BBC
Bbc: Space Race
There are galaxies far, far away, but just how big is our own solar system? Scroll through this interactive to quickly observe just how much we know and have learned about our solar system.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Planets Made Real: Creating Size and Distance Scale of Planets
An activity where students build a scale model of the solar system based on a marble they pick from a bowl. After choosing a marble that represents Earth, students must calculate the size of the other planets and the sun. Site includes...
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Superior Ptolemaic Model
A simulation illustrating Ptolemy's geometrical system of explaining the varying speeds and directions of the planets, sun, and moon.
Other
Paper Plate Education: Activities
Design fun and exciting experiments using paper plates. This resource teaches you how to make great experiments and models using common paper plate products.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: An Inflated Impression of Mars
The purpose of this activity is to use scaling in order to give students an idea of the size of Mars in relation to the Earth and the Moon as well as the distance between them. The students will have to calculate dimensions of the scaled...
Other
Sunaeon: Solar System Scope
Experience the solar system as you've never seen it before; up close and personal. Visit each planet by clicking on it, then selecting the play button to track its rotations through the calendar year. Watch the constellations move...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Solar System Scale Model
Teach the concept of scale models and the size of the solar system through this extensive lesson plan. Students will learn about scale models, estimate which objects to use to create a scale model of Earth and Sun, and figure out how far...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Experimenting With Angular Diameter and Distance (Study of Outer Space)
In studying the solar system, students compare the relative sizes of the sun and the moon, and experiment with angular diameter, apparent diameter and distance.
CPALMS
Florida State University Cpalms: Florida Students: Center Stage: Models of the Solar System
An explanation of two very different perspectives of the solar system.
Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Build a Solar System
Make a scale model of the Solar System and learn the REAL definition of "space." You tell it how large to make the sun (in inches or millimeters) and the page will do all of the calculations for your scale model solar system and provide...
TOPS Learning Systems
Tops Learning Systems: Top Science: Scale Solar System [Pdf]
Practice drawing the solar system to scale.
Science Struck
Science Struck: Simple Ideas for Your Kid's Solar System Project
Provides detailed instructions for how to help a student make a solar system model, and additional suggestions for making a constellation poster, making a model showing phases of the moon, and creating a solar system model to scale.
Science Struck
Science Struck: 5 Creative Solar System Project Ideas Kids Can Try
Detailed descriptions of five solar system science projects for students.
Other
Making a Scale Model of the Solar System
In this lesson plan site, middle schoolers are asked to construct a scale model of the planets to help visualize the relative size of planets and their relative distance from the Sun. Links are provided to the Sun and the planets which...
The Wonder of Science
The Wonder of Science: Ms Ess1 3: Scale Properties in the Solar System
Work samples, phenomena, assessment templates, and videos that directly address standard MS-ESS1-3: scale properties in the solar system.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Activity: Scale of the Universe on a String
This activity will help your students comprehend the huge scales of time and space by using familiar objects. You can explore the massive distances of our Solar System using scale models made out of string. Included is a scale model of...
South Carolina Educational Television
Know It All: Solar System Simulation
Fourth graders will begin to understand the solar system by using and creating models to demonstrate the layout of the solar System.
Science and Mathematics Initiative for Learning Enhancement (SMILE)
Smile: Paper Mache Solar System
This site from the Illinois Institute of Technology provides a set of directions for the creation of a solar system model out of paper mache. Includes orbital distances and planet diameters for the nine planets. Great idea for a student...
Discovery Education
Discovery Education: Classroom Planetarium
Create a classroom model of the solar system while teaching about relative size of all the planets, and each planet's distance from the sun.
Other
All (Known) Bodies in Our Solar System Larger Than 200 Miles in Diameter
How big is the Earth compared to the Sun? Is Mars bigger than the Moon? Seeing all bodies in the solar system larger than 200 miles in diameter side by side provides an excellent comparison and an interesting perspective.