Planets in Our Solar System

A group who decided to work together to produce spheres of various sizes.

Learning about the planets in our solar system is a fascinating topic to 5-7 year olds.  However, it is not that is particularly "hands-on."  We cannot bring a planet into the classroom or visit a planet on a field trip.  Well, unless you are a teacher like Ms. Frizzle of the famed "Magic School Bus" series.    However, there are several concepts that help us to understand our solar system that can be "hands-on." One is learning that the planets are spherical shapes.  We participated in two activities to explore this concept.  First, we made a variety of spheres with playdough.  It was interesting to see how the children approached this activity.  Some made individual planets, one at a time.  Others made the entire solar system together.  Some of the children created a series of spheres while exploring the various sizes.  Several choose to work together.  Their work reminded me of their work with many of the Montessori materials they have explored in the past.  Many of these materials were graduated in size, weight, etc.

An interpretation of Saturn with its rings.

 

One complete solars system in progress - one more planet to go!

    

Exploring seriation.

Montessori Cylinder Blocks

Montessori Knobless Cylinders

Montessori Geometric Solids

Our second activity involving spheres was to paint with marbles.  We put marbles in various colors of paint and rolled them across paper placed inside a tray.