Summer is the warmest season, when the Sun is highest in the sky and there are more hours of daylight.

Winter is the coldest season, when the Sun is lowest in the sky and there are fewer hours of daylight.

The axis of a spinning object is the imaginary line around which it spins.

Something is tilted if it is at an angle to the horizontal or vertical.

Earth's tilt

Science

The spinning Earth

Our solar system

Gravity

Stars, galaxies and the universe

Heating by the Sun

Seasons on Earth

Changing ideas about Earth

In the Gravity in space unit, they will build on this knowledge to learn to how gravitational forces cause orbital motion and about stellar evolution and cosmology, including red-shift and the big bang. 

In primary science, pupils learnt about the cause of day and night, the movement of Earth orbiting the Sun and the Moon orbiting Earth, and about stars and planets we can see in the night sky.

This unit explores gravity as the force between masses, including weight calculation using gravitational field strength. It covers the relationship between Earth, the Moon, and the Sun, the concept of light years, and seasonal changes due to Earth’s tilt.

Our solar system and beyond

In summer, there are more hours of daylight each day.

Which two of these statements are features of summer?

Earth spins on an axis that is {{}} at an angle of 23.5 degrees.

In June, it is summer in northern hemisphere countries like the UK. What season will it be in June in southern hemisphere countries like Chile, South African and New Zealand?

In June, the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun so it has winter.

In June, the northern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun so it has summer.

In June, the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun so it has summer.

In June, the northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun so it has winter.

Which statement about June in the northern hemisphere is correct?

In June, the southern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun so it has winter.

In June, the southern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun so it has summer.

In June, the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun so it has summer.

In June, the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun so it has winter.

Which statement about June in the southern hemisphere is correct?

The northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun.

The northern hemisphere is a bit closer to the Sun than the southern hemisphere.

Countries in the northern hemisphere have more daylight hours in June.

The Sun's rays are less spread out in the UK than in southern countries.

The southern hemisphere is in darkness in June.

The picture shows Earth in June. Which three statements explain why it is summer in northern countries like the UK, but winter in southern countries like South Africa and Chile?

Science_Secondary_AW_1112

the time it takes the Moon to orbit Earth

the time it takes Earth to spin round on its axis once

the time it takes for the Sun to spin round on its axis once

Which of these statements correctly describes a year?

The shape of the Moon as it goes from new to full is a crescent.

Travelling round the world will bring you back to the start.

Earth creates a shadow on the Moon during a lunar eclipse.

Which of these statements does not show that Earth is a sphere?

Put the seasons into the correct order that they arrive in the northern hemisphere, starting with the one in January.

If you continuously travel on Earth in one direction, you will end up back where you started. What does this provide evidence for?

Reptiles use the Sun's light to warm up. What is the best time of day to get warm from sunlight?

The stars seem to follow arcs with the North star at the centre.

The stars seem to stay in the same position.

A pupil takes a timelapse video of the stars in the night sky over several hours. What path do the stars seem to follow?

Earth's tilt

Lesson outcome