Our Solar System and Beyond: Teaching Primary Science

Understand the Solar System and how to teach it with real-life astronomers

Understanding the Solar System and how to teach it can be a tricky business. Fortunately astronomers at the Royal Observatory Greenwich are here to help.

In this online course, they’ll help you understand space, address some common misconceptions, and introduce you to the science and people behind real-life, cutting-edge discoveries.

You’ll also find out how to select the most appropriate resources for your primary science lessons. You’ll explore digital resources, museum tips, video chats and podcasts, and find out what works best for your students.

This course is designed for primary school teachers and home educators, who have an interest in expanding their knowledge of space, the Solar System and science more broadly, and improving their primary science lessons.

This course is designed for primary school teachers and home educators, who have an interest in expanding their knowledge of space, the Solar System and science more broadly, and improving their primary science lessons.

• Explain the scientific concepts behind the Sun, Earth, Moon system, the seasons, eclipses and the Solar System and interpret them in an appropriate, accurate and understandable way for your students
• Apply your knowledge and experiment with new methods of teaching space science
• Openly discuss challenging topics within the field of astronomy and space science with your class
• Reflect on your perceptions of science and scientists so that you can self-modify any perceptions that could potentially discourage students from exploring the subject further
• Identify reliable sources of information relating to cutting edge astronomy and space science and lead a discussion with your students about how real science, real people and real data relates to the world around us