“My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine ‘Pizzas’”
Teacher: Tenesha Wilson Supervisor: ______
Date: ______Approval: ______
I. Our Solar System
A. Unit Goals
1. Recognize that the sun appears during day and the moon at night
2. Recognize there are eight planets and one dwarf planet in our solar system.
3. Name the planets in order from the sun.
4. Recognize the moon phases.
5. Determine the correct technology for observing distant objects.
6. Identify the approximate time of day from a picture of the sun’s position in the sky.
7. Be able to identify components of our solar system.
8. Be able to explain how day and night result from the rotation of the earth relative to the sun.
B. Unit Goals Consistency to Curriculum
1. Science Standards and Student Performance Indicators:
3.7.1 Recognize that different objects appear in the day and nighttime sky.
a. Recognize that a telescope serves as a tool for observing distant objects.
b. Recognize that planets are major features of the universe
3.7.2 Recognize that there are predictable patterns that occur in the universe.
a. Explain how day and night result from the rotation of the earth relative to the sun.
b. Observe, identify, and order the basic phases of the moon.
At Level 1, the student is able to
3.7.spi.1. Identify objects found in the day or nighttime sky.
3.7.spi.2. Identify the approximate time of day from a picture of the sun’s position in the sky.
At Level 2, the student is able to
3.7.spi.3. Choose the appropriate tool for observing a specific distant object.
3.7.spi.4. Identify the four basic phases of the moon.
At Level 3, the student is able to
3.7.spi.5. Identify the components of the solar system (e.g. planets, moons).
2. Math Standards and Student Performance Indicators:
Content Standard 2.0 The student will understand and generalize patterns as they represent and analyze quantitative relationships and change in a variety of contexts and problems using graphs, tables, and equations.
Content Standard 5.0 The student will understand and apply basic statistical and probability concepts in order to organize and analyze data and to make predictions and conjectures.
3.5.spi.2. Interpret bar graphs
3.5.spi.3. Solve real-world problems in which data is represented in tables.
C. Length of Unit- Two Weeks
D. Organization of Learning- Third Grade
II. Organization of Unit
A. Rationale:
1. Purpose- The main focus is to teach students about the solar system and its’ characteristics. This unit will raise the interest level in learning about space exploration and the universe that surrounds us.
B. Daily Topics and Lesson Plans:
1. Lesson 1-4 The Planets (4 days)
a. An introduction to the nine (now eight) planets with use of a KWL chart.
b. Learn pneumonic to learn the order of the planets.
c. Write a post card to someone on Earth from another planet and identify three characteristics of one of the planets studied.
d. Discover and chart student’s weight from other planets.
2. Lesson 5- The Sun’s Contributions to Earth
a. Create a KWL chart on the Sun.
b. Discuss the characteristics and contributions of the sun.
3. Lesson 6- The Earth’s Moon and It’s Phases
a. Discuss the phases of the moon.
b. Demonstrate with the model of the moon.
c. Create a poster of the moon phases.
4. Lesson 7- Scientific Contribution to Our Solar System
a. Discuss the discoveries scientists have discovered.
b. Discuss new technology that makes it possible to discover new things in our solar system.
c. View the launch of Expedition 18 on February 12th. If it is delayed view the Rover mission to Mars.
5. Lesson 8- Our Solar System in Review
a. Review information and the pneumonic learned.
b. Review Game “Planet Bingo”
c. Unit Review worksheet.
C. Activities to be completed:
1. Lesson 1-2
a. Enrichment- In this lesson an introduction to planets will be given by a viewing of a power point presentation. The students will take notes over the presentation. A KWL chart will be completed by the students on what they already know about the solar system, what they want to learn, and what they have learned (will be done at the end). Visit http://www.rense.com/general72/size.htm to demonstrate the size of our world in comparison to the other worlds in our solar system.
b. Supplemental- Students will write a creative paragraph on what life would be like in outer space.
2. Lesson 3-
a. Enrichment- In this lesson we will review what we have learned over the planets. A pneumonic for the order of the nine planets will be taught. Students will create a post card from another planet to Earth with three facts about their planet included.
b. Supplemental- Students will create a planet, name it, draw it, and write three facts about it (how big it is, where it is, and if it is a hot or cold planet).
3. Lesson 4-
a. Enrichment- Students will go to the library to use the computers to type in their weight on the website that will calculate their weight on other planets. The students will create a bar graph of their weight on the other planets, compare the weights and find the mean, median, and mode.
b. Supplemental- Celsius Bar Graph worksheet
4. Lesson 5-
a. Enrichment- In this lesson we will discuss the characteristics of the sun and how it contributes to the earth. We will look at pictures of the sun and information on nineplanets.org. The students will make a KWL chart on the sun.
b. Supplemental- SUNQUIZ worksheet
5. Lesson 6-
a. Enrichment- In this lesson I will bring in the moon and demonstrate its’ phases. We will discuss about the phases the moon goes through. The students will create a poster of the moon phases and label each phase.
b. Supplemental- MOON Acrostic Poem
6. Lesson 7-
a. Enrichment- We will discuss technology used to explore distant objects and scientific discoveries in our solar system. We will navigate on the NASA website and watch the expedition 18 launch off and the rover mission to mars. The students will discuss what they have seen and why it is important for us to explore into space.
b. Supplemental- Space Shuttle worksheet
7. Lesson 8-
a. Enrichment- We will review and discuss this unit. The students will play a game of Bingo to aid in the review. A unit review worksheet will be given to take home and use as a study guide for the test.
b. Supplemental- Solar System Packet
III. Materials and Media for Unit
A. Video Components, Books, Software, Computer Lab, etc.
1. Power Point
2. www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight
3. Nineplanets.org
4. NASA.gov
5. http://www.rense.com/general72/size.htm
B. Supplemental and Enrichment Materials
1. Enrichment Materials
a. Power Point Presentation
b. Science book
c. Bingo Game cards
d. KWL Chart
e. Solar System Pre-Test
f. Moon Calendar
g. Moon Phase Worksheet
h. Rubric to assess postcard
i. Bar Graph worksheet
2. Supplemental Materials
a. Celsius Bar Graph Worksheet
b. Sun Quiz Worksheet
c. Journal
d. Space Shuttle Worksheet
e. Solar System Packet
IV. Setting
A. Structure of Activities: whole group
B. Arrangement of Student Space- individual seating
V. Assessment Activities
A. Pre-assessment Activities- Students will be questioned about lesson topics before lesson is given. There will be a pretest given before this unit to assess how well I taught the unit and how well the students understood the lessons.
B. Formative Assessment- The post card written from another planet will be scored by a rubric (English and Science). The worksheets that the students complete will be taken up and checked for understanding.
C. Summative Procedures-A summary of each lesson will be given after the lesson. KWL charts will be given to help summarize what they have learned in the lessons. A game of BINGO will be played at the end of the unit to review what they have learned.