Science Programme of Study

Earth and Space

This unit has been designed for children in Year 5 and meets the requirements
of the 2014 Curriculum.

Introduction to the programme

Earth and Space features in the Year 5 Programme of Study for Science. Through
this unit, children will understand about the relative movement, shapes and sizes of
the Earth, Sun and Moon. They will also learn about the rest of the solar system and
human’s exploration of space.

It is suggested that the study of this unit could be enhanced by a visit to the
DISCOVERIES: Art, Science & Exploration from the University of Cambridge Museums
exhibition at Two Temple Place, London between 31 January and 27 April 2014.
Should this not be possible, it is suggested that a visit to an alternative museum or
gallery could be arranged. However, if no visit is possible, the plans and resources
will work well as a stand-alone unit.

Recommended websites
Websites are referred to in the planning.

Lesson Variations
The session plans for this unit are detailed.

Suggestions have been made about how to differentiate activities for children with
Special Educational Needs, children with English as an additional language, and
children who are gifted and talented.

Each lesson also has a resource list which makes it clear which resources have been
included in this pack, and which need to be sourced at school.

Written by Matilda Munro for TWO TEMPLE PLACE, 2013

Year 5 Earth and Space Session 1
Duration 1 hour. Date: Planned by Matilda Munro for Two Temple Place, 2013

Main teaching Activities - Differentiation Plenary

LO: To show what I already know about the Earth and Space. Activities (in mixed ability groups): Ask the children to share what they’d like to learn about in this
Explain to the children that their next topic in science is ‘Earth 1.Complete mind map answering the following questions: topic. Keep note of their questions (paper flipchart/working wall/
and Space’ - What do I know about the Earth? post-its) and display in class.
This lesson is an opportunity for them to show you what they - What do I know about the Sun? See how many you can cover.
already know, and let you know what they are interested in - What do I know about the Moon?
finding out about.
- What else do I know about Space? End by showing the BBC video to inspire them (all about the birth
Within reason, try to answer as many of their questions as you can
- What would I like to learn about during this topic? of our solar system, and how they are made from star dust).
during the rest of the topic. If you don’t know the answers yourself,
there are lots of great websites out there.
Children to circle their ideas in a colour – they will return to this
Due to the nature of the lesson, you will not be teaching that mind map in the final lesson to add any new ideas and circle in
much – it is time for you to gauge their prior understanding and
a different colour.
any misconceptions. Resources
Q: What do you think of when I say ‘Earth’? (brainstorm)
2. Quiz to show what they already know. Multiple choice. Children
Q: What do you think of when I say ‘Sun’? (bold = in pack)
Q: What do you think of when I say ‘Moon’? to complete in silence. CT can mark, or do peer-marking. Children My Mindmap on Earth and Space
Q: What do you think of when I say ‘Space’? will do identical test at the end – hopefully scores will improve! Earth and Space Quiz

Today is your chance to show me what you know, and what SEN & EAL: Adult support, or HA child to support, with writing/
you are interested in. scribing if necessary. Encourage them to use brainstorm
Ask children to complete Activity 1 at their tables. Give them discussions to support them.
quite a bit of time for this as there is a lot for them to think about,
and write down. G&T: Try to use as much detail as possible to explain what they
know. EG if they know we have seasons because of the earth’s
Then ask the children to complete Activity 2 in silence. You
axis – do they understand WHY?
can read the questions and the options, but make sure children
are not copying each other.

