5.ESS.2: The sun is one of many stars that exist in the universe

Sun, Earth and Moon Grades 4–5

Why it's breakfast time in Calgary and bedtime in Singapore, why your shadow swings round the stick, why the Moon changes shape and why some places barely have seasons. Students build models with balls and lamps, track real shadows and read real sky data from cities around the world.

• How far away is the Sun, really? 50–60 min

  Teams build the Sun, Earth and Moon to one scale, with an exercise ball, a peppercorn and a grain of salt, then pace out the real distances on the school field. They use the model and a flashlight test to argue why the Sun looks so much bigger and brighter than any other star.

Printable practice for 5.ESS.2

These pages practise a closely related idea; the match to 5.ESS.2 is partial.

• Sun, Earth and Moon workbook included with the unit

  1 word wall, 1 English-support page, 1 practice page, 1 reading, 1 unit review, 1 unit test, with answer keys.

• Stars and the Night Sky workbook included with the unit

  1 word wall, 1 English-support page, 1 practice page, 1 reading, 1 unit review, 1 unit test, with answer keys.

• The Solar System: Gravity, Orbits and Scale workbook included with the unit

  2 English-support pages, 2 practice pages, 2 readings, 1 word wall, 1 unit review, 1 unit test, with answer keys.

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