SOUTH BEND -- Students at Kennedy Primary Academy are enjoying an added dimension to their planetarium experience.
A scale model solar system has been added to the Kennedy Primary Academy Playground, where children can continue to learn about the stars and the galaxies beyond.
"I've seen that kids are very interested in the solar system," said Ruth Craft, director of the Kennedy Planetarium. "One thing that I've found over the years is they often don't have much of a concept of size.
"I identified them by color or name, like the red planet. This scale model is a good way to help understand and see just how large and small some of the planets really are.
Craft worked with U.S. Signcrafters to design a durable solar system display using photographs of the sun and planets and showing their comparative sizes and distances of separation.
The project is being underwritten by the Joint Institute of Nuclear Astrophysics.
The Playground Solar System includes the sun, the eight large planets and two dwarf planets. The label accompanies each solar system member, telling the diameter, distance from the sun and gravity as compared to Earth's.
An accompanying plaque bears a brief introduction to the entire display. The students can touch each planet and see for themselves what each one is really like.
"I'm surprised at how little the planets are and even if you squished them all together it still wouldn't be as big as the sun," said Gatlin Naragon, a fourth-grader. "I like how they are set up because they are good distances from each other.
Kennedy Primary Center fourth-graders examine the scale model
of the solar system along the playground wall recently.
October 5, 2010