ICT: BBC Clip

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/birth-of-the-solar-
system/9793.html
Ethnic Minority Achievement/English as an additional
language learning strategies: Modelling, Mixed ability groups
Every Child Matters: Enjoy and Achieve
Year 5 Earth and Space Session 2
Duration 1 hour. Date: Planned by Matilda Munro for Two Temple Place, 2013

Main teaching Activities - Differentiation Plenary

L.O.: To learn about the shape and relative sizes of the Earth, Activity 1 (mixed ability groups): Use this website:
Sun and Moon One transparent cup on each table half-filled with water. Each http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/messenger/psc/
CCL - Numeracy child to have a go at putting a pencil in the water, and complete PlanetSize.html
Tell the children that today they are going to be learning about the questions on the sheet:
the shape and sizes of the Earth, Sun and Moon. 1. What do you observe? How does the pencil look? If the Sun is so much bigger than the moon, why do they look
On the board, have circles of different sizes. Ask the class to
(bent where it enters the water) a similar size?
choose three to represent the relative sizes of the Earth, Sun and
2. Does this mean the pencil really is bent? (no)
Moon, and ask them to justify their choices.
3. How do you know? What evidence can you give? (take it
When they have chosen, ask someone who voted for each to
justify their choice. out of the water, feel it)
Tell them that no picture can give a truly accurate idea as the Resources
distances are so huge, as are the differences in their sizes. Activity 2:
Tell the children that for thousands of years, people believed that Fill in missing words on worksheet about direct and indirect (bold = in pack)
the Sun and Moon crossed the sky, one by day and the other by evidence, and the relative sizes of the Earth, Sun and Moon. • Clear plastic cups (1 per table)
night, while the Earth lay still and flat beneath them. It is only in
• Balls from PE cupboard, (including a beach ball)
more recent centuries that scientists and astronomers (people G&T- What challenges do the enormous distances in space give • Peppercorns
who study space) began to realise that the Earth is not flat like a to humans wanting to travel out there?
plate, but roughly spherical (like a ball), and that it goes around • Peas
the Sun (rather than the Sun going around us). • Tiny Beads
SEN and EAL supported in MA tables. • Oranges
Q: What evidence were people using to make them think the
Earth was flat? Worksheet
(Direct evidence of the senses: the Earth looks flat, the Earth feels Muggletonian Print showing the Earth orbiting
flat) the Sun
It was also a question of common sense – before Isaac Newton
came along and explained about gravity to people, they
wouldn’t have accepted the Earth was a sphere, because they
would have thought that the people on the other side of the
planet (Australia) would have fallen off the world.
Q: Were people using good scientific evidence to conclude
the Earth was flat?
(They may say no – but remind them that we often tell them to
use their senses in science, and that evidence of the senses
is useful and necessary – we have to use our senses to make
observations and collect data. There is nothing wrong with saying
that the Earth looks flat – it does look flat! What is wrong is to
jump to the conclusion that because it looks flat, it is flat.
Send the children to their tables to complete activity 1. Then
back to the carpet.
Year 5 Earth and Space Session 2 Continued
Duration 1 hour. Date: Planned by Matilda Munro for Two Temple Place, 2013

Main teaching continued

Introduce the term direct evidence. It is similar to saying ‘first 4. Just over 60 years (see http://www.airspacemag.com/space-
impressions’ – they need to understand that direct evidence exploration/FEATURE-FirstPhoto.html for article on early pictures of
can be misleading. The direct evidence of the beaker of water the Earth from Space).
would suggest the pencil is bent. If we just accept that the
pencil is bent because that it is how it looks, we would be wrong. Show children the BBC video (see below).
We need to check more carefully, and look for other evidence Get children to sit in a circle and put all the spherical objects
to discover the real shape of the pencil. With the pencil, that is in the middle. These will include various sized balls from PE
easy – you can just take it out of the water (this would be using cupboard, as well as an orange, a pea, a peppercorn and
more direct evidence). But that is difficult when we are talking a tiny bead.
about the shape of the planet we live on. Unless we can fly out Ask the children to choose the three that best represent the
into space and have a look, we have to accept other more relative size of the Earth, Sun and Moon.
indirect evidence. [peppercorn = moon, pea = earth, large beach ball = sun].
Tell the children that this is still not quite accurate, but it gives
Discuss the following four pieces of evidence: them an idea.
1. A person saying ‘from the surface of the Earth, the ground
looks flat’ In terms of distance, if you put the peppercorn about 25 cm
2. A person saying, if you watch ships sail out to sea, they seem from the pea, the beach ball needs to be about 93 metres
to get lower and lower and then sink out of sight. away…
3. Travellers who set off in one direction by boat and keep going
Tell children that the practical difficulties of showing the Earth,
end up back where they started.
Sun and Moon to scale is not a bad thing – it just shows
4. Photo of the Earth taken from space.
them how huge the size and distance of the Sun is in relation
For each piece, ask some or all of the following questions:
Q: How strong is the evidence? How direct? to the Earth.
Q: What does the evidence suggest? What is the most Ask the children to complete Activity 2.
obvious conclusion it points to? Could the obvious
conclusion be the wrong one? Show the children an image of the Earth orbiting the sun from the
Q: Could the evidence be misleading? Could it be mid 1800s (the Muggletonian Print). Tell the children that as more
explained away? Could it have been faked or made up? scientific evidence was gathered we learned that this depiction
Children could discuss the evidence and questions in topic was not accurate. The size of the Earth relative to the Sun was
groups and then feed back. much smaller and the distance between the two much greater.

