Autumn 1 – Earth and Space

This half-term in science, the children will be exploring Earth and space. They will learn about the movement of the Earth, Moon and planets, describe them as spherical bodies, and use the Earth’s rotation to explain day, night and the Sun’s movement across the sky.

The children have started their learning by exploring the two theories associated with our solar system, the heliocentric and geocentric  theories. They explored both models and why people believed in the geocentric theory to begin with and how over time, with new technology, people began to change their mind and begin to understand that the heliocentric theory was correct. 

The children drew both models and explained what they represented. 

This week the children were thinking about the different planets in our solar system and their size in comparison to each other. The children followed instructions to construct the solar system using playdough.

The children were exploring and describing the movement of the Earth and other planets relative to the sun in the solar system. They identified the distance of the planets from the sun and concluded that the further a planet is from the sun, the longer its orbit and therefore its year.

The children had lots of fun in their science lesson exploring how and why the Moon’s shape appears to change. They identified and named the different phases of the Moon by carrying out an Oreo cookie experiment, which helped them understand that the Moon reflects sunlight as it orbits the Earth. Through this practical activity, the children were also able to describe that the Moon orbits the Earth approximately once every month.

Autumn 2 – Materials: Mixtures and Separation

 This term in science, the children have been exploring mixtures and a range of methods used to separate them. They have investigated techniques such as sieving and filtering, carrying out hands-on experiments to understand how these processes work and when they are most effective. Through practical activities, the children observed how different materials can be separated based on their properties. In addition, they explored what solutions are and how to identify them, learning the difference between soluble and insoluble substances. The children also investigated the factors that affect the time it takes for sugar to dissolve, including temperature and stirring, allowing them to develop their scientific enquiry skills by making predictions, observing changes, and drawing conclusions from their results.