Solar System Bead Activity View larger

Solar System Bead Activity

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 Participants calculate and construct a scale model of the solar system using beads and string.

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  • Participants Enjoyed the Activity 
    Participants Learned from This Activity 
    Activity Instructions Were Clear and Easy to Follow 
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Related Programming Resources

Hints for uses in your library To speed up the activity for younger participants, 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 participants, a measured marking grid can be put on a table top so the students can mark their measured distances and then tie off the beads.
Related Links While this activity accurately discusses the distance between solar system objects, consider pairing it with
Jump to Jupiter
to accurately discuss scale size with participants.

Games, apps, and simulations:
• NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System
Learn about our home planet, our solar system, the universe beyond, and the spacecraft exploring them with this downloadable application
• A tediously accurate scale model of the solar system (scroll to explore)
• How big is the solar system?
This video shows relative sizes of the planets and how far they really are from the Sun
Where does the solar system end? A video about the Oort Cloud - Space Place in a Snap!
NISE Network: Strategies for Approaching Common Misconceptions Around Difficult Scientific Concepts
Originating Source NASA/JPL-Caltech
Related Books
[Suggest a book]
How Many Planets Circle the Sun?: And Other Questions About Our Solar System by Mary Kay Carson and Ron Miller
The Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home
The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield, Kate Fillion, Eric Fan and Terry Fan
A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars by Seth Fishman, Jeremy Arthur and Isabel Greenberg
Space Machines by Ian Graham
2018 Young Explorer's Adventure Guide by Bruce Golden, Nancy Kress, Stephen Blake, Sherry D Ramsey and Dawn Vogel
My tourist guide to the solar system and beyond by Lewis Dartnell

Reviews

 
Rating 
Participants Enjoyed the Activity 
Participants Learned from This Activity 
Activity Instructions Were Clear and Easy to Follow 
Would Recommend 
04/29/2018

Easier with four hands than two

The results for this were well worth a few manual dexterity struggles and gave participants an excellent image for how the planets are distributed. The process did involve a few snags during construction, most easily solved with another set of hands, so I found working in pairs a good way to keep frustrations in check and produce a good joint project. While knotting the string, a common difficulty was in keeping the bead in place, especially early in the process, when they were working with more loose string. Having one person hold the bead in relation to the string helped a lot. If working in teams, I'd either have them collaborate on the calculations or do the first few individually, check to verify agreement, and then move forward, rather than letting one finish the sheet with a complete set of wrong answers due to a misunderstanding or confusion.

I had quite a bit of unused yarn looking for a project, so we used it for the string. It was mostly functional, but frayed early, so I crimped small paper clips into a shape that functioned as a needle threader, and instructed kids on how to use it. If I were to repeat the activity, I'd probably have students wrap both ends with a small piece of tape to mimic a shoelace end.

After the model was created, there was a general feel of marvel at the scope of the solar system and our place in it. I left the choice of where/if to include Pluto up to individual groups, which also created some interesting discussions.

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Solar System Bead Activity

Solar System Bead Activity

 Participants calculate and construct a scale model of the solar system using beads and string.