The Solar System, to scale, for a school yard

[jdaw1]

Constructive comment on The Solar System, to scale, for a school yard (and A4 and 8½″×11″ PDFs) would be welcome.

Edit:
• The same question has been asked on the password-protected forums for DMOZ editors.
• And, by DRT, on StarGazersLounge.com.

[DRT]

I consider this to be an excellent educational aide. Whether or not today's teachers can comprehend the message or the instructions is perhaps doubtful.

Pluto is no longer considered a Planet.

The Oort Cloud (a ball of gas, dirt and icy planetecimals that is thought to effectively be the outer reaches of the Solar System) might be worth a mention in the commentary as it is 50,000 times farther from the Sun than the earth is, which is approximately one quarter of the distance between the Sun and Proxima Centauri (or Lands End to John O'Groats in this context).

Please may I have permission to post a link to the article on an astronomy forum?

[jdaw1]

Please may I have permission to post a link to the article on an astronomy forum?

Please can you wait a few hours to allow some errors to be reported here and removed?

Pluto and the asteroids aren’t planets (nor is the sun), but are relevant for demonstrating the scale of the solar system. Oort cloud, most interesting, but somewhat fails to fit the model of this instruction.

I consider this to be an excellent educational aide. Whether or not today's teachers can comprehend the message or the instructions is perhaps doubtful.

Some science teachers are competent. Some know nothing. The notes are intended to help both groups.

[DRT]

Please may I have permission to post a link to the article on an astronomy forum?

Please can you wait a few hours to allow some errors to be reported here and removed?

Sure. I will post a link tomorrow evening.

Pluto and the asteroids aren’t planets (nor is the sun), but are relevant for demonstrating the scale of the solar system. Oort cloud, most interesting, but somewhat fails to fit the model of this instruction.

I thought "If Wayne was the Sun and Kylie over there was the Earth, Robbie would have to walk the whole length of Scotland and England to reach the edge of the Solar System" might be an easier concept for inner city kids to grasp rather than trying to remember how far away they were the last time they flew to the Caribbean

I consider this to be an excellent educational aide. Whether or not today's teachers can comprehend the message or the instructions is perhaps doubtful.

Some science teachers are competent. Some know nothing. The notes are intended to help both groups.

Not many Primary Schools have proper science teachers, but I am perhaps being unfair.

[jdaw1]

Not many Primary Schools have proper science teachers, but I am perhaps being unfair.

Please do suggest specific improvements.

[DRT]

The title page of the PDF could have more explicit instructions of where to stand the pupils rather than relying on them working out that that instruction is on each sheet with the word "Scaled".

[LGTrotter]

I think that it is annihilating to the sense of self to be presented with the truth of the scale of emptiness that exists within the universe/solar system/atoms.

Constructive comment

Ah yes, I'll stop now.

[jdaw1]

The title page of the PDF could have more explicit instructions of where to stand the pupils rather than relying on them working out that that instruction is on each sheet with the word "Scaled".

Oh. I hadn’t come close to realising that. Isn’t it utterly obvious? Please help by suggesting specific wording.

Constructive comment

Ah yes, I'll stop now.

Those words were carefully chosen. Thank you for heeding.

[jdaw1]

Oh. I hadn’t come close to realising that. Isn’t it utterly obvious?

Wording improved, and some other changes. If you are satisfied please do post links where they might be welcome.

[DRT]

Done.

[jdaw1]

Instructions improved, and images added.