Encourage children to be critical, and point out that scientists,

ICT: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/how-do-we-know-
like detectives, have to look for evidence in this way.
the-earth-is-spherical/2457.html
Finally, ask children how long each piece of evidence has been
around. 1. Always, 2. Since ships were built, 3. Since about 1500. Ethnic Minority Achievement/English as an additional
language learning strategies: Visual support, modelling,
MA groups
Every Child Matters: Enjoy and Achieve
Year 5 Earth and Space Session 3
Duration 2.5 hours. Date: Planned by Matilda Munro for Two Temple Place, 2013

Main teaching Activities - Differentiation Plenary

LO: To understand why our shadows change, and why we Activity 1: Use the shadows worksheet Evaluate shadows investigation as a class.
have day and night. Ask the children to predict what will happen to their shadows When were our shadows shortest?
CCL – Geography, Numeracy during the day, and why. Fill in prediction on the shadow When were they longest?
NB This session will be split over 2 days. On a sunny day, worksheet. Why is this?
please do Activity 1 from first thing in the morning. If it is
overcast, wait for the next sunny day. If that is impossible, there
Activity 2 (pairs)
are web-based alternatives below – but try to do the activity in
Shadow monitoring on the shadows worksheet.
real life whenever possible Children must be warned never to
look directly at the sun. Resources
Activity 3 (class)
Activity 1 (Inside) Modelling rotation of the Earth outside. (bold = in pack)
Q: Why do we have shadows? (A shadow appears when an • Shadows worksheet
object blocks a light source such as the Sun.) SEN and EAL: MA groups. Practical activity. • Chalk
Q: Do you have a shadow in the classroom? Why? (Yes,
• Metre ruler
anywhere there is a source of light, you will cast a shadow.) G&T: Time zone question.
Q: If you are standing outside and the Sun is behind you,
where will your shadow be? (In front of you. Shadows always ALTERNATIVE TASK
point away from the source of light which causes them).
If weather is bad, children to use websites to research the subject Vocabulary:
of shadows (see links) – but the activity should be completed
Activity 2 (Outside) Rotation
when possible.
Go outside. Put children in pairs. One should stand with their Spin
feet together. One partner to draw around the other partner’s
Axis
feet, and then around their shadow. Write child’s initials in feet.
Day
Then swap so both children have been drawn around. Then
Night
each child to measure the length of their shadow using a
metre ruler. Explain how to record results rounded to nearest cm. Light
Try to take measurements at 10am, 11am, noon and 2pm. Dark
(Bear in mind if it is BST, it is noon by the sun at 11am) Get
children to observe what happens to their shadows and
record the lengths in their results table on the shadows worksheet.
Ask the children to consider three explanations for the
changing shape and position of the shadows:
1. The sun moves from one side of the sky to the other.
2. The Sun goes around the Earth
3. The Earth turns around so the Sun seems to move.
Year 5 Earth and Space Session 3 Continued
Duration 2.5 hours. Date:: Planned by Matilda Munro for Two Temple Place, 2013

