Lesson 21

This lesson helps learners locate the Solar System within the Milky Way and place our galaxy within the Local Group and the wider large-scale structure of the Universe. Use diagrams, scale comparisons and repeated retrieval questions to make the hierarchy of structures clear. Emphasise that the Sun lies in the Milky Way’s disc, in the Orion Arm, rather than at the Galactic Centre. Address the common misconceptions that the Milky Way is the whole Universe, that galaxies are close together on a Solar System scale, and that the Universe has a central point. Before teaching, prepare a face-on and side-on Milky Way diagram, a Local Group map, drawing materials and any pre-printed templates needed for support. Check understanding through labelled diagrams, verbal questioning and the plenary quiz; extend confident learners by asking them to explain how