Earth, Moon and Sun Scale Models Mini Unit Resources
Earth, Moon and Sun Scale Models Mini Unit for NGSS MS ESS1-3
In the Earth, Moon and Sun Scale Models mini unit, students calculate the diameter of a basketball to determine if it would qualify for the NBA! Then, they use this information to calculate the diameter of the sun, Earth’s moon and the other planets in our solar system. Finally, students build a scale model to answer the question, “If Earth was the size of a basketball and the moon was the size of a tennis ball, how big would the sun and other plants be?”
Anchor Phenomenon Ideas: Share If the Moon Were Only 1 Pixel with students and let the discussion begin! Use the authentic questions they come up with to make connections throughout your unit.
Tips and Tricks: Connect with your math teacher for ideas about reviewing circumference and diameter. They are usually excited to help make interdisciplinary connections! Make this experience as hands on as possible. Offer multiple types of balls to measure circumference. Focus on the big ideas and don't get bogged down with the numbers or math.
Ideas for Modifications: To modify this mini unit, have students work through just one or two examples of the calculations with you. Then, provide them with the data to complete their table. You want kids to understand what the data means. They do not need to memorize the math. Final models can be made simply with copies of basketballs.
Make it Relevant: We chose a basketball to represent Earth but you could swap a soccer ball, volleyball or kickball to make calculating diameter more relevant for your students.
Enrichment Ideas: For an extra challenge, encourage students to learn more about the asteroid that created the Chicxulub crater. How large was the asteroid? Would this be considered a large, medium or small asteroid compared to those currently in the asteroid belt? How big is the impact crater and what were the consequences of the impact? Do we face any asteroid threats on Earth today?