Main teaching continued

Q: Is the direct evidence of the Sun and the shadows Q: When it is noon in one part of the world, where will it be ICT: shadows website: http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.
enough to tell us which explanation is right? midnight? ac.uk/interactives/science/earthandbeyond/shadows
Ask children to think if they’ve been in a car or a train when the Q: In what direction does the Sun appear to rise? Why? Day and night website:
car or train next to them seems to move, and they thought it Q: In what direction does the Sun appear to set? Why? http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk/interactives
was theirs? This helps to show why the evidence from the senses The direction of sunrise and sunset is caused by the planet science/earthandbeyond/dayandnight
can be explained in different ways – it can mean the vehicle
rotating in an anticlockwise direction. BBC Clip:
you are in is moving past the other one – or that vehicle is
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/day-and-night-on-
passing yours. Similarly, the turning of the Earth means the Sun
Back in the classroom, introduce the words: Rotation, Spin, earth/1874.html Sunrise and Sunset website:
is facing different parts of the surface at different times which
makes it seem to travel across the sky. Axis and discuss their meaning. Tell the children that the http://www.childrensuniversity.manchester.ac.uk/interactives/
scientific explanation for the Earth’s movement is that ‘it spins science/earthandbeyond/sunrisesunset
Activity 3 (Outside). or rotates on its axis’. Ethnic Minority Achievement/English as an additional
Get everyone to link hands in a circle facing outwards. Then Q: How long does it take the Earth to rotate once? language learning strategies: Modelling, visual scaffolding
remove four children. Make them make a smaller circle, hands 24 hours – which we call a day. Every Child Matters: Enjoy and Achieve
joined looking outwards. Tell the large circle it represents the Show the children the Day and Night website.
Sun, and the small circle it represents the Earth. Tell children that Show the children a globe and identify the North and South
the Sun is about 100 times the diameter of the Earth. So if the pole, and where its axis would be. Locate various continents
Earth’s diameter is made from 4 children, how many children
on the globe.
should be making the Sun? About 400 – put this number in
Get a child to stand up to represent the sun.
the context of your school. [Make sure higher ability children
Ask other children to identify where in the world it is day and
understand that although the Sun is 100 times the diameter of
the Earth, it is much bigger than that in terms of volume or night as you rotate the Earth on its axis – NB should rotate
mass] The Sun should stand still. The Earth should rotate in its anticlockwise. Children should see that it is day in China before
circle in an anticlockwise direction [NB – just rotating on its it is day in UK – this explains time difference between countries.
‘axis’ – not orbiting the sun – that is happening in next session]. Show children BBC clip.
Tell the children this explains why the Sun looks like it moves
across the sky. Repeat the activity a few times with other G&T question – where in the world is it the same time as in the
children experiencing the view from ‘Earth’. UK? Despite being far away, South Africa has the same time as
us because we both face the Sun at the same time.
While doing the activity, ask:
Show children Sunrise and sunset clip.
Q: What causes day and night?
Q: Why is it dark at night?
Model how to plot points on axes, and then join the points.
Q: Is it night for the whole planet at the same time or
different times? Then children to complete a graph of the results of their shadow
investigation. Children to use pre drawn axes on results sheet.
Year 5 Earth and Space Session 4
Duration 1 hour Date: Planned by Matilda Munro for Two Temple Place, 2013

