Astronomy, 4–6 years — 20 topics · MyLeoNes™ Kuks
20 astronomy topics written for 4–6 years — not a older text simplified. In teaching order, each a deck of five cards: the idea, why it exists, a worked example, the common trap and where you meet it.
Astronomy · 4–6 years
Day and night
The sky looks different at different times because Earth turns and different places face the Sun.
The Sun
The Sun is a star close enough to give Earth light and warmth.
The Moon’s changing shapes
The Moon keeps its round shape, but we see different amounts of its sunlit half as it travels around Earth.
Stars in the night sky
Stars are distant, hot, shining objects, but they look tiny because they are so far away.
Earth is a planet
Our home is one round world travelling through space.
The planets
Our Solar System has eight very different worlds travelling around the Sun.
Orbits: travelling around
An orbit is the repeated path one space object takes around another.
Telescopes help us see space
A telescope gathers more light and shows details that eyes alone may miss.
Seasons
The year brings repeating changes in daylight, weather and living things. Seasons help us notice a pattern that comes back every year.
Gravity
Gravity is the pull that keeps our feet on Earth and brings thrown objects back down. It also acts between planets, moons and stars.
Astronauts and spacesuits
Astronauts work in places where there is no breathable air and conditions can be dangerous. A spacesuit is a small personal spacecraft that helps a person stay alive and do useful work.
Comets
A comet is a small icy and dusty object travelling through space. Near the Sun, some of its material makes a bright cloud and a tail.
Constellations
Stars can look as if they make pictures in the sky. These named patterns help people recognise parts of the night sky, even though the stars are usually very far apart.
Meteors and shooting stars
A shooting star is not a star falling from the sky. It is a small piece of rock or dust that glows as it rushes through Earth's air.
Eclipses
An eclipse happens when one space object moves in front of another and blocks some of its light. The Sun, Earth and Moon have to line up in a special way.
The Milky Way
The Milky Way is the huge galaxy that contains our Sun and many other stars. From a dark place, it can look like a pale, cloudy band across the night sky.
Asteroids: rocky travellers
Asteroids are rocky pieces moving through space. Most travel around the Sun, and some are much smaller than a planet.
How rockets rise
A rocket can rise because it pushes hot gas downwards. The push in the opposite direction sends the rocket upwards, even where there is no air to push against.
Space probes
A space probe is a robot sent to explore faraway places. It can take pictures, measure things and send its findings back to people on Earth.
Living on a space station
A space station is a large spacecraft where people can live and work for a while. It travels around Earth, so everything inside must be carried up and carefully managed.
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