Scale of the Solar System

PROCEDURAL

Science›Space Exploration|Ages 9—11|ID: mt_TlGhXAqC4p

Use scale models, diagrams, or calculations to represent the relative sizes and distances of objects in the solar system, understanding that the distances between planets are enormously larger than the planets themselves

Mastery Evidence

Explain that if the Sun were the size of a beach ball, Earth would be a pea about 26 metres away
State that the distances between planets are much greater than the sizes of the planets themselves
Create or interpret a scale model showing both relative sizes and distances

Assessment Prompt

“Has [child] ever built or looked at a scale model of the solar system? Can they explain why the planets would need to be spread across a whole playing field to be the right distance apart?”

Prerequisites2

The Vast Scale of Space
softAges 9—11
The Eight Planets
hardAges 7—9

Show full prerequisite tree

The Vast Scale of Space soft
Understanding cosmic scale motivates building scale models to grasp distances
- The Eight Planets soft
  Knowing the planets provides concrete context for the solar system layer of the hierarchy
  - The Sun is a star hard
    Must know the Sun is the centre before naming planets in order from it
    - Sun, Moon & Stars hard
      Must know the Sun is a sky object before learning it is a star
      - Why seasons change soft
        Curriculum daylight/seasons observation supports exploratory Sun/Moon/stars identification
        
        Naming the Planets soft
        Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary
        
        Seasonal changes soft
        Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition
        
        Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
        Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
        
        Ordering Events in Time hard
        Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
    - Our Solar System hard
      Must know about the solar system before learning the Sun is at its centre
      - Sun, Moon & Stars hard
        Must know the Sun and stars before learning about planets and the solar system
        
        Why seasons change soft
        Curriculum daylight/seasons observation supports exploratory Sun/Moon/stars identification
        
        Naming the Planets soft
        Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary
        
        Seasonal changes soft
        Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition
        
        Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
        Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
        
        Ordering Events in Time hard
        Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
  - Our Solar System hard
    Must know planets exist before listing them in order
    - Sun, Moon & Stars hard
      Must know the Sun and stars before learning about planets and the solar system
      - Why seasons change soft
        Curriculum daylight/seasons observation supports exploratory Sun/Moon/stars identification
        
        Naming the Planets soft
        Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary
        
        Seasonal changes soft
        Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition
        
        Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
        Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
        
        Ordering Events in Time hard
        Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- The Sun is a star hard
  Must know the Sun is a star in our solar system before scaling up to galaxy and universe
  - Sun, Moon & Stars hard
    Must know the Sun is a sky object before learning it is a star
    - Why seasons change soft
      Curriculum daylight/seasons observation supports exploratory Sun/Moon/stars identification
      - Naming the Planets soft
        Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary
      - Seasonal changes soft
        Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition
        
        Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
        Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
        
        Ordering Events in Time hard
        Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
  - Our Solar System hard
    Must know about the solar system before learning the Sun is at its centre
    - Sun, Moon & Stars hard
      Must know the Sun and stars before learning about planets and the solar system
      - Why seasons change soft
        Curriculum daylight/seasons observation supports exploratory Sun/Moon/stars identification
        
        Naming the Planets soft
        Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary
        
        Seasonal changes soft
        Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition
        
        Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
        Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
        
        Ordering Events in Time hard
        Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
The Eight Planets hard
Must know the planets before building scale models of the solar system
- The Sun is a star hard
  Must know the Sun is the centre before naming planets in order from it
  - Sun, Moon & Stars hard
    Must know the Sun is a sky object before learning it is a star
    - Why seasons change soft
      Curriculum daylight/seasons observation supports exploratory Sun/Moon/stars identification
      - Naming the Planets soft
        Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary
      - Seasonal changes soft
        Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition
        
        Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
        Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
        
        Ordering Events in Time hard
        Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
  - Our Solar System hard
    Must know about the solar system before learning the Sun is at its centre
    - Sun, Moon & Stars hard
      Must know the Sun and stars before learning about planets and the solar system
      - Why seasons change soft
        Curriculum daylight/seasons observation supports exploratory Sun/Moon/stars identification
        
        Naming the Planets soft
        Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary
        
        Seasonal changes soft
        Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition
        
        Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
        Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
        
        Ordering Events in Time hard
        Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Our Solar System hard
  Must know planets exist before listing them in order
  - Sun, Moon & Stars hard
    Must know the Sun and stars before learning about planets and the solar system
    - Why seasons change soft
      Curriculum daylight/seasons observation supports exploratory Sun/Moon/stars identification
      - Naming the Planets soft
        Relating daylight length to time of year draws on orbit and solar system vocabulary
      - Seasonal changes soft
        Seasonal changes observation supports daylight pattern recognition
        
        Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
        Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
        
        Ordering Events in Time hard
        Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically

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