Science

This term we will be learning about the Planets and Space.

Activity 1

This week we will learn about the order of the planets and how they move in the solar system.

Read the fact cards about planets and using clues from the cards order the planets in the correct order from closest to farthest from the sun. Helpful hint: read about how many miles each planet is from the sun.

Further information relating to this topic can be found on the two weblinks below.

Activity 2

Last week you learned about the 8 planets in our solar system.

Read some more facts below:

Rocky planet facts

• The four rocky planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.
• They are the closest four planets to the Sun.
• They are made of rocks and metals.
• They have a solid surface and a core which is mainly made of iron.
• They are much smaller than the gas planets and rotate more slowly.

Gas planet facts

• The gas planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
• They are the furthest planets from the Sun.
• They each have many moons.
• They are much bigger than the rocky planets.
• They are balls of hydrogen and helium - you could not stand on the surface of the planet because it's not solid.

FUN FACT: Scientists used to think that Pluto was the 9^th planet in our solar system. However, in 2006 scientists changed their minds and decided that Pluto is actually a dwarf planet. It joins Ceres, Makemake, Haumea and Eris.

Watch the video below on how the solar system formed and then make a cartoon strip to tell the story. Look at the cartoon strip below for ideas of layout.

Activity 3

How do we know that the Earth is spherical? Watch the video below to find out.

Learn about the Earth’s orbit around the sun.

• The earth is always spinning on its axis. It takes 24 hours (one day) to make a complete turn. We call this the Earth’s rotation.
• The Earth also travels around the sun. This is the Earth’s revolution.
• The earth spins on its axis whilst it is travelling around the sun. The earth will spin around 365 times in one complete rotation. Therefore, the earth takes 365 days (one year) to travel all the way around the sun.

We do not feel the Earth spinning on its axis because everything around us is moving in the same way. The most obvious way to tell that the Earth is spinning is to watch the Sun, Moon and stars as they appear to move across the sky. The Earth's rotation on its axis explains day and night - half of the Earth faces the Sun and it is day here, and the other half of the Earth is in the Earth's shadow and it is night here.

Read the information below about planet orbits and then answer the questions.

Orbit  - the curved path in which a planet, satellite, or spacecraft moves in a circle around a sun or another planet.

Activity 4

The Moon

Watch the videos below to learn about the Earth's moon.