The Earth, Sun and Moon: Free KS2 Science Worksheet

What this worksheet covers

This worksheet focuses on two specific objectives from the Year 5 Earth and Space unit: describing the Sun, Earth and Moon as approximately spherical bodies, and describing the movement of the Moon relative to the Earth. Children practise naming each body, recognising their relative sizes, and explaining the nested pattern of movement in which the Moon orbits the Earth while the Earth orbits the Sun. The word bank supports children who are still building confidence with scientific vocabulary such as sphere, orbit and star.

The science behind the topic

The Sun is a star: an enormous ball of hot gas at the centre of our Solar System. The Earth is a planet that travels around the Sun once roughly every 365 days, which we measure as one year. The Moon is a natural satellite that travels around the Earth roughly once every 27 to 28 days. All three are approximately spherical, although none is a perfect sphere. The Sun is by far the largest of the three, the Earth is much smaller, and the Moon is smaller still, with a diameter around a quarter of the Earth's. Establishing these relative sizes helps children make sense of later work on day, night and the phases of the Moon.

Common misconceptions to watch for

Children often muddle what orbits what. A frequent error is believing that the Sun moves around the Earth, or that the Moon orbits the Sun directly rather than orbiting the Earth. Another is assuming the three bodies are similar in size because they can appear similar in the sky. It is worth emphasising that the Sun only looks small because it is so far away, and that the curriculum asks pupils to call these bodies approximately spherical, not perfect spheres. Gentle questioning during the tasks below can surface and correct these ideas.

How to use this sheet at home or in class

Children can begin by colouring the illustration, then complete the labelling task using the word bank if needed, before tackling the true-or-false statements. The sheet works well as an introduction to the topic, as a quick recap, or as a low-stress homework activity. For extension, ask children to explain in their own words why we have a year (the Earth's orbit of the Sun) and roughly how long the Moon takes to orbit the Earth. Modelling the movement with three differently sized balls can make the nested orbits clearer.

Frequently asked questions