The Earth is one of eight planets travelling around the Sun, our closest star. The Moon travels around the Earth. Year 3 explorers learn about the Solar System, why we have day and night, and why the Moon seems to change shape.
What your child will learn
- Know that the Earth and other planets travel around the Sun
- Name some planets in our Solar System
- Know that the Earth spinning causes day and night
- Explain why the Moon seems to change shape
Our place in space
The Earth spins once a day and travels around the Sun once a year. The Moon travels around the Earth about once a month. As it does, we see different amounts of its sunlit side, so it seems to change from a thin crescent to a full circle and back again.
Mercury is closest to the Sun, Jupiter is the biggest planet and Saturn has spectacular rings.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. What is the name of the planet we live on?
🌍- The Moon
- Mars
- Jupiter
- Earth
Show answer
Answer: Earth. We live on planet Earth.
2. What travels around the Earth?
🌙- Mars
- The Sun
- Jupiter
- The Moon
Show answer
Answer: The Moon. The Moon orbits the Earth.
3. Which is the biggest planet in our Solar System?
- Earth
- Jupiter
- Mercury
- Mars
Show answer
Answer: Jupiter. Jupiter is so big that all the other planets could fit inside it.
Tips for grown-ups
- Keep a Moon diary for a month, drawing its shape each night.
- Make a model Solar System with fruit or balls of different sizes.
- On a clear night, look for bright “stars” that don’t twinkle — they might be planets.