Solar system building games

A solar system comprises of a star and all the celestial bodies that travel around it - planets, moons, asteroids, comets. Some solar systems may even have two stars. What is a Star? A star is an immense glowing ball of extremely hot gases, mainly hydrogen and helium, where nuclear fusion releases a tremendous amount of energy. What is a Planet? A planet is a large rocky or gaseous body that is spherical in shape and orbits a star.

This picture compares the sizes of the Sun and the planets. This picture compares the sizes of the moons of the different planets and with Earth. This guy is all mixed up! Play the game and help him get un-switched.

Play Solar System Switch-a-Roo! Try to find Mars! Peas, beans, or grains of rice or pasta can be used to represent the smallest celestial bodies. To help young children learn the planets in their order from the sun, play Planet Toss. Label 8 buckets or similar containers with the names of each planet. Mark off a circle for each player to stand in and label it the sun. Place the buckets in a line in order of their position from the sun.

Because this game is for young children Pre-K through 1st grade do not worry about scaling the distance. The point is simple for children to learn the names of the planets in order.

One at a time, let children take turns trying to toss a bean bag or ping pong ball into the buckets. Have them start with the bucket labeled Mercury and move on to the next planet each time they successfully toss the object into a bucket. Planet Jumble is another activity to help young children in Pre-K and kindergarten learn the names of the planets in order.

In this activity from Space Racers , you will print out photos of the sun and each of the eight planets. Choose 9 students and give one of the photos to each child. Help students in grades 5 through 7 learn vocabulary associated with the solar system. Create a set of bingo cards using the table feature in a word processing program or by purchasing blank bingo cards.

Fill each with the vocabulary terms students are learning, making sure that the names in squares are random so that each student has a different card. Call out the definitions for the terms. Students who have the matching term should cover it with a bingo chip. Play continues until one student has five terms covered in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal row. Alternately, play can continue until the first player has his or her card completely covered.

This activity from Windows to the Universe is suitable for students in 7th through 12th grades. Pair students in groups of two and assign each a planet, dwarf planet or moon. Give students at least a week to research their planet or celestial body.

Then, have two pairs of students debate one another in tournament style with the winner of each debate advancing to the next bracket. Students should debate and defend their planet or moon against the others. The winning team will advance until an ultimate winner is chosen. Cut a piece of string 3 feet long and place it through the spool.

Tie one end to the washer and the other end to the ping pong ball. Instruct the students to hold the sting with the ping pong ball on top of the thread spool and the washer hanging below it.

Instruct them to slowly move the spool in a circle, forcing the ping pong ball to turn in a circle around the thread spool. Ask them to observe what happens to the ping pong ball as they increase or decrease its spin around the spool. Actively scan device characteristics for identification.