Learning Unit: Astronomy - Author(s): Joanne J. Gates - Grade Level: 5 - Subject Area: Science - Teacher asks students: What word comes to mind when you hear the words outer space? The teacher writes all the words generated by the students on a chart. Reflections: The teacher asks individual students: What made you think of the word…? Reformation: The discussion continues with: Do you have any new ideas about…?

Planning Guide

Creating Learner-Focused
Schools

* Madison-Oneida BOCES- This document may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the District Superintendent or his designee.

LU Title: Astronomy	Author(s): Joanne J. Gates
Grade Level: 5	School Address: Clinton Central
Subject Area: Science	School Phone/Fax: 315-853-5574

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Declarative	Procedural
vocabulary definitions to provide basic understanding of scientific concepts	interpret posters of planets, the moon, astronauts, galaxies, and pictures from space
astronomy passages read aloud for pertinent facts	compare data about the planets
read textbook chapters and apply learned information to questions at the end of the reading	create a classroom display of vocabulary definitions
analyze and interpret data	identify the cause and effect of the earth's rotation
oral presentation of answers based on material presented in class or from assigned reading	record observations and draw conclusions from them
illustrations created by students depicting meanings of significant words	use data to explain natural phenomena regarding the revolution of the earth

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How are living organisms adapted to live in certain regions of the earth?
How does the rotation of the Earth effect day and night?
What effect does the revolution and the slant of the Earth have on the seasons at certain latitudes north and south of the equator?

INITIATING ACTIVITY

PreP (PreReading Plan)

Teacher asks students: What word comes to mind when you hear the words outer space? The teacher writes all the words generated by the students on a chart. Reflections: The teacher asks individual students: What made you think of the word…? Reformation: The discussion continues with: Do you have any new ideas about…?

Launch Activity

Students write the following in their notebooks and respond to the questions after they view the filmstrip, National Geographic's, "Beyond Our Solar System":

3-2-1

3 things I learned are:

2 things I wonder about are:

1 question I have is:

Connection to State Learning Standards

Content Area: Science, Astronomy

Level: 5

Benchmarks: Develop explanations of natural phenomena.

Benchmarks: Retrieve, process, and communicate information.

Standard: 1-Use scientific inquiry to seek answers and develop solutions.

Standard: 2-Access, process information using appropriate technologies.

Unit Theme:

Astronomy

Standard: 4-Understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment.

Standard:

Benchmarks: The Earth and celestial phenomena can be described by principles of relative motion and perspective.

Benchmarks:

Learning Experiences

Declarative Knowledge

What declarative knowledge should e in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of the unit, the student will know or understand…

What experiences or activities will be used to help students acquire & integrate this knowledge?

What strategies will be used to help students construct meaning, organize and/or store the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Listening Activity: At the beginning of each lesson students will listen to an astronomy passage that is read aloud.

Lesson 1-2

Vocabulary and scientific concepts in reading.

Vocabulary: star, planet, orbit, rotation, revolution, atmosphere, galaxy, asteroid belt, comet, satellite, astronomers

Lesson 3-4

Extend knowledge of vocabulary

Listening and discussion activity

Transparencies

Vocabulary definitions written and illustrated

Create a poster

Listening, writing, and sharing

Pair-Share students will share their understanding of definitions

Students will draw illustrations of the definitions

Highlight important words

Use of visual material, class presentation, critical thinking

Students listen as a passage about astronomy is read aloud; students write as many facts as they can remember from the passage; facts are shared with a partner-then discussed in class. Passages will be read from the Child Craft book entitled, World and Space.

After reading information in the science text pp. 99-111, pairs of students will take turns defining each bold-typed word while the other partner checks the book for accuracy. Students will view and discuss transparencies which deal with the vocabulary. Students will write the definitions of the vocabulary words in their science notebooks and draw an illustration of the meaning. **

**Students will be given a vocabulary word and they will create a poster illustrating the meaning of the word using the following criteria. Posters must have the following characteristics: 1.) done in color 2.) voc. word must be on the front 3.) may use characters, computer drawings, artwork, magazine or newspaper clippings, or personal drawings to illustrate the meaning (the definition may no be directly stated) 4.) neatness, spelling, accuracy of information is important 5.) posters will presented orally to the class.