Main teaching Activities - Differentiation Plenary

L.O.: To learn about the Earth’s orbit around the Sun MA Pairs. CT to choose a few pairs to show their script/explanations.
CCL: Literacy – Broadcast scripts Children to access video clip by ignite learning. Children to evaluate orally –
Q: What is a year? What do we mean by a year? Q: Why are http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=657 what was really good about their script? Why?
years important in our lives? Children mute sound on laptop. What could they have improved?
Q: Why do we measure time in years? Q: How long is a year? In MA pairs, to write/perform script for the video explaining that
[Discuss birthdays, anniversaries, festivals that come around once
the seasons are caused by the tilt of the earth. Work to be done
a year. Point out that we use year-dates to fix historical events e.g
in Science books.
when pyramids were built.]
Q: How do we divide up our year? (months, weeks, days…) Resources
Let’s return to the original question: SEN and EAL: Supported in MA pairs.
Q: What is a year? (bold = in pack)
Saying 365 days, 52 weeks etc is just ways of dividing up a year G&T: Understanding of leap years. • laptops
– they don’t really explain what a year is. Someone may suggest To make performance as like a documentary as possible, thinking
that the Earth orbits the Sun once a year – and if they do say this, about expression in voice.
accept this answer as the correct one. If not, explain that as well
as spinning on its axis, the Earth also travels around the sun in a
huge circle which we call an ‘orbit’. Vocabulary:
Either use a globe, or children as in previous lesson, to show that
the Earth can rotate on its axis, and orbit the Sun simultaneously. Earth
Important points the children need to learn: Sun
- The Earth orbits the Sun once in a year Axis
- Whilst circling the Sun, the Earth also spins on its axis 365
Tilt
times. This makes 365 days in a year.
Seasons
G&T – It is actually nearer 365 ¼ days – this is why we have a
Rotate
leap year every 4 years.
Q: How do we know what a year is and when a year has Orbit
passed? Light
Q: How did the people from ancient cultures who made the Dark
first calendars know what a year was? Daylight
What did a year mean to them? Energy
It is very difficult to know when the Earth has travelled once North pole
around the Sun – you cannot look at the sky and observe it to South pole
have happened. How do we know a year has passed?
Introduce the concept of ‘seasons’ as ‘times of the year’, and
establish that in a year in the UK there are 4 seasons.
Year 5 Earth and Space Session 4 Continued
Duration 1 hour Date: Planned by Matilda Munro for Two Temple Place, 2013

Main teaching Continued

Q: What are the 4 seasons? What do we associate with each

season? E.g. cold in winter, snow, no leaves on trees etc.
Q: Why would the seasons have been important to ancient
civilisations? (needed to know when to plant and harvest crops).
Therefore they paid close attention to the passing seasons, and
would have noticed they follow each other in a cycle. They started
to make calendars to count the days so they would know when
the seasons were due to change.
Show BBC Clip 1 to explain the Seasons. Get children to record
key vocab they hear on whiteboards. Discuss.
Then play BBC Clip 2. Explain activity.

ICT: BBC Clip 1:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/the-seasonal-movement-
of-the-sun/11178.html
BBC Clip 2:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/the-earths-orbit-around-
the-sun/1592.html
Clip for activity:
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=657
Ethnic Minority Achievement/English as an additional
language learning strategies: Modeling, Repeated task,
Visual scaffolding
Every Child Matters: Enjoy and Achieve
Year 5 Earth and Space Session 5
Duration 1 hour Date: Planned by Matilda Munro for Two Temple Place, 2013

