earth and beyond [grade 6 english]

WESTERN CAPE PRIMARY SCIENCE PROGRAMME

EARTH AND BEYONDGrade 6

We welcome the wide use of these materials. Please acknowledge the PSP © PSP 2002

A SHORT LEARNING PROGRAMME ON THE NATURALSCIENCES THEME:

ACTIVITY 1The shape of the Earth andouter space

ACTIVITY 2Our Earth’s moon

ACTIVITY 3Moon watch

ACTIVITY 4Light on the moon

ACTIVITY 5Travelling to the moon

ACTIVITY 6The sun and its family of planets

ACTIVITY 7Reading about the sun,Earth and moon

ACTIVITY 8Additional reading tasks and project ideas

activities

DEVELOPED BY WESTERN CAPE PSP TEAM AND TEACHERS

This learning programme will work towards the following learning outcomes in the Natural Sciences

s LO1: Scientific InvestigationsThe learner will be able to act confidently on curiosity about natural phenomena, and to investigate relationships and solve problems in scientific, technological and environmental contexts

s LO2: Constructing Science KnowledgeThe learner will know and be able to interpret and apply scientific, technological and environmental knowledge

s LO3: Science, Society and the EnvironmentThe learner will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationships between science and technology, society and the environment.

Moon

Earth

Course presented by Rose Thomas and Sandra Mahote

Booklet designed by Welma Odendaal and illustrated by Janet Ranson and Nicci Cairns

Western Cape Primary Science ProgrammeEdith Stephens Wetland Park Lansdowne Road Philippi 7785

PO Box 529Howard Place7450

Tel: 021 691-9039 Fax: 021 691-6350

e-mail: [email protected]: www.psp.org.za

All images of the planets courtesy

of NASA.

Our thanks to the South African

Astronomical Society for the

information about the planets.

Contents• This booklet illustrates an example of a short learning programme for Grade 6.• It develops concepts, skills, attitudes and language in a step-wise fashion.• It includes activities and tasks for learners, teacher tasks, support materials and

assessment suggestions.

2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Activity 1 The shape of the Earth and outer space

4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Activity 2 Our Earth’s moon

6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Activity 3 Moon watch

11 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Activity 4 Light on the moon

15 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Activity 5 Travelling to the moon

20 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Activity 6 The sun and its family of planets23 Fact sheet: ‘The Planets’

24 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Activity 7 Reading about the sun, Earth and moon

28 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Suggested workscheme for this learning programme

Assessment sheets

29 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assessing a task

30-31 . . . . . . . . . . .Blank assessment sheets

32 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Recording sheet for task assessment

33 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Codes for recording

Teaching aids to photocopy

34 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Activity 1 Map of the World

36 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Task card ‘Our Earth is a like ball moving in space”

37 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Activity 3 Moon watch chart

38 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Activity 4 Task card ‘Light on the Moon’

39 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Activity 5 Task card and reading ‘Travelling to the Moon’

42–44 . . . . . . . . . .Photographs taken on the moon:

46 . . . . . . . . . . . . .‘The Solar System’

48 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Activity 6 Task card ‘The sun and its family of planets’

49 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Readings: ‘The Sun, Earth and Moon’

51 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Activity 7 – Learner task card

53–56 . . . . . . . . . .The nine planets in our solar sytem

Cover . . . . . . . . . .Mind map for Earth and Beyond

2

The shape of the Earth and outerspace

Demonstrate the following activity as anintroduction.1. Ask learners to choose the correct shape of the

Earth from the things in the box and explain whythey chose that shape.

2. Hand out sheets of newspaper and strips ofwhite paper

3. Make water and flour glue.

1. Make a paper model of the Earth:A Crumple 10 sheets of newspaper to make a ball shape.A Tear two or three sheets of white A4 paper into thin strips.A Make a glue paste out of flour and water.A Spread the glue paste onto the strips of white paper with your

fingers.A Bandage the strips around the ball of newspaper until the ball is

completely covered.

2. Put your model in the sun to dry.

Next day:1. Draw a line around the middle of your Earth model to represent the

equator.2. Draw a dot to represent the position of the North Pole and another to

represent the South Pole.3. Cut out the continents on the map of the world.

(See page 34 and 35 to photocopy.)4. Paste the continents onto the model in the correct position

(use a map and the equator line to help you).

• The Earth is round like a ball• The Earth’s surface consists of land and water• There is more water than land on the surface• The atmosphere is a thin layer of gases surrounding the Earth• Outer space is beyond the atmosphere.

Activity 11

Key concepts

Teacher task

Learner task GROUP

3

5. Colour the land in orange. Colour the water in blue.6. Put on the air – it is a very thin layer. Stretch a piece of pantihose

around your model to represent the thin layer of air.7. Complete the worksheet “Our Earth is like a ball moving in space”.

(See page 36.)

Our Earth is like a ball moving in space:A Draw onto the diagram and label clearly:

• Land • Water • Air • Outer space

What we want to assess What we expect from learners

Model of the Earth The model must have:a a spherical shapea the equator and poles properly positioneda continents in approximately the correct positiona land and sea correctly coloureda a piece of pantihose stretched over the ball to represent the air

Diagram of the Earth The diagram must a be clearly drawna be labelled clearly, showing the land water and air

(shown as a very thin layer close to the earth)a have outer space correctly identified (everything

beyond the Earth and its atmosphere)

The shape of the Earth and outer spaceActivityAAsssseessssmmeenntt 11

Outer space Outer space

Outer spaceOuter space

water

water

water

water

air

air

air

land

land

land

OUR EARTH

Model of the moon1. Ask learners to draw the night sky on a piece of paper for homework.2. They bring drawings to class the next day for a discussion.3. Discuss why learners could not draw all they saw on the paper.4. Talk about the many things we look at in space (The sun,

the moon, millions of stars and sometimes satelliteswhich look like moving stars).

