6th Grade Science Guide

6.1.2/3: Solar System 3 Dimensions & Progressions

Unit 2

● Measure each planet's period of revolution. ● Compare the sizes of the planets. ● Relate the presence of an atmosphere to the size of a planet.

Activity: Weight and Mass Gizmo

Objective

Overview

Materials

● Use a balance to measure mass and a spring scale to measure the weight of

● Defne mass as the

● Gizmo - Weight & Mass

amount of matter in an object. ● Defne weight as the force of gravity on an object. ● Use a balance to measure mass. ● Use a spring scale to measure weight. ● Discover that the weight of an object changes when it is moved to another planet. ● Discover that the mass of an object is constant regardless of where it is located.

objects. Compare the masses and weights of objects on Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and the Moon.

Activity: Scale Model

Objective

Overview

Materials

● Various sphere objects (orange, marbles, sand, small pebbles, peppercorns, cereal) ● Sample

● I can create a scale model of the solar system.

● Using the spheres for the items in the solar system. Have students create a scale size model. Drawing the orbits (see picture). Go around to ask groups

why they created their model the way they did.

Activity: Scale Activity

Objective

Overview

Materials