The Sunis a star
← Haydn's World
CURRENT PROJECT
The Solar System
A record of what Haydn remembered, explained and learned during his Solar System homework.
01 · SOLAR SYSTEM BASICS
The Big Picture
The core ideas Haydn used to make sense of the rest of the topic.
8 planetsorbit the Sun
Earthis our home
The Moonorbits Earth
Mercuryis closest to the Sun
Neptuneis furthest away
02 · PLANET ORDER
From Mercury to Neptune
Select a planet to open the fact Haydn remembered about it.
Rocky planet
Earth
3rd planet from the Sun
What Haydn knows
We live on Earth.
Earth is one of the four rocky planets.
03 · PLANET GROUPS
Three kinds of planets
Grouping the planets helped Haydn see the pattern rather than memorising eight separate objects.
Rocky planets
Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars
Gas giants
Jupiter and Saturn
Ice giants
Uranus and Neptune
04 · HOW EARTH MOVES
Four ideas that connect together
This was the strongest reasoning part of the homework: understanding what movement actually causes.
Rotation
Earth spinning causes day and night.
Orbit
One trip around the Sun takes one year.
Tilt
Earth's tilt causes the seasons.
Gravity
Gravity helps keep Earth in orbit.
05 · THE MOON & EXPLORATION
Beyond the eight planets
The Moon orbits Earth.
12 people have walked on the Moon.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first two people to walk on it.
Pluto is a dwarf planet.
Earth's Moon
06 · LEARNING PROGRESSION
What changed during the homework
The useful evidence is not that every answer was right first time. It is what Haydn understood by the end.
Night happens because Earth rotates.
The seasons are caused by Earth's tilt.
Pluto is a dwarf planet.
Saturn's rings are mostly made of ice.
07 · QUICK CHECK
Can Haydn remember it without looking?
The answers stay hidden until he wants to check himself.
Which planet is hottest?
Which planet spins on its side?
What causes day and night?
What causes the seasons?
What are the four rocky planets?