5. Ask learners to find any stories or poems about themoon and discuss these in class the next day.

6. Hand out sheets of newspaper and strips of whitepaper.

8. Make water and flour glue.

4

Activity 22 Our Earth’s moonThe moonThere are many stories about themoon, traditional stories, children’sstories and adult science fictionstories. The moon also features inpoems and songs. In addition it hasbeen associated with romance andwith werewolves. It is also said thatdogs will howl at the full moon!

• The moon is smaller than the Earth• The moon is a round sphere (about ∞∞ of the size of the Earth)• The moon revolves around the Earth.

Key concepts

Teacher task mypaper

wasn’t bigenough!

Learner task GROUP

1. Make a paper model of the moon.2. Use the instructions you followed when you made the model of the

Earth but use only 2 sheets of newspaper (the size of the moon isabout ∞ of the size of the Earth).

3. Leave overnight to dry.

Next day4. Use the model of the Earth that

you made before and the modelof the moon and make a mobileas illustrated in the diagram onthe left.

wire coathanger

wool or string

model of Earthmodel of the moon

5

A Introduce the word ‘revolve’ to explain how the moon travels aroundthe Earth in its own orbit or pathway.

A Introduce the word ‘orbit’. The moon has its own orbit or pathwayaround the Earth. This means that as it travels around the Earth italways stays the same distance from the Earth.

A Use the mobile to demonstrate that the moon revolves around theEarth (rotate the handle of the coat hanger and you can see the moontravelling around the Earth).

Complete the following sentences by filling in the missing words:A The moon is smaller than the Earth.

A The moon revolves around the Earth.A The moon travels around the Earth in its own orbit (pathway).

Our Earth’s moon


Model of the moon a The moon’s shape must be sphericala The moon must be approximately ∞ of the

size of the Eartha Make sure that the moon can travel

around the Earth in the mobile

Teacher task

Learner task

ActivityAAsssseessssmmeenntt 22

The moon is revolvingaround the Earth in itsorbit

orbit

6

Moon watch

1. Read this poem to the learners. Explain the words ‘wax’ and ‘wane’.When the moon ‘waxes’ it means that it is growing or getting biggereach night. When it is ‘waning’ it means the moon is getting smallereach night until it disappears altogether for a few nights.

Watching the Moon

There is a new moon in the sky tonight

A thin little arc of clear white light

Night by night I’ll watch her grow

Until she’s full and all aglow

The moon is full for just one night

A great white ball of shining light

Night by night I’ll watch her wane

Until she’s an arc of light again

The night will be dark without a moon

But I know she’ll be in the night quite soon

First as an arc of new white light

She’ll wax until she’s full and bright

2. Read this background information and then decide what to read orexplain to the learners.A People have always been aware of the moon and the way it

appears to changeA The moon appears to change shape over the course of time. We

call these changes the phases of the moon, but it is difficult toexplain why or how this happens.

A Several calendars (including religious calendars) are based on thephases of the moon.

A The time of the full moon is used to determine the date for Easter(it is the Sunday closest to the full moon about 4 full moons afterChristmas).

A The appearance of the crescent moon is used to signal thebeginning and the end of the holy month of Ramadan in Islam.

• The moon’s appearance changes every day• One full revolution of the moon around the Earth takes about 29 to

30 days• We see the moon because the light of the sun shines on the moon’s

surface.

Activity 33

Key concepts

Teacher task

7

The phases of the moon seen from the Southern Hemisphere

The diagrams and photographs show what the moon looks like from the Earth.

1. crescent2. crescent3. quarter4. gibbous5. gibbous6. full7. gibbous

8. gibbous9. quarter10. crescent11. crescent12. new moon( this cannot be

seen as it is in completedarkness)

Photographs extracted from ‘The Solar System’ – South African Astronomical Observatory

3. Photocopy and hand out moon watch diagrams (page 8 and 37).A Explain how to fill in the moon watch diagram.A Decide together with learners, which day will be Day One. (Any day

of the month can be the start as long as everyone starts together. Make sure it is a night when the moon is visible)

A Let the learners compare their drawings every few days.

8

1. Find the moon each day (at night or day) and observe it carefully.2. Draw what the moon looks like each day on your diagram. Write down

the date and time.3. When it is cloudy and you cannot see the moon, draw clouds on your

diagram.4. If you miss a night, write down your reason.5. Compare your drawings every few days with those of the other

learners.6. Complete the 29-day cycle.7. Put these labels onto your moon watch diagram, with the help of your

teacher:• full moon • ¢ moon • crescent moon • new moon

Learner task INDIVIDUAL

A Large moon watch chart for learners to photocopy on page 37.

MOON WATCH CHART

name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

THE PHASES OF THE MOON

9

Write down some interesting things that you have seen about the moon.


Moon watch chart The drawings on the chart must be: a completeda filled in to show how the shape changes (see diagram)a full, crescent, quarter and new moon must be correctly

identified and labelled.

Writing sentences about Sentences should include some of the following:the moon watch a that the moon’s shape changed

a that it was not in the same position every nighta sometimes you cannot see it at all (new moon) a as the moon gets bigger, one side is visiblea as the moon gets smaller, the opposite side is visible

Moon watchActivityAAsssseessssmmeenntt 33

Moon watchI saw some interesting things about the moon.

One thing I saw was, when I started, I could see only a small part of the moon. Each night the part that I could see got bigger and bigger until I could see the whole moon. Then the light part started getting smaller each night until there was no moon at all.

I also saw that the moon moves in the sky at night. Each night it rises in a slightly differentplace. For a few nights the moon seems to disappear from the sky.

Another thing I noticed was that, as the moon grows bigger, it is the left-hand side that I can see. But after full moon, as the moon becomes smaller, it is the right-hand side that I can see.

10

THE PHASES OF THE MOON

MOON WATCH CHART

am amam

am

amam

amam

pmpm

pmpm

pm

am

fullmoon

11

Light on the moon

1. Read the following information to the learners

We see the moon when light from the sun falls on itThe moon revolves around the Earth and at the same time, the Earthrevolves around the sun. The moon takes 29.5 days to go once round theEarth. The sun shines on the moon as the moon moves around the Earth.A person standing on Earth sees different parts of the moon “lit up” bythe sun as the sunlight illuminates the moon’s surface.2. Demonstrate how we see the moon, which is lit up by the sun.

