• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (The Sun, Moon and stars). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. What is the Sun? (a comet / a star / a planet / a moon) → a starPrompt: It makes its own light, like the stars at night.
2. Sun, Moon and stars: which statement is true? (The Sun goes round the Earth. / The Moon makes its own light. / Stars are still in the sky during the day. / You can only see the Moon at night.) → Stars are still in the sky during the day.Prompt: Which objects make their own light?
3. Sun, Moon and stars: which statement is NOT true? (You can only see the Moon at night. / The Moon reflects light from the Sun. / The Sun is a star. / Stars are still in the sky during the day.) → You can only see the Moon at night.Prompt: Does the Sun really move round us?

• Ask why we see the Moon change shape over a month.
• Share the objective: Stars: when we see them and what they are. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: What are stars?
• Step 1: Stars are giant balls of hot gas that give out their own light.
• Step 2: So the answer is: huge, very hot balls of glowing gas, very far away
• Answer: huge, very hot balls of glowing gas, very far away
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Why did people long ago use star patterns to find their way? (Stars only appear above roads. / Stars point at the nearest town. / The patterns stay the same and appear in predictable places. / Stars talk to sailors.) → The patterns stay the same and appear in predictable places.Prompt: Do star patterns change shape from night to night?
2. Stars: which statement is true? (Stars are small and close to Earth. / Stars give out their own light. / The Moon is a star. / Stars disappear in the morning and are made again at night.) → Stars give out their own light.Prompt: Remember the Sun is our nearest star.

• Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
• Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Why do stars look tiny even though many are bigger than the Sun? (They shrink at night. / They are extremely far away. / Our eyes are too small. / They are made of glitter.) → They are extremely far away.Prompt: How big does an aeroplane (airplane) look when it is far away?
2. Stars: which statement is true? (Stars are small and close to Earth. / The Moon is a star. / The Sun is a star. / Stars disappear in the morning and are made again at night.) → The Sun is a star.Prompt: Remember the Sun is our nearest star.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-1.