Relationships as Ratios: Earth and Moon
Today in science class, we are learning about the proportion of the moon and earth and how they relate. Mr.Musselman broke us up into groups, and we started this activity. We’ve learned that the Earth is about 4 times larger then the moon. To do this we broke up into groups and got a box of clay. Mr.Musselman told us to make two balls. We had to make them what we thought would be the sizes of the moon and earth. These represent the Earth and moon. -Sara H. and Kate A.-
Once students had made their predictions about the size of the moon and Earth, they recorded their predictions diameters in tables such as the one above. We took this opportunity to discuss the accuracy of measurements and how calculations may only be done to the most precise measurement capable of being measured with the tools used. Students were then given the actual dimensions of our Earth and Moon models in the following way:
We had to make 50 small balls, all the same size and beautifully rounded and perfect. Then he told us to smash all of them except for one together, leaving 1 small perfect, beautifully rounded ball, left as the moon. The 49 that we smashed together represents the Earth. -Sara H. + Kate A.-