• The moon does not give off light of its own• We can see the moon because the sun illuminates it (the sunlight

falls on the moon)• The moon’s shape appears to change as it moves around the Earth

because we can only see the part facing us that has sunlight falling on it.

Activity 44

Key concepts

Teacher task

NOTE TO TEACHER …

Use a bright light for the sun (a

light bulb or an overhead

projector). The child is an

observer on Earth. Use the moon

that the learners made from

paper. Darken the room a little

by putting newspapers over the

windows.

12

What the learner must do: A Put a label on the learner saying ‘Earth’. A Push a pencil or stick into the model of the moon. The learner

stands with her back to the light and holds the moon by its pencilhandle. She holds it at arm’s length just above eye height.

A Now, still holding the moon, she slowly rotates (turns aroundstanding in one place), looking at the moon all the time. As themoon moves around her, she will see that different parts of themoon are lit up by the light bulb (sun).

Ask her to tell you what she sees on the moon:A When she is standing with the sun behind her backA When she is standing sideways to the sunA When she is facing the sun

What the learner will see:A When the sun is behind her back she will see a full moon.A When she is standing sideways to the sun she will see a quarter

moon.A When she is facing the sun she will see the new moon. (The part of

the moon facing her will not be illuminated by the sun). When thereal moon is in this position, then we can not see it at all )

3. Now learners work in pairs and take turns to hold the moon to seehow it changes as they move it in relation to the sun.

A B C

earth

13

Light on the moon1. Hold the moon as shown below.

2. Still holding the moon at arm’s length, stand in one place and turnaround slowly and look to see how the light falls on the moon.

3. Write and draw your observations below.

Learner task

EEAARRTTHH

A. When the sun is behind me and the moon is in front of me this is what I see:

Underline the correct one and draw on the circle:I can see the Full / Quarter / New Moon.

B. When I am standing sideways to the sun and the moon is in front of me, this is what I see:

Underline the correct one and draw on the circle:I can see the Full / Quarter / New Moon.

C. When I am facing the sun and the moon is in front of me, this is what I see:

Underline the correct one and draw on the circle:I can see the Full/ Quarter / New Moon.

A B

B

A

C

C

earth

What do I see if I stand sideways to the sun

with the moon right infront of me?

14

Light on the moon


Questions about light on The answer must include the following the moon information:

a. When the sun is behind me, I can see the full moon

b.When the sun is sideways to me, I can see the quarter moon

c. When the sun is facing me, then I can see the new moon.(i.e. there is no light on the side of the moon facing me)


Picture: NASA

Travelling to the moon

1. Read a poem or song about travelling to the moon.

2. Explain to learners that they are first going to imagine about travellingto the moon. Then they will read about travelling to the moon to findout what actually happened when people went to the moon.

3. Supply learners with the task card and the reading ‘Travelling to themoon’ (page 16).

• People travelled to the moon and landed on it in 1969. This was the first time in history that people landed on the moon.

• The people, who were Americans, used specially designed rockets and spaceships to get to the moon – it was a technological triumph.

• This was the first time human beings had travelled so far. They came back safely bringing photographs and samples of moon rock.

• This was also the first time that a human being had ever landed on the surface of another object in space.

Activity 55

Key concepts

Picture: NASA

Amagorhaoo-Apollo

Amagorha oo-Apollo

Amagorha oo-Apollo!

Amagorha ase Amelika

Alimangalisile lonke ihlabathi!

Wasiphuka wenyu- – - ka!

UNeil Amstrong, uMichael Collins

noBuzz Aldrin!

Halala! Halala! Hala- – - la!

Siqhayisa ngo Apollo weshum’ elinomvo!

(Taken from one of the

Xhosa songs composed

during the Apollo

moon landing, in

praise of the three

astronauts and the

great historic event.)

15

Teacher task

16

For thousands of years people have looked up at the moon in the night sky

but nobody had ever been to the moon.

People decide to explore the moon

1. In 1961 President John Kennedy announced that the United States of America would

send people to travel to the moon to explore it. No human being had ever travelled to

the moon before. For the next 8 years they experimented with different rockets and

space vehicles. They made several trips to the moon to check the equipment but did

not land on it.


2. Finally in 1969 the Apollo II space ship was ready to be launched into space.

The space ship had to travel about 400 000 km to reach the moon and 400 000 km

to get back. Apollo raced all through space. After three days and nights, it came

near the moon.

3. Two astronauts flew down to the moon’s

surface in a moon lander. One astronaut

stayed up in the rocket and circled around

the moon. He did this to make sure that

they could all get back safely, even if the

moon lander could not fly back. Neil

Armstrong was the first man to step out of

the space ship onto the surface of the

moon. These were his words as he stepped

onto the moon: “One small step for man,

one giant leap for mankind.” Edwin Aldrin

was the second man to step onto the moon.

On the moon’s surface

4. The moon looked scary. It had no air, water, plants or animals. The astronauts

went outside in space suits to explore. They took many pictures. They drove a

moon car and set up science experiments. Then they returned to Apollo in the

top of the lander. Apollo brought them home safely.

One day you too could travel to the moon

5. Perhaps you’ll be on a moon station one day! You’ll catch a moon ship at a space station

that will circle around the Earth. People will load supplies onto the ship. They will put

fuel in your new moon ship and lander. Finally you’ll blast off. Near the moon, the

rocket engines will fire again. You’ll go into orbit around the moon. People and supplies

will go into the moon lander. Engines will fire. Down you’ll go. What will you say when

you step onto the moon? What will it be like to live on the moon?


Adapted from: Amazing Rockets by Dinah L. Moche; Western Publishing Company Inc. Wisconsin 1990

17

Imagine what it would be like to fly away from Earth and travel throughspace to the moon.1. Explore the moon and outer space. 2. Talk to your group about how you imagine it will be. 3. Then read ‘Travelling to the moon’ on page 39 to find out.

