The Solar System - Teacher Explanation

Welcome to lesson 5.14 on the Solar System, an integral part of the Year 5 space unit. This lesson aligns with the national curriculum, aiming to equip pupils with the understanding of the Earth's movement, along with that of other planets, in relation to the Sun. Additionally, it touches upon the spherical nature of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. For practical activities, bamboo skewers will be used with caution due to their sharp ends, and some elements of the lesson will take place outdoors, adhering to the school's outdoor learning policy. Cross-curricular links are abundant, including explorations into various creation myths in RE, plotting graphs in maths, crafting solar system models in art, and devising mnemonics in English to remember the order of the planets.

The lesson delves into the orbital paths of planets, challenging the common misconception that they travel in circular orbits around the Sun. Instead, an engaging activity using string, push pins, and markers will demonstrate that planets follow an elliptical, or egg-shaped, path. This hands-on experience will also provide an opportunity to discuss the effects of the Sun's gravity on planetary motion. In another activity, pupils will analyse data on the planets, such as distance from the Sun and surface temperature, to identify trends and anomalies, like Venus being hotter than Mercury despite its greater distance from the Sun. Finally, the lesson includes a visual scale representation of the solar system, where pupils will create a model using various objects to represent the relative sizes of planets and their distances from the Sun, offering a tangible understanding of the vastness of our cosmic neighbourhood.