Virtual Solar System

The teacher (or other user) can either use an existing model of the solar system in a location where one is already in use (science centres etc.?) or they can make their own so that the sun is located at the school (or at whatever chosen location). If the Seppo platform is used, an existing model can be copied and moved to the chosen location. If done in that manner, the teacher only needs to move the planets along their orbits (so that the distances to sun remain correct according to the model’s scale) to spots where they are accessible (otherwise planets might be for example on busy highways or in the middle of bodies of water). The teacher can also choose to make their own model, so that they can choose whatever scale they want to and are not limited to the suggested 1: 1,000,000,000 scale. If the scale is changed, the teacher also needs to change the information provided at each of the planets and the trivia questions the students are asked accordingly, so that the sizes of the planets and the sun are on the same scale.

• The teacher should have some useful links and sources containing space related information in a form accessible to the age group of the students in question. The students might need help coming up with meaningful questions and they might need some sources for background information.

• The teacher can either use pre-existing trivia questions for each of the planets, use their own questions, or even use questions that come from the students (most likely a group of older students that has earlier finished the learning entity including the model of the solar system.) Keep in mind that the tidbits of information provided at each of the planets need to make sense with the trivia question. The information needed in order to have any chance at answering the question need to be provided, and if the question is changed, the possible ways the question is referenced in the information provided need to be changed accordingly. [Picture of one planet’s question and the information provided. Needs to be translated!]

• The teacher (or the person responsible for arranging the solar system at the school, science centre etc. in question) places the planets on the map, the correct distance away from the sun (the starting point) on the chosen scale. On the suggested scale of 1: 1 000 000 000, the distances from the sun are as follows: Mercury 58m, Venus 108m, Earth 150m, Mars 228m, Jupiter 778m, Saturn 1400m, Uranus 2900m, and Neptune 4500m.

• On the Seppo platform, existing solar systems can be copied to other locations. Teacher can then move the planets along their orbits (i.e. without changing the distance to the sun) to suitable spots. Changing the distance to the sun slightly in order to be able to place a planet in a location that is more easily accessible, particularly impressive etc., is justifiable, as long as the sense of magnitudes remains similar enough.

• The teacher ought to explain to the students, that while the sizes of the planets and the sun and the distances between them are to scale, the locations of the planets are not correct. The planets generally do not form a straight line, be all located in a narrow sector of space, and so on.

Picture 1: “The sun” on a scale of 1: 1,000,000,000 (diameter 1.4m) in the second floor window of Suutarila elementary school. The words used are all related to the sun and there is a light bulb placed behind the window, so that looking at it from the outside, the sun appears to shine and is visible even from a long distance away.

Preparing the Students: Studying calculation with scales and learning about space

• Making the model of the sun somewhere in the school (for example in a window, using a lightbulb for effect as was done in Suutarilan ala-asteen koulu, which is an elementary school (see picture 1), on top of the school’s roof, in the schoolyard etc.) The size of the sun needs to be in scale with the virtual model, so that the distances between the sun and the planets are all on the same scale. On the suggested scale of 1: 1,000,000,000, the diameter of the sun is 1.4m.
• Making the planets in scale with the sun out of clay, play doh or some other medium (in case of larger planets, two-dimensional versions cut out of paper can also work) or finding object of the correct size to represent the planets. On the suggested scale of 1: 1 000 000 000, the diameters of planets are approximately as follows: Mercury 5mm, Venus 12mm, Earth 13mm, Mars 7mm, Jupiter 140mm, Saturn 120mm, Uranus 51mm, and Neptune 49mm. In the current version of the virtual model, the app instructs the user to find rocks, pine cones etc. of approximately correct sizes to represent the planets.
• Depending on the students’ level, they can be asked to calculate the sizes of the planets themselves, or asked to also calculate what size the planets would be on some other scale (possibly one that leads to calculations that are slightly more complicated).
• In Suutarila, the sun taped to a second floor window that was visible from as many of the planets as possible consisted of words that were related to the sun (picture 1). If executed in a similar manner, the students can research the sun and list as many words as possible (the words can be divided into different word classes, or be in different languages. These are only some of the ways that can be used to make the learning experience more multidisciplinary). The students can then vote or the teacher can choose the words that are used to make the sun.
• More elements of arts can be added to the learning unit if the planets are also painted or decorated in some other way. How could we make the rings of Saturn?
• If users of the solar system learning unit have access to an expert in the field of astronomy etc., they can arrange beforehand a Q&A session either in person or online (Zoom, Skype etc.), where students get to ask space related questions of their choice (this was done successfully in Suutarila).