Eric Bois
102471656 SPACE
GRADE: 6 DURATION: 60 min
STRAND: Understanding Earth and Space Systems TOPIC: Parts of the Solar System, Characteristics of Planets, and Space Exploration
BIG IDEA: Earth is a part of a large interrelated system. PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE Students learned about various properties found on Earth including rocks and minerals, how they are used, recycled, and disposed. disposed. Students learned about renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, resources and society’s effect on the environment. OVERVIEW The purpose of this lesson is to encourage enc ourage students to investigate the properties of the solar system. The lesson also introduces students students to space exploration and Canadian contribution and scientific understanding of space. VOCABULARY - Asteroid (defined by Merriam-Webster as: “any of the small rocky celestial bodies found especially between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter”) - Comet (defined by Merriam-Webster as: “an object in outer space that develops a long, bright tail when it passes pa sses near the sun”) OVERALL CURRICULUM EXPECTATIONS Students will: - Understand the Earth is the third planet plan et from the Sun - Understand the solar system includes the Ea rth’s moon, eight other planets and their moons, and small bodies including asteroids and comets. - Understand each planet within the Solar System has its own characteristics. SPECIFIC CURRICULUM EXPECTATION Students will: 1.1 assess the contributions of Canadians to the exploration and scientific understanding of space 2.4 use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including axis, tilt, rotation, revolution, planets, moons, comets, and asteroids, in oral and written communication 3.1 identify components of the solar system, including the sun, the earth, and other planets, natural satellites, comets, asteroids, and meteoroids, and d escribe their physical characteristics in qualitative terms 3.2. identify the bodies in space that emit light and those that reflect light
1
Eric Bois
102471656
OTHER EXPECTATIONS Students will: 1. Compare and contrast different size variations of planets 2. Identify the distances between planets and where they are situated 3. Describe characteristics of each planet in the Solar System 4. Define what an asteroid is and what a meteor is RESOURCES Materials: 1. Clay 2. Markers 3. Index Cards 4. Worksheets 5. Rulers 6. Meter-Sticks 7. Characteristics of Planets Handouts INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY 1. Teacher - Read to class: “A Brief History of Space Exploration” Engaging Questions: 1. What are the 9 planets of our Solar System? (Answer: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) 2. What are meteors? (Answer: any of the small rocky celestial bodies found especially between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter) 3. What are comets? (Answer: any object in outer space that develops a long, bright tail when it passes near the sun) (5-10 minutes) DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES Activity 1 Teacher - As a class, build a scale model of our Solar System: - Split the class into 9 groups, each group builds one planet each (2-3 per group) - Each group picks a popsicle-stick with a number on it to choose which planet to build and study - Hand out NASA instruction sheets: scale calculations for clay models of planets - Hand out NASA information sheets: each group gets information on their own planet - One student in each group studies the information about their planet and prepares a presentation to share with the class - One student reads the instruction sheet with calculations for building the clay model of their planet and then measures and shapes the clay to that size - If there are 3 students in the group, split up the duties (10-15 minutes)
2
Eric Bois
102471656
Activity 2 Presentations: - Groups take turns presenting their clay models of their planets and read the information sheets about their planets to the class - All group members will take part presenting - The class will take notes about the planets while listening to the presentations (18-20 minutes – 2 minutes each) Activity 3 Teacher and students: - Create a model of the Solar System by arranging the planets together either in the classroom if there is enough space to fit the planets or outside in the hallway - Use a meter stick and the NASA Solar System instruction sheet to arrange the planets around the Sun (5-10 minutes) DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES The lesson is simple for the majority of students because all the information about the planet’s scale-measurements and characteristics are given to the students in the handouts written by NASA. Students also work together in groups of 2-3 and can help one another out. Teachers should encourage group members to help one another out, students sometimes relate better to one another and will communicate ideas more clearly between one another. Also, students who can explain what they have learned will retain the knowledge better too. Teachers can also help students who struggle by giving extra help to individuals while the rest of the class stays busy working with their groups. CONCLUDING ACTIVITY Teacher: - Ask students to discuss what observations they made based on the activity - Review Questions: 1. What are meteors? (Answer: any of the small rocky celestial bodies found especially between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter) 2. What are comets? (Answer: an object in outer space that develops a long, bright tail when it passes near the sun) 3. What are the 9 planets in our Solar System (Answer: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) (5 minutes)
3
Eric Bois
102471656
METHOD OF EVALUATION Teacher first assesses the students’ previous knowledge of space during the introductory activity’s discussion. Record who can answer the questions asked at the beginning of the lesson properly. Evaluate the students on their group work by meeting with each group individually during the activity. Observe their ability to follow instructions, their understanding of characteristics of their planet and their ability to work together in groups. The teacher will also evaluate the students’ participation: How did each student contribute to the group work? At the end of the lesson the teacher checks how much the students can recall from the lesson by reviewing the introductory questions. FOLLOW-UP IDEAS Next lesson students will learn how humans meet their basic biological needs in space, what technological tools and devices are needed for space exploration and about the effects of the relative positions and motions of the Earth, Moon and Sun. HINT – MAKE SMALL ADJUSTMENTS Use ‘Play-do’ instead of clay to add colour and to make the activity look more fun. NASA’s website offers instructions to build a smaller scale model if you only have a small space to work in. For a challenge, NASA also offers a larger scale model.
CITATIONS Comets. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved from http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/comet Meteors. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved from http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/meteor Mysciencesite.com. (2010). http://www.mysciencesite.com/science6space1.html The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8. (2007). Science and Technology.
4