Students will be responsible for voc. quizzes and a test on the information presented.

Learning Experiences

Procedural Knowledge

What procedural knowledge will students be in the process of acquiring & integrating? As a result of this unit, students will be able to:

What will be done to help students construct models, shape & internalize the knowledge?

Describe what will be done.

Lesson 3

Apply previously learned information to the concept of the Earth's revolution.

Lesson 4

Students will demonstrate the revolution of the Earth.

Diagram

Write about their observations

Hypothesize

Measurement

Directions on a map or diagram

Observation

Discussion

Research

Experimentation

Demonstration

Observation

Discussion

Sundial Activity: On a bright, sunny day, pairs of students will be given a piece of chalk, and hourly throughout the day, they will go outside and draw the length of their shadows and record the time and length of the line on the line. When lines have all been drawn the students will draw a diagram to record their observations in their science notebooks. Include: directions (north, south, east, west), length of the shadow, times the shadow was drawn. Application: Students will write a composition describing what they observed and in their writing relate this to what they have learned about the earth's rotation.

Using a model of the earth and the sun have students listen as you demonstrate the revolution of the earth and think aloud about the direct and indirect rays hitting the earth as it continues on its journey around the sun. In pairs discuss these questions: What happens to the direct rays of the sun as the earth continues to revolve around it? **

**How does this effect the climates in different regions on the earth? Groups share their ideas as the instructor records them on a chart. If there are any inconsistencies students should be directed to clear up any misconceptions or errors by referring to their textbooks or some other reference book. In the next lesson the students will follow the directions for creating their own "Earth" and demonstrate how the Earth revolves around the sun.

Have students wad up a piece of scrap paper to create the shape of the Earth; push a pencil through it creating the Earth's axis. Have the students revolve the slanted Earth around a lightbulb (the sun), noticing the direct and indirect rays; discuss the results of this demonstration. What conclusion can be drawn regarding the slant of the Earth and it revolution?

Learning Experiences

Extending and Refining

What knowledge will students be extending and refining? Specifically, they will be extending and refining their understanding of…

What reasoning process will they be using?

Describe what will be done.

Adaptation of living organisms

Gravity and its effects on living organisms

Comparing
Classifying

Inductive Reasoning

Deductive Reasoning
Error Analysis
Analyzing Perspectives
Constructing Support
Abstracting
Other:

Read aloud to students, "A Matter of Gravity," found in Ranger Rick Astronomy Adventures. Discuss adaptation, its meaning, the significance of it in relation to where an animal lives on the earth. Students will be divided into groups, given a poster of an animal, and will be responsible for coming up with the physical characteristics of the animal, and how this animal is adapted to live in the region of the Earth which it inhabits. The students will make a short presentation to the class on this information. The instructor will model what will be expected of the students first.

Follow the directions of Ranger Rick Astronomy Adventure magazine entitled "Creature Feature" Activity p. 22. Taking into account the information about the effects of gravity on an organism, and the characteristics of adaptation, the students will design a creature that would inhabit one of the nine planets in the solar system. They may use all, some, or none of the parts of the creature given on a worksheet. They will be given a short description of the planet, then they will use the Internet (planets and pictures) their textbooks, library books, and or reference books to attain information about the planet on which their creature is to live. The name of the planet should not appear on the picture. **

**In the following lesson, completed pictures and the brief planet description will be exchanged with groups of 4-6 students; the students in a group are to try to match each creature with the correct planet description. The creators of the creatures then verify whether the planet matched with the creature are correct and tell why or why not.

Learning Experiences

Meani8ngful Use Tasks

What knowledge will students be using meaningfully?

What reasoning process will they be using?

