The solar system is one of the more difficult concepts for young learners to understand, but it is also one of the most interesting subjects they will encounter. One great way to reinforce all the neat things kids learn about the solar system is to create a scale model by using sidewalk chalk. This is a project that can be done before beginning to teach kids about the solar system, and it works equally well as something to reinforce what kids have already learned after the completion of a lesson.
The project itself is incredibly simple and requires only that you have a nice selection of sidewalk chalk and plenty of room to draw your solar system chalk art. I have found that the 100-foot scale works best, but you can certainly reduce or expand the scale to fit the space that you have available. Using the 100-foot scale, the sun will be in the center and the planets will be laid out according to their respective distances (to scale) from the sun:
• Mercury: 11 inches
• Venus: 1 foot, 10 inches
• Earth: 2 feet, 6 inches
• Mars: 3 feet, 10 inches
• Jupiter: 13 feet, 2 inches
• Saturn: 24 feet, 2 inches
• Uranus: 48 feet, 7 inches
• Neptune: 76 feet, 2 inches
Since the idea is to show the relative distances of the planets in the solar system, you do not have to fret about getting the measurements exactly right. The same goes for the size of the planets, but you should try to re-create them according to their respective characteristics. As you draw each planet, it is helpful to discuss the qualities of each planet and how each one differs from the others, as this will really reinforce all that has already been learned or will help to lay a strong foundation for what is about to be learned.
