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Year 5

Scientific theories from the past (non-statutory)

I can describe how scientists from the past have helped us to learn about the solar system.

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New
New
Year 5

Scientific theories from the past (non-statutory)

I can describe how scientists from the past have helped us to learn about the solar system.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Ideas about the solar system have developed over time
  2. The geocentric model is the idea that the Earth is the centre of the universe and other objects go around it
  3. The heliocentric model is the idea that Earth and other planets move around the fixed Sun

Common misconception

Pupils may think that a theory is just a guess or prediction that has not yet or cannot be proven.

Explain that theories are always based on scientific evidence and these are either strengthened or disproved as more evidence is gathered.

Keywords

  • Evidence - Evidence is information that helps us to prove that something is true or not true.

  • Theory - A theory is a carefully thought-out explanation for something about our world that is based on learning from scientific enquiry.

  • Solar system - The solar system is the name for our Sun and the planets that orbit it.

  • Geocentric - The geocentric model of the solar system has the Earth at the centre and the Sun and planets orbiting it.

  • Heliocentric - The heliocentric model of the solar system has the Sun at the centre and the planets orbiting it.

This lesson can be brought to life with drama by putting children in the role of Galileo, who faced persecution for publishing his theories about the solar system, and asking them to think about what they would have done in his place.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Access to the internet and/or texts about the development of geocentric and heliocentric theories

Content guidance

  • Equipment requiring safe usage.

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
The Sun is at the of our solar system.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: centre, Centre, Middle, middle
Q2.
Which of these statements is true?
The Moon orbits the Sun.
The Sun orbits the Moon.
Correct answer: Earth orbits the Sun.
The Sun orbits Earth.
Q3.
What do the Sun, Earth and Moon all have in common?
An image in a quiz
They are all planets.
Correct answer: They are all approximately spherical.
They are all stars.
They all travel around the solar system.
Q4.
What equipment might scientists on Earth use to find out more about objects in space?
thermometer
microscope
ruler
Correct answer: telescope
Q5.
What is the name of a scientist who studies space?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: astronomer
biologist
chemist
engineer
astrologer
Q6.
Why does the Sun appear to move across the sky each day?
An image in a quiz
Because the Sun orbits Earth.
Because the Sun rotates on its axis.
Correct answer: Because Earth rotates on its axis.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
A is the name for a carefully thought-out explanation for something.
Correct Answer: theory, Theory
Q2.
Which statement is true about scientists' ideas about the solar system?
They have stayed the same over time.
They will never change.
Correct answer: They have changed over time.
Q3.
Which of these objects in space is at the centre of the geocentric model of the solar system?
The Moon
Correct answer: Earth
The Sun
Q4.
The model of the solar system has the Sun at the centre and the planets orbiting it.
Correct Answer: heliocentric, Heliocentric
Q5.
Starting with the earliest, order the events.
1 - Ancient Egyptians thought the Sun was a god, who rode a chariot across the sky.
2 - Greek philosophers thought Earth was at the centre of the solar system.
3 - Copernicus' theory was that the Sun was at the centre of the solar system.
4 - Galileo used a telescope to find more evidence supporting a heliocentric model.
Q6.
Which of these statements about scientific theories is true?
A theory cannot be tested.
Correct answer: Theories may change over time as we gather more evidence.
Correct answer: Scientific enquiry can help scientists to make more accurate theories.