How giant are the planets compared to each other? Most people know that Mercury is pretty small. What about Venus? Is it bigger or smaller than Earth? Is Mars about the same size as Earth too? Adults and students alike have lots of misconceptions about the planet’s relative size to each other. We also don’t comprehend how much more massive the outer rim planets are. Hopefully, this impressionistic game gives the students the tools to understand planet size better.

This game uses basketball and geometry to compare the sizes of planets in our solar system. We will use the concept of equivalence to help us compare the size of the planets with each other. We will do this by transforming a basketball into the Moon. Then, we will add them to make the equivalent mass of the different planets of the solar system. The students will be surprised when they make it to Jupiter!

Materials: 

·      An ample open space (such as a gym or field)

·      A basketball per student is preferable

·      Basketball Hoops (preferably at a ratio of 5:1 student to basket)

o   If you cannot access basketball hoops, 55-gallon wastebaskets can be used as a substitution.

Minimum Amount of Students Needed: This lesson is versatile. It can be done with only one person or many people simultaneously.

Age: Best with lower elementary, but can certainly be done with upper elementary.