Task #1 - to create an art image of our solar system.
Task #2 - to create an imaginative art image of a solar system of a nearby star.
objective - to learn more about the family of planets and moons in our solar system.
materials needed - construction paper, pencil, ruler, colored pens/pencils, glue, compass, scissors, white-out (given
by teacher only to make stars), or chalk.

Task #1 Directions
You will work with one other person on this project and the two of you will receive the same grade.
You will need one long black piece of construction paper (18"x 48" = 45cm x 120cm) .
Side one will be an art construction map of our Solar System using the colored papers available.
The size of the sun and planets will be to scale but shrunk down by a factor of 1,275,600,000 to 1.
For example, the diameter of the earth is 12,756kilometers which is the same as 1275600000 centimeters.
With our art project of the solar system, we will make the earth into a circle 1 centimeter (cm) in diameter.
Since the sun is 109 times larger than the earth in diameter, the sun will be a circle 109 cm in diameter, but you
will only glue on a piece of the sun on your black construction paper.  Distances will NOT be to scale.
Here are the diameters for the rest of the planets you will need to construct: (Add moons, comets & stars.)

                                                                                                          distance from the sun in
Planet          true diameter                        diameter for project              astronomical units (AU)
Sun              1,400,000Km (14x10⁶)                 109cm                                   -
Mercury       4,878Km                                    4millimeters(mm)             .387AU
Venus          12,104Km                                   1cm (10mm)                   .723AU
Earth            12,756Km                                   1cm                              1.000AU
Mars            6,800Km                                      5mm                            1.523AU
Jupiter          143,000Km                                  11cm                           5.203AU
Saturn          120,500Km                                  9.5cm                          9.539AU
Uranus          51,100Km                                   3.7cm                         19.182AU
Neptune        49,500Km                                   3.5cm                         30.058AU
Pluto              2,320Km                                     2mm                            39.52AU

SAMPLE OF WHAT YOUR SOLAR SYSTEM MAP WILL LOOK LIKE
(Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, planet names, characteristics not included)

Task #2 Directions
This is done similar to task #1 with the exception that you will have to use your imagination to create planets in the nearby star systems.  Do this project on the other side of the task #1 construction paper. You will be graded by the same grade scorecard as for task #1.

Sample list of  nearby Stars
Star                           color/class      distance from our Sun
Sun*                          yellow G2                   -
Proxima Centauri*      red M5           4.28 light years (LY)
Alpha Centauri           yellow G2        4.37 LY
Barnard’s Star           red M5            5.90 LY
Wolf 359                  red M8             7.60 LY
Sirius A                     blue A1             8.80 LY
E-Eridani                   orange K2        10.8 LY
Procyon A                white/green F5   11.4 LY
Altair                        blue A7              16 Ly
51 Pegasi*                yellow G2          42 LY              * Planets have been discovered in these star systems.
47 Ursae Majoris*    yellow G0          44 LY
70 Virginis*              yellow G5          78 LY
 

CHECKLIST for solar system assignment.

Task #1
1. Black construction paper with your names (written small) in one corner. __________
2. Tracing of a piece of the sun __________
3. Cut out colored circles to represent the following planets (all glued on):
 Mercury______
 Venus _______
 Earth _______
 Mars _______
 Jupiter _______
 Saturn _______
 Uranus _______
 Neptune _______
 Pluto ________

4. Label each of your planets,
5. and tell at least one characteristic of each planet. ______

6. Add comets, moons and asteroids (just a few) ________
7. Add stars to the background to make it look “spacey” (get white-out from the teacher) ______

Task #2
1. On the reverse side of your construction paper with task #1 completed, ______
2. Pick one of the nearby stars on the list and trace out a piece of that star using the correct color. ______
3. Use your imagination to decide how many planets the star system has and how big the planets are. ______
4. Use your imagination to choose names for these planets.  (who knows, perhaps some astronomer will really use them!)
5. Label your planets (and sun) ______
6. Add stars to the background. ______

GRADING SCORECARD
(You will be graded on how well you complete the task instructions listed below)

NAME ______________           GRADE ______
Checklist for solar system assignment

Task #1
+2   1. Black construction paper with you and your partners names written in one corner ______
+10  2. Tracing of a piece of the Sun _____
+45  3. Cut out colored circles to represent the following planets (all glued on):
            Mercury ______
            Venus  _______
(5          Earth  _______
points    Mars  _______
each      Jupiter  ______
planet)   Saturn  ______
             Uranus  ______
             Neptune  _____
             Pluto  ________
+18  4. Label each of your planets _____
+18  5. and tell at least one characteristic of each planet _____
+5    6. Add comets, moons and asteroids (just a few)  ______
+2    7. Add stars to the background to make it look "spacey" _____
______     (get white-out or chalk from the teacher)
100 points