Solar System Bead Distance Activity Spreadsheet
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4Solar System Bead Distance Activity
| Adapted for Students with Special Needs |
Goal: The students will understand the distances between the Sun, planets, and small
objects in the Solar System.
Objective: To create a model demonstrating the scale distances of the Solar System using
astronomical units that have been converted into a 10 centimeter scale.
National Science Education Standards:
Standard D: Earth in the Solar System
National Math Education Standards:
NM.5-8.5 Number Relationships
NM.5-8.13 Measurement
Materials:
Planet beads:
Sun
BELL
Mercury
SMALL BLACK
Venus
ORANGE
Earth
DARK BLUE
Mars
RED
Asteroid belt
TRI-SHAPED-color varies
Jupiter
GOLD
Saturn
YELLOW
Uranus
LIGHT BLUE
Neptune
CLEAR GREEN
Pluto
SMALL PURPLE
4.5 meters of string for each student
Small piece of cardboard to wrap Solar System string around (10 cm x 10 cm)
Meter sticks or measuring device
Student handout
Background:
To speed up the activity for younger students, the string may be pre-cut and a set of
Solar System beads may be put into a plastic zip lock bag for each student. Also, for
younger students, a measured marking grid can be put on a tabletop so the students
can mark their measured distances and then tie off the beads. If the pre-marking
method is used, extra distance must be added to each planet distance to
accommodate the string within each knot (approximately 4 cm for a double knot
around the bead). Tape newspapers to the surface where the students will be
marking their strings, so they do not mark up the counter or floor.
For older students, measurements are made each time from the Sun to the planet
and tied on after each measurement.
Credits: Tom Gates - NASA Educator, NASA Ames Research Center.
Adapted by Steve Klug, Fees Middle School and Sheri Klug, ASU Mars K-12 Education Program,
Tempe, AZ.
Adapted for students with special needs by Cassandra Runyon, Southeast Regional Clearinghouse
(SERCH), Charleston, SC.
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