Science - Level E

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Level E	Learning activities e.g.	Additional advice from Guide for Teachers & Managers
ES-E1.1	Target Menu from G18	Earth in Space
explain day, month and year in terms of the relative motion of the Sun, the Earth and the Moon	record the changes in shape of the Moon over a calendar month and use models to illustrate and explain the phases use video or computer programmes to establish the difference between the 24-hour rotation and 365-day (approximate), orbit of the Earth use a datalogger to collect data about temperature and light using a tilted globe relate these measurements to seasonal changes	This is a challenging topic for pupils and teacher alike. The Moon orbits the spinning Earth that is itself in orbit round the Sun. Good evidence of these relationships comes from a solar eclipse, when Earth, Moon and Sun are aligned, with the Moon preventing sunlight from reaching us. For able pupils it is worth introducing the subject of gravitational effects on our oceans, so that when Sun and Moon pull from the same direction we get our largest tides. Similarly, the inclination of the Earth's axis can be introduced to explain seasons. There should be an appropriate emphasis on scale and pupils should be introduced to the use of light years to measure vast distances [the distance that light, travelling at 300,000 km per second (186,000 miles per second), covers in one year]. Light from the Sun takes only 8.3 minutes to reach us, representing a very short distance in terms of space.
ES-E1.2	Target Menu from G18	Earth in Space
describe the Universe in terms of stars, galaxies and black holes	use small research teams to gather information, each team to focus on one feature find a way of displaying the salient features of stars, galaxies and black holes in order to distinguish between them.	During research, other familiar terms will be encountered - planets, moons, comets, asteroids, meteorites. This might help establish scale of the much larger stars and galaxies. For black holes the emphasis is on the dead star becoming smaller and smaller yet having a constant mass. Near the surface of the star there is a corresponding increase in gravitational pull, which eventually becomes so strong that not even light can escape. A black area with no escaping light is formed.