Main teaching Activities - Differentiation Plenary

L.O.: To investigate the Moon’s phases and orbit of the Earth Activity 1 (Mixed Ability pairs): Q.Which website did you enjoy most?
Show class James Nasmyth’s drawing called ‘Copernicus’. Give children time to investigate the three websites below. Q.Why?
By prompting with questions, see if they can guess what the Both involve the children using all of the knowledge they have Q.What did you learn?
drawing shows. Explain that this is a drawing of a crater on the gained so far in terms of orbits.
moon, observed through a telescope by James Nasmyth in the This is a complex topic and research suggests that seeing
1800s, who then drew with chalk what he saw.
it explained in a number of ways helps rather than hinders
Q: What is the moon?
understanding.
Discuss, then show Clip 1 (see below). Resources
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/physical_
Q: What is a month?
Read and discuss the following: processes/earth_sun_moon/play.shtml (bold = in pack)
The first calendar was probably made by the people of BBC game about orbit of earth and moon around sun. Interactive. • laptops
Mesopotamia (where Iran is now) about 6000 years ago. http://www.earthsunmoon.co.uk/ • Image of James Nasmyth’s drawing of a lunar crater
Calendars were needed to help farmers know when to plant their Good interactive website. Can be designed for 2 players/children.
crops ready for the summer, and when to pick them before the Games mixed with research
winter came. They also needed to know when rain would be http://engineeringinteract.org/resources/astroadventure/
likely to fall, or rivers likely to flood. So they took a lot of interest in astroadventurelink.htm
the changing seasons. They noticed that the seasons followed a Astroadventure made by Cambridge University Vocabulary:
regular pattern, or cycle: spring, summer, autumn, winter. We call
this cycle one year. Moon
SEN and EAL: MA pairs
The trouble is, seasons do not start and finish on one particular Month
day each year. Spring arrives late some years, and summer may Crescent
stretch on longer in some years than others. People needed G&T: Supporting partner. Try to remember as much information as
Full
some more accurate way in which to divide up the year. Some possible – could quiz each other.
Satellite
of the sky-watchers (astronomers) noticed that the Sun was not
Natural
the only object that seemed to move across the sky. So did the
moon. Also the moon changed its shape from a thin crescent Man-made
like a thumbnail (called the New Moon) to a complete circle (full
moon) and back again to a new moon, roughly every 28 nights.
The astronomers noticed that this cycle happened between 12
and 13 times a year. That is why, to this day, we divide a year up
into months (moons).
Q: What do we see when we look at the Moon each night for
a month?
Year 5 Earth and Space Session 5 Continued
Duration 1 hour. Date: Planned by Matilda Munro for Two Temple Place, 2013

Main teaching continued

Show Clip 2 (see below).

If you feel the children would benefit from it, you could repeat the
activity from session 2 and add the Moon. Ensure that 1 child is the
Moon, and 4 are Earth to reinforce the ¼ size fact. Also ensure that
the Moon always faces the Earth eg always look at the Earth since
we always see the same side of the Moon from Earth.
Because the Moon orbits the Earth, we call it a satellite of the
Earth. Now humans have put lots of man-made satellites into
space which orbit the Earth – so some people call the moon a
‘natural satellite’ Ask the children to record the following facts
about the Moon in their books:

1. It is about a quarter of the size of Earth

2. It is about 250,000 miles away in space
3. It orbits the Earth in the same direction as the Earth is spinning
and takes about 28 days to complete its orbit.

ICT: Clip 1:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/what-does-the-moon-look-
like-why/8957.html
Clip 2:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/the-moon-and-its-orbit-
around-the-earth/1596.html
Ethnic Minority Achievement/English as an additional
language learning strategies: Modelling, interactive, MA pairs
Every Child Matters: Enjoy and achieve
Year 5 Earth and Space Session 6
Duration 1.5 hours. Date: Planned by Matilda Munro for Two Temple Place, 2013

Main teaching Activities - Differentiation Plenary

L.O.: To learn about our Solar System and man’s journeys into Use website to research solar system: Show the Orrery and discuss how it is a model to show the
space. http://www.spacekids.co.uk/solarsystem/ movement of the planets.
CCL.: Literacy Use this website to research living on a space station: Q: What do you notice? (Uranus is missing)
Q: Do you think sending humans into space is a good idea? http://www.esa.int/esaKIDSen/SEM52JWJD1E_LifeinSpace_0.html Q: Why would that be? (It had not been discovered yet)
Why or why not? Q: How many planets are there in our solar system?
Q: Do you think everyone agrees with you?
In pairs, imagine that one of you is an astronaut who’s just got back 8 – Pluto was down-graded in 2006.
Q: What are the pros and cons for spending money on space
from a journey through our solar system. Q: What are their names?
exploration?
First as a pair brainstorm questions you might like to ask. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Examples: Pros – technology developed for space travel has
ended up benefiting life on earth such as earthquake prediction Then use the websites to find what the answers might be. Try to be
systems, robotic hands, toothpaste tubes, food packaging. as realistic as you can – and include as much scientific information Explain concept of a mnemonic to help remember the names.
Cons – waste of money. Should be spent on hospitals/schools etc. as you can. Some fun ideas on Wikipedia including a physical one using fingers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary_mnemonic
Q: What challenges are faced by astronauts working in space, Finally, put your questions and answers into a script for a radio show
for example in the International Space Station? designed for kids about space. As many pairs as possible to do their performance to the class.
Show clip 1.
Q: What difficulties did she face which we didn’t think of? SEN and EAL: Supported in MA pairs.
Q: Who thinks they might like to be an astronaut? Why?
Show clip 2.
G&T: Ensure performance is appropriate for radio, and geared Resources
towards an audience of children.
Explain the main activity to the children.
Model brainstorming possible questions but leave room for the (bold = in pack)
children to come up with their own. Image of Orrery
Model using the saved websites to find the answers.

