Here's a fun little demonstration and craft activity for the younger kids to model the Earth revolving around the Sun and the Moon revolving around the Earth.
|Science Demonstration using a large yellow exercise ball (the Sun) and a globe (the Earth)|
Materials for Craft Activity
- white and black construction paper
- crayons, paints, etc.
- 2 paper fasteners
- Give each child 3 different size circles cut from white construction paper. (Older students could make their own circles.)
- Discuss which size should represent the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon.
- Next have students color or paint the circles with appropriate colors.
- Then give each child two thin black strips of paper (about 1 inch by 12 inches and 1 inch by 7 inches).
- Glue the Moon on the end of one black strip.
- Push the paper fasteners through the center of the Sun and Earth and connect all 3 circles with the 2 black strips. (See picture below.)
- Have students demonstrate the Earth and Moon's revolutions (orbits) in space.
Here is a video demonstarting this same concept.