Teaching article
Invent a planet without announcing a discovery
Separate invented features from the verified concepts that inspired them.
Real examples can inspire a fictional world while remaining visibly distinct from it. Give the invented planet its own labelled features and explain which checked ideas prompted the design, so creative detail does not borrow scientific authority.
A purple cloud garden belongs to the imagined world rather than a NASA discovery.
Keep the fact and fiction labels attached
Read one real example. Invent a contrasting world. Label fictional details.
Use separate labels for verified inspiration and invented design. This supports creative freedom without confusing a story setting with scientific reporting.
Imagination labels should remain visible. Which statement is invented?
Use fact and fiction boxes.
Resources
- Solar System Planet Order — Use the sequence cards and add a note that spacing is not a distance scale.
Further reading
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