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1b 12 minutes

1a 15 minutes

LanguageNew languageair, bright, burn, dead, dust, gas, ice, life, meteor, night, rock, sun, tail, twinkle

What you need• Cassette / CD and player.

TopicThe pupils learn about the planets in our galaxy and about the other things we see in the night sky, such as stars, comets and meteors. You could have ready more information about this topic (for Pupil’s Book Exercises 1a and 3a and the pupils’ project) and about UFOs (for Activity Book Exercise 1). You and the pupils may already know something about the controversy surrounding Pluto, but you may want to discuss the notes below as you do Exercise 1a with the class.

Project workThe pupils fi nd out and write about one of the planets in our solar system.

Notes: In August 2006, the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union decided that Pluto did not meet the standard defi nition of a planet. Pluto has been renamed a ‘dwarf planet’ although this has caused disagreement amongst many scientists and astronomers. The defi nition of a planet is that it orbits the sun, is large enough for its own gravity and has cleared the space around itself of smaller objects. Because Pluto had not done this, the decision was taken (until the General Assembly meets again in 2010) to remove Pluto from the list of planets in our solar system.

Time Travel Journal: Remind pupils to start completing their Time Travel Journals for Unit 2.

Learning skills: As well as completing a record of learning in their Time Travel Journals, pupils are also introduced to other ways of helping them to learn in the D section of each unit. In this unit, they make a Language Bag, which they use here and in subsequent units to revise and to work on language skills in an interactive way. Pupils will need to fi nd a suitable bag at home and bring it in for this lesson. See A–Z: Language Bag on page 82.

2D ● Know it all! The night sky

Answer key, tapescript and your notesPUPIL’S BOOK pages 22 and 23

What do you know about space? Answer the questions. Then compare with your friend.

PURPOSE To learn about space and share knowledge.Pupils work alone and answer the questionnaire. They then compare with a partner. It doesn’t matter if they are unsure about the answers at this stage as the recording provides the answers in the next exercise.

Listen to Professor Know It All. Check your answers.

Pupils listen to the interview and check their answers.

TapescriptInt = Interviewer Prof = Professor

Int: Hello! Welcome to The Night Sky. Today Professor Know It All answers your questions. Professor, the fi rst question is, how many planets are there?

Prof: There are eight planets. Mercury is the smallest and Jupiter is the biggest.

Int: Is Mercury near us?Prof: Well, yes, but it isn’t the nearest planet.Int: That’s my second question, Professor.

Which is the nearest planet to us?Prof: That’s easy. It’s Mars.Int: Oh, I see. Professor, another question.

How long does it take for us to go around the sun?

Prof: Well, it takes one year. Or, to be precise, three hundred and sixty-fi ve days and a quarter.

Int: Thank you, Professor. My next question is, what are the stars that we see in the sky? Are they planets?

Prof: Oh no. The stars are suns. They are suns millions of kilometres away.

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3b

3a 15 minutes

2 10–15 minutes Listen and write the names of the planets.

PURPOSE To learn the names and sequence of the planets.

Before playing the second part of the interview with Professor Know It All, ask pupils to try to label the planets themselves using knowledge they already have about the topic. They can do this in groups or pairs. Then play the recording, pausing when necessary, to allow them to check what they have written or to write in the names. They can do this in the book or by copying the chart and / or writing the numbers and planets in their exercise books.

Further practice: Activity Book Exercise 1.

Do you know what these things are? Match the descriptions and the pictures.

PURPOSE To practise reading and introduce new vocabulary.

Allow time for pupils to look closely at the pictures and then to read the descriptions. They can work alone, in pairs or in small groups. Again, pupils will check their answers in the next exercise but you may like to go round and help with any new vocabulary.

Listen and check your answers. 10 minutes

Play the recording for pupils to check their answers.

2D ● Know it all! The night sky

3b Tapescript1 This is a star. Stars are made of burning gas. Stars twinkle. They twinkle because the light comes to us through the air. The air is moving.2 This is a meteor. A meteor is a piece of rock. When it comes near the Earth, it burns. We can see a bright light. 3 This is a planet. Sometimes, we can see a planet in the sky. It doesn’t twinkle like stars.

Int: OK. Professor, is there life on other planets?

Prof: Good question! Well, right now we don’t know.

Int: Professor, what is in space? What’s there?

Prof: Well, there are some gases in space. Int: OK. And now my last question. Why

can’t we see the stars in the day?Prof: Well, the stars are there. We can’t see

them because the sun is brighter than the stars.

Int: Thank you, Professor. Don’t go away! I have some more questions for you in a minute!

1b Tapescript, continued

4 This is the moon. The moon is dead. There is no air on the moon. At night it is very cold. In the day, it is very hot.5 This is a comet. A comet is ice and dust. When it goes near the sun, it makes a tail.6 This is a galaxy. A galaxy is a lot of stars. Our galaxy is called the Milky Way. Sometimes, the sky looks like milk.

1b Answers1 = b 2 = c 3 = a 4 = b 5 = b 6 = c 7 = c 8 = b

2 TapescriptInt = Interviewer Prof = ProfessorInt: Welcome back to The Night Sky.

Professor Know It All is telling us about the planets. Professor, where is Earth?

Prof: Well, the planet closest to the sun is Mercury. Then we have Venus, and then Earth. So we are planet number 3 from the sun.

Int: And the other planet nearest to Earth is Mars, you said. Is that right?

Prof: Yes, Mars is planet 4. Then we have Jupiter. And this planet, number 6 from the sun, is Saturn. It has lots of rings. Then we have Uranus and fi nally …

Int: Number 8 from the sun is Neptune. Is that right?

Prof: Yes, exactly.Int: Well, thank you very much for your

help, Professor. That’s all from The Night Sky. Goodbye.

2 Answers2 Venus 3 Earth 4 Mars 5 Jupiter 6 Saturn 7 Uranus 8 Neptune

3b Answers1 = c 2 = a 3 = d 4 = b 5 = f 6 = e