Task card: Travelling to the moon

Learner Talking and Reading Tasks:TASK 11. Imagine that you are the first person to travel to the moon.Discuss:

A What plans would you make toget there?

A How long would you spendplanning?

A How many people would go withyou?

A What kind of vehicle would youuse?

A Would you go on your own orwould your country send youthere?

A What would it cost? And whowould pay?Now read paragraph 1 to find outwhat did happen.

TASK 21 Imagine how many days your journey would take to get to the moon.Discuss:A How far do you have to travel to get there?A How many days will it take you to get there?

Now read paragraph 2 to find out how far away it was and how longthe journey took.

Learner tasks

How much longer will my journey be?

18

TASK 31. Imagine how you will land on the moon safely so that you can come

back again.Discuss:A How will you land on the moon?A How will you get back again?A What will you say when you step onto the moon

for the first time?Now read paragraph3 to find out what did happen.

TASK 41. Imagine you are on the moon’s

surface.Discuss:A What will the moon look like?A What will you do on the

moon?A Did you get home safely?

Now read paragraph 4 to find out what it is like on the moon.

Learner task (continued)

Teacher task

my rocket has a

parachute tohelp it land.

that won’t work– there is no air onthe moon! my rockethas springy legs to

land on.

1. Hand out the set of photographs taken on the moon. Theteacher’s copy of the questions and answers is on page42, and the learner’s copy on page 43–44.

2. Learners look at the pictures and discuss the questions.3. Facilitate a class discussion about this.

19


What do we want to assess What do we expect from learners

Reading: a Tell verbally (in groups) what actually happened during theTasks 1 – 5. exploration of the moon.

Writing and drawing about a Make a creative detailed drawing and write creative living on the moon sentences imagining what it would be like to live on the moon.

a Show evidence in drawing and writing of some facts about the moon e.g:– no atmosphere– plants can’t grow there– animals can’t live there– no water and no clouds or rain– they have to take everything such as food, clothing,

air and water with them– they have to dispose of their own waste, etc,

TASK 51. Imagine that you are living on the moon one day.

Make a drawing to show where and how you will live on the moon.

but how high would

you jump on the moon? how long

would myrocket take to reach the

moon?

on sports day i jumped 1,2m

high …


Writing task – My place on the moon2. Write to tell what it will be like to live on the moon.

Learner task (continued)

20

The sun and its family of planets

Introduction to the solar systemA Explain that Earth is found in one small part of the sky called the

solar system. A We are close to one star called the sun. A All the other stars are very, very far away from us.A Tell learners that we will study our solar system.

A.1. Hand out photocopies of a the “Nine planets” (see page 53–56).

Each group works with one full set of planets.1. Cut out the planets.2. Write each planet’s name on the back.3. Write down the planet’s distance from the sun.4. Use the different distances from the sun and place the planets in

order. Start with the sun and place the planet closest to the sun first.5. End with the planet, which is the furthest away from the sun.

B.Hand out The Planets fact sheet (see page 23) and the drawing of thesolar system (see page 46–47) to complete.

• Nine different planets make up our solar system• The planets vary in size and mass• Planets are different distances away from the sun• All planets revolve around the sun• Planets revolve in fixed orbits and they remain in these orbits.

Activity 66

Key concepts

Teacher task

Teacher task

Learner task IN PAIRS

NOTE TO TEACHER …

When learners cut out and sequence

the planets according to their

distances from the sun, they must

work with these very large numbers.

This is one of the main purposes of

this activity. In doing this activity we

hope that learners will be able to

interpret each number and then

compare it to another big number and

decide which is the furthest from the

sun and so on until they have placed

each planet in the correct order.

Pluto

Neptune

SaturnEarth

MercuryVenus

Mars Jupiter

Uranus

SUN

21

Task card – Activity 6The sun and its family of planets1. Read the paragraph for your information.

We know that Earth is a planet. There are eight other planets. Togetherwith Earth, there are nine planets. They all get light from the sun. Eachplanet travels around the sun on its own special pathway called anorbit. Each planet is different. The sun and its family of planets iscalled the solar system.

2. On ‘The Planets’ fact sheet find the column marked “Distance fromthe Sun”. This will tell you how far each planet is from the sun.

3. Find each planet on your ‘Solar System sheet’ and label it correctly.

Mercury

Venus

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Earth’sMoon

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Learner task INDIVIDUAL

22

Hand out the following questions and explain how to use ‘The Planets’fact sheet to answer the questions.

Teacher task

About the planetsUse ‘The Planets’ fact sheet to answer the following questions:

1. Which planet is the smallest?

Pluto is the smallest planet.2. Which planet is the largest?

Jupiter is the largest planet.3. Which planet has two moons?

Mars has two moons.4. Name the planet that has a red spot.

Jupiter has a red spot.5. Which planet do we know very little about? Why?

We know very little about Pluto because it is very far away from Earth.6. Why is Mars called the red planet?

Mars is called the red planet because it looks red in the sky.7. Name the brightest planet.

Venus is the brightest planet.8. Which planet has the most moons?

Saturn has the most moons. It has 18 moons.9. What is unusual about Saturn?

Saturn is unusual because it has 18 moons and it has large rings around it.10. How far is Saturn from the Earth?

Saturn is 1 250 000 000km from Earth.11. Which is the nearest planet to the Earth? How far is it from us?

Venus is the nearest planet to Earth. It is 46 000 000km from us. 12. How far away is Pluto from Mercury?

Pluto is 5 840 000 000km from Mercury.

Learner task

The sun and its family of planetsWhat we want to assess What we expect from learners

Solar System Planets should be:a identified correctlya placed in correct order according to their

distances from the suna labeled correctly using the table provided.

Answering the questions a Correct answers to questionsabout the solar system.

