Earth & Space
From Earth at the centre to the Sun at the centre — how evidence changed what scientists believed.
⏱ Whole lesson ≈ 44 min · pick a tier in the bar, or leave on "All"
Whiteboard recap of last lesson: motion and gravity.
Fill the gaps:
Explain why different planets have different length years.
Ask: from where you stand, does it look like the Sun moves round the Earth?
Enquiry question: How have ideas about the Solar System changed over time?
True or false: the Sun goes round the Earth. Why might someone think that?
Why did people long ago believe the Earth was at the centre? Give a reason.
What would you need to prove that the Earth goes round the Sun, not the other way?
Teacher models. Watch how the idea changed.
Swap the clip: change the ID after /embed/ (now -ryMxue-cEQ).
Match each scientist to their idea.
Aristotle · Ptolemy · Copernicus · Galileo · Newton
Play the animation. Watch the centre change.
Ideas changed: from Earth at the centre to the Sun at the centre.
Watch for: pupils thinking older scientists were "silly" — they used the best evidence they had at the time.
Compare the two models together.
On your own. Sort each card, then answer the big question.
Tap a card to sort it…
Sort the cards. Then finish: The ______ model puts the Sun at the centre.
Sort them, then answer the enquiry question in one sentence: how did ideas change?
Sort them, then explain why the idea changed — what did Galileo and Newton add?
Answer at your tier, then hand it in.
Answer the enquiry question: how — and why — have ideas about the Solar System changed over time?