Check it! - Space - Year 5

A Year 5 lesson plan invites students to explore and consolidate their understanding of the Sun, Earth, Moon, and the planets within our solar system. The key to deepening their knowledge is through regular review sessions. The lesson suggests dynamic activities such as 'Brain dump', where children pour out all they know, 'Give me FIVE!', which prompts them to list five related facts, 'Add to my mind map' to visually connect new information, 'Expand and Elaborate' to encourage detailed explanations, and 'Retrieval Pyramids' to structure the recall of information from memory. These varied approaches aim to make the review process engaging and effective, ensuring that students can confidently recall and expand upon what they've learned about our celestial neighbours.

The lesson plan includes specific challenges to test the students' knowledge, such as listing six interesting facts about the solar system, naming five planets, identifying the planet closest to the Sun, and determining which planet has more than one moon. Students are also asked to name the largest planet, explain the significance of the Sun for life on Earth, describe the Moon's appearance and why it seems to change shape, and discuss the time it takes for Earth to orbit the Sun. Additionally, they are encouraged to think about which is the coldest planet and why. These exercises are designed with varying levels of difficulty to ensure that all pupils can engage with the content, from those just starting to learn to those ready for more complex challenges.