Hi everyone!
Here on SciShow Kids, we’ve talked a lot about space -- the stars, the planets, and
even if there might be life elsewhere in the solar system!
But wouldn’t it be cool if you could have a mini-version of the solar system right in
our rooms?
Squeaks and I thought we could make a model, or a small-scale version, of the solar system
to put on the wall!
You want to join us?
All you’ll need are some scissors, construction paper, and some glue.
You’ll also want to ask a grown up for help.
So, let’s start our model by thinking big!
What’s the biggest thing in the whole solar system?
Can you think of it?
I’ll give you a hint.
You can see it in the sky anytime during the day.
That’s right -- the sun!
The sun is so big that more than a million Earths could fit inside it at once!
So the sun should be the biggest piece in our model, right?
But what about the planets?
Do you know how many planets there are in the solar system?
If you said eight, you’re right!
There are the four rocky planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
These planets are called rocky planets because they’re dense, and if humans were to land
on them, we would be able to touch the ground.
And all four of the rocky planets are the ones that are closer to the sun.
Farther out, there are four bigger and kinda fluffier planets -- they’re called the four
gas giants, because they’re really big, and instead of being made of rocky stuff like
Earth is, they’re mostly made of gases.
The gas giants are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
So let’s put them in the right order from the one that’s closest to the sun to the
one that’s farthest away -- Mercury is first, then Venus, then us here on Earth, and then
Mars.
So those were the rocky planets, now let’s move on to the gas giants: Jupiter, then Saturn,
Uranus and last; Neptune.
Now that we’ve named all the planets and our star, let’s look at the size of each.
The sun is the biggest, but what’s the biggest planet?
That’s right.
Jupiter!
Jupiter is more than ten times bigger across than Earth is!
Not as big as the sun, but still pretty big!
The next biggest is Saturn, followed by Uranus, and Neptune.
Next in the line-up of sizes is our home, planet Earth, which is the biggest of the
rocky planets!
Next-biggest is Venus, followed by Mars, and then Mercury, the smallest of the planets.
Now, to make our model, let’s pick out a few different colors of construction paper
to make our planets.
You can use any colors that you like!
Squeaks and I have our colors picked out already, so we’re going to use our pencil to draw
our planets.
We’ll make the sun the largest, then we’ll make eight more circles, with each one being
a little smaller than the last.
Once our planets and the sun have been drawn out, we’ll cut them out with our scissors.
You can make your planets even more unique by decorating them with paints, markers, or
glitter!
Next, we’ll take a big piece of paper to stick our sun and planets on!
Can you help me with the right order of the planets?
We’ll start with the sun.
Now, which planets are closer to the sun -- the rocky planets or the gas giants?
That’s right -- the rocky planets are closest to the sun.
And do you remember which is the very closest to the sun?
That’s right!
Mercury.
Now, how do you know which circle to use?
Remember: Mercury is the smallest planet, so you just pick your smallest circle.
Following Mercury is Venus, and Venus is the third smallest planet, so line your planets
up and pick the third smallest.
Next comes home sweet home: Earth, the biggest of the rocky planets, also the fourth smallest.
And the next planet is the last rocky planet in our solar system: Mars, which is the second
smallest circle you’ve made.
Alright!
Can you name the first gas giant?
If you guessed Jupiter, you’re right!
It’s the biggest planet in the solar system, so grab your biggest circle!
After Jupiter comes Saturn.
And I’m going to draw some really cool rings rings around mine, because Saturn is famous
for its beautiful rings!
Next in line is Uranus, which also has really cool rings.
And finally, the furthest planet from the sun, and also the smallest gas giant, is Neptune!
And voila!
You have your own little solar system, to hang up with pride and show off to your friends!
Thank you so much for helping Squeaks and me make the solar system!
Did you make your own?
We’d love to see it!
Grab a grownup and send us an e-mail to kids@thescishow.com, or leave us a comment below!
And we’ll see you next time!