AktiwiteitAAsssseesssseerriinngg66

23

PLANET Distance from Size of planet Number Other featuresthe sun in km (diameter in km) of moons

Mercury 60 000 000 km 5 000 km 0 It looks like our moon

Venus 104 000 000 km 12 000 km 0 It is the brightest planet

Earth 150 000 000 km 13 000 km 1 It is the only planet known to have life on it

Mars 240 000 000 km 7 000 km 2 It is known as the red planet

Jupiter 800 000 000 km 143 000 km 16 It has a red spot and striped appearance

Saturn 1 400 000 000km 120 000 km 18 It has a set of rings around it

Uranus 3 000 000000km 52 000 km 15 It looks green. Most of it is ice.

Neptune 4 500 000 000km 50 000 km 8 It appears blue

Pluto 5 900 000 000km 2 000 km 1 Very little is known about this planet

The Planets fact sheet

24

Reading about the Sun, Earth and Moon 1. Copy the readings about the Earth, the moon and the sun for learners

from pages 48–50. Also copy the table ‘Comparing the Sun, Earth andMoon’ from page 51. (See page 26 for completed table.)

Read about the Earth, the moon and the sun and then complete the tablebelow.

Our Planet EarthOur home, the Earth, is a planet. It

looks like a large ball made mostly of

rock. Our planet is made of a number

of different layers of rock. First, there is

a crust on the outside where most of the

rock is hard. Under the crust is a

mantle, which is made of softer rock

and which is slowly moving all the time.

Deep inside the Earth is a core made of

the metals called Iron and Nickel. On

the outside the Earth is surrounded by

water (in the oceans), and air.

The Earth is a medium sized planet.

It measures about 40 000 km around

the equator. If you could cut through it

and measure the diameter it would be

about 12 762 km.

The Earth moves in two ways at the

same time. One way in which the Earth moves is in a circle around

the sun. We say the Earth revolves around the sun in its own orbit.

The other way in which the Earth moves is that it spins (rotates) all

the time while it is moving around the sun.

The Earth does not give off light of its own but receives light from

the sun. The Earth also receives heat from the sun so that the

temperature on Earth is just right for living things. It is not too hot

and it is not too cold

The Earth looks like a beautiful blue and white ball. The blue that

we can see is the water that surrounds the Earth. The white parts are

the clouds that float in the air. Near the North and South Poles are

large white areas. These are the polar ice caps made of frozen water.

There are other planets in space, but Earth is the most important

to us, because people, animals and plants can live on it.

Activity 77

Teacher task

Learner task

25

The moonThe moon is our nearest neighbour in space. It

is about 400 000 km away from us.

It is a ball of rock like the Earth, but it has

no water and no air.

The moon is so close to us that if we look

carefully we can see some details on its surface.

There are light and dark areas on the surface.

The light areas are high mountains and the

darker areas are large, flat, dusty plains. The

moon also has a lot of round marks on its

surface. These are called craters. They are

made when rocks from outer space hit the

surface of the moon and leave dents in it.

The moon is not a planet. It is a moon because it revolves around a

planet and not around the sun. It does not give off its own light but gets

light from the sun. As the moon moves around the Earth we can see

different parts of it lit up as the sunlight falls onto the moon.

The moon is much smaller than the Earth. The Earth is five times

bigger than the moon. If you could break the Earth into five equal balls

then the moon would be the size of one ball. The moon has a diameter of

about 3 500km.

The sunThe sun is a star, not a planet. It is a huge ball of very hot gas in space.

The main gas is hydrogen. A star is a ball of gas so hot that it gives off

light and heat and other radiation. The sun is the star closest to us.

We can feel the sun’s warmth

and see its light. It is so bright that

we cannot look at it directly

without hurting our eyes. The sun

is so hot that huge explosions and

fountains of gas shoot up high

above its surface. There are also

dark patches, called sunspots,

which come and go. Without the

light and heat of the sun, Earth

would be cold, dark and dead. The

sun is about 100 times bigger than

the earth but it looks small,

because it is so very far away.

The sun spins all the time while the planets are revolving around it.

26

Learner Task Card

Read about the sun, Earth and moon and then complete this table:

Questions Sun Earth Moon

What does it look like? The sun looks like a The Earth looks like a The moon is a round very bright ball of fire. blue and white ball. ball that looks pale

yellow or white. It has light and dark patches on its surface.

What is it made of? The sun is made of The Earth is a ball made The moon is made ofvery hot hydrogen gas. of rock. On the outside rock.

the rock is hard but on the inside the rock is softer and deep inside, the core is made of iron and nickel. The Earth is surrounded by water and air.

How does it move? The sun spins. The Earth spins and it The moon travels also travels around the around the Earth.sun.

How does it get its The sun produces its The Earth gets light The moon gets itslight? own light from the hot from the sun light from the sun.

hydrogen gas.

How big is it? The sun is much bigger The Earth is smaller than The moon is smaller than the Earth (about the sun but bigger than than the Earth. Five 100 times bigger). the moon. Its diameter moons could fit into

is about 12 762km. the Earth. Its diameter is about 3 500km.

Any other interesting There are big gas The Earth has just the There are mountainsthing that you read? explosions and black right temperature for and craters and flat

spots on the sun. living things. dusty plains on the moon.

Comparing the Sun, Earth and Moon

27

Reading about the Sun, Earth and Moon


Reading and completing Correctly compare the similarities and the table of comparison of differences in answer to the questions the sun, Earth and moon for the sun, Earth and moon

A research project for learnersDo a book research about space travel and exploration. You can researchanything about space and space travel that interests you.

Here are some ideas about what to focus on in your research:a The Apollo missions to the moon. These missions were exploration

flights, then later people flew past the moon and finally they landed onthe moon.

a The Mariner missions. These missions are explorations to Mars, ournearest planet.

a The Pioneer 10 and 11 missions. These spacecraft have explored thefurthest away from Earth. They have photographed the other planetsand have now left our solar system.

a The Viking spacecraft. These spacecraft also photographed theplanets in our solar system.

a The space shuttle. The space shuttle flies close to the Earth and takespeople and supplies to and from the International Space Station whereexperiments are carried out in space.

a The Hubble telescope. This telescope is in orbit around the Earth. Ittakes photographs of space that we cannot see from Earth becauseour atmosphere makes this difficult.

a Etc,

You can present your project as:a a modela a song or speecha an art worka a playa a poster with drawings and writinga Etc

Your presentation must show what you have learned from your researchabout space exploration and travel.


