Progressive Content

• L1: Identifying Scientific Questions. Children will identify scientific questions they want to answer about our topics of ‘Space’ and ‘Light’.   They will learn about the history of our understanding of Space, including ideas from Ptomely and Copernicus. 

• L2: The Solar System.  Children will explore the planets in our solar system, learning about how they orbit the Sun.  They will discover how the planets’ orbits are elliptical, whilst the planets themselves are spherical.

• L3: The Rotation of the Earth.  Children will learn about how the Earth rotates on its axis, giving us night and day.  They will learn about how time zones are different around the world, taking account of the position of the Earth to the Sun. 

• L4: The Phases of the Moon.  Children will learn about the Moon being a satellite of the Earth.  They will learn about the Moon’s orbit and the different phases of the Moon. They will learn about astronauts walking on the Moon using text books. 

• L5: The Sun and Light:  Children will learn about the Sun and that it is a source of natural light for Earth.  They will compare the light and the dark, looking at how light travels through different types of object.  They will learn that it is dangerous to look at the Sun and learn about the spectrum of light, including UV light. 

• L6: How Light Travels.  Children will explore the how light travels in straight lines and will using convex and concave lens to show how the path of light can be altered. 

• L7: Reflecting Light.  Children will explore how light can be reflected by some materials, using prisms and mirrors to explore this idea.  They will learn about how light can be reflected at different angles and how we use this science in everyday life. 

• L8: Up Periscope!  Children will apply their learning of light and how it can be reflected to make a periscope for a submarine. 

• L9: Shadows.  Children will explore how shadows are made and why they can vary in size.  They will investigate if all materials create shadows and compare the properties of these. 

Experiments - Activities

L1: Introduction to Space and Light. Children will identify scientific questions about our topics.  They will learn how scientific ideas can change, through learning about the history of our understanding of Space. 

L2: The Solar System.  The children will draw a scaled model of the solar system using chalk outdoors.  They will then recreate this by constructing a labelled model of the planets orbiting the sun.  They will summarise their work using scientific language and concepts (e.g. orbiting). 

L3: The Rotation of the Earth.  Children will use a lamp or torch to replicate the Sun and a globe for the Earth.  They will draw a labelled diagram to show night and day.  They will conduct an experiment tracking how the sun moves during the day, using tracing paper on the classroom window.  They will evaluate their experiments to identify the variables they have controlled to ensure their data is valid. 

L4: The Phases of the Moon.  Outside children will recreate a scaled model of the Moon and Earth.  They will then make a 3D model in the classroom, as well as drawing a diagram using a compass.  They will explain their work using scientific vocabulary. 

L5: The Sun and Light.  Children will use different equipment including spectroscopes and light meters to explore what light is.  They will use luminous and non-luminous materials and transparent and blackout materials to explore light and dark. They will complete an experiment to measure how light travels through different coloured paper, recording and then reviewing their data to spot patterns and anomalies. 

L6: How Light Travels.  Children will use blocks with holes in to experiment with how light travels.  They will investigate how convex and concave lens change the way light travels.  They draw accurate diagrams to summarise their findings and evaluate patterns of data, using scientific language to summarise and explain their results. 

L7: Reflecting Light.  Children will experiment with the angles light can be reflected at, using a protractor and mirror.  They will record data accurately, summarising the findings of their experiments. 

L8: Up Periscope!  Children will make a periscope for a submarine, applying their knowledge of the Law of Reflection and that light travels in straight lines.  They will evaluate their experiment and draw an accurate diagram and explanation to summarise their work. 

L9: Shadows. Children will compare the distance needed to create the longest and shortest shadow, comparing their findings and identifying anomalies.  They will consider how they could have adapted their experiment by reviewing any anomalies in their data. They will also investigate different materials to identify the properties of materials that create a shadow.