Focus Question

FOCUS QUESTION:

·  1.1: Examining Our Ideas About Space – What are our ideas about Earth in the Solar System and about space?

LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE:

· 

CONCEPTS:

·  Earth is a planet in our solar system.

·  People’s ideas about Earth have evolved through history.

·  Phenomena such as day and night, seasons, tides, and gravity can be explained within the context of Earth as a planet.

·  Student preconceptions about astronomy can be assessed through discussion.

Content Standards/Performance Expectations:

Standard

/ Students know that: / Students are expected to:
N/A / Pre-assessment
WORD BANK / WASL WORDS
Sun
Earth
Moon
Solar System
WORKING DEFINITIONS / OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS

Materials Management:

·  You may use 8-1/2” x 11” or 11” x 14” paper (rather than file folders) with the questions printed at the top of each for multiple classes. Then each class can start from the beginning.

·  Lessons 6, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 are omitted in SPS. Consider skipping the questions that correspond to these lessons.

·  ADVANCED PREPARATION – 1) Have Starry Night Backyard installed on computers in the computer lab. The site license provides for installation on 5 computers per disc. If three teachers in the building are using Earth in Space, you’ll be able to install it on 15 computers, enough for students to work in pairs. If you need additional capacity, contact a coach for an extra copy. 2) Reserve the computer lab to use Starry Night Backyard for Inquiries 3.2 & 4.3. 3) Have students begin daily observations of the moon for 1 month. The worksheet is on page 71 of the TG. Encourage students to include the time that the moon “rises” for each observation.

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:

·  Brainstorm a list of “What We Think We Know About the Solar System” rather than What We Know. This will help create a safe environment for all students to contribute and for the class to return to the list to correct any misconceptions as students gather evidence throughout the unit.

·  Create a list of “What We Want To Learn About the Solar System” for questions students may have.

·  Print the misconceptions listed on page 4 of the TG. As student groups discuss their answers to the questions, try to keep track of the number of students who appear to hold the misconceptions.

·  IMPORTANT NOTE: Do Inquiry 3.1 on the first sunny day available. They need this experience and there is no guarantee that it will be sunny the day you are ready to do this.

ASSESSMENT:

·  Use the instructions on step 4, page 9 of the TG for students to draw a “line of learning” underneath their original answers to the questions to summarize what they understand after the discussion.

·  Exit ticket: Write the question (A-J) that was the hardest for you to answer.

DIFFERENTIATION:

·  English Language Learners, Special Needs Learners: Accept labeled diagrams from students along with written answers to the questions.

·  Advanced Learners: Pay close attention to the answers of Advanced Learners. There may be lessons about topics they have already mastered. Keep a list of these to help modify future lessons to be more challenging for them.

CULTURAL RELEVANCY:

·  The quality and range of pictures the students examine should provide everyone with an opportunity to discuss something they already know, including the roles that celestial objects have in their culture (stories, holidays, traditional customs). This is a great place for the class to learn about and from each other.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

· 

FOCUS QUESTION:

·  2.1: Demonstrating What We Know About the Sun-Earth-Moon System – What models can we build to demonstrate relationships between the sun, earth and moon? What are the strengths and limitations of these models?

·  2.2: Scaling the Sun-Earth-Moon System – How do the diameters and distances between the sun, earth and moon compare?

LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE:

· 

CONCEPTS:

·  The sun, a star, is the largest body in the solar system.

·  The moon and earth rotate on their axes.

·  The moon orbits (revolves around) the earth while Earth orbits (revolves around) the sun.

·  Scale models demonstrate relationships in size and in distance and motion between the sun, earth, and moon.

Content Standards/Performance Expectations:

Standard

/ Students know that: / Students are expected to:
6-8 ES1A / The Moon’s monthly cycle of phases can be explained by its changing relative position as it orbits Earth. An eclipse of the Moon occurs when the Moon enters Earth’s shadow. An eclipse of the Sun occurs when the Moon is between the Earth and Sun, and the Moon’s shadow falls on the Earth. / Use a physical model or diagram to explain how the Moon’s changing position in its orbit results in the changing phases of the Moon as observed from Earth.
Explain how the cause of an eclipse of the Moon is different from the cause of the Moon’s phases.
6-8 ES1B / Earth is the third planet from the sun in a system that includes the Moon, the Sun, seven other major planets and their moons, and smaller objects such as asteroids, plutoids, dwarf planets and comets. These bodies differ in many characteristics (e.g., size, composition, relative position). / Compare the relative sizes and distances of the Sun, Moon, Earth, other major planets, moons, asteroids, plutoids, and comets.
6-8 ES1C / Most objects in the Solar System are in regular and predictable motion. These motions explain such phenomena as the day, the year, phases of the Moon, and eclipses. / Use a simple physical model or labeled drawing of the Earth-Sun-Moon system to explain day and night, phases of the Moon, and eclipses of the Moon and Sun
6-8 ES1E / Our Sun is one of hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy. Many of these stars have planets orbiting around them. The Milky Way galaxy is one of hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe. / Construct a physical model or diagram showing Earth’s position in the Solar System, the Solar System’s position in the Milky Way, and the Milky Way among other galaxies.
WORD BANK / WASL WORDS
WORKING DEFINITIONS / OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
Rotation
Revolution

Materials Management:

· 

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:

·  2.1 - Develop a protocol to structure the small group discussion and train students to use this small group time efficiently and productively. For example, one student begins and shares one idea/picture with the rest of the group, such as the earth orbiting the sun. This person can use the materials provided to demonstrate the idea. Then, everyone who has a picture or explanation of this same idea shows how they portrayed it. Then, the next person has to select an idea that is different from the previous idea and share it with the group. The discussion continues until all the ideas have been shared.

