The Solar System

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

• name the planets in our solar system in order, starting from the closest to the Sun (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, …
• recognise their characteristics;
• explain the concepts of orbits and understand that planets revolve round the sun in elliptical paths;
• compare and contrast the planets based on their size, composition and the distance from the sun.

Curriculum Alignment: Year 5 Science: Earth and Space

• Describe the movement of the Earth and other planets relative to the Sun.
• Describe the Sun, Earth and Moon as approximately spherical bodies.
• Describe the movement of the Earth and other planets relative to the Sun.