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Lesson Plan

Before the Lesson

  1. Make the props and download the PowerPoint presentation and script.
  2. Find out from the teacher whether this presentation is a one-off, or is being done in the context of a themed activity: for example, you may well be asked to give this talk as part of a school "Space Week". If you are part of a wider activity, find out what else is being done, so you can tie your script into it.
  3. Ask the teacher about facilities: do they have a data projector (some primary schools don't), and, if not, is the room in which the presentation will be held suitable for you to bring your own? Remember that most primary school rooms cannot be made very dark.
  4. Get the school's postcode and customise the aerial photos in the presentation (see the Downloads page for further details.
  5. If you feel so inclined, you can also customise the planetary positions. This isn't strictly necessary, but it's nice to be able to say, "This is where the planets are today."

During the Lesson

  1. Start by asking the children something along the lines of, "What do you know about space?" This will give you some idea of what their current level of knowledge is, and with a bit of luck will produce some answers such as "space is very big" that you can use to lead into the talk.
  2. Ask the children questions, and encourage them to ask you questions, throughout the lesson. Schoolchildren, and primary school children in particular, are used to highly interactive lessons, and don't like being lectured at. Be prepared to jettison the script entirely if you get lots of questions! Don't feel it is essential to make it to the end of the prepared talk: it isn't.
  3. You need at least five children for the first demonstration (two to hold the Sun, and one each for Jupiter, the Earth, and Pluto), and at least three for the second (to hold the other end of the string for Saturn, Uranus and Pluto). Make sure you pick eight different kids, and in mixed schools try to maintain gender balance.
  4. Finish by asking for questions. If you are dealing with a Y6 group, be prepared for some good ones - many 11-year-olds follow the science news and will ask questions about objects the average adult has never heard of (e.g. Sedna).

After the Lesson

Try to talk to the teacher after the session. Ask for comments - they know more about teaching small children than you do! Children too shy to ask you questions may well ask the teacher afterwards, so leave contact details in case s/he needs backup.