5E Earth, Sun and Moon

Resources needed: Interactive whiteboard, united streaming.com videos, Ginn and CGP Science books
Week 1
QCA Learning Objective

Teaching and Learning Activities Introduction Brainstorm individually in books what the children know about the Earth, Sun and Moon in terms of; size and shape, positions in the solar system, orbit times, the suns position during the day etc. Get them to draw and explain a picture showing how these would look to a traveller in space Discuss the childrens ideas and record on post-it notes to create display this can be added to, as the topic progresses Look at Google Earth and discuss the benefits and features of it Complete the short quiz in CGP P.1 Solar system Read through the Solar System interactive PP and answer the questions http://www.engineeringinteract.org/resources.htm Orbits Look at BBC animation and quiz. The animation is excellent for showing orbits. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/activities/earth_sun_moon.shtml Watch Our Home in Space. (15:00) (Specifically The Sun and Earth and Moon and Earth) Draw and label the Earth, Sun and Moon and their orbits Homework: Watch Sky Above, The: A First Look . (17:00)

To discuss the concepts related to the Earth, Sun and Moon

To draw and label a diagram showing the earth and moon orbiting the sun

To know the shape of the Earth, Sun and Moon To calculate the difference in sizes between them To know the relative sizes of the Sun, Moon and Earth To draw and describe some indirect evidence that the Earth is spherical To research early ideas and theories about the earths shape

Shape and Size Discuss the shape and size of the Earth, Sun and Moon in comparison to each other Children suggest ways we can prove the Earth, Sun and Moon are spherical (Use the Ginn book for more ideas) Look at the website which shows a flat earth from space and how some of the earth is light, some dark, discuss http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/ Using a selection of balls, the children choose three balls to represent the Earth, Sun and Moon. (football, beach ball, tennis ball, pea, ball bearing, peppercorn, tiny beads about 1/4 size of pea, table tennis ball etc) Children explain why they have chosen the three spheres. Using data from the Ginn book on the size of the Earth, Sun and Moon, calculate the difference in size between them Discuss whether their ball choices were good ones Draw a scale, labelled diagram illustrating the difference in size and ways to prove the earth is spherical In groups of 3, the children will take on the role of the three spheres and position themselves in the playground to give an idea of their relative distances apart. Then they will experiment with orbitting Review todays work with .. The sun interactive PP and quiz http://www.engineeringinteract.org/resources.htm Homework: It is only in the last 40 years that we have photographic evidence from space about the Earth being spherical. The children will find out some earlier ideas about whether the Earth was flat or spherical and what evidence people used to support their ideas.

To explain that the apparent movement of the Sun is a result of the Earth rotating

Suns position Discuss what the children have learnt so far about the movement of the Earth and Sun Read through the Earth interactive PP and answer the questions http://www.engineeringinteract.org/resources.htm

or spinning To know that the Earth spins on its axis once every 24 hours

http://wsgfl2.westsussex.gov.uk/aplaws/intergames/science/v5_ShadowsOfTime_2.swf To prove this is correct, observe the length and position of the shadow of a stick set up in the playground at different times of a day Predict what the children think will happen to the shadow length and position during the day Draw and explain their beliefs

To explain that it is Day and night daytime in the part Demonstrate how only half of the Earth is lit up by the Sun of the Earth facing Refer to the animations from previous websites the Sun and night Watch Day and Night (01:08) from This is Our World. (15:00) and discuss time in the part of Watch The Earth's Tilt on Its Axis and the Sun's Rays. (00:50) the Earth away Complete the CGP activities on day and night from the Sun 4 To know that the Sun rises in the general direction of the east and sets in the west To draw a line graph of sunrise Finish with a little quiz http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/tests/earth_sun_moon.shtml Homework: Complete the Solar System cyberhunt http://www.btinternet.com/~tony.poulter/cyberhunts/sosystem.htm

Sunrise and sunset Discuss where the sun rises and sets, prove their ideas by using a compass to observe and record, on several days in the winter, the direction of the Sun or of shadows from the Sun when it has just risen and just before it sets Watch Measuring Time Using the Sun and Moon.(02:55) and discuss Using sunrise and sunset data from Ginn Science or http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/website/project/index.htm http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/time/length.htm Discuss what the times are showing us how the daylight hours get longer and shorter during the year

and sunset times colouring it appropriately To draw conclusions from the data

Children will draw lines graphs to show this information pictorally and then write several paragraphs to explain their findings Discuss whether it is dark or light when they get up in the winter and summer and what sorts of activities they can do on winter and summer evenings

To explain that the southern and northern hemispheres have different seasons at Homework: To undertake some research on the Moon and its phases, ready for the next lesson the same time To explain the The Moon pattern and time Discuss what the children know about the moon from their independent research scale of the What shape is the moon? changes in the http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/science/what_shape_the_moon/index.htm Moons Read through the Moon interactive PP and answer the questions appearance over 28 http://www.engineeringinteract.org/resources.htm days http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/time/moon/phases.html To describe the different appearances of the Moon over 28 days To know that we only see one side of the moon Watch TLC Elementary School: The Moon and Beyond. (24:40) The children will make notes on the video and discuss what they have seen Model the Moons orbit round the Earth. A child will walk round a group of children representing the Earth so that the child representing the Moon always faces the Earth. http://www.footprints-science.co.uk/moon.htm Children describe the movement of the Moon. As it goes round the Earth it turns so that the same side always

Seasons Recap on what a year is and what happens to the Earth during this time Watch segments 8, 9, 10 of Reasons for the Seasons, The. (26:05) Discuss the seasons using Earth http://www.engineeringinteract.org/resources.htm http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/time/seasons.htm Children write and draw a labelled diagram to illustrate the reasons for the seasons

Game Using all the information and concepts learnt throughout the topic, the children will design and make a Earth, Sun and Moon game with challenging, but answerable questions Complete for homework END OF UNIT ASSESSSMENT

faces the Earth. Watch Sky Above, The: A First Look . (17:00) Segments 10-13 Describe the changes in the moons appearance over the 28 day cycle using appropriate diagrams and vocabulary. Homework: Complete the 22 SATS type questions http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/revision/Science/night.html