MODULE 8

THE EARTH AND BEYOND

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National curriculum links:Describe the movement of the Earth and other planets in the solar system relative to the Sun

Learning intention:To describe the shapes, positions and movement of the planets in the solar system and some of the differences between these and stars

Scientific enquiry type:Finding things out using a wide range of secondary sources of information

Working scientifically links:Recording data and results of increasing complexity using scientifi c diagrams and labels, classifi cation keys, tables, scatter graphs, and bar and line graphs

Success criteria:• I can ask questions that help me to fi nd out

about the solar system. • I can use secondary sources of information to

answer my questions.

• I can recognise that the Earth and other planets and the Moon are spheres.

• I can describe how the Earth and other planets move around the Sun.

• I can identify the Sun as a star.

LESSON SUMMARY:In this lesson children make observations of the night sky. Using secondary sources of information they consider explanations for, and raise questions about, their observations. They fi nd answers to some of their questions through a ‘journey into space’, during which they explore diagrams and photographs of the solar system and beyond.

By the end of this lesson they know about the shapes and positions of the Earth and other planets in the solar system, their relative sizes and orbits around the Sun. They have some idea about where our solar system is in the Universe.

Preparation required: Cut out enough true or false statement cards (Resource sheet 1) for one set per group of three. Prepare star question shapes (Resource sheet 2) so that pupils can write their questions for display on a question board.

LESSON 1: WHAT’S IN SPACE?

EXPLORE: Split the class into groups of three. Give each group a set of Space cards (Resource sheet 1) and some poster putty. Mark a sheet of A2 paper with headings True, False and Not Sure. Ask children to look at the cards, discuss the statements and decide which are true, which are false and which they are not sure about. Children fi x their cards in their sets using poster putty. This provides an indication of their knowledge and ideas.

ENQUIRE: Explain that they are going to look at pictures of the sky and make an imaginary journey into space. Display slide 1 of Journey into space (Slideshow 1) – a photograph of the night sky.

Ask: What can you see? Is it night or day? How can you tell? What makes it dark? What will make it light there?

Prompt children to think about the shapes of the objects in the sky, their colours, brightness and sizes. Children should notice the darkness, the Moon and stars, but might not realise that some of the ‘stars’ are planets.

Show slide 2 of Journey into space – the same photograph with some night sky objects labelled. Point out the visible planets and stars. Invite children to contribute to a list of objects in the picture in order of size, from the smallest to the largest, including trees and buildings.

Ask: Are these bigger or smaller than stars? Are they bigger or smaller than planets? If they look bigger, why? (They are nearer.) What makes the stars and planets look smaller?

Encourage children to consider how far away the objects in the night sky are.

Ask: Do you think that planets or stars are nearer to the Earth, or are some stars nearer than the planets and some farther away?

Key vocabulary: asteroid, crescent, Earth, galaxy, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Milky Way, Moon, orbit, planet, Saturn, solar system, star, Sun, sunrise, sunset, Neptune, telescope, Uranus, Venus

Resources: A2 paper

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LESSON 1: WHAT’S IN SPACE?

Provide children with star-shaped question cards (Resource sheet 2). Ask them to write questions they want to find answers to. Add questions to guide their learning:

Do the Moon and planets give out light?

If the Moon and planets don’t give out light, how can we see them?

Only five planets can be seen with the naked eye: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Why do you think this is?

Explain that the next part of the journey through space might help to answer some of their questions, but others will be answered in later lessons or through their own research.

Explain to children that their challenge is to draw a labelled diagram of the solar system, including as much information as possible. Explain that they are going to look at images of the other planets, so should make notes on their whiteboards to help them to remember important facts.

Display slide 3 from Slideshow 1 (Space Shuttle launch) and then slide 4 (labelled diagram of the solar system). Draw attention to what can be seen in the diagram.

The challenges are differentiated by the amount of information children are required to provide. Children work co-operatively but draw their own diagrams.

Challenge 1: Children draw a labelled diagram of the solar system

Ask them to use their notes to help them to draw and label a diagram of the solar system and, if they can, add some notes about the planets’ movements. Print out colour copies of the Planets (Resource sheet 3, Collins Connect only).

Write this mnemonic on the board: My Very Educated Mother Just Served Up Nachos.

Ask: How can this help you to remember the order of the planets, in order of distance from the Sun?

Challenge 2: Children draw an annotated, labelled diagram of the solar system.

Ask the children to draw and label a diagram of the solar system showing the Sun, planets and anything else that they know is there.

Ask: Can you show how the planets move in space? What is beyond our solar system?

Challenge 3: Children draw an annotated, labelled diagram of the solar system, noting relative sizes of planets.

Ask the children to draw a labelled diagram of the solar system with as much information as they can about the movement of the planets and anything else in it.

Ask: How can you show sizes of the planets in relation to one another? How can you show other things in space?

While the children are working, group the star questions according to related ideas.

REFLECT AND REVIEW: Ask children to leave their work on the table and look at everyone else’s work. Then ask them to return to their card sort.

Ask: Have you changed your mind about any of your ideas? What changed your mind?

Select ‘star’ questions related to the lesson. Ask children if they found the answers.

They could add answers and new questions to the display as the module progresses.

Display slides 5 and 6 for more information about the solar system and the galaxy.

EVIDENCE OF LEARNING:Observe children as they discuss the card sort. Listen to their questions. Look at their solar system diagrams. Can children ask questions about the solar system? Can they name the planets? Do they draw spherical planets? Do their diagrams show that the planets move around the Sun? Do they evaluate the different sources of information in terms of how well they help to answer their questions?

CROSS-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES: This lesson links to Art with a study of Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’, and to English with children choosing a planet to research for a class ‘Explore a Planet’ book (printed or electronic), including size, duration of orbit, comparison with an Earth year, duration of rotation and comparison with an Earth day.

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