Project description for the national event for participation in the European Science on
Stage festival
from 25 – 28 April 2013 in Słubice – Frankfurt (Oder)
Project title:
Astronomy in primary school
Section: Solar system / Earth and Moon
Main contact
Title (Dr, Prof, etc.):
First Name: Christa
Surname: Müller
School / institution: Student Research Centre South Wuerttemberg SFZ®
Town: 88348 Bad Saulgau
Country: Germany
Abstract: (max. 700 signs):
Astronomy, fascinating and incredible!
We will show and explain how you can teach complex connections in astronomy with the
simplest materials.
Example: the solar system (the sun and the planets), the earth and the moon.
We think it is important that the children comprehend the features of the planets in a
variety of experiments. Similarly, the children can discover for themselves the phenomena
of the development of the seasons, lunar and solar eclipses, the phases of the moon, day
and night by constructing a tellurium. Even the necessary conditions for the ocean tides
can be demonstrated and explained.
Involved disciplines: Human Nature Culture (Social Studies and Science)
Key words: Astronomy:
Our solar system:
* Our sun: mass, size and structure of our star
* The planets and their features
* Huge distances, an outdoor experiment
Earth and moon:
* the earth's features in experiments / making observations tangible
* Why do seasons exist?
* The merits of the moon: where would we be without it?
* The features of the earth's moon
* The tides: low tide and high tide
Age group (Age of the students): 9-11years
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Materials used in this project: handicraft material, everyday items: bowls, glasses,
various lamps, thermometer, styrofoam, cotton balls, balloons, needles, ball, revolving
board, food colouring, starch, etc.
What is innovative about your project?
Children comprehend our sun and its planets as well as the earth and its moon. A
practical, hands-on method makes this possible.
This enables the teacher to arouse curiosity in the student for the subject of natural
science as well as to help the pupil to overcome the inhibitions towards it. Above all we
would like to help motivate teachers by showing them the practical feasibility in everyday
teaching by showing how to reduce the content to its essence as well as the simple
procurement of material.
What can other teachers implement from your project in their class?
The nature of this project is such that it can be used in part or as a whole in everyday
teaching. It can be used as a topic for group work, for example, or for work with gifted
students or as a focus for project work with a subsequent public exhibition. It is also ideal
for student presentations.
Personal quotation concerning the project: : By teachers for teachers
Project description: (max. 12.000 signs / approx. 2,5 pages)
Project description: The Student Research Centre South Wuerttemberg
(Schlerforschungszentrum SFZ (www.sfz-bw.de) is a place where students of all ages
interested in science and technology can do independent research.
For the kindergarten and elementary school level we are developing concepts and
material for science teaching. We would like elementary school teachers to feel that
science teaching is exciting and doable even though they have not studied physics or
chemistry.
We have divided our astronomy project into four parts:
* Our solar system: sun and planets
* Earth and moon
* The night sky and the universe
* The history of astronomy and space travel
For science on stage we will present the first two above mentioned parts in depth.
In the exhibition the pictures and experiment material will give you a comprehensive
impression of our practical working method.
Our project: The solar system / Earth Moon
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Part 1: The solar system
With the help of a pepper experiment (ground pepper is stirred in a bowl of water) children
experience the formation of a galaxy, i.e. the compression of the rotating gaseous nebula.
In the small version we apply this to the formation of our solar system.
Photos 1 and 2 (all photos 1 - 15 with short description in an appendix)
In the next experiment our sun's mass is compared to the rest mass of the whole solar
system. The overall mass of the solar system is represented by 1000 cubes, i.e. the sun's
mass equals 998 cubes and only two cubes remain to represent all eight planets all moons,
dwarf planets, asteroids and Kuiper belts, etc., whereby Jupiter's mass is represented by
two thirds of the two cubes.
Photos 3 and 4
A comparison of the volume of the sun to its eight planets (scale 1:1 billion) is followed by
two project phases, one to the terrestrial planets and the other to the gaseous planets.
The phases of the individual planets are structured in such a way that only one essential
feature of each planet is worked on in the experiments and observations.
Some of the observations never correspond to the actual conditions on the respective
planets. The aim of the experiments is to draw attention to the special characteristics of
the planets. The way in which this occurs enables the children to comprehend and
internalize these phenomena.
Two planet examples:
Mercury (characteristic: biggest temperature difference between day and night sides in our
solar system)
This experiment enables the children to comprehend the enormous temperature
difference on Mercury. The temperature difference on Mercury is enormous, namely
600°K. Temperatures range from -170°C to +425°C.
During the experiment the difference that can be observed after one minute is
approximately 15 to 20 Kelvin. (One thermometer shows approx. 15°C and the other
approx. 25° / 30° C according to the starting temperature; after 5 minutes it shows up to
40°C)
Photo 5
Jupiter (characteristic: biggest planet in the solar system)
Jupiter differs from the other planets through its enormous size. In this experiment we
compare the earth's volume with that of Jupiter's by cuttingJupiter in half and filling both
its halves with balls representing the earth.
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Task? How many times does the earth fit into Jupiter?
Answer: Approximately 1330 times.
Photo 6
Sun experiment
In a simple kitchen experiment on the stove top children can, to a certain degree, observe
what happens on the sun (creation of granules and convection)
Photo 7
Part II: Earth and moon
In a vivid lesson the teacher demonstrates the formation of the earth and its moon using
progressively larger material (from powder to stones).
Photo 8
The earth's structure
With the help of a prepared medicine ball we will now deal with the earth's layers. This is
followed by a phase of the project in which the children create a model by themselves.
Photo 9 and 10
One defining feature of the earth are the seasons. To make the origin and development of
the seasons clear to the pupils each child constructs a model tellurium, at first without the
moon, after observing a large tellurium. With the help of this model day and night as well
as the seasons can be represented and explained.
Photo 11 and 12 (without moon)
Now we turn to the moon.
A moon is added to the model tellurium so that experiments regarding moon phases, solar
and lunar eclipses can be carried out and the positions of the sun, moon and earth during
the tides can be worked out.
Photo 13 and 14 (with moon)
With the help of a further experimental set up with a construction lamp and styrofoam ball
at the end of a long kebab stick the children can create the moon phases themselves and
recognize them.
Photo 15
Another important feature of the moon is that its gravitation is less (1/6) than that of the
earth. So that the children can experience this themselves we offer them several
experiments.
Because we cannot offer the children conditions occurring on the moon we have to work
with comparisons. In order to optimize the notion and the feeling for the difference the
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children working in groups, do the experiments blindfolded. The not blindfolded children
give the blindfolded ones various objects (e.g. 6 bottles or similar representing the weight
on earth). As soon as the weight on the moon is represented (e.g. by one bottle) they say,
I'll beam you up to the moon.
Photo 16
Another way of getting a feeling for the difference between the earth's and moon's gravity
is to jump both on the moon and on earth. An earth jump would be 0.5 m high and the
moon jump 3m high.
Photo 16
The examples explained here can be found in an appendix.
References/Sources:
Heidrun Boll and Christa Mueller
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