·  2.1 – When the groups present their ideas to the class, ask how many did this same demonstration in their small group. Did any groups demonstrate the idea differently? What are some of the limitations or weaknesses of the model? What are the strengths? (Strengths and limitations of models is a discussion you’ll have throughout this unit.) Are there any new questions to add to the “What I Want To Know:” list?

·  2.2 – Use a map with a scale line to introduce students to the concept of scale. Note that the scale of the solar system is part of Lesson 11, so does not need to be added to this lesson.

EVIDENCE OF STUDENT UNDERSTANDING

·  Exit ticket: Draw and label a diagram showing why we experience night and day on Earth.

·  Exit ticket: Draw and label a diagram to show one year on Earth.

Note: these ideas are not explicitly taught in the module. Students who aren’t already familiar with these ideas need to learn them now. Other concepts, such as seasons and phases of the moon, will depend on their understanding the Earth’s rotation on its axis and its revolution around the sun.

DIFFERENTIATION:

·  Advanced Learners: Group advanced students together in a group to do Inquiries 2.1 and 2.2. When they finish early, they can move on to Appendix D – Measuring the Sun’s Diameter Using a Sun Scale. Caution students never to look directly at the sun without appropriate protection.

CULTURAL RELEVANCY:

·  Use the reading on myths to let students share stories from their backgrounds or from their childhood to explain celestial patterns.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

·  www.kidsastronomy.com/

·  http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html - level 1 is written with simpler language than level 2

·  http://www.rochesterforkids.com/hubble.htm - pictures taken by the Hubble space telescope

FOCUS QUESTION:

·  3.1: Analyzing Shadows – How do shadows change throughout one day?

·  3.2: Collecting Computerized Shadow Data – How do shadows change throughout the year?

·  3.3: Modeling Winter and Summer Shadows – What causes shadows to be different in winter and summer?

·  3.4: Analyzing the Effects of Earth’s Rotation – How does the rotation of the Earth affect shadow lengths and positions?

LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE:

· 

CONCEPTS:

·  Shadows reveal relationships between time of day and the apparent position of the Sun in the sky.

·  Shadow length and position change according to the time of day and year.

·  The apparent path of the Sun is highest in the sky during summer, lowest during winter, and hightest each day at solar noon.

·  The ecliptic is the apparent path of the Sun across the sky.

·  Due to Earth’s counterclockwise rotation on its axis (from a perspective above the North Pole), the Sun appears to move in a clockwise southerly arc across the sky from east to west (in the Northern Hemisphere.)

Content Standards/Performance Expectations:

Standard

/ Students know that: / Students are expected to:
6-8 ES1C / Most objects in the Solar System are in regular and predictable motion. These motions explain such phenomena as the day, the year, phases of the Moon, and eclipses. / Use a simple physical model or labeled drawing of the Earth-Sun-Moon system to explain day and night, phases of the Moon, and eclipses of the Moon and Sun
WORD BANK / WASL WORDS
Solar noon
WORKING DEFINITIONS / OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
Rotation (of Earth on its axis)

Materials Management:

·  3.1 – If you do not have a safe place to take the 8 SEM boards out and leave them during the day, use sidewalk chalk and mark the changing shadow the pole for a basketball hoop (or other pole) casts at different times of the day. Take a digital picture of the markings at the end of the day to display in class.

·  3.3 – If the loop on the SEM board has broken off, tape the string to the board rather than tying it.

·  Sometimes the bigger flashlights work better than the smaller ones because they don’t have as many dark spots. Students may have to adjust the smaller flashlights to get a greater spread of light or a tighter focus.

Instructional strategies:

·  The sequence of 3.1-3.4 is very intentional and builds an experiential foundation to understand that shadows demonstrate that the position of the sun in the sky shifts depending on the time of day and the time of year.

·  3.1 – Do not skip this. Students need the hands-on experience to see how shadows change position through the course of 1 day. Do this on the first sunny day after starting the module. It is okay if it is done out of order, prior to Lesson 3.

·  3.1 – Add additional marks on the boards after school as there is often a good amount of daylight remaining after school is out.

·  3.1 – Discuss solar noon with classes as they see the shadows getting shorter (before solar noon) and longer (after solar noon).

·  3.2 – Needs to be done in a computer lab so students can work in pairs or individually. This reinforces the work outside the students did in 3.1.

·  3.3 – To add to the complexity of the activity, provide protractors and have students measure the angle from the board to the light along with the height of the light.

·  3.4 – The goal of this inquiry is to connect what students have observed with shadows and the height and angle of the sun using a model Earth. Be explicit that our perspective is from a point in outer space looking down on the Earth and the Sun.

·  3.4 – Introduce models and discussing the limitations and strengths of the model. (6-8INQE)

·  Reading – How To View the Sun Safely – Don’t skip this as it is important safety information for students. You can use the diagram of the eye on page 37 and discuss how we see. Students frequently don’t understand that light is a type of energy that travels through the air or through space and must enter our eyes through the pupil for us to see something. Most objects reflect light and very few create their own light. In the eye, the light energy is transformed to chemical and electrical energy in the nerve cells of the retina.

ASSESSMENT:

·  Use reflection questions following each of the inquiries. Focus on the patterns and relationship they see between the sun’s position, Earth’s rotation and shadow lengths.