measured set. Recommend the
use of a wooden dowel, wooden craft stick, pencil or other tool to make the hole
in the ground to make a hole in the dirt to place the planetary stand.
Code: SC.5.N.1.1; SC.5.N.2.1; SC.5.E.5.2; SC.5.E.5.3; MA.5.G.5.1; MA.5.G.5.2;
MA.5.G.5.3
Site - Outdoors: (
,
)
The total length needed to construct the scale model is about 67 meters. (It does not
have to be in a straight line). Use craft stick and clothespin stands outdoors.
Indoors: The perimeter of the EFA main classroom (or any classroom) may
suffice, and you can double back. Use binder clamps indoors.
Use 100cm (one meter) to represent one Astronomical Unit (AU). This will place
the farthest planetary body about 67 meters from the scale “Sun”.
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Pre-Activity
Before you issue solar system card sets to students, take time to make certain you mix
up the sequence of the solar system card sets. Do not give planetary data tables (Part
4) to students until they have recorded their prediction of planetary order on their data
collection sheet and placed their predicted Solar System.
Students need to predict the correct order of the planets and complete that portion of
their data collection sheet (SLOF) before they begin.
Once they have made a prediction attempt, allow them to use Table 1 to order the
planets correctly before they begin to measure and place the planets in the correct
order and scaled distance. Students may use copies of table 1 (Part 4) to complete their
solar system scale model after they have recorded their planetary order predictions.
Have students work in small groups of four. Require each group member complete a
data collection sheet.
Make certain each team of students has all the materials they need to place their Sun
on stand, determine the scale distance in AUs from the Sun to each planet, and to
measure and place each planet on a stand the correct scale AUs from the sun.
Activity
1. Using only the first two pages from Part 2, allow time for the students to complete
Part A of their data collection sheet.
2. Remind students to consider that the sun is at the center of the solar system.
3. Direct students to make an estimate of the distance from the sun to the Earth and
record that answer in Part B of their data collection sheet.
4. Direct students to make a prediction about what the term for the distance between
the Sun to the Earth is and have them and record that answer in Part B of their data
collection sheet.
Table 1 shows the distance of each planet from the sun in astronomical units. One
astronomical unit (or AU) is 93,000,000 miles. It is no coincidence that the earth is one
AU (or 93,000,000 miles) from the sun. We came up with the system.
5. Direct students to put the planetary cards in order. Begin with the yellow Sun (Sol)
and then the card with the planetary body they think is closest to the Sun. Students
should place the next one in order, then the next, and continue until you have all the
planetary bodies in the sequence they think is correct. Even if they are not sure, have
them place the planetary body cards in some type of order.
6. Direct students to record their predicted planetary body sequence on Part B of the
data collection sheet.
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7. After all teams have recorded their predictions, consider allowing them to construct a
scale model solar system and place the planetary bodies at distances they predict.
8. Provide students pages 3 and 4 from Part 2. Provide the correct planetary body
sequence and term for the distance between the Earth and the Sun. Direct the students
to record this information on Part C of the data collection sheet.
9. Part D. Tabular Data Extraction: Direct students to use the Solar system data table
(part 4) to determine the distance from the Sun to each planetary body. This data
should be recorded in the chart used in Part C of the data collection sheet.
10. To determine the distances to each planetary body from the Sun using the table:
a. Begin with the planet closest to the sun. To find Mercury’s scale distance from the
Sun, read the “distance from Sun compared to Earth” column across from Mercury and
you will find the distance to be 0.387 AU. If we use one meter stick or 100cm to be one
AU, Mercury should be placed at a distance of 38.7 cm from the Sun. Direct students to
record this on the chart in Part C their data collection sheet.
b. Return to the table and read the “distance from Sun compared to Earth” column
across from Venus and you will find the distance to be 0.723 AU. If we use one meter
stick or 100cm to be one AU, Venus should be a scale distance of 72.3 cm from the
Sun. Direct students to record this on the chart in Part C their data collection sheet.
c. Read the “distance from Sun compared to Earth” column across from Earth and you
will find the distance to be 1.0 AU (as previously discussed). If we use one meter stick
or 100cm to be one AU, Earth should be placed at a distance of 100cm or one meter
from the Sun. Direct students to record this on the chart in Part C their data collection
sheet.
d. Direct students to continue in this manner until all of the planetary body scale
distances have been determined and recorded on the chart in Part C of their data
collection sheets.
If time is limited, give the students the scale distances they need to complete the model
solar system. The scale distances are included below in Table 1 but are not included
in Part 4, supplemental planetary data.
The experience of working on the scale-model solar system will begin to give students
an appreciation of the vastness of space and how small our own planet is in relation to
the rest of the universe.
Students begin to observe the scale of each object and discuss relative sizes and
distances before they are given specific measurements. This will allow time to develop
the concept of the scale before they focus on the numbers and measurements. Even
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when they work with the measurements, the purpose is not accurate measurement but
reasonable approximations.
11. Direct students to collect their solar system model materials and begin to set up
their planetary models.
