Students could also look at their playground solar system and consider how the Sun affects other planets which are greater or lesser distances from it.

Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, can't actually travel backward in ... a year — that some people easily associate events like misunderstandings or travel woes with the event.

Students could then discuss the role they believe the Sun plays in other planets. Noting different distances from the Sun, students could consider how it affects each of the other planets in our ...