THE SOLAR SYSTEM: A RESOURCE BASED UNIT FOR GRADE 3 SCIENCE

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THE SOLAR SYSTEMA RESOURCE BASED UNIT FOR GRADE
3 SCIENCE

• Cooperatively Planned by
• Michelle
• Margaret
• Jennifer

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INTRODUCTION

• SUBJECT Science
• Time Frame 2 or 3 weeks 40- 45 minute periods
• UNIT OBJECTIVES The students will be able to
• Work with their partner independently of the
  teacher
• Use their time effectively
• Use a bookmarked internet page as a source of
  information
• Begin to use an encyclopedia as a resource
• Use a CDROM as a source of information and skim,
  scan and highlight materials for information
• ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
• 1. What are the major characteristics of the
  solar system?
• 2. What is my place in the solar system?

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Our Solar System UnitA Behind the Scenes Look

• We are going to start off the class by telling
  the children that they are an astronaut, they are
  to visit one of the nine planets based on their
  group. The children are going to be divided into
  groups and randomly select a planet using the
  jigsaw effect)
• Of course there is a catch though, they have to
  complete many tasks while returning to Earth!

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TABLE OF TASKS

• Task 1- Blast Off Research the planet your
  are visiting by means of Encarta encyclopedia,
  the hit list of websites, and one trade book.
• Task 2- Find our your weight on all the
  planets, and then graph all your collected data.
• Task 3- Presentations of all information that
  was gathered about your planet, the presentation
  must have visuals and answer all the questions we
  have asked you to answer.
• Task 4- Write a newspaper article about the
  planet you have been visiting, and as a class we
  are going to put together a newspaper so everyone
  can enjoy our journey through space!

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QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ANSWERED ABOUT YOUR
PLANET

• How many moons does your planet have?
• What type of environment does this planet have?
• Is there anything to indicate that life may exist
  on this planet? A tree? A fish? Water?
• How near or far are the planets from the sun?
• Are there any special atmospheric conditions?
  (Rain, snow, bright sun, darkness)
• Describe the characteristics of your planet. If
  your could name the planet on your own, what
  would you name it and why?

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Day 1 2READY FOR BLAST OFF

• OBJECTIVE Students will use their understanding
  of inspiration in order to create a graphic
  organizer for their information on their specific
  planet.
• ANTICIPATORY SET Students will demonstrate the
  ability to create an inspiration web to gain a
  better understanding of a specific planet in the
  solar system.
• LESSON DEVELOPMENT Students will listen to a
  teacher directed lesson based on the solar
  system. They will then turn to their classmate
  and report one thing that they learned.
• ASSESSMENT Students will hand in their
  inspiration they have created and will be graded
  on how well they did on it, how well they
  understood the lesson, etc.

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Day 3 RESEARCH DAY

• OBJECTIVE Students will demonstrate their
  ability to locate information on their planet
  from Encarta enclyopedia, and a trade book .
  Students will demonstrate the ability to print or
  use the copy machine to copy information and
  highlight important facts.
• ANTICIPATORY SET I want to make sure that
  everyone knows exactly what planet they should be
  working on, so everyone take a moment and turn to
  your partner and tell them your planets name.
  After the children tell their partner what their
  planet is, the teacher should then ask What is
  your next step?
• LESSON DEVELOPMENT The children are going to
  tell their partner what their planet is, and then
  they are going to begin to research on their
  planet, the kids are going to work independently
  as the teacher walks around the classroom quietly
  observing the children.
• ASSESSMENT The children at the end of the period
  have to show the teacher how they have used their
  time wisely.

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Day 4 More Research.

• OBJECTIVE Students will demonstrate the ability
  to access the websites given to them by the
  teacher, print out and highlight important
  information.
• ANTICIPATORY SET I am going to ask you if you
  remember the name of your planet that you are
  researching? What should be your next step after
  receiving the list of websites and telling your
  partner the name of your planet?
• LESSON DEVELOPMENT Kids will tell their partner
  their planets names, the children will work
  independently as the teacher walks around the
  room answering any questions and again quietly
  observing.
• ASSESSMENT Kids have to show their teacher how
  they used their time wisely and what they printed
  out and highlighted.

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OUR HIT LIST

• http//kids.msfc.nasa.gov/
• http//amazing-space.stsci.edu/
• http//www.windows.ucar.edu
• www.discovery.com
• www.spacekids.com
• www.starport.com
• http//www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight/index.htm
  l (use only when finding weights)
• www.nineplanets.org

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Day 5 6Lesson On Weight in our Solar System

• LESSON 1- Viewing of the Power Point
  Presentation given by the teacher.
• OBJECTIVES To gain an understanding of how to
  use the internet, to understand how to used the
  internet in order to calculate each students
  weight on the planets.
• ANTICIPATORY SET Students will demonstrate the
  ability to understand how to measure their own
  weight on all nine planets by listening to and
  visually watching a power point presentation.
• PROCEDURE
• Students will observe a power point presentation
  on how to use a specific website (given to them)
  in order to calculate their weight on each of the
  nine planets.
• We will then have a class discussion of the
  proper way to use the internet site in order to
  find the information needed for the activity
• Students can take notes if they feel uncertain
  about the material or ask question to a partner
  sitting next to them.
• They will then apply the information learned
  through the power point to work on the activity
  themselves and calculate their own weights during
  the next lesson.
• ASSESSMENT After the students gather all the
  information about their weights on different
  planets, they then for homework have to graph all
  their weights to be handed in and graded.
• CONNECTIONS The figuring of each students weight
  helps to connect math into the science curriculum
  of the solar system.

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GRADING THE GRAPHS
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Day 7 8 Presentations to Class

• OBJECTIVE Students will demonstrate the ability
  to present the material they have gathered
  throughout the last couple days of research.
• ANTICIPATORY SET The teacher is going to ask the
  students what they would like to know about each
  others planets, at this time they can even fill
  out a KWL learning chart.
• LESSON DEVELOPMENT Children will present their
  planet to the class, using visuals
• ASSESSMENT Students will present their
  information and the students that are listening
  have to fill out the ARE YOU LISTENING chart.

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ARE YOU LISTENING?For the students to fill out
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RUBRIC FOR GRADING PRESENTATIONS
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Day 9 Newspaper

• EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES Students will master the
  ability to organize, write, and develop the
  information they researched in order to create an
  article, which will be necessary for the class in
  creating their newspaper.
• ANTICIPATORY SET What did you learn about the
  solar system? What was your job as an astronaut?
• PROCEDURE
• 1. After receiving the directions of today's
  assignment, students will individually write a
  minimum of 6 sentences about their discovery as
  an astronaut.
• 2. Students will be encouraged and expected to
  draw pictures, while providing explanations of
  their pictures.
• 3. After sufficient time has been given, student
  will come together to create their newspaper.

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Day 9(continued )

• Follow Up
• A discussion of each childs article and their
  planet will addressed. Each child will write a 4
  to 5 poem about his or her planet.
• ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION
• A rubric will be used to determine the quality
  of the newspaper articles. Individual as well as
  group grades will be given out.

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RUBRIC FOR GRADING NEWSPAPER ARTICLE