Use your paper lantern while it’s closed and flat to trace a circle on lightweight yellow poster board.
Cut out the circle you drew.
Expand your lantern. Divide it into halves and then quarters.
Cut out the quarter of the lantern. This is the place where you’ll add the circle to show the different layers of the sun.
Now cut out circles of different colors of construction paper to represent the layers of the sun. Choose a color of paper for the core, the radiative zone, the convective zone, the photosphere, and the chromosphere. Use your calculator to determine the ratios of the layers. For example, if you make the core 1 inch deep, your radiative zone is a little more than double the size of the core, so it would be 2 inches wide. The convective zone is about 65 percent the size of the radiative zone, so it would be just over 1.5 inches wide.
Label the layers with their names and thickness and any interesting facts that you can fit onto the piece of paper.
Glue the layers onto the circle of yellow poster board and wait for the glue to dry. Then fold the circle in half. Open it so that the edges of the semicircles form a 90 degree angle.
When you’ve finished adding the layers, use clear tape to fit the layers into the gap you cut out in the fourth step.
Use paint to add convection currents, sunspots, and granulation on the outside of your lantern.
If your lantern came with a wire support, use that to stick your tap light into the lamp. If not, fix the tap light on the inside of the lantern at the bottom where you can still reach in and turn it on.