Earth & Space
Eight planets, one order, two families — and a Sun so big it makes Earth look like a full stop.
⏱ Whole lesson ≈ 44 min · pick a tier in the bar, or leave on "All"
Whiteboard task as pupils arrive. This recaps Lesson 1 — do not reteach it, just check it landed.
Finish the two sentences:
Last lesson you sorted objects into star, planet and other body. What was the rule you used to tell a planet from a moon?
Teach the mnemonic first, say it twice together, then set the tier task.
The eight planets always sit in the same order going out from the Sun. A mnemonic makes it stick.
Put the first four in order, nearest the Sun first.
Write all eight in order from the Sun. Then circle the one we live on and say what number it is.
Write all eight in order, then answer: Mercury is closest to the Sun. Is it the hottest planet? Have a go — we will settle it later.
Teacher models. Walk the line left to right, naming each planet, then name the two families.
The inner four are small and rocky. The outer four are huge and made mostly of gas.
Optional clip: this slide has no video wired. To add one, drop an <iframe> in beside the diagram — do not delete the diagram, it is the accessible version.
Bust it now: Earth is not the only planet with a moon. Uranus has 27. Mercury and Venus have none at all.
Sort together on the board. Then push for the pattern — do not give it away.
🪨 Mars ☁️ Saturn 🪨 Venus ☁️ Neptune 🪨 Mercury ☁️ Jupiter
Show the scale picture. Let the size land before you say the number.
You could line up about 109 Earths across the face of the Sun.
Watch for: pupils who think the Sun is small because it looks small. It looks small because it is 150 million km away.
True or false, hands up, and always ask "how do you know?"
On your own. Tap each object into the right group, then write at your tier.
Tap an object to sort it…
Sort them. Then finish: The first four planets from the Sun are ____, ____, ____ and ____.
Sort them, then write one sentence explaining how you can tell a rocky planet from a gas giant.
Sort them, then explain why the Sun and the Moon both go in "not a planet" — even though they are completely different things.
Answer at your tier, then hand it in.
A friend says "Earth is one of the big planets, and it is the only one with a moon." Write a reply that corrects both mistakes, using the words gas giant and orbit.