Teacher guide · Curious Lab · Medium · about 32 min

🪐 Earth, Sun & Moon

Pupils practise curiosity through "Earth, Sun & Moon": Day, night and the planets.

Lesson guide

  1. 1. Hook · 5 min

    Show the 🪐 mission title and read the opening: "Why do we have day and night?". Take three quick guesses.

  2. 2. Model · 5 min

    Think aloud through the first step together. Use Sniff the Beagle's line as your prompt: "Great question! Ready to dig one layer deeper? Pick your next mission below."

  3. 3. Do · 10 min

    Pairs work through the 4 steps on screen or on the printed sheet. Circulate and ask "why?"

  4. 4. Discuss · 10 min

    Use two or three of the discussion questions. Ask pairs to share different answers, not just correct ones.

  5. 5. Reflect · 5 min

    Exit ticket: one sentence on how they used curiosity today.

Discussion questions

  • What was the hardest choice in "Earth, Sun & Moon", and why?
  • Why do we have day and night — explain your reasoning to a partner.
  • How long does Earth take to orbit the Sun — explain your reasoning to a partner.
  • Why does the Moon seem to change shape — explain your reasoning to a partner.
  • Where could you use curiosity outside school this week?
  • If you did this again, what would you change?

Adapting it

Support: Read prompts aloud, pair with a confident partner, and accept spoken or drawn answers for writing steps.

Stretch: Ask pupils to create their own extra step for a partner and explain the correct answer.

Curriculum links

  • National Curriculum: Science: working scientifically plus the year-group topic
  • National Curriculum: Science: working scientifically — asking questions and observing
  • National Curriculum: Geography/History: enquiry and using sources
  • PSHE: Living in the wider world: media literacy and checking information

Pupil sheet

🪐 Earth, Sun & Moon

Name: ____________________   Date: __________

  1. 1. Why do we have day and night?

    ☐ Clouds cover the Sun

    ☐ Earth spins on its axis

    ☐ The Sun moves away

  2. 2. How long does Earth take to orbit the Sun?

    ☐ About 365 days

    ☐ One day

    ☐ One month

  3. 3. Order planets from the Sun.

    ___ Earth

    ___ Mars

    ___ Mercury

    ___ Venus

  4. 4. Why does the Moon seem to change shape?