Because the activity uses relative distance and fractions, the length of each piece of paper isnt critical. The solar system proves an abundance of learning opportunities. They were provided with a chart telling them how many sheets of toilet paper each planet is away from the sun. Students will be able to list and describe the planets in our solar system by accurately completing an essay and model presentation on a planet. Help students grasp the concept of the vastness of our universe. Teaching the solar system using toilet paper to show the planet distance. Key teachings from the lesson plan involve integration and application of any or all of the following. It provides a huge opportunity for handson learning activities and science experiments. Create a visual scale model of the solar system with toilet paper lesson plan and worksheets included. You can teach about astronomy, physics, or biology. The toilet paper solar system lesson plan for 6th 9th grade. For a quick overview of the model, take a look at this video i use this lesson model because it peaks the students interest in the beginning during. Planets toilet paper distance activity by heart of. Jul 28, 20 description this lesson allows students to visualize the comparative sizes and distances of solar system bodies by making solar system objects to scale using common objects, walking off the distances between planets and participating in a webbased sunearth scale model activity.
To help students obtain a clear understanding of the size of the sun and the other planets in our solar system. Lesson the planets of our solar system betterlesson. How to teach about the solar system to children sciencing. Lessons and activity sheets about our solar system ftfs. Explore the solar system with this instructional activity. Lesson plan pocket solar system california academy of. Have an individual hold a planetposter at each of the appropriate distances. Move as much furniture out of way as possible like desks and chairs or, if possible, host this activity outside. Its part of a huge library of lessons that span grades k12 and every school subject. Move the planets to their proper distances, and youve built a scale model of the solar system. Have students answer the questions on the worksheet to make connection about the suns role in temperature throughout the solar system and in the temperature of planets. Have them label the names of the planets using the my very energetic mother just served us nachos acronym. This lesson plan was prepared by rana karatay with her university students from anatolia university aysun aydogdu, esad aygun, kubra akyuz 5.
There are two separate handout versions included for making either a 200sheet model 85 feet or a 100sheet model 42 feet. Toilet paper solar system is a highinterest, kinesthetic group activity in which students create a scalar model of distances in the solar system using a single roll of. It is only 19% the diameter of the earth, and orbits at 39. In this activity, learners build a scale model of the solar system using a roll of toilet paper. Toilet paper sheets are going to represent the distances of planets from the sun in this model.
Each student makes an individual picture to take home and post on their refrigerator. K12 science teachers astronomical society of the pacific. List some more ways to classify the planets by various attributes. Scale model of the solar system science lesson plan. Have students answer the questions on the worksheet to. Students are stationed throughout the solar system display, as invited guests parents, other grades and classes, principal, school nurse, librarian, etc.
See how well your family did at estimating the distances. While children can paint and cut out larger planets, they will need help with the drawing. Scale of the solar system d2 a toilet paper solar system scale model page 15page 2 whats this about. These classroom resources are vetted by nsta curators who recommend ways to adapt them to be more in line with the vision of the ngss. This activity is a companion lesson to solar system sentence strip. A lot of space is needed to get to the edge of the solar system.
It covers objects in the sky and changes in the earth and sky, as students learn the size of each planet, the vastness of space, and some special features of our solar system. Our solar system is so immense that the distances in space can be difficult for anyone to comprehend. This lesson is designed to introduce the planets of the solar system to students in the 4th grade level. Employ research skills, including challenging preconceptions, present their knowledge, and c. Toilet paper solar system activity did this in student. Launch a unit on the solar system with this lesson plan. A large round object that orbits the sun but is not the dominant object in its orbit. After children complete all the other activities, they will be ready to learn more about the exciting solar system. Lesson plan understand the size and scale of planets with this solar system lesson plan. Earth and space science earths place in the universe. Eighth grade lesson planetary distances using toilet paper. The solar system consists of the sun and a collection of objects, including planets, their moons, and asteroids that are held in orbit around the sun by its gravitational pull on them. Free learning about the planets printables solar system.
