At Ponsbourne St Mary's Primary School in Hertfordshire, the combined Year 5/6 class teacher Adrienne Bullen is tackling the challenging but exciting topic of Earth in Space. Adrienne is keen to make science fun and inspiring and uses a carousel of activities for the children. By recording how shadows change on the playground, the class investigate the apparent movement of the sun in the sky. Adrienne uses props as a physical representation of the orbits of the Earth, Moon and Sun, and the children get involved with hypothetical scientific ideas which they explore using a mock TV news report. At an evening visit to an observatory, the children meet astronomer Bob Forrest who shows them how telescopes can provide answers to some of their questions about Space. Talking to an expert and looking through a telescope helps put the children's classroom work into context, as well as creating an atmosphere of excitement and inspiration.

Video Series: KS1/2 Science
Release Date 2006