Solar System KS2: Planet Scale & Distance

KS2 Space Lesson: Visualise planet distances with a 3-metre Play-Doh scale model! Includes 3 worksheets, PPT, and guide to how scientists measure distance.

How far away is Neptune? Help your pupils visualise the vastness of space with Part 2 of our Solar System series! This lesson moves beyond ordering and focuses on scale and distance. It addresses the common misconception that planets are evenly spaced by having pupils create a precise 3-metre scale model using Play-Doh and measuring tapes.

What’s Included?
Teacher Support Notes (.pdf): A comprehensive guide explaining Astronomical Units (AU), how gravity effects the speed of a planets orbit, and how to facilitate the scale modelling activity.

Classroom Presentation (.pptx): Engaging slides that walk pupils through the distances from the Sun, including the data needed for the 3-metre scale task.

Worksheet 1: A “True or False” activity to challenge existing knowledge about space distances.

Worksheet 2: A data-entry sheet for pupils to record distances between planets.

Worksheet 3: A guided activity sheet for plotting the planets at correct centimetre intervals from the “Play-Doh Sun”.

Classroom Application & Skills

1. Mathematics & Measurement: Pupils use rulers and measuring tapes to plot distances precisely in centimetres.
2. Scientific Enquiry: Using physical models to represent astronomical distances that are too large to observe in reality.
3. Fine Motor Skills: Using different coloured Play-Doh to represent planets of varying sizes (from the tiny Mercury to the giant Jupiter).
4. Data Handling: Interpreting table data from the presentation to complete a physical task.

How to Use This Resource
This lesson is ideal for a 1-hour session. Start with the PowerPoint to introduce gravity and its effects on the individual planets in our solar system. Then, clear 3 metres of space (on desks or the floor). Pupils create their Play-Doh planets and, using the “Centimetres from the Sun” data on Slide 8, plot their positions accurately. This hands-on approach perfectly illustrates why the outer planets are known as the “lonely giants.”

File Types Included: .pdf and .pptx