Your students will love this engaging self-guided tour of the solar system! They will get a feeling for the true immensity of space while they use Ozobots to explore the vastness of the solar system, and investigate how the distance the planet is from the sun dictates the appearance of the size of the sun and the speed at which planets orbit the sun. They will also use 2×2 multiplication to calculate the distance each planet is from the sun!
This project takes a lot of setup the first time you do it, but will be extremely easy to setup and run for years to come after you have the materials in place. It also requires access
to a 3D-Printer. If you do not have a 3D Printer, you can modify the lesson plan using paper planets attached to each Ozobot. The 3D print files can be found at: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6027242 and https://ozobot.com/3d-cad-library/. See the attached lesson documents for printable pages and the full lesson.
Materials:
- 8 Ozobots (one for each planet)
- 3D-printed planets and stands (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6027242)
- 8 3D-printed Evo Hats (the red one: https://ozobot.com/3d-cad-library/)
- Printed Planet Tracks
- Large picture of sun (printed)
- Rulers
- Pencils
- Chart handout
- Ozobot Code Chart
The lesson is written to apply to these 4th grade math strands, 4.MP.4, 4.NBT.5, 4.NF.6,4.MD.2 and this science strand, 4.4.1. The teacher should see if the lesson can be adapted to fulfill standards for other grades.