In contrast to diagrams of the solar system in most astronomy books, a scale model provides perspective on the meaning of space and the relative sizes of planets, according to the Exploratorium.
Grab a roll of toilet paper. Each sheet should be about 4.5 inches wide. The roll should extend 450 feet in length. Go to the Solar System Model calculator on the Exploratorium website: http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/solar_system/. Start by plugging in a value, inches or millimeters, for the sun. If you make the sun 20 mm (.7 inches) in body diameter, you can fit the entire solar system on the roll. Use a tape measure and mark the each planet's distance from the sun. At these scaled-down values, the Earth, Mercury, Venus and Mars have almost no mass. You can mark their distances from the sun with pins. In this example, Mercury's scaled orbit radius, or distance from the sun, is about 2'9'. You may have to walk a distance, because Pluto is 278'9" from the sun.
Compared to winter months, the sun sets at a later hour in the summer. In this activity, you can chart the movement of the sun, according to The Center for Science Education. Find a 2-by-2-foot square of cardboard or wood and a 10- to 12-inch-long, half-inch-wide wooden stick. Glue the stick close to the edge of the square. Once the glue dries, put the square on a flat place where the sun shines. Find the tip of the stick's shadow on the square and mark it. Repeat daily or once a week. Every time you mark the sun's shadow, make sure that it's at the exact same time of day and that the board points in the same direction.
Because the Earth's axis tilts at a 23-degree angle, our planet's location in orbit around the sun is constantly changing. Ask your friends if there are any days when the sun's location matches or if there is any place on Earth where the sun's location never changes. Track the sun for a year and connect the marks on the board. Note the pattern of the sun's movement and the point of intersection.
Although Jupiter is 300 times heavier than the Earth, it is only one-fourth as dense. If Jupiter's density matched the density of the Earth, it would be 1,200 times heavier, according to Discovery Education. In order to understand the effects of density on weight, fill an empty object with different materials. Weigh a pair of beach balls that are not inflated. Then make a small slit in each ball. Fill one with sand and the other with water. Tape the slits and weigh the balls. Even though they are the same size, which ball weighs more? Experiment with other materials such as shredded paper and whipped cream.