Offer kids developmentally appropriate choices such as a brochure, a trifold presentation board or a computer slide show for completing the project. While older kids may present in writing, younger kids can present in pictures, then dictate sentences for adults to write for them. Instruct kids to create drawings or graphics that illustrates the arrangement of the planets and place them into the center or primary position of their brochures, trifolds or slide shows. Direct students to place planets in the correct order and illustrate with correct relative planet size and distance from the sun. Assist younger students, who would probably not be completing the project on the computer, by providing pre-cut planet shapes and helping with placement.
After teaching kids about how the planets orbit and rotate, guide them as age appropriate, in creating planet movement charts on a portion of their projects. Require that the charts show at least the length of time it takes for the planet to orbit the sun. Assist young students by providing them with the data and instruct them to fill in numbers on their charts. For older kids, require them to research the data, create their own charts and include planet rotation length and moon movement information.
Discuss the two types of planets, terrestrial and jovian, with kids. Explain the differences in size (jovian are generally larger), composition (terrestrial are rocky and contain metals rather than gasses) and location (terrestrial are closer to the sun). Require that a part of the project include a graphic or written comparison that illustrates the distinctive characteristics of the two types of planets. Offer kids the choice of creating a Venn diagram, chart or picture to show the comparison of the planet types. Instruct older kids to explain in a sentence or two why the planets formed differently.
Assign a creative writing and drawing activity as part of the project to have kids illustrate what they discover about the features of the different planets. On one portion of their projects, have kids create fictional postcards from different planets. Require younger kids to only create a couple of postcards and older kids to create one for each planet. Have the students place the postcards into decorated envelopes attached to the trifolds or brochures. For computer projects, have kids use a text program to create pages of postcards. Instruct kids to include facts about the planet characteristics in the fictional postcard text they write as if they were visitors on the surfaces of the planets. For example, kids might write about the atmosphere, temperature or moons they see in the sky.