Topic outline

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  YEAR 5 - SOLAR SYSTEM
  

  • PALMS 5 Activities - Full Book

    The entire PALMS 5 activity book can be downloaded by clicking here (please note the loading time may be long). If you would like to download activity by activity please scroll down (below the STEM project)

    
    PALMS 5 STEM Project

    The PALMS 5 STEM project asks students to consider how dust impacts us both on Earth and in Space. This project can be customised to your class' needs and interests using the project map and other resources in the Teacher's Guide (click here to download). Students are provided guidance, research support and frameworks for experiments and design challenges in the Student Booklet (click here to download).
    We recommend introducing STEM and what STEM skills look like using our thought provoking activities (click here to download).
    
    

    PALMS 5 STEM Project - Digital Version

    Our Dust STEM project is now available in a more interactive format, that can be completed almost anywhere. Supported by a Projects Guide (click here to view and download), Background Research booklet (click here to view and download) and Research Guide (click here to view and download) students can tackle one or all of the following challenges:

    Dusty Leaves (click here to view and download)
    Clean Solar Panels (click here to view and download)
    Rover Design (click here to view and download)
    Monitor Dust (click here to view and download)
    Dust Behaviour (click here to view and download)

  • To learn more about the Dust: Earth and Beyond STEM project click here.

  • PALMS 5 Package - By Activity
    

    Activities can be accessed individually below.

  • Teacher Introduction File

    An introduction to the Year 5 package and its links to the Australian Curriculum.

  • Expanding Universe - Teacher Demonstration File

    A demonstration to introduce the concept of our expanding universe.

  • Static Electricity - Teacher's Notes File

    A series of activities to allow students to explore static electricity and its role in forming our universe.

  • Static Electricity - Student Worksheet File
  • Gravity - Teacher's Notes File

    Activities to explore gravity and its role in the formation of our universe.

  • Gravity - Student Worksheet File
  • Planet Shape - Teacher's Notes File

    A research task to examine the shape of planetary bodies.

  • Planet Shape - Student Worksheet File
  • We are Star Stuff - Teacher's Notes File

    An exploration of the concept 'we are star stuff'.

  • Names of the Planets - Teacher's Notes File

    An activity around the names of the planets and devices to remember them.

  • Names of the Planets - Student Worksheet File
  • My Planet Rules!-Teacher's Notes File

    A research and presentation activity around the planets in our solar system.

  • My Planet Rules! - Student Worksheet File
  • The Problem with Pluto - Teacher's Notes File

    An examination of the decision for Pluto's demotion from planet status.

  • The Problem with Pluto - Student Worksheet File
  • The First Martian - Teacher's Notes File

    An activity to go with a great TED talk about living and working in very different time zones!

  • The First Martian - Student Worksheet File
  • Copernican Revolution - Teacher's Notes File

    The story of Nicolaus Copernicus and how STEM was used to find and honour him centuries after his death.

  • Copernican Revolution - Student Worksheet File
  • Orbit Shapes and AU - Teacher's Notes File

    A fantastic demonstration of how planetary paths become more elliptical as you move further away from the Sun.

  • Patterns in the Sky - Teacher's Notes File

    An activity to examine the distances between things in our universe and the measurements used.

  • Patterns in the Sky - Student Worksheet File
  • Toilet Paper Scale - Teacher's Notes File

    A great way to experience the vast distances between objects in our universe.

  • Toilet Paper Scale - Student Worksheet File
  • Find out more about helping students to understand the scale of the solar system here.

  • Energy for Planets - Teacher's Notes File

    An investigation to examine where the energy for life and other processes comes from on our planet.

  • Energy for Planets - Student Worksheet File
  • Heat and Yeast - Teacher's Notes File

    An investigation into temperature and enzymes (and just how important temperature is to life on Earth)

  • Heat and Yeast - Student Worksheet File
  • Magnetosphere - Teacher's Notes File

    An activity to discover magnetism and why it is so very important to life on Earth.

  • Magnetosphere - Student Worksheet File
  • Planets and Beliefs - Teacher's Notes File

    The changing beliefs around our solar system.

  • Planets and Beliefs - Student Worksheet File
  • Making Your Mark - Teacher's Notes File

    Students mark a homework activity - do they know how to follow a marking key?

  • Making Your Mark - Student Worksheet File
  • We Know Where You Live - Teacher's Notes File

    What's your universal address? Would aliens be able to find you?

  • We Know Where You Live - Student Worksheet File
  • Finding Your Way - PPP File

    A PALMS Parent Power activity - an opportunity to learn how to navigate like our ancestors did, using the stars.