(Intro)

Hi everyone! Here on SciShow Kids, we've talked a lot about space. The stars, the planets, and even if there might be life elsewhere in the solar system, but wouldn't it be cool if we could have our own mini version of the solar system right in our rooms? Squeaks and I thought it would be cool to make a model, or a small scaled version, of the solar system to put on the wall.

Do you want to join us? All you'll need is some scissors, construction paper, and some glue. You'll also want to ask a grownup for some help.

So, let's start our model by thinking big. What's the biggest thing in the whole solar system? Can you think of it? I'll give you a hint: you can see it in the sky anytime during the day. That's right, the Sun! The Sun is so big that more than a million Earths could fit inside it. So the Sun should be the biggest piece in our model, right?

But, what about the planets? Do you know how many planets there are in the solar system? If you said eight, you're right. There are four rocky planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. These planets are called rocky planets, because they're dense and if humans were to land on them we'd be able to touch the ground. And all four of the rocky planets are the ones that are closer to the Sun.

Further out, there are bigger and kind of fluffier planets. They're called the four gas giants, because they're really big and, instead of being made of rocky stuff like Earth is, they're mostly made of gases. The gas giants are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

So let's put them in the right order from the one that's closest to the Sun to the one that's farthest away. Mercury is first, then Venus, then us here on Earth, and then Mars. So, those were the rocky planets. Now let's move on to the gas giants, Jupiter, then Saturn, Uranus, and last, Neptune.

Now that we've named all of our planets and our star, let's look at the size of each. The sun is the biggest, but what's the biggest planet? That's right, Jupiter! Jupiter is more than 10 times bigger across than Earth is. Not as big as the Sun, but still pretty big.

The next biggest is Saturn. Followed by Uranus, and then Neptune. Next in the lineup of sizes is our home, planet Earth, which is the biggest of the rocky planets. Next biggest is Venus, followed by Mars, and then Mercury, the smallest of the planets.

Now, to make our model. Let's pick out a few different colors of construction paper to make our planets. You can use any colors that you'd like. Squeaks and I have our colors picked out already. So, we're going to use pencil to draw our planets. We'll make the Sun the largest, then we'll make eight more circles with each one being a little smaller than the last. Once our planets and the Sun have been drawn out, we'll cut them out with our scissors. You can make your planets even more unique by decorating them with paints, markers, or glitter. Next, we'll take a big piece of paper to stick our Sun and planets on.

Alright guys, can you help me with the right order of the planets? We'll start with the Sun. Now, which planets are closer to the Sun? The rocky planets or the gas giants? That's right! The rocky planets are the closest to the Sun. And, do you remember which is the very closest to the Sun? That's right, Mercury! Now, how do you know which circle to use? Remember, Mercury is the smallest planet. So, you just pick your smallest circle.

Following Mercury is Venus, and Venus is the third smallest planet. So, line your planets up, and pick the third smallest. Next, comes home sweet home, Earth! The biggest of the rocky planets. Also, the fourth smallest. And the next planet in line is the last rocky planet in our solar system, Mars, which is the second smallest circle you've made.

Alright, can you name the first gas giant? If you've guessed Jupiter, you're right. It's the biggest planet in our solar system, so grab your biggest circle. After Jupiter, comes Saturn, and I'm going to draw some really cool rings around mine, because Saturn is famous for its beautiful rings. Next in line is Uranus, which also has really cool rings. And finally, the furthest planet from our Sun, and also the smallest gas giant, Neptune.

And, viola, you have your very own little solar system to hang up with pride and show off to your friends. Thank you so much for helping Squeaks and me make the solar system. Did you make your own? We'd love to see it. Grab a grownup, and send an emails to kids@thescishow.com or leave us a comment below and we'll see you next week.