The Earth, Moon and Sun Including the International Space Station

The Earth, Moon and Sun including the International Space Station

Michael Fletcher-Hunt Education Consultant,The LiNCS Cluster, Sefton Merseyside

Primary Science Teaching Trust Project 3 years: 2012-15 involving 30 of the 90 schools (5 Special, 7 Secondary and 18 Primary) in Sefton LA on Merseyside.

Focus / Year 5 Science National Curriculum: Earth and Space / Teacher Activity / Pupil task and resources
Idea 1 / Describe the Sun, Earth and Moon as approximately spherical bodies
Earth is the odd one out - YOU cannot see it all - perspective views from the International Space Station only shows part of the Earth’s curvature.

It takes ISS 90minutes to orbit planet Earth
In one day astronauts see 16 sunrises and sunsets
Every orbit is different due to drops in altitude
During the orbit ISS is between 230 and 286 miles (370-460km) above the Earth’s surface

Assessment:
It’s possible for pupils to film all these activities using an Ipad and provide their own commentary to show understanding.
Speaking and listening opportunity
Ipad Apps: / 1.Earth, Moon and Sun study

Show picture of the Earth, Moon and Sun – which is the odd one out?

How can we prove the Earth is round?

Demonstrate a ship on the horizon
2. Moon study
Earthrise image –Apollo 11
3. Sun study
H/S: Importance of never looking at the Sun – using secondary sources only
4. Show the relative sizes of Earth, Moon and Sun to pupils. / 3 internet pictures – google images
Collect ideas on a flip chart
Characteristics of each based on pupils knowledge
Google the question – group work/independent learning
Globe ( a sphere) and small boat

Use the Moonsaic photo graphs as a jigsaw – time the completion of the puzzle from NSO:JMU Liverpool

Get a telescope on the school yard and look at the Moon
‘Rotating Sun from NASA’ –youtube
Produce a Sun folder: using Internet images – size, distance and it’s a spinning fixed star of gas
Make a scale model on school field
Idea 2a / Describe the movement of the Earth
Ipad Apps: / 1.Use BBC DVD 2012
Orbit Earth’s Extraordinary Journey Amazon £6.00
2. Breaking the orbit down into days or globe spins – relate to Children’s Birthdays in the class
3. Show that as the Earth spins and moves around the Sun during its orbit it takes up different positions.
4.Each position causes changes of temperature on the Earth’s surface / Get the pupils to film the orbit of the Earth from the DVD using an iPad.
Put the clip into powerpoint presentation and add notes.
365 and a quarter to go around the Sun.
Use 365 pennies on a table in a circle (not quite)
Demonstrate it in the school hall with 365 A4 sheets each with a circle on the base for a Earth. a Photograph it for future use/years.
Pupils make a table top orbit.
Use 4 globes and simple labels.
Put data loggers on a globe at different latitudes (local secondary school support)
Children annotate worksheets for December and June positions ( The Seasons)
Idea 2b / Describe the movement of the other planets relative to the Sun
In the solar system
Posters are wrong
Make a Fruit Solar System
Make a 1 metre Solar system

Mark 0 cm - its Sun
Fold in half – its Uranus
Fold into 4 – lay flat on table
Quarter 1/4 -its Saturn (closest to Sun)
Quarter 3/4 – its Neptune
Fold Sun to Saturn (1/8)
Fold again its Jupiter at 1/16
We have the 4 giants gas planets
Fold the first 1/8 i.e. (1/16)
It’s the Asteroid Belt
Sun to 1/16 –its Mars
Not precise now and 3 planets to go
Fold into 1/32 – 3 creases
Earth nearest Mars
Venus in the middle
Mercury nearest Sun

Source: To scale the Solar System
Ipads Apps: / 1.Divide the pupils into groups of 4 (A, B, C and D ) invite As to teacher desk- each pupil takes a separate envelope containing a similar unseen solar system poster picture – they are allowed to look at it for 30secs.
2. How far are the planets apart?
3. The teacher directs the class to make a solar system to put in their pocket to take home and show their parents.
4.Name the planets
-mobiles/models/posters
5.Sizes : Show the photograph
/3349/planets-in –order-of-size
6. Distances: Show the clip:
To Scale: The Solar System-You Tube
7.Build a planetary walk in the school ground / Children go back to their group and draw from memory what they can remember for 1 min. Then invite Bs up and so on until Ds. They build up the poster image in a drawing. The class compare the finished posters as class activity.
On a blank a metre tape, ask the Children to make ‘educated guesses’ the relative positions of the planets in the solar system.
Make a 1 metre Solar system
Children compare the two tapes and discuss the issue of size and distances.
Children are asked to devise mnemonics to remember the planet order in the Solar System
Class discuss the sizes of the planets – cut up and put in order – why –gases and metal contents
Class discuss the 7min clip with a focus on the size of the Sun and the balloon at the end.
Children make a planetary model with them acting as planets.
Idea 3 / Describe the movement of the Moon relative to the Earth
What the pupil must know to be able to explain the Phases of the moon
Because the positions of the Earth, Moon and Mun vary thought the month the shape of the moon from earth varies.
The phase of the moon depends on where the Earth is relative to the moon and sun. The moon changes each night.
When you see the moon think where is the sun.
The Sun is illuminating the Moon
Ipad Apps: / 1.Revisit Moonsaic
2.Obtain ‘images for moon flip book template’
3.Talk about the features of the moon by asking the class – build up on a flip chart/board- Facts about the Moon
4.Play theme music of the opening scene from 2001 Space Odyssey showing Earth, Moon and Sun.
5.Make a model of the three together. Use it to explain
New and full moon
6.Construct a Moon Box
How to make a moon box

7.Teacher puts a Moon cycle template worksheet on the board and gives a recap test about the moon. / Children will complete their own Moon Flip Book

Can see it night
See it in parts
Can see it in daylight
Light from the Sun reflected
Moves 29 days around the Earth
Spins-don’t notice it from Earth
30 Earths away
Eclipse seen

Show a thoto model – artists concept of all three aligned in space
Pupils make an individual ‘Moon flip book’ by completing Full moon and New moon templates.
Pupils use the Moon box to complete the other phases of the moon cycle recording in their individual ‘Moon flip book’.
Pupils giving a correct answer get a biscuit and place a shaped errollbiscuit on the template on the
Board.
Idea 4a / Use the idea of the Earth’s rotation to explain day and night
Ipad Apps: / 1.Show the BBC Bitesize clip:
How do we get day or night?
10.10.07( 1min 39 secs)
2.Use
3.Use
4.Use
Or
Or www.spotthestation.nasa.gov / Watch the clip and ask the children working in groups of 4 using a globe, plastic figure and blu tac to make their model and provide an explanation no longer than 2 minutes recorded on the class Ipad.
Children can use a world map to find out which countries are in dark when they are in light.
Children can check using webcam searches – if it really is dark there now?
Where the International Space Station now?
Is it seeing day or night now?
Idea 4b / And the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky
This is a contradiction between the everyday and scientific explanation

It appears the Sun is moving across the sky
The Sun is fixed and spins
The Earth moves around the Sun

Ipad Apps: / 5.Make a shadow stick
6.Ask the children what is happening every 15minutes?
7.Create a visible path on the transparent dome
8.Determine sunrise , height at noon and sunset / Ask the children to explain what a shadow is.
Mark the shadows made by the Sun on a table or window ledge
Why do shadows move?
Get the pupils to map the movement of the Earth towards the Sun with markers