ICT: Clip 1:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/weightlessness-in-
space/1600.html
Clip 2:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/what-is-it-like-to-be-an-
astronaut/5683.html

Ethnic Minority Achievement/English as an additional

language learning strategies:
Every Child Matters: Enjoy and Achieve, positive contribution
Year 5 Earth and Space Session 7
Duration 1.5 hours. Date: Planned by Matilda Munro for Two Temple Place, 2013

Main teaching Activities - Differentiation Plenary

L.O.: To show what I have learned about the Earth, Sun and Moon. Activity 1: Complete evaluations of topic.
Begin by asking children to complete their assessment activities. Repeat mindmap from Session 1.
They should complete a new mindmap and quiz as in Session 1.
Activity 2:
When the assessment is complete, the children can show more Earth, Sun and Moon Quiz.
performances from Session 7. Resources
Activity 3:
If they have completed everything, including their evaluations, (bold = in pack)
Finishing off interviews.
and you still have time, please get them to create their own poster Earth, Sun and Moon Quiz
about how space exploration has been useful to life on earth using
the website below. Activity 4:
Further investigation to do with the usefulness of space exploration
ICT: using website.
http://www.esa.int/esaKIDSen/Spacespinoffs.html
SEN and EAL: Supported in MA pairs.
Ethnic Minority Achievement/English as an additional
language learning strategies: MA Pairs, visual scaffolding G&T: What did they find most challenging in this topic?
Every Child Matters: Enjoy and Achieve
Why? How would they explain that aspect to another
child next year?
 My Mindmap on Earth and Space
You will be showing me what you already know today, and at the end of our topic,
we will look back at this mindmap and you will be able to see how much you have learned!

What do I know What do I know What do I know

about the Earth? about the Moon? about Space?

What do I know What would I like to

about the Sun? learn during this topic?

Science - Year 5 - Earth and Space - Worksheet Session 1

Earth and Space Quiz
L.O.: To show what I already know about Earth and Space
Choose the answer you think is correct, and circle or tick it.

1. What shape are the Earth, 5 How long does it take the Earth
Sun and Moon? to turn once on its axis?
Round and flat 24 hours
Cuboid 12 hours
Roughly spherical 6 hours

2. Which is largest: the Earth, 6. Which part of the Earth

Sun or Moon? is in daylight?
The Earth The part facing the Sun
The Sun The part facing away from the Sun
The Moon The part facing the Moon

3. How long does it take the Earth 7. Which of these is NOT true?
to travel once around the Sun? The Sun rises in the east and sets
24 hours in the west
28 days The Sun is highest in the sky at midday
12 months The Sun moves westwards around
the Earth

4. How long does it take the

Moon to travel once around 8. Why does the Moon seem to
the Earth? change shape?
24 hours Because it gets bigger and smaller
28 days Because we only see the part of the
12 months Moon that is lit by the Sun
Because sometimes it is cloudy

Science - Year 5 - Earth and Space - Quiz Session 1

9. Imagine you were standing 11. How many planets are there in our
underneath a tree. When would the solar system?
shadow of the tree be shortest? 9
At sunrise 8
At midday 10
At sunset

BONUS: Can you name them?

