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Independent Research
Earth and Space
Science | Earth and Space | The Planets | Lesson 6
Success Criteria
Aim
Key Questions
You will spot questions in a green box at certain points in this Lesson Presentation.
The assessment questions that appear will enable�you to check your understanding against the lesson aim and success criteria.
Remember It
cheese
metal and rock
gas
What is the Moon made of?
Answer the following questions to test what you remember�about the Moon and its phases.
1
C
B
A
1
2
3
4
5
next
Answer the following questions to test what you remember�about the Moon and its phases.
Remember It
1
2
3
4
5
next
Why is the Moon often so bright in the night sky?
2
It is on fire, so it�emits light.
It reflects light from�the Sun.
It is made of luminous,�glowing rock.
B
C
A
Answer the following questions to test what you remember�about the Moon and its phases.
Remember It
What is the name of the shape of this phase of the Moon?
3
1
2
3
4
5
next
crescent
gibbous
half Moon
C
B
A
Answer the following questions to test what you remember�about the Moon and its phases.
Remember It
What is the name of the shape of this phase of the Moon?
4
crescent
full Moon
half Moon
B
C
A
1
2
3
4
5
next
Answer the following questions to test what you remember�about the Moon and its phases.
Remember It
What is the name of the shape of this phase of the Moon?
5
1
2
3
4
5
new Moon
crescent
half Moon
C
B
A
Key Vocabulary
A celestial body is a natural object outside Earth’s atmosphere, such as the planets, the Sun and the Moon.
celestial body
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only planet known to support life.
Earth
A moon is a natural satellite that orbits a planet. Earth’s moon is called the Moon.
moon
An orbit is a regular, repeating curved path that an object follows round another object.
orbit
A planet is a large, spherical celestial body that orbits a star.
planet
The Solar System is the collection of eight planets, their moons and other celestial bodies that orbit the Sun.
Solar System
‘Space’ is the term given to the area of the universe outside of Earth’s atmosphere.
space
A spherical object is sphere-shaped, like a ball.
spherical
The Sun is the name of the huge star at the centre of our Solar System that provides light and heat to the planets that orbit it.
Sun
celestial body
Earth
dwarf planet
moon
orbit
planet
Solar System
space
spherical
Sun
gas giant
ice giant
terrestrial planet
Earth, moon, planet, space, Sun
spherical
celestial body, dwarf planet, gas giant, ice giant, orbit, Solar System, terrestrial planet
Tier 1
everyday words
Tier 2
words that are important in different science topics
Tier 3
words that are specific to this science topic
Key Vocabulary
Do you recognise any of the eight planets in our Solar System?
There are eight planets orbiting round the Sun in the Solar System, some�made of rock and metal (the terrestrial planets) and some made of gas�and ice (the gas and ice giants).
A planet is a large, roughly spherical celestial body that orbits a star.
Worlds Apart
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
This process of removing smaller objects from orbit is known as�‘clearing the neighbourhood’.
Worlds Apart
In order for a celestial body to be classed as a planet, it must have the strongest gravitational pull (mostly by having the greatest mass) of any object in its orbital path.
Smaller objects in the planet’s orbit may be pushed out of orbit, may become a satellite (moon) of the planet or may even become part of the planet itself, adding to its mass.
While they may move slightly closer or further away from the Sun at different points�in their orbit, the eight planets are often ordered by their distance from the Sun.
On Earth, we are approximately 150 million kilometres away from the Sun. While�that may seem like a huge distance, Earth is only the third planet from the Sun,�meaning five of the planets are even further away.
Worlds Apart
Do you know any way to help us remember the order of the eight planets?
One way we can remember the order of the planets is to use a mnemonic.
Worlds Apart
M
V
E
M
J
S
U
N
By thinking of words that begin with each of the first letters of the planets below,�we can create a phrase or sentence that is much easier to remember.
My
Very
Easy
Method
Just
Speeds
Up
Nothing
Worlds Apart
Can you name the eight planets in the Solar System?
Can you think of your own mnemonic to help remember the order of the planets?
M
V
E
M
J
S
U
N
The Terrestrial Planets
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are the four inner planets closest to the Sun.
These four planets are known as the terrestrial planets because of their solid�surfaces and because they are mostly made of rock and metal.
What do you already know about any of the four terrestrial planets?
The Terrestrial Planets
Let’s find out more about the terrestrial planets in The Sky’s Not the Limit eBook.
The Gas and Ice Giants
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are the four outer planets furthest away�from the Sun.
These four planets are known as the gas and ice giants. Jupiter and Saturn, the gas giants, are mainly made of hydrogen and helium gas. Uranus and Neptune, the ice�giants, are mainly made of ‘ices’ – a mixture of liquids and gases.
What do you already know about any of the four gas and ice giants?
The Gas and Ice Giants
Let’s find out more about the gas and ice giants in The Sky’s Not the Limit eBook.
My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Nothing
My Very Easy Method Just Speeds Up Naming Planets
Why is there a ninth ‘planet’ in this older mnemonic?�Do you know the name of this ‘planet’?
The Dwarf Planets
Let’s think back to the mnemonic we looked at earlier:
Not long ago, a popular mnemonic for remembering the order of the planets was:
Pluto used to be the ninth planet�in the Solar System.
Why do you think it is no longer�known as the ninth planet?
The Dwarf Planets
Dwarf planets like Pluto are celestial bodies that orbit the Sun but are smaller than planets. Pluto – the largest dwarf planet – is about half the diameter of Mercury, the smallest planet. Most dwarf planets are also approximately spherical, like planets.
Unlike planets, however, dwarf planets are not able to ‘clear the neighbourhood’ of their orbital path because they are not the largest object in their orbits. There may be similarly sized asteroids or other large objects that they are not able to remove from their path.
Pluto used to be considered a planet. However, in 2006, Pluto was�reclassified as a dwarf planet.
The Dwarf Planets
There are five recognised dwarf planets in the Solar System.
Can you explain the similarities and differences�between a planet and a dwarf planet?
Pluto
Eris
Haumea
Makemake
Ceres
Today, you are going to be researching at least one of the planets of the Solar System in more detail. Your task is to create a fact file to collect and share what you find.
Out of This World
We could find out about the planet’s�size, its appearance, its surface, what�it is made of, its temperature, how many moons it has and so much more.
What makes the planet special or different from the other planets? What are some of the most interesting facts about it?
I wonder how our understanding�of the planet has changed over time. When did humans first discover it? Is there anything about the planet that we�still do not understand?
What information could we research about the planets?
Out of This World
Today, you are going to be researching at least one of the planets of the Solar System�in more detail. Your task is to create a fact file to collect and share what you find.
Can you research and share information�about the planets of the Solar System?
Let’s share what we found out about the planets of the Solar System.
Presenting the Planets
What interesting facts did you find?
How does the planet you researched compare to the planets others have researched?
Back Down to Earth
Now we have come to end of this science topic, let’s reflect�on what we’ve learnt.
Which of our questions can we now answer?�What have we learnt about Earth and space?
What unanswered questions still exist about Earth and space?
The machines that robotic engineers create are used for a variety of purposes, including for construction, manufacturing, medicine and even exploring space. Robotics engineers working at NASA have sent multiple robotic rovers to the planet Mars, where they have successfully studied and collected samples from its surface. This research may uncover the history of Mars, such as its past climate and whether the planet has ever been home to life.
Robotics engineers research, design, build and maintain machines that can be automated (meaning the machines can work on their own). These machines are often referred to as ‘robots’.
STEM/Green Careers
Robotics Engineer
Success Criteria
Aim