Download KS2 Earth and Space

Earth and Space KS2
Join us for a fun-filled, hands-on exploration of our solar system
in our Earth and Space workshop. We explore day and night, shadows, the phases of the
moon and much more.
“Pace, variety and appropriateness of activities were excellent”, Teacher, Newlyn School,
March 2013
Duration
Workshop plus Museum visit up to 4 hours, or outreach session (2 or 3 sessions of 1½ hours each)
Workshop outline
In our Earth, Sun and Moon workshop, we
start off with a look at our solar system, in
inflatable form!
We consider what makes a solar system, the
arrangement of the planets and just how
huge the distances involved are. Pupils will
learn about how gravity keeps our solar
system together. We then focus in to the
Earth with pupils exploring the rotation of
the Earth, day, night and shadows by getting
hands-on with globes and torches. Pupils
can see at first hand why it is that different
parts of the world are in different time
zones. We finish with a look at the phases
of the Moon.
In the afternoon, if you’re visiting the Museum, children show what they’ve learned by making their very
own rotating Earth, Sun and Moon model.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the workshop most pupils will understand:
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That our solar system is made up of the Sun (a star), planets and moons
The Earth rotates on its axis every twenty-four hours. We call this a day.
It is night time in those parts of the globe facing away from the Sun.
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Shadows form when a solid object blocks light from the Sun. Shadows change during the day.
The Earth moves around the Sun once every 365 days. We call this a year.
The Earth is tilted on its axis and this causes the seasons
The Moon moves around the Earth once every 28 days and this leads to the phases of the Moon
National Curriculum Links
Science Year 5
 describe the movement of the Earth, and other planets, relative to the Sun in the solar system
 describe the movement of the Moon relative to the Earth
 describe the Sun, Earth and Moon as approximately spherical bodies
 use the idea of the Earth’s rotation to explain day and night
Suggestions for pre-visit preparation
Before the visit it would be helpful if the class could have done some research about the solar system.
Suggestions for post-visit activities
A suggested list of post-visit activities is available on our website: www.telegraphmuseum.org
Feedback and evaluation
We will give you an evaluation form to complete at the end of the workshop. Please complete this as fully
as you can. Your feedback is very much appreciated and is used to ensure that future workshops meet the
learning needs of your students.