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

1. Name the planets in the correct order.
2. Describe the movement of the Earth and other planets relative to the Sun.
3. Describe the Sun, Earth and Moon as approximately spherical.
4. Explain day and night.
5. 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