Just how big is our solar system? Why do craters form on the Moon? And what is Mars like? Students in grades 3 and 4 found answers to these questions during an exciting lecture hosted by the Zittau Kinder Academy in the main lecture hall at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.

The event took the children on an interactive journey through our solar system. Right from the start, it became clear just how difficult it is to grasp the vast scales of space. Using an exercise ball and a pinhead, the relative sizes of the Sun and the planets were vividly illustrated. When it came to the distances, it quickly became clear that even the lecture hall wouldn’t have been sufficient to represent them.

A special highlight was the Sun itself. As the central star of our solar system, the presenters simulated solar flares in the form of a spectacular fire tornado. The journey continued from Earth to the Moon, where the formation of craters was reenacted using simple but effective methods. Flour and cocoa impressively illustrated meteorite impacts. From there, the journey continued to Mars aboard a water rocket. Once there, the children learned more about the planet’s unique environmental conditions. This included demonstrations of the thin atmosphere, extreme temperatures, and even altered gravity and sound propagation. Jupiter was also featured: Its massive storms were recreated using a smoke machine, leaving the audience in awe.

A central element of the lecture was the children’s active participation. Using two-color voting cards, they could respond directly to questions and share their knowledge. At the same time, the cards served as a concise summary of the most important content to take home. Behind this seemingly playful event, however, lay intensive preparation. The goal was not only to convey science in an understandable way, but also to make it a lasting experience.

Text: Franz Xaver Schleuder, Dipl.-Ing.
Photos: Sven Müller