Planets on the Move - PowerPoint

In an engaging PowerPoint presentation designed for Year 5 students, the topic of "Planets on the Move" within the Earth and Space science curriculum is explored. The presentation aims to educate students about the movements of the planets in our solar system, particularly their orbits around the Sun. It begins by stating a fascinating fact that everything in the Universe, including Earth, is moving at a significant speed through space. The focus then shifts to the Sun, which is established as the centre of our solar system, and the Earth's circular path around it, known as an orbit. Students learn that one complete orbit of the Sun by Earth takes 365¼ days, which is why we have leap years to account for the extra quarter day accumulated over four years.

The PowerPoint further explains that while Earth orbits the Sun, it is also spinning on its axis, which takes 24 hours and results in the day and night cycle. This concept is mirrored by our Moon's orbit around Earth, which takes 28 days to complete. In addition to Earth's movements, the presentation delves into the orbits and rotations of the other planets in our solar system. For example, Mercury has the shortest orbit around the Sun at 88 Earth days, while Neptune has the longest, taking 165 Earth years. The presentation also highlights the varying lengths of days on different planets, such as Venus, where a day is longer than a year. The crucial role of the Sun's gravity in maintaining the planets' orbits and preventing them from drifting into space is explained before the students are invited to answer questions to reinforce their understanding of the solar system's dynamics.