Describe what will be done.

Specifically, they will be demonstrating their understanding of and ability to compare data of annual temperatures of 2 cities north and south of the equator.

Discuss the effects the slant of the earth and the earth's revolution have on the seasons of the cities in the northern and southern hemispheres.

Decision Making (selecting from seemingly equal alternatives or examining the decision of others)

Problem Solving (seeking to achieve a goal by over coming constraints or limiting conditions)

Invention (creating something to meet a need or improve on a situation)

Experimental Inquiry (generating an explanation for a phenomenon and testing the explanation)

Investigation (resolving confusions or contradictions related to a historical event, a hypothetical past or future event, or to the defining characteristics of something)

Systems Analysis (analyzing the parts of a system and how they interact)

Locate Cities: Students will locate a city in the US (northern hemisphere) between 35* north latitude and 50* north latitude; then locate a city on the continent of South America (southern hemisphere) between the same latitudes (south) as above. For each city, not the proximity to mountain ranges, bodies of water, latitude, longitude, and elevation, which may effect climate. Try to find cities that are somewhat similar geographically.

Prediction: Using the knowledge students have gained from the study of revolution, have students make a prediction about the climates and seasons of these cities. encourage them to use scientific terms and concepts.

Computer Technology: Type the following Internet address: http://www.worldclimate.com. Search for the cities and record the monthly temp. for one year on a chart.

Compare and Contrast: Use a compare and contrast graphic organizer for the research data pertaining to each city.

Analysis/Evaluation: Write a composition relating all of the information that was gathered, explaining the effect of revolution and the slant of the Earth on temperatures and seasons of the cities north and south of the equator.

Planning Guide

Unit:

Step 1	Step 2	Step 3
*What knowledge* will students be using meaningfully? Specifically, they will be demonstrating their understanding of and ability to...........**	What reasoning process will they be using?	Describe student's products and performances and the criteria for evaluation.
	[ ] Decision Making (selecting from seemingly equal alternatives or examining the decisions of others) [ ] Problem Solving (seeking to achieve a goal by overcoming constraints or limiting conditions) [ ] Invention (creating something to meet a need or improve on a situation) [ ] Experimental Inquiry (generating an explanation for a phenomenon and testing the explanation) [ ] Investigation (resolving confusions or contradictions related to a historical event, a hypothetical past or future event, or to the defining characteristics of something) [ ] Systems Analysis (analyzing the parts of a system and how they interact) [ ] Other:	Products/Performances
		Criteria for evaluation

Rubric:

Key Questions:

What are the key elements, traits, or dimensions that will be evaluated?

Are the identified elements of equal importance or will they be weighed differently?

	Element #1	Element #2	Element #3	Element #4
Elements Scale	Makes a prediction	Collects data	Analyzes data
Weights
4	Makes a verifiable prediction using scientific terminology.	Collects complete and accurate data.	Provides an accurate explanation using appropriate facts and scientific terminology.
3	Makes a verifiable prediction with details that are sufficient.	Collects accurate data.	Provides an explanation that is suffi8cient with no errors. Uses facts.
2	Prediction uses few terms and not enough details.	Data collection is not complete.	Provides an explanation with little application of scientific reasoning.
1	Makes a prediction with no scientific support backing it: may contain inaccuracies.	Collects data that is inaccurate and incomplete.	Explanation leaves out key facts, principles, or inappropriate ones.

NOTE: Rubric or other performance assessment instruments may be used.

Constructing a Holistic
Scoring Tool
(Rubric or Activity Specific Key)

Key Questions:

* How many score points are needed to discriminate among the full range of different degrees of understanding, proficiency, or quality?

This response, product, or performance provides evidence of understanding of concept/principle/generalization or proficiency in skill/process/strategy.

Score Point 4	Score Point 3
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Score Point 2	Score Point 1
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Have You Considered These Yet?

Learn to Learn Skills:

Assessment Modifications:

Unit Schedule/Time Plan:

Written Overview: