Planetarium: The Little Star that Could
Come and meet our friendly little star who will lead you on a journey through our spectacular solar system. Together we will investigate how new stars are formed, discover fascinating facts about different types of stars and learn about the mysterious planets near to Earth.
Following the Planetarium show pupils will enjoy an interactive activity led by one of our education facilitators to deepen their understanding of the solar system. The activity will consolidate pupils’ knowledge of the different characteristics of each individual planet and introduce them to the basic conditions needed for life to thrive on a planet.
Workshop details
This workshop will take place in our wonderful Planetarium, where your class will watch our interactive show, The Little Star That Could. This is a fun animated journey exploring our solar system, telling the story of a newly-formed star and learning about other types of stars.
Pupils will act out what they have learnt by handling our model planets to recreate our solar system. This provides an interactive experience demonstrating the order of the planets in our solar system, explaining why life is possible on earth and what causes night and day.
This workshop explains some of the basic scientific facts of our home planet and aims to inspire children’s imagination to further explore our universe.
Practical information for your visit
We need adult help to ensure the pupils have the best possible experience and to ensure the safety of the handling objects. For this reason you must bring at least two adults to this workshop.
Please arrive on time for your workshop or we may not be able to run it. Please share these notes with your adult helpers before your visit. This will help them to support your pupils to have a successful and enjoyable day.
Image © Mark McNulty
Curriculum links
Science
- using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions
- basic biological requirements for life
- describe the movement of the Earth, and other planets, relative to the Sun in the solar system. Heliocentric system
- describe the movement of the Moon relative to the Earth
- describe the Sun, Earth and Moon as approximately spherical bodies
English
- pupils should be taught to speak clearly and convey ideas confidently using Standard English. They should learn to justify ideas with reasons
- ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge
- mutual respect as children listen to and begin to respect each other’s contributions.
Learning outcomes
Skills
Pupils will:
- have the opportunity to draw on and share their existing knowledge whilst also being encouraged to absorb and recall new information assimilated throughout the session.
- use straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings
- improve their speaking and listening skills through team work
- extend specialist vocabulary
Concepts
Pupils will:
- learn the shape of the earth
- learn the heliocentric model and the order of the planets in our home solar system
Attitudes
Pupils will:
- be confident in their knowledge of the planets in our solar system
- see the museum as a resource for scientific research to help understand history
- see the World Museum as an enjoyable and stimulating place to visit