1 The Universe and

the Solar System

black board, globe, animated videos of rotation and revolution,
charts, electronic gadgets

 Learning the formation of the Universe.

 Understanding the components of the solar system.

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to
 learn about the solar system, rotation and revolution
of earth
 become familiar with geographical terms
Through the course of the lesson, students will be
able to
 describe the solar system
 explain the chart showing the revolution of earth
around the sun
 demonstrate the rotation of earth and revolution
around the sun
 collect data and present it neatly
 sketch the revolution of earth around the sun
neatly with proper labelling
 describe the sphere of earth
 define various geographical terms

Warm up and introduction Introduction

For a Geography lesson, it helps to have a word wall/
word book or pictionary made with the geographical
terms. We can keep adding new terms to it as they
are introduced.
00:15
Ask students to read the first part of the lesson.
Substitute one of the students in the place of Iniya
and continue.
Some more questions can be asked by the teacher
to explore/probe.

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So for this unit, the terms can be as follows:
celestial bodies, universe, galaxy, stars, solar system,
planets, satellite, asteroids, comets, meteors, meteorites,
latitudes, rotation, axis, revolution, orbit, leap year,
hemisphere, Equinox, summer and winter solstice, sphere,
lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere.
The way the lesson is introduced in the text is simple and
clear; teacher can make two students read that part aloud
and take over from there.
Cooperative learning
 Ask the students to keep their wordbook/
pictionary ready and make them sit in pairs.
(The teams should be already arranged by the
teacher.)
 Have the chart depicting the solar system put up
for the class to see.
 Ask the students to read in pairs (pages – 174
-180). It must be a slow reading. Ask them to
underline the key words and the words that they
do not understand.
00:10
Visual aid
From the internet sources given at the end of the lesson,
teacher can show an animated video/slide show of the big
bang and the creation of universe.
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Let the students think and answer whatever they know.
 Have you looked at the night sky? What do you see there?
When we say full moon, what do we see on the sky?
 Are the moon, sun and the stars similar in their nature?
 How is earth related to sun, moon and stars?
 Do you know what a planet is? Is it different from a star?
 How would you describe the shape of the earth?
Students can read aloud their wordbook definitions and
discuss with one another.
Check for understanding
00:35 The teacher can pose questions to engage the students'
attention and find out how far they have understood.
Questions such as the following can be asked:
 Which planets are referred to as the celestial planets?
Why?
 How huge is the Sun?
 Name the gases that make up the Sun.
 What are celestial bodies?
 What does the universe consist of?
 How are the huge cluster of stars of a galaxy held
together?
 What is the evidence that shows that the early Tamils
knew about the Sun being the centre of the solar
system?
 The only planet not named after the Greek/Roman
gods is .......... .
 What is unique about the Earth?
It is important to provide pauses after posing the
questions to the students (They need time to think,
analyse and give their response.)
A pop quiz can be conducted by dividing the students
into teams on the components of the Universe.
00:15
Explore and engage
Ask questions to draw attention of the students to the day
and night changes and the cycle of seasons.
00:15
Teacher guidance
To write the terms 'axis' and 'rotation' on the top of the board
so as to have space to write the key points later.
Demonstration by teacher
 By spinning around the teacher can show both
00:40
clockwise and anti-clock wise rotations.
 Explain the axis by showing a top spinning on its axis; bring
the students' attention to the globe and how it is tilted at
an angle.
 With a lamp in the centre of the class, pin/affix a small
figure on the globe in the location of their city/town.
 Make the figure to directly face the Sun (lamp) to show
daylight.
 To explain how the other side of the Earth that is not facing
the Sun would have night, the teacher can slowly rotate
the globe but let the lamp remain in the same position
to show the different hours—how by the evening long
shadows fall; how when the figure is completely on the
other side it is in darkness.
 Write 'revolution' on the board and show the revolution
of the Sun by going around the lamp/table.
 Teacher to show rotation and revolution simultaneously
and explain the path known as 'orbit'.
 Draw the attention of students to the shape of Earth
which is sphere and the imaginary lines of latitude which
helps them understand at what angle sun light is received
at a particular location (due to the spherical shape).
 Chart display can be used to show revolution and the
different positions of Earth around the Sun (solstice and
equinox).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=libKVRa01L8 (video: Solar System)
 Do you think we experience day and night
uniformly all over the world?
 What can be causing day and night when the
Sun is always there pouring its heat on us?
 In the morning when we see the Sun, how do
we describe it? (to lead to ‘rising in the East’)
 Where do you see the Sun in the afternoon/
evening?
 Where does it go in the evening?
Students by turn can call out the definition of the
words 'axis' and 'rotation'.
 Get students to do the spinning in their places
(safety measures to be checked so that they
don't or get hurt).
 Ask the students how it would be if there is no
rotation or revolution.
 What would happen if the Earth is not tilted at
an angle?
 Get the students to spread out their desk/
table near them to rotate anti-clock wise and
go around the desk (as the Sun) also in counter
clockwise direction.
It would be a fun and effective way of internalizing
the knowledge.
 With the globe and blackboard drawing, the parallels
of latitude can be explained.
 With a simple illustration the teacher can explain
how the sunlight falls at different locations.
(Students can draw the revolution of the Earth in their
copies with suitable labels.)
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 00:20
Reading aloud in class – Spheres of the Earth
After each paragraph (because each describes one
concept), give time for students to discuss among their
teams and, clarify doubts with the teacher (teacher can
go around and help).
Recommended activities
To do as team work:
 Students can refer to encyclopedia, other books and
search the net for interesting information about
other planets, comets, asteroids and meteors.
 With suitable illustrations, students can write three/
four sentences about each one in their own words.
(what they understood only; should not copy from
any source)
4
Match the following can be given on the new terms
learnt such as revolution, axis and so on along with their
definitions.
They will make notes of only the key points.
Example –
Most suitable for life; three major realms/
00:20 components— lithosphere, atmosphere,
hydrosphere;
The three realms and suitable climate make life
possible; life exists in a narrow zone of contact
between the three realms called biosphere.
Textual exercise as an assessment
Let students provide the answers, teacher can give
support wherever needed.
To be completed by students as home assignment.
Universe
Satellites

8 planets

Galaxy

Dwarf planets
Sun
Stars
Asteroids

Comets Meteors

Meteorites