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How the solar system works

Science Year 5
This unit is part of Year 5 Science Space Presenters

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Objectives

Can you build your own orrery to demonstrate how the solar system works? It’s time to decide what will make the final cut in your first Stargazing episode.

Science Objectives
i) Describe the movement of the Earth, and other planets, relative to the Sun in the solar system.

ii) Describe the Sun, Earth and Moon as approximately spherical bodies.

Working Scientifically

  1. Report and present findings from enquiries, including conclusions, causal relationships and explanations of and degree of trust in results, in oral and written forms.
  2. Identify scientific evidence that has been used to support or refute ideas or arguments.

Lesson Planning

Teaching

  • Understand the difference between geo and heliocentric solar system and how views have evolved.
  • Reconstruct a model of the solar system in the form of an orrery.
  • Present information and findings in the form of a video programme.

Activities

  1. Know the difference between geo and heliocentric solar system and how views have evolved.
  2. Build an orrery of our solar system.
  3. Create episode one of Stargazing which explains how the solar system works and what is in it.

Investigation - exploring/analysing secondary sources
Create an orrery to explore heliocentricity.

Vocabulary
Earth, planets, Sun, solar system, sphere/spherical, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, orbit, geocentric & heliocentric models, opinion/fact, accuracy, precision, scatter graphs, line graphs, support/refute, orrery

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