Sort a suitcase of worlds
20 minutes · Paper · Pencil
Your investigation
- Make five headings: star, planet, dwarf planet, moon, small Solar System body.
- Place Sun, Earth, Neptune, Pluto, Moon, an asteroid, and a comet under headings.
- Write one reason for every placement. Make an “I need more evidence” box for an unknown object.
- Invent a clue for one object and ask a partner to classify it.
Think, draw, explain
Can an object be important even if it is not a planet?
What evidence would help classify an unfamiliar object?
Grown-up guide & possible answers
- Sun: star. Earth and Neptune: planets. Pluto: dwarf planet. Moon: moon. Asteroid and comet: small bodies.
- Importance is not a classification rule. Observations of orbit, shape, composition, and surrounding objects help classification; a name or color alone is insufficient.