12. Have each team select a starting point and use a dowel, pencil or other tool to make
a hole for the planetary stand for the Sun. Place the sun on its holder and set the stand
into the hole. Once students have placed the Sun on its stand, used a tool (or dowel) to
make hole in the ground and placed the stand in the ground, direct them to use the data
in part C of their data collection sheet (extracted from Table 1) to place the planets their
respective distances from the Sun.
13. Students may use rulers, meter sticks and trundle wheels to make their
measurements from the Sun to each planetary body. Use the same procedure to set up
each planetary body. Use a dowel, pencil or tool to dig a hole to set the planetary stand
into. Attach the planetary body to the stand and place it in the hole. Measure the
distance to the next planetary body.
You may elect to have students complete Part E and Part F of their data collection
sheet at the end of the activity (time permitting) or provide time for them to do so at a
later date.
Refer to the table below for the correct order for the cards and their respective
scale AUs from the Sun.
Sun
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Ceres
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Haumea
Makemake
Eris
Mean Equatorial
Radius
(km)
Distance from
Sun Compared
to Earth (AU)
Scale distances
695508
2439.7
6051.8
6378.14
3397.2
475
71,492
60,268
25,559
24,764
1,195
*
800
1,250
0
0.387
0.723
1.00
1.524
2.767
5.204
9.582
19.20
30.05
39.24
43.335
45.791
67.668
0
38.7 cm
72.3 cm
100 cm or 1 m
152 cm or 1.52 m
276.7 cm or 2.77 m
520.4 cm or 5.2 m
958.2 cm or 9.58 m
1920 cm or 19.2 m
3005 cm or 30.05 m
3924 cm or 39.24 m
4334 cm or 43.34 m
4579 cm or 45.79 m
6767 cm or 67.67 m
Note: 1 Astronomical Unit (AU) = 149.6 x106 km or 93,000,000 miles.
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Post Activity
Make certain students collect all materials. Solar systems cards should be removed
from the planetary body stands; the cards should be shuffled to get them out of the
correct sequence in readiness for their next use. Measurement devices should be
collected and stored. Any broken or inoperative materials should be identified.
Don’t forget to have students complete parts E and F of their data collection sheet at
some time.
Reflection and Discussion
1. Describe how you felt about the size of the planets and the distances between them,
as we laid out the scale-model solar system.
2. Do you think travel to other solar systems will ever be possible? Discuss the different
answers.
Extension
1. Have the students give the solar system tour to their families or other students.
2. Develop a more permanent scale model solar system. Mount the scale planets and
the information on posters. Protect them from weather and place them around the
schoolyard at the appropriate distances.
3. Ask each student to find an interesting fact for each planet. Have the students
research and write one fact about the planet on the index card. (Consider the use of the
URLs listed at the beginning of this sortie.) This can be done anytime before the tour.
Some suggestions include finding a unique characteristic for each planet, listing the
spacecraft that have surveyed or landed on the planet, or learning about the origin of
the planet’s name or other names for the planet.
4. Tour the scale-model solar system. Go to the starting point for the scale-model
model. A pace is measured from the place that the heel leaves the ground until that
same heel touches the ground again. Each pace measures about one meter. Let each
group take turns leading the class while they pace off the distance and read the facts
about each planet. The distances will only be approximate, but the students will begin to
appreciate the scale. As you walk, look back on the solar system.
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Sortie Golf: “Zoom Out”
Next Generation Standards for Science and Math: Grade 5
SC.5.N.1.1 Define a problem, use appropriate reference materials to support scientific
understanding, plan and carry out scientific investigations of various types: such as
systematic observations, experiments requiring the identifications of variables, collecting
and organizing data, interpreting data in charts, tables and graphics, analyze
information, make predictions, and defend conclusions.
SC.5.N.2.1 Recognize and explain that science is grounded in empirical observations
that are testable; explanation must always be linked with evidence.
SC.5.E.5.2
Recognize the major common characteristics of all planets and
compare/contrast the properties of inner and outer planets.
SC.5.E.5.3 Distinguish among the following objects of the Solar System – Sun, planets,
moons, asteroids, comets – and identify Earth’s position in it.
MA.5.G.5.1 Identify and plot ordered pairs on the first quadrant of the coordinate plane.
MA.5.G.5.2 Compare, contrast, and convert units of measure within the same
dimension (length, mass, or time) to solve problems.
MA.5.G.5.3
Solve problems requiring attention to approximation, selection of
appropriate measuring tools, and precision of measurement.
National Science Standards: Grades 5-8
Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry – As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all
students should develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry and understandings
about scientific inquiry.
Content Standard D: Earth and Space Science – As a result of their activities in
grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of structure of earth system;
Earth’s history; and Earth in the solar system.
Content Standard F: Science in Personal/Social Perspectives – As a result of
activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an understanding of personal
health; populations, resources and environments; natural hazards; risks and benefits;
science and technology in society.
Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science – As a result of activities in
grades 5-8, all students should develop understanding of science as a human
endeavor; nature of science; and history of science.
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