Activity 88Learner task

28

PERIOD 1

A Start with Activity 3 as themoon watch will take a wholemonth

Activity 3

• Give learners homework to drawthe night sky including the moonas they see it in the sky

• Show learners how to completethe moon watch chart (50 min)

NB. Calendar shows the daywhen the moon will be visible

PERIOD 2

• Discussion about what is in thenight sky

• Learners copy the moondrawing on to their moon watchcharts (50 min)

PERIOD 3

Activity 1

• Choosing a shape which bestresembles the Earth &explaining their own choice

• Making of the Earth paper model50 min

PERIOD 4

• Putting the continents on themodel

• Colouring in the continents &putting on air

50 min

PERIOD 5

• Completing the task card OurEarth is like a moving ball inspace

50 min

PERIOD 6

Activity 2

• Poems and stories about themoon

• Making of the moon papermodel

50 min

PERIOD 7

• Making the Earth & moon mobileto compare the sizes of the twoand to explain the revolution ofthe moon around the Earth

• Sentence completion

50 min

PERIOD 8

Activity 3 (cont)

• Looking at the learner’s progresswith the moon watch chart andreading of the poem (Watchingthe Moon)

• Discussion about why the moonchanges

50 min

PERIOD 9

• Helping learners to name thephases of the moon

Activity 4 (start)

• Prediction and discussion aboutlight falling on the moon

50 min

PERIOD 10

Activity 4 (cont)

• Demonstration and discussionabout light falling on the moon

• Sentence completion

50 min

PERIOD 11

Activity 4 (cont)

• Reading of a poem or songabout travelling to the moon

• Discussion & reading abouttravelling to the moon

50 min

PERIOD 12

Activity 5

• Discussion and reading abouttravelling to the moon continued

50 min

PERIOD 13

Activity 5 (cont)

• Drawing and writing abouttravelling to the moon

50 min

PERIOD 14

Activity 6

• Discussion about theappearance of the differentplanets as seen from the planetpamphlet

• Reading to find each planet’sdistance from the sun andplacing them according to thedistances from the sun

50 min

PERIOD 15

Activity 6 (cont)

• Using the planet fact sheet tolabel the solar system diagram

• Using the planet fact sheet toask questions

PERIOD 16

Activity 7

• Using the planet fact sheet toanswer questions

50 min

PERIOD 17

Activity 7 (cont)

• Readings about the sun, moonand Earth

• Reading and completion of tableto compare sun, moon and Earth

50 min

Activity 8 (additional)

• Book research project aboutspace exploration (± 2 weeks)

• Presentations of research project

This learning programme will take approximately 850 min = 3,5 weeks to complete(NS = 4 hours per week) plus additional time to do the projects and present them

SUGGESTED WORK SCHEME ON EARTH AND BEYOND Grade 6 learning programme

36

Learner task card – Activity 1

Our Earth is like a ball moving in space

A Draw onto the diagram and label clearly– Land– Water– Air– Outer space

37

The phases of the moonWrite down some interesting things about the moon, that you have seen.

MOON WATCH CHART

Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Learner task card– Activity 3

Moon watch

I saw some interesting things about the moon.

One thing was . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I also saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Furthermore, I saw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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38

Learner task card – Activity 4Light on the moon

1. Hold the moon as shown below:

2. Still holding the moon at arm’s length, turn around slowly and look tosee how the light falls on the moon.

3. Write and draw your observations below:

A. When the sun is behind me and the moon is infront of me this is what I see:Underline the correct one and draw on the circle:

I can see the Full/ Quarter/ New Moon

B. When I am standing sideways to the sun and

the moon is in front of me this is what I see.

Underline the correct one and draw on the circle:


C. When I am facing the sun and the moon is in front of me this is what I see:

Underline the correct one and draw on the circle:


A B C

39


Reading for learners

Travelling to the moonFor thousands of years people have looked up at the moon in the night skybut no body had ever been to the moon.

People decide to explorethe moon1. In 1961 President John

Kennedy announcedthat the United Statesof America (USA) wouldsend some people totravel to the moon toexplore it. No humanbeing had ever travelledto the moon before. Forthe next 8 years theyexperimented withdifferent rockets andspace vehicles. Theymade several trips tothe moon to check theequipment but did notland on it.

Travelling to the moon2. Finally in 1969 the

Apollo II space shipwas ready to belaunched into space.The space ship had totravel about 400 000 kmto reach the moon and400 000 km to getback. Apollo raced allthrough space. Afterthree days and nights, itcame near the moon.

3. Two astronauts flew down to the moon’s surface in a moon lander. Oneastronaut stayed up in the rocket and circled around the moon. He didthis to make sure that they could all get back safely, even if the moonlander could not fly back. Neil Armstrong was the first man to step out ofthe space ship onto the surface of the moon. These were his words as hestepped onto the moon: “One small step for man, one giant leap formankind.” Edwin Aldrin was the second man to step onto the moon.

Aiming for the moon … Apollo II is ready to be launched.Picture: NASA

40

On the moon’s surface4. The moon looked scary. It has no air, water,

plants or animals. The astronauts wentoutside in space suits to explore. They tooklots of pictures. They drove a moon car andset up science experiments. Then theyreturned to Apollo in the top of the lander.Apollo brought them home safely.

One day you too could travel to the moon5. Perhaps you’ll be on a moon station one

day! You’ll catch a moon ship at a spacestation that will circle around the Earth.People will load supplies onto the ship. Theywill put fuel in your new moon ship andlander. Finally you’ll blast off. Near themoon, the rocket engines will fire again.You’ll go into orbit around the moon. Peopleand supplies will go into the moon lander.Engines will fire. Down you’ll go. What willyou say when you step onto the moon?What will it be like to live on the moon?

