Things You\’ll Need
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Dark red or rust-colored spray paint
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Black paint
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Small paintbrush
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Circular bandage
Mars is distinctive among the planets for its rusty red color.
In his widely-accepted theory of constructivism, renowned child psychologist Jean Piaget said that children learn best experientially — through hands-on learning. Sometimes — such as when they are taught about rocks or fractions — this comes naturally, but other times, a hands-on learning environment can be difficult to create. Constructing models provides a solution to this dilemma by allowing students to explore, in their own creative way, the size, shape, colors and other properties of not only Mars, but also any other far-away or intangible object or place.
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Step 1
Stick the circular bandage to the top of the Styrofoam ball; this bandage will ensure the polar ice cap stays white. Make sure that the bandage is not so big that it covers the entire top of the ball nor so small that it is only a dot; a bandage that covers roughly the top fifth to top quarter of the ball should do.
Step 2
Spray-paint the ball.
Step 3
Dip the paintbrush into the black paint and lightly color some areas with it. As the black will represent the hills, valleys and other geographic features of Mars, it should not cover the whole ball, but merely serve to accent it and give it depth.
Warning
Always cover your eyes and mouth when working with spray paint.
