Science Year 5 Physics Strand: Earth and space

Children find fascinating facts about the Sun, Moon & Earth & develop an understanding of day & night, the four seasons & the Moon’s phases. The Sun & the planets making up our Solar System are investigated, along with the other stars in their constellations.

Descriptions of Sessions

Session A
Earth, Moon & Sun / The world is in their hands in this session along with the Moon and the Sun! Children create drawn scale models of each and use a trundle wheel to measure scaled distances between them. Find out about Copernicus & Galileo’s theory of a heliocentric solar system.
Session B
Day & night / In this session children shed light on why day and night occur on Earth why day length changes throughout the year. They investigate movement & length of shadows during a sunny day –a sundial. Graph changes in day length during the year.
Session C
Eclipses & seasons / The Sun’s a million times larger in volume than the Earth so how can its rays be obscured by the much smaller Earth & Moon? Children discover how eclipses are created how the Earth’s tilt on its axis creates seasons. Then describe the seasons in the UK.
Session D
Moon phases / Children discover that the Moon isn’t made of cheese find out why it appears to change shape in the night sky. They look at the lunar cycle use the correct terminology.Study the life of Neil Armstrong & find out about the first men to walk on the Moon.
Session E
Stars / Children have stars in their eyes as they find out that the Sun is one star in the galaxy called the Milky Way, which is just one galaxy in the universe.Children identify common constellations. They then take a safe look at sun spots on the surface of the sun.
Session F
Planets / In this session children blast off to the far flung corners of the galaxy to find out more about the planets that make up our solar system. They investigate their distances from the Sun & collect data for a fact file to report back to the rest of the class.
Session G
Solar system / Look at photographs of Stonehenge & discuss how this may have been built as an astronomical clock a long time ago. Challenge children to show their own understanding of the solar system by creating a simple mobile orrery.

Science Strands UKS2

Year 5 / Year 6
Living things and their habitatsBiology / Living things and their habitatsBiology
Animals, including humans Biology / Animals, including humans Biology
Evolution and inheritance Biology
Properties and changes of materialsChemistry
Earth and spacePhysics / Light Physics
ForcesPhysics / Electricity Physics

Hamilton Trust

Science Year 5

Physics Strand

Earth and space

© Hamilton Trust 2013 Y5 - Science