(Adapted from: Amazing Rockets by Dinah L. MocheWestern Publishing Company Inc. Wisconsin 1990

Above left: Lift off! 16 July 1969 was launch day forApollo II. Left: The landing craft.Above: Neil Armstrong … The first person on themoon! (All pictures courtesy of NASA)

41



Learner talking and reading tasks:

Task 11. Imagine that you are the first person to travel to the moon.Discuss:A What plans would you make to get there?A How long would you spend planning?A How many people would go with you?A What kind of vehicle would you use?A Would you go on your own or would your country send you there?

Now read paragraph 1 to find what did happen

Task 22. Imagine how many days your journey

would take to get to the moon.Discuss:A How far do you have to travel to get

there?A How many days will it take you to get

there?

Now read paragraph 2 to find out how farand how long the journey took

Task 33. Imagine how you will land on the moon

safely so that you can come back again.Discuss:A How will you land on the moon?A How will you get back again?A What will you say when you step on the

moon for the first time?

Now read paragraph 3 to find out what didhappen

Task 44. Imagine you are on the moon’s surface.Discuss:A What will the moon look like?A What will you do on the moon?A Did you get home safely?

Now read paragraph 4 to find what it is likeon the moon.

Pictures: NASA

Why is the sky black?There is no atmosphere on the moon. So, you do not lookthrough the atmosphere into space like here on the Earth. Whenwe look through the atmosphere from Earth the sky looks blue.

What is this?This moon car runs on batteries (remember there is no air on themoon to burn petrol). This is an umbrella-shaped solar panel topick up sunlight energy and change it to electrical energy tocharge the batteries.

What is this?This is a footprint of an astronaut.

What is this?This is the sun that also shines on the moon.

What is this?This is a crater on the moon’s surface. It is a large dentleft by a rock from space that crashed into the moon.There are many craters on the moon’s surface.

What can you say about this environment?It is barren, dry and rocky

Why does he have a shadow?He is standing with his back to the sun so his shadow fallsin front of him.

42

Teacher’s copy: Photographs taken on the moon

Why does he wear a helmet?He wears a helmet to protect him from the harmful rays ofthe sun. There is no atmosphere to protect him. He alsoneeds a helmet to protect him from any harmful dust orstones from space. He also needs a helmet for breathing.The air from the air tanks on his back is pumped into hishelmet.

What is this?This is a hill or mountain in the background.

What is he carrying on his back?He is carrying air to breathe on his back in tanks.

What is this?This is an astronaut’s footprint.

What is he doing?He is taking soil samples with a special tool.

What is this?This is the moon lander spacecraft.

What is this?This is the moon buggy or motor car

What are these marks on the surface?They are the marks from the tyres of the moon buggy.

Learner’s copy: Photographs taken on the moon

Why is the sky black?

What is this?

What is this?

43

What is this?

What is this?

What can yousay about thisenvironment?

Why does hehave a shadow?

44

Why does he wear ahelmet?

What is this?

What is he carrying on hisback?

What is this?

What is he doing?

What is this?

What is this?

What are thesemarks on thesurface?

45

Task 5

Imagine living on the moon one day

Writing Task:

When I live on the moon

I will live in a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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I will . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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I will also . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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I will also . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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46


The sun and its family of planets1. Read the paragraph for your information.

We know that Earth is a planet. There are eight other planets. Togetherwith Earth, there are nine planets. They all get light from the sun. Eachplanet travels around the sun on its own special pathway called anorbit. Each planet is different. The sun and its family of planets iscalled the solar system.

2. On ‘The Planets’ fact sheet find the column marked “Distance fromthe Sun”. This will tell you how far each planet is from the sun.

3. Find each planet on your ‘Solar System sheet’ and label it correctly.

THE SOLAR SYSTEM

47

THE SOLAR SYSTEM

48

Learner task card Activity 6 – Individual

About the Planets:

Use The Planets fact sheet on page 23 to answer the following questions:

1. Which is the smallest planet? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

2. Which is the largest planet? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3. Which planet has two moons? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4. Name the planet which has a red spot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5. Which planet do we know very little about? Why? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6. Why is Mars called the red planet? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7. Name the brightest planet? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8. Which planet has the most moons? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9. What is unusual about Saturn? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10. How far is Saturn from the Earth? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11. Which is the nearest planet to the Earth? How far is it from us? . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12 How far away is Pluto from Mercury? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

49

Earth as seen from the moon.

Readings about the Sun, Earth and Moon 1. Read about the Earth, the moon and the sun and then complete the

table on page 52.

Our Planet EarthOur home, the Earth, is a planet. It looks like a large ball made mostly

of rock. Our planet is made of a number of different layers of rock.

First, there is a crust on the outside where most of the rock is hard.

Under the crust is a mantle, which is made of softer rock and which is

slowly moving all the time. Deep inside the Earth is a core made of the

metals called Iron and Nickel. On the outside the Earth is surrounded

by water (in the oceans), and air.

50

The Earth is a medium sized planet. It measures about 40 000 km

around the equator. If you could cut through it and measure the

diameter it would be about 12 762 km.

The Earth moves in two ways at the same time. One way in which

the Earth moves is in a circle around the sun. We say the Earth

revolves around the sun in its own orbit. The other way in which the

Earth moves is that it spins (rotates) all the time while it is moving

around the sun.

The Earth does not give off light of its own but receives light from

the sun. The Earth also receives heat from the sun so that the

temperature on Earth is just right for living things. It is not too hot

and it is not too cold

The Earth looks like a beautiful blue and white ball. The blue that

we can see is the water that surrounds the Earth. The white parts are

the clouds that float in the air. Near the North and South Poles are

large white areas. These are the polar ice caps made of frozen water.

There are other planets in space, but Earth is the most important

to us, because people, animals and plants can live on it.

The moonThe moon is our nearest neighbour in space. It is about 400 000 km

away from us.

