Students will perform the play depicting the solar system as it was viewed in the 1600's and as it is seen now.
Students should research the planets they are assigned to perform.
Crowe, Michael J. Theories of the World from Ptolemy to Copernicus.
Encyclopedia Americanan. "Astrology." Vol. 12. 1990.
Gregory, Frederick. The Sun and Her Servants.
Shymansky, James A. Romance, Nancy and Larry D. Yore. Journeys in Science. New York: Macmillian, 1988. 178.
Stephens, David. Mythology. New York: Milliken, 1967.
Sutherland, Berry. Focus on Earth Science. Columbus: Merrill, 1984.
Earth Mercury Jupiter Neptune
Moon Venus Saturn Pluto
Sun Mars Uranus
"Hello. My name is Earth. I have been around for a long, long time, and now , here in the year 1600, some people are saying that I, yes I, actually move! I mean, gosh. Did you ever hear anything so crazy! Do you feel like you're riding on a moving Earth?
(Pause) No, I didn't think so."
"Everybody knows that it's the planets and the stars that move, and I'm certainly not a planet. After all, the very word planet means 'wanderer,' and I don't wander among stars."
"However, some of my best friends are planets. There are only seven, you know. I'll have them introduce themselves."
Enter Moon:
"Hi. I'm the largest of the ancient wanders, uh, I mean planets. Do you know who I am? I'll bet you don't. I am the moon, and I go around the Earth in about one month. Watch, I'll show you."
(Moon walks around Earth, fairly close to her).
Enter Sun:
"She's not the only planet. Most people call me one, too. I'm the brightest of the lot, though it takes me a whole year to go around the Earth. Do you know my name? I'm the sun."
"The Moon and I have five sister planets, and all of us go around the Earth. I'll introduce you to three of the others, the ones just beyond me, Mercury and Venus, and the one farthest from the Earth, Saturn."
(Mercury, Venus and Saturn go out and take their positions)
"The other two, Mars and Jupiter, are in between Venus and Saturn."
"Most people think, like I said, that we all go around the Earth, like this...
(Moon, Sun, Mercury and Saturn go around Earth)
"But a man from Denmark has been going around saying that only the moon and I go around the Earth, and the rest go around me! I like that idea. Watch how that would look....
(Moon and Sun circle Earth, and at the same time, Mercury and Venus go around Sun)
"Another man thinks that I am actually the center of all the planets--that I don't move at all! I like that idea best! That snippity Earth would then be a planet like the others. It would serve her right. I do hope that history will show that I am queen of the solar system. But we'll just have to wait and see."
ACT II
THE YEAR IS 1992
"Hi! Remember me? Well, my hopes were all fulfilled. Today, in 1992, everybody agrees that I am the center of the solar system and that all the planets, including the Earth, revolve around me. I think it's wonderful!"
"Scientists have found out a lot more about my subjects. I am going to let the planets tell you about themselves.
(Sun turns toward the planets)
"Subjects, don't forget to show our guests how far each of you is from me by planting your flags on the playground at the proper distance."
Enter Mercury, wearing a winter coat:
"Hello. I'm Mercury. You can only see me in the morning just before sunrise, or in the evening just after sunset. Brrrrrr! Am I cold! I'd invite you over for a visit, but the weather can be pretty unpleasant, you know. At midnight, I get down to 260 degrees below zero on the side of me away from the sun. That's why I have to wear this heavy coat. But on my other side I'm blazing! (Mercury takes off her coat) 660 degrees! Can you imagine it? Talk about running hot and cold! I guess it's because I'm the planet closest to the sun, but if you ask me, it's ridiculous!"
(Mercury plants her flag 4 steps from the sun)
Enter Venus:
"My name is Venus. You know me--the goddess of love? I'm very bright; in fact, I'm the brightest object in the sky after the sun and the moon. Like Mercury, you can see me only in the morning and evening. Because of my brightness, I'm called the morning and evening star. Also like Mercury, I can be pretty hot--up to 900 degrees on my surface!"
"It pains me to say this, but I, a goddess, have no moons. A frightful circumstance! Well, at least my atmosphere is different from Earth's. It's 97% carbon dioxide--that makes it 90 times heavier than Earth's. Maybe you'd better
not come over for a visit just yet. Of course, if you're a planet I guess you'd love it here. But then my day is longer than my year--odd, huh. Well, no one ever said love was reasonable."
(Venus plants her flag 7 steps from the sun.)