10. Why, in some parts of the world,
...........................................................
are the days longer in the summer
than in the winter? ...........................................................
Because the Earth is tilted as it moves ............................................................
around the Sun
............................................................
Because the Sun gets brighter in
the summer ............................................................
Because the Earth spins more slowly
............................................................
in the summer
............................................................

............................................................

............................................................

............................................................

Science - Year 5 - Earth and Space - Quiz Session 1

L.O.: To learn about the shape and relative
sizes of the Earth, Sun and Moon

Activity 1:
Pencil and Water Experiment: Put the pencil in the water.

1. What do you observe? How does the pencil look?

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

2. Does this mean the pencil really is bent?

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

3. How do you know? What evidence can you give?

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

Activity 2:
Think about the shape of the Earth.

1. What shape is the Earth?

...........................................................................................................................
2. Give an example of direct evidence that the Earth is this shape:
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

Science - Year 5 - Earth and Space - Worksheet Session 2

3. Give an example of indirect evidence that the Earth is this shape:
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

Now think about the size of the Earth.

If the Earth was the size of a pea, the Moon would be the size of a...............
..................... and the Sun would be the size of a...................................

Science - Year 5 - Earth and Space - Worksheet Session 2

Shadows
L.O: To understand why our shadows change, and why
we have day and night.

Prediction:
I think that during the day my shadow will
A) stay the same
B) change
I think this is right because
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................

I think that my shadow will be longest at........................................(insert time)

I think that my shadow will be shortest at.......................................(insert time)

Results
Time Length of my shadow in centimetres (to nearest cm)
10:00am
11:00am
12:00pm
2:00pm

Science - Year 5 - Earth and Space - Worksheet Session 3

A graph to show the length of my shadow during the day

Science - Year 5 - Earth and Space - Worksheet Session 3

Earth, Sun and Moon Quiz
L.O.: To show what I learned about the Earth, Sun and Moon
Choose the answer you think is correct, and circle or tick it.

1. What shape are the Earth, 5 How long does it take the Earth
Sun and Moon? to turn once on its axis?
Round and flat 24 hours
Cuboid 12 hours
Roughly spherical 6 hours

2. Which is largest: the Earth, 6. Which part of the Earth

Sun or Moon? is in daylight?
The Earth The part facing the Sun
The Sun The part facing away from the Sun
The Moon The part facing the Moon

3. How long does it take the Earth 7. Which of these is NOT true?
to travel once around the Sun? The Sun rises in the east and sets
24 hours in the west
28 days The Sun is highest in the sky at midday
12 months The Sun moves westwards around
the Earth

4. How long does it take the

Moon to travel once around 8. Why does the Moon seem to
the Earth? change shape?
24 hours Because it gets bigger and smaller
28 days Because we only see the part of the
12 months Moon that is lit by the Sun
Because sometimes it is cloudy

Science - Year 5 - Earth and Space - Quiz Session 7

9. Imagine you were standing 11. How many planets are there in our
underneath a tree. When would the solar system?
shadow of the tree be shortest? 9
At sunrise 8
At midday 10
At sunset

BONUS: Can you name them?

10. Why, in some parts of the world,
...........................................................
are the days longer in the summer
than in the winter? ...........................................................
Because the Earth is tilted as it moves ............................................................
around the Sun
............................................................
Because the Sun gets brighter in
the summer ............................................................
Because the Earth spins more slowly
............................................................
in the summer
............................................................

............................................................

............................................................

............................................................

Science - Year 5 - Earth and Space - Quiz Session 7

Science - Year 5 - Earth and Space ORRERY from The Whipple Museum of the History of Science
Science - Year 5 - Earth and Space MUGGLETONIAN PLANETARY PRINT PLATE 6 from The Whipple Museum of the History of Science
Science - Year 5 - Earth and Space COPERNICUS BY JAMES NASMYTH from The Fitzwilliam Museum