It is a ball of rock like the Earth, but it has no water and no air.

The moon is so close to us that if we look carefully we can see some

The Earth’s atmosphere is clearly visible from this photograph.

51

Earth, the sun and the moon.

details on its surface. There are light and dark

areas on the surface.

The light areas are high mountains and the

darker areas are large, flat, dusty plains. The

moon also has a lot of round marks on its

surface. These are called craters. They are

made when rocks from outer space hit the

surface of the moon and leave dents in it.

The moon is not a planet. It is a moon

because it revolves around a planet and not

around the sun. It does not give off its own

light but gets light from the sun. As the moon

moves around the Earth we can see different

parts of it lit up as the sunlight falls onto the

moon.

The moon is much smaller than the Earth.

The Earth is five times bigger than the moon.

If you could break the Earth into five equal

balls then the moon would be the size of one

ball. The moon has a diameter of about

3 500km.

The sunThe sun is a star, not a planet. It is a huge

ball of very hot gas in space. The main gas is

hydrogen. A star is a ball of gas so hot that it

gives off light and heat and other radiation.

The sun is the star closest to us.

We can feel the sun’s warmth and see its

light. It is so bright that we cannot look at it

directly without hurting our eyes. The sun is

so hot that huge explosions and fountains of

gas shoot up high above its surface. There are

also dark patches, called sunspots, which

come and go. Without the light and heat of

the sun, Earth would be cold, dark and dead.

The sun is about 100 times bigger than the

earth but it looks small, because it is so very

far away.

The sun spins all the time while the

planets are revolving around it.

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QUESTIONS SUN EARTH MOON

What does it look like?

What is it made of?

How does it get its

How big is it?

Any other interestingthing that you read about?

Learner Task card – Activity 7Read about the sun, Earth and moon and then complete this table:

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The nine planets in our solar system

The four Galilean moons

Jupiter has 16 knownmoons, but four arelarger than the restand can be seeneasily withbinoculars. They areknown as the“Galilean moons”after their discovererGalileo.

JupiterDiameter 142 800 km

Mass 318 Earth masses

Distance from the sun 800 million km

Number of moons 16

Rotation period length of day in Earth hours 9.8

Time to go round the sun length of year in Earth years: 11.9

Jupiter is the largest of the gas giants. The whiteclouds that we see are at a temperature of –153 oC and consist of ammonia ice crystals. Lowerdown, the clouds are coloured red and brown byorganic compounds and chemicals such as sulphur.Winds speeds of over 400 km/h are common; theGreat Red Spot is thought to be a long-livedhurricane and is larger than Earth. Jupiter probablyhas a rock or ice core surrounded by liquidhydrogen with helium dissolved in it.

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MercuryDiameter 4 878 km

Mass 0.06 Earth masses

Distance from Sun 60 million km

Number of moons none

Rotation period length of day in Earth days 58.7

Time to go round the sun length of year in Earth days 88

At the equator it is hot enough to melt lead. Atthe poles there are craters with ice frozen to–150°C. Mercury has no atmosphere.

UranusDiameter 51 118 km


Distance from the sun 3000 million km

Number of moons 15

Rotation period length of day in Earth hours 17.9

Time to go round the sunlength of year in Earth years 84

Uranus shows an almost featureless green‘surface’ of clouds floating in a cold (–197°C)atmosphere of hydrogen, helium and methane.Beneath the clouds, most of Uranus (85%) isice.

EarthOur Home Planet

Diameter 12 750 km

Distance from sun 150 million km

Rotation period length of day in Earth hours

23.93

Time to go round length of year in the sun Earth days365.24

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Venus Diameter 12 104 km


Distance from Sun 104 million km

Number of moons none

Rotation period length of day in Earth days 243

Time to go round the sun length of year in Earth days 225

Venus is a hot and hostile planet. An atmosphereof carbon dioxide 90 times as dense as Earth’skeeps the surface hot enough to melt lead.Clouds of sulphuric acid hide its surface.

SaturnLike Jupiter, Saturn is a gas giantconsisting mainly of hydrogen andhelium. Its famous ring in fact consistsof thousands of narrow rings made upof lumps of ice and rock as small asdust grains and as large as minibus.

Diameter 120 660 kmMass 95 Earth massesDistance from Sun 1 400 million kmNumber of moons 18Rotation period length of day in Earth hours 10.2Time to go round the sun length of year in Earth years 29.5

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MarsDiameter 6 787 kmMass 0.1 Earth massesDistance from Sun 240 million kmNumber of moons Two. Phobos and DeimosRotation period length of day in Earth hours

24.62Time to go round length of year in Earth the sun days 687

The atmosphere of Mars is 100 times less densethan Earth’s and consists mainly of carbon dioxide,with traces of water vapour. In winter temperaturesdrop to –125 °C, giving Mars its well known white‘ice caps’. In summer equatorial temperatures canreach 20 °C. The planet’s reddish colour is causedby iron in the soil. Bacterial life forms may oncehave existed on Mars.

NeptuneDiameter 49 528 km

Mass 17 Earth masses

Distance from sun 4 500 million km

Number of moons 8

Rotation period length of day in Earthhours 19.1

Time to go round the sun length of year in Earthyears 164.8

Neptune is another ‘ice giant’ like Uranus and evencolder (–225°C). Its bluish atmosphere of hydrogenand helium shows occasional large dark spots, and isprobably the windiest place in the solar system withstorm winds reaching speeds of 1400 km/h.

PlutoDiameter 2 300 kmMass 0.0025 Earth masses Distance from sun 4 400–7 400 million kmNumber of moons 1Rotation period length of day in Earth days 6.4Time to go round the sun

length of year in Earth years 247.7

Pluto is smallest of the planets, and usually theremotest and coldest. At –233°C, frost of methaneand nitrogen coat the pinkish surface. Pluto’s grayishmoon, Charon, is only 19 400 km away, and more thanhalf Pluto’s diameter.

earth and beyond [grade 6 english]

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