As part of our Science topic of Space, we have been looking at the planets which make up our system and exploring the idea that the solar system is heliocentric (that the sun is at the centre of the solar system).
To help us understand this more easily we can use models to bring these concepts to life. To show the sizes of the planets in relation to one another, we have used various fruit to make a model of the solar system. In terms of the distance of each planet from the sun, we used a roll of toilet paper to measure each planet’s distance from the sun, and used differing number of pupils to show their size. Understanding the position of each planet in relation to the sun helped with our final model where we replicated each planet’s orbit speed. The key learning point from this model was that the closer the planet is to the sun, the quicker its orbit speed due to an increased gravitational pull.
Our pupils have had a lot of fun this week bringing the solar system to life in various ways!