KS1 & KS2 science curriculum

This unit builds on pupils' prior learning from Seasonal changes: autumn and winter, where they explored how Earth's movement causes seasonal changes. In Earth, Sun and Moon, pupils will learn how the Earth’s rotation creates day and night, and how its orbit around the Sun leads to the seasons. This prepares them for the next unit, Our solar system and beyond, where they will further explore the planets, moons, and other features of our solar system, expanding their understanding of space and the universe.

1. The shape of Earth
2. The shape of objects in space
3. Observing the Moon
4. The relative sizes of the Earth, Sun and Moon (non-statutory)
5. More about the Sun (non-statutory)
6. Why we have day and night
7. Why the Sun appears to move across the sky
8. The planets in our solar system (non-statutory)
9. The movement of the planets around the Sun
10. Scientific theories from the past (non-statutory)
11. How we see the Moon from Earth
12. The movement of the Moon

• Observe how day length varies
• Recognise that light from the Sun can be dangerous and that there are ways to protect their eyes