Picture to show Distance of Planets

Yesterday we created a picture of how the size of the planets compare to the size of Earth.  Today we are going to continue the theme by creating a picture of how far each planet is from the Sun.  The activity is called Our Solar System.
The start up is "Where does the asteroid belt fall in our solar system?"

Drawing the Solar System

Today we are going to experiment with drawing our solar system.  The students may know that Jupiter is the biggest planet but how big is it when compared to Earth?  And how far away is Neptune from then sun when compared to Earth?  These questions are hard to understand unless we draw some pictures.
First we draw the planets to scale in relation to size.  The activity is called Proportional Planets.
If we have time we will draw the planets in relation to distance from the Sun.  The activity is called Our Solar System.

The start up for today is "How many Earth's do you think can fit into Jupiter?"

Bill Nye Asteroids and Meteors

Today we are going to watch Bill Nye Asteroids and Meteors.  The video is a great supplement for our astronomy study.
The start up for today is "what would happen if an asteroid hit the Earth?"

How old are you (on another planet!?)

Yesterday we talked about comets and asteroids.  Today we are going to continue talking about out solar system but with a math twist.  The students will complete "how old are you" for a classwork grade today.
The math can be confusing but I think with some patience we can get it down.

The start up for today is "what other units of time could you use to measure your age instead of years?"

Amazing Planet Facts

Today we are going to compare the planets of our Solar System.  Remember, Pluto is a dwarf planet now because it can't clear its orbit of cosmic junk.  We will still consider it today though just to compare a dwarf planet to a the others.  Here is the assignment Amazing Planet Facts.  I want to also show my students a video of the comet Shoemaker-Levy colliding with Jupiter.  This video shows what happens to a comet and a planet after they come in contact.



The start up for today is "What is the difference between a comet and an asteroid?"
I thought I would help you a little today with an answer for the start up here.

ALSO, Mid-terms come out Friday so I thought I would help my students out by offering extra credit.  If the student reads any article they choose from sciencedaily and write a three paragraph (5 sentences per paragraph) summary of what they have read then I will swap their lowest grade for a 100 percent.  The students can do this as many times as they want but it is due Wednesday, Feb 15th.  I will take it written on a piece of paper but I would much prefer it to be uploaded to my dropbox.  The link is at the top right of this page where it says "upload your work."  The students should know the password.