Solar system our solar system has 8 planets moving in orbit around the sun, along with dwarf planets such as pluto, comets, asteroids, and moons. With this creative approach, learners create a solar system according to distance and scale parameters, and write down a list of interesting facts about the planets. This big model is best made one planet at a time for the larger planets. There are various activites that will be implemented encouraging students memorization and basic concepts of each planet. Join us as we blastoff into space and explore the galaxy from the sun all the way to the dwarf planets through this comprehensive early learning printable pack all about the solar system, children will enjoy learning about stars, planets, rockets and more through fun printable activities that also teach basic learning skills. This the toilet paper solar system lesson plan is suitable for 5th 9th grade. Have students write the planets average temperature in marker on the toilet paper under each planet. Ask students to draw and color a picture of the solar system. A fun activity for creating a scaled model of the solar system using toilet paper. This toilet paper solar system lesson plan is suitable for 6th 12th grade. Space unit rationale i chose the topic of the solar system because it is an area of interest for students around the fourth grade level. Watch their young eyes fill with wonder as they contemplate the moon and how the earth was created. Daily lesson plans include literature suggestions, activities, art, writing, reading, and math. Scale model of the solar system science lesson plan most students dont have any concept of the vast distances and empty spaces of the solar system.
Why not take a photo of your toilet paper solar system. Students classify the planets in the solar system, study planetary objects, and measure the relative distance between planets. Saturday science teaching spring 2018 lesson plan lesson 1 and planets grade k1 a learning objectives and criteria for determining if objectives are met minimum of 2 lesson objective. In this activity, students will unroll a roll of toilet paper to build a scale model of distances in the solar system. Learners create a model of the solar system using toilet paper. A grade 9 space science activity to demonstrate the vastness of our solar system using a 100 sheet toilet paper roll. Teach the positions, relative distances, and sizes of the planets in the solar system. Solar system toilet paper solar system post second learning intention we are learning how far from the sun the planets in our solar system are. This is a fun and visual activity that children can complete in small groups to get an idea about the vastness of our solar system. Lesson plan beginning the journey into outer space space food the moon, phases of. A study of the size and scale of the sun and planets this lesson for late elementary students grades 3 5 teaches about earth and space science using an inquiry approach. This lesson plan applies to a vast age range ages 618. The teachers discussion questions will vary greatly according to the audience. Solar system unit for kindergarten and first grade your students will have a blast learning about the solar system with this thematic unit.
Scaling the solar system with toilet paper for this activity you need a distance of about 37 meters, which is about the length of 4 football fields. The following 100 people under the sun lesson plan spans multiple study areas. Students will define terms and learn about the sun, moon, planets, and other features. Unit of work the solar system is a fascinating place and students find it an engaging and interesting topic to explore. I recently asked a group of high school seniors how close to the earth the moon was, compared to the sun, and students answered anywhere from a tenth to a hundredth the distance. Language arts social studies science art through the lesson plan, students. Curriculumlinked unit of work, lesson ideas and accompanying activity sheets see righthand column, written for primary students, on the topic of our solar system. It includes a lesson plan created by science teachers, which you can download in pdf form or view below. Check out my blog for a description of my science lab groups.
Toilet paper solar system scale model great basin observatory. While understanding these distances, students will explore why the sun is so essential to life on earth by examining. Task we are going to create a scale model of our solar system using toilet role to demonstrate the. Using the table, measure the distances by rolling out the toilet paper. The students were put into groups today and assigned two different planets.
Students create a model of the distances of the planets in the solar system using sheets of toilet paper and markers. Books, rocks or even willing students to hold down the paper and mark the. The idea of something larger than earth fascinates children. In this activity, students will predict the scale of our solar system and the distance between planets, then check their answers using fractions. We will be creating models, graphing data, tracing our shadows, and much more. Earth and space science planets of our solar system, order of the planets. Distance squares of toilet paper squares of toilet paper planet from sun km out to planets orbit out to planets orbit short version long version mercury 57,910,000 km 1. An understanding of the scale of the universe by teaching the relative size and spacing of the planets. This lesson was originally based on elizabeth roettgers toilet paper solar system.
The names for the members of the cooperative groups are the ones i use in my own fifth grade classroom. It is difficult to imagine the immense distances between the planets of our solar system. Potential life on other planetary documentary searching for the origin of life across the universe touch your. Ttw o divide the class into small groups o pass out materials for each group tape, flashlights, two empty toilet paper rolls, scissors, aluminum foil, sturdy but bendable wire about 20 inches, styrofoam ball the size of an orange, ping pong ball, large strip of. This lesson for late elementary students grades 3 5 teaches about earth and space science using an inquiry approach. Our solar system is the sun and everything that travels around it. In the solar system, a planet is a large round object that orbits the sun and has cleared out most of the other objects in its orbit. It covers objects in the sky and changes in the earth and sky, as students learn. Toilet paper 5 sets of cutouts of the planets mnemonic worksheet model rubric mnemonic communication rubric michigan content expectations e.
