I was hopeful the small Styrofoam ball would show up, but it hasn't.
All-in-all, I think it turned out pretty well. The kids learned some neat things about our Solar System:
1. God did amazing things when he perfectly designed each planet's mass and gravitational pull to keep it in it's orbit. And the Earth's position in our Solar System is perfectly compatible with life. A little closer, or a little further from the sun, and we have NO LIFE.
Could that REALLY have happened by accident? Seriously, I don't think so.
2. Our model is not built correctly "to scale", because it would be very difficult to do. In reality, the sun is so much bigger than the planets...and the real distance between planets would require a much larger model.
3. One time around the sun = 1 year.
4. There used to be 9 planets in our Solar System. However, in 2006, Pluto was deemed "not a planet" according to a revised definition made by the International Astronomical Union. So, now we have 8 planets. Yes, scientific "facts" sometimes change. It's important to note this. (I joked with Isaiah, who is 8 years old and very strong-willed, that his birth must have shaken the entire Universe b/c even the planets changed the year he was born!)
5. We can name the planets in their order according to distance from the sun. Why does it matter? It doesn't really, I guess...except that it helps us begin to get a sense for the beauty and wonder of the Universe. It "sets the stage" for exploring more of God's creation.
As it turned out, it wasn't really necessary for me to be a "control freak" over the project. Eva played that role quite well. Maybe it's a "girl thing." ;)
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| positioning the sun |
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| taking it outside to show it to Daddy |
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| Yes, sometimes we climb on the furniture... |
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| I really wanted to add Pluto...but, it was deemed "not a planet" in 2006. Who knew??? Things have changed a bit since I was in school! |
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