Today, Year 6 were lucky enough to have a visit from Nic and Jeremy from the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation from the University of Portsmouth. They were joined by Austin, Nic’s guide dog, who Year 6 were very happy to meet; they were very respectful of his important job. Nic and Jeremy added to our learning of the Solar System by teaching us about the scale of the planets, as well as the comparative distance. This was all done by tactile resources that would make the learning accessible to all.
 

The children were given different spherical objects to compare the sizes of the planets, such as: mustard seeds, peppercorns, marbles, ping pongs and tennis balls. We then used gems on a long strip of paper and our fractions knowledge to marvel at the distances between the planets. We were able to use our fingers to add to our learning and understanding. It was amazing to have experts on the subject, who we could direct our questions to. The children were so engaged in their learning, which was really brought to life by Nic and Jeremy, and asked lots insightful questions.