The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Exploring Solar System Scale with Ratios and Proportions

Exploring Solar System Scale with Ratios and Proportions

A 6th grade STEM lesson

Jessica Leonard

June 1, 2024

Notes for teachers

This lesson should be done over

a span of 2-3 lessons/days.

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This should be taught after

your ratio & proportions unit

has been completed to ensure

students have the necessary

knowledge of these

mathematical concepts.

List of Materials

• Poster board or large sheets of paper
• Art supplies (markers, colored pencils, or crayons)
• Measuring tape or rulers
• Calculators
• Videos of scale diagrams of the solar system
• Optional: Access to computers/tablets with internet for research

Science & Engineering Standards

6.E2U1.7 Use ratios and proportions to analyze and interpret data related to scale, properties, and relationships among objects in our solar system.

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MS-ETS1-4 Develop a model to generate data to test ideas about designed systems including those representing inputs and outputs.

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Math

Standards

6.RP.A Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems.

6.RP.A.3 Make tables of equivalent ratios relating quantities with whole-number measurements, find missing values in the tables, and plot the pairs on the coordinate planet. Use tables to compare ratios.

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Objective:

Today, we will be able to use rations and proportions to analyze and interpret data related to scale, properties, and relationships among objects in our solar system.

Agenda

Introduction/Driving Question (15 minutes)

Hands-On Activity (2 sessions, 45 minutes each)

Analysis & Interpretation (20 minutes)

Assessment

Conclusion & Reflection (15 minutes)

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Intro/Driving Question/Opening

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If you could drive around the entire Planet Earth, how many days of nonstop driving would it take? Discuss with the person next to you how many days you think it would take.

Solar System Size & Distance

To Scale: The Solar System

How can we use ratios and proportions to understand the scale of the solar system?

Hands-on Activity Instructions

Analysis & Interpretation Instructions

• Divide students into small groups
• Provide each group with a large sheet of paper or poster board
• Assign each group one or two planets to research (size, distance from the sun, size in relation to Earth etc.)
• Instruct students to create a scaled model on their poster boards. Ex: if Earth is represented by a circle of 1 cm in diameter, Jupiter would be 11.2 cm in diameter (1:11.2)
• Students should calculate and mark the distances from the Sun for each planet based on the scale they decide upon

• Once the scale models are completed, have each group present their findings.
• Discuss how ratios and proportions were used to determine the sizes and distances on their models.
• Guide a discussion on how the scale affects our perception of of the solar system (i.e. vast distances, relative sizes)

Assessment

• Evaluate students based on their ability to correctly apply ratio and proportions to analyze and interpret data about the solar system’s scale, properties, and relationships.

Conclusion & Reflection

• Wrap up with a class discussion on what students learned about the solar system’s scale and how ratios and proportions helped them understand it better.�
• Encourage students to think about how ratios and proportions are used in other scientific contexts. Allow time for students to share their ideas.

Differentiation

• Provide this link to the groups so they can determine the sizes of each planet in comparison to Earth if they are struggling the create a scale.
• Have teacher-led groups for students having difficulty with ratios and proportions.
• Purposeful groupings
• Define scale and proportion for groups if needed.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Solar System Data Analysis:

• Provide students with data tables containing actual sizes (diameters) and distances from the Sun of various planets.
• Ask students to calculate and compare ratios such as planet size to planet size, planet distance from the Sun to planet distance from the Sun, etc.
• Have students create scaled diagrams or charts to visually represent their findings.
• Discuss any patterns or relationships they observe among the data.