Preschoolers and the solar system teachercreated lesson. I plan most of my science lessons using the bscs 5e lesson model. Demonstrate creative and critical thinking by sorting and categorizing the components of the solar system in different ways. This specific lesson provides some background knowledge that will help students understand the components of standard 5ess12. Student worksheets and questionnaires provided in this lesson printable as html or pdf formatted files. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. The toilet paper solar system lesson plan for 6th 9th.
In this activity, participants will build a scale model of the distances in the solar system using a roll of toilet paper. Toilet paper solar system east hanover school district. Bill nye demonstrates distance between planets lessonplanstoiletpapersolarsystemscalemodel. Paper strips with solar system facts written on them print out this pdf and cut apart before class white board with markers or use a chalkboard, projector, etc. This activity forces the students to consider the correct scale of the solar system by having them mark off accurately scaled distances on a roll of toilet paper.
Jan 6, 20 toilet paper solar system activity did this in student teaching, it was awesome stay safe and healthy. Toilet paper solar system lesson plan for 6th 12th grade. Students will be able to experience the vastness within our solar system as they measure off the the distance between the planets using toilet paper. Using a roll of schoolgrade toilet tissue, mark off the distances to the planets using a scale of one tissue 10,000,000 miles refer to the sheet on the following page. The students will be able to name the planets of the solar system in order from the sun to pluto. Check out this lesson from a classroom teacher who uses common sense education. Task we are going to create a scale model of our solar system using toilet role to demonstrate the relative distances between the sun and each planet. Have a second person hold one end of string on the center of the paper and use a pencil on the other end like a compass to make circles. Preschoolers and the solar system teachercreated lesson plan common sense education.
Would be fun to model this when teaching the planets to the students. Ask students to take out a sheet of paper and answer questions about the. Voyager ii, traveling at nearly 50,000 mph took 12 years to reach the planet neptune. Learn to identify the major objects of our solar system, b. Toilet paper came in handy today for our solar system model.
Demonstrate the size of the sun and the bodies of the solar system on the. Toilet paper solar system is a highinterest, kinesthetic group activity in which students create a scalar model of distances in the solar system using a single roll of toilet paper. Scaled model of the solar system using toilet paper tpt. After constructing the model, students analyze the information to answer questions. Even in our own cosmic neighborhood, distances in space are so vast that they are difficult to imagine. Throughout this unit, students will learn about classifying stars, patterns of stars, and the effects of rotation and revolution. This activity can be conducted in either a long hallway or, as a special treat, outdoors. Prepare copies of distances in the solar system worksheet for students. Solar system unit for kindergarten and first grade solar. In this solar system instructional activity, students use toilet paper to complete a scale model of the distance between the planets in the solar system.
Students will chart a solar system diagram with 80% accuracy by the end of the lesson. Students will create a model of the earth that contains the relative positions of the moon and the sun. Toilet paper solar system challenge students use distances from the sun to compute the number of toilet paper sheets needed to complete a scale model of the solar system. Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, was 3 sheets of toilet paper from the sun. The instructions suggest using gel pens on cheap, flat toilet paper to mark the name and location of the sun, the planets. To give an example, our biggest planet, jupiter is a mere 140,000km across, which working to. This will enable students to visualize the position of the planets in relation to the sun. Solar system museum models of planets are displayed in hallway or on walls of gym for all to see. Solarheated air enters the composting toilet system cabinet via a 3inch duct, and a 12inch vent pipe assures rapid airflow for proper compost drying and odor elimination. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the informal science education division of the national science foundation, nasas offices of space science and education, the banbury fund, the clark foundation, and the many other companies, foundations, and individuals from around the country who have generously helped project astro achieve such tremendous success. Data for two versions of the activity are included. This lesson allows students to visualize the comparative sizes and distances of solar system bodies by making solar system objects to scale using common objects, walking off the distances between planets and participating in a webbased sunearth scale model activity.
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