National curriculum content
- Describe the movement of the Earth and other planets relative to the Sun in the Solar System.
- Describe the movement of the Moon relative to the Earth.
- Describe the Sun, Earth and Moon as approximately spherical bodies.
- Use the idea of the Earth’s rotation to explain day and night and the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky
Lesson objectives
- Name the planets in the correct order.
- Describe the movement of the Earth and other planets relative to the Sun.
- Describe the Sun, Earth and Moon as approximately spherical.
- Explain day and night.
- Describe the movement of the Moon relative to the Earth.
What we want children to know
- That the Sun is a star at the centre of our solar system.
- That it is unsafe to look directly at the Sun.
- That our solar system has eight planets in a defined order.
- That the planets are approximately spherical.
- How to use a model of the Earth and Sun to explain day and night.
- That a moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet.
- That ideas about the solar system have changed over time.
What skills we want children to develop
- Plan different types of scientific enquiries to answer questions.
- Take measurements, using a range of scientific equipment, with increasing accuracy and precision, taking repeat readings when appropriate.
- Record data and results of increasing complexity using scientific diagrams and labels, classification keys, tables, scatter graphs, bar and line graphs.
- Use test results to make predictions to set up further comparative and fair tests.
- Report and present findings from enquiries.
- Identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments.
Vocabulary
daytime, geocentric, heliocentric, night-time, orbit, planet, solar system, star, Sun, time zone