Enter Earth, looking bewildered:
"I just don't know what happened. Here I was, the center of the universe. Next thing I know I'm the third planet out from the sun. Why me? I had it so good."
(muttering) "I just don't know what happened."
(Earth plants her flag 10 steps from the sun.)
Enter Mars (marching):
"Hut, 2, 3, 4. Hut 2, 3, 4. I guess you don't have to be told who the God of War is, right? You know I'm Mars, so I won't even mention my name. I'm actually the last one of the group of us who is close to the sun. The rest of the planets can get a long way out there, as you'll see."
"One of the most unusual things about me, besides the fact that I look red in the sky, is that Deimos, one of my two moons, goes around me in one direction, while Phobos, the other one, insists on going around me in the opposite direction. I do wish they could have agreed. In the whole solar
system, Phobos is the only moon that rises in the west and sets in the east. Independent cus, that Phobos. Oh well, I must be off. Hut, 2, 3, 4. Hut, 2, 3, 4.
(Mars plants her flag 15 steps from the sun)
Enter Jupiter (muttering to herself):
"Now where did I put the lightning bolt? (Notices the audience) Oh, hello there. Excuse me, but I've misplaced some of my lightning bolts. Jupiter's the name--Zeus to the Greeks. I'm the king of the Gods. What's that? Why? Well, probably because I'm the biggest. I'm more than 1000 times bigger than the Earth, you know. And I have 12 moons--that's the big one-two, twelve. And, it takes me twelve years to go around the sun. And, I have twelve giant red spots--well, OK--one giant red spot. But at least I've baffled everybody
about it. No one knows for sure what it really is. It's necessary for us Kings to be a little mysterious, you know. Keeps everybody on their toes."
(Jupiter turns away from the audience and mutters to himself)
"Now, what did I do with those lightning bolts?"
(Jupiter plants his flag 52 steps from the sun)
Enter Saturn:
"I may not be quite as big as she is (points to Jupiter), but I've got something she doesn't--my 4 lovely rings! Yes, I know I'm not the only planet with rings, but I definitely have the most famous ones. I wear them well, if I do say so myself. You probably already know that they're made of small particles coated with ice."
"In the old days, I was the last planet--the one farthest from the sun. It takes me 29 Earth years to go all the way around the sun.
(Saturn assumes a sad look, and sighs)
"But, alas, now there are three new planets in the solar system that weren't known about back in 1600, so I'm not the farthest any more.
Saturn brightens up, and says cheerfully:
"But, I've still got my rings! Yes sir! I've still got my rings. Don't they look simply divine?"
(Saturn plants her flag 95 steps from the sun)
Enter Uranus and Neptune, and say, in unison:
"We're the twin planets, Uranus and Neptune."
Neptune:
(Pointing to Uranus)
"When she was first noticed, she was mistaken for a comet."
Uranus:
(Pointing to Neptune)
"When she was discovered she caused a sensation. See, I was misbehaving so badly in my orbit, not going where I was supposed to, that people said: 'somebody else must be up there making Uranus misbehave like that.' Sure enough, when they looked closer, they found ol' Neptune here.
Neptune:
"We might be twins, but I've got farther to go. It takes me 165 Earth years to go around the sun--imagine that! Some people say that I was once a moon of Uranus, but (Neptune puffs out her chest) now I have 2 moons of my own."
Uranus:
"I thought you looked familiar! Well, I've still got five moons left who didn't go running off on their own. Incidentally, (turning to Neptune) you'd better get going to your position or we'll have to wait all day for you, you're so far away from the sun."
(Uranus plants her flag 182 steps from the sun, Neptune 300 steps.)
Enter Pluto:
"Is it my turn? Finally! I'm always last. They think they're a long way out. Hummmpf. They don't know the meaning of the word far. They should visit me sometime--if they could take the 400 degrees below zero, that is. I'm so far away from the sun that my trip around is just now bringing me back to where I was when the Pilgrims were discovering America. I have to get going to my position now. But, before I go, would you all please do me a small favor? Would you all try to remember that, in spite of my name, I was not named after Mickey Mouse's dog? Thanks a lot. Now, watch how far away from the sun I am."
(Pluto plants her flag 395 steps from the sun)
Sun:
"As Queen of the Solar System, I want to thank you all for your visit with us. We're glad you go to meet us, and we hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about us. "
"Thank you very much."
All the actresses step forward next to the Queen and bow together.
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