The Solar System

The lesson plan’s major goal is to introduce and acquaint the students with the solar system, particularly the planets and its attributes. Based on Georgia Science and Literacy Standards’L6-8RH1, which stresses the need to analyze primary and secondary sources in order to support textual evidence, students will at the conclusion understand that planetary images contain valuable information that requires interpretation using a demonstrative demo of a solar system. Additionally, the pupils will familiarize themselves with findings based on the patterns in planets and moons based on size and distance from the sun through literary interpretation. Therefore, the primary objective will be to introduce the students to the solar system from both a practical and theoretical view. Secondly, the students will be required to present about the solar system through the presentation of a chosen planet within the solar system. Based on Georgia Science and Literacy Standards L6-BRST7 the students will understand the integrative technical terms associated with the solar system through the visual expression of words such as comet (“Kindergarten - FourthGradeApproved7-12-2004.pdf,” n.d.).

Classroom and student factors:

The class will have 22 students with differential learning abilities with a range of 3ELL and 6 EIP with the rest possessing non-labeled challenges in education.

While planning for the lesson, the learning process will integrate all the students with the diverse learning disabilities as well as ability to comprehend the lesson objective. Therefore, the learning plan is to be incorporated into two: for the homogeneous learning group with categorized disabilities and heterogeneous groups during interactive and literary learning lessons for every 20 minutes of each lesson. It will require additional time for the diverse learners while for the gifted students, will be granted more time for added challenges (”Kindergarten - FourthGradeApproved7-12-2004.pdf,” n.d.)

National / State Learning Standards:

Earth Science

Literacy Comprehension

S4E1: ”Students will compare also contrast the natural attributes to stars, star patterns, and planetoids.”

a. Recognize the physical characteristics of stars in the night sky such as number, size, color, and patterns.

b. Compare the relations and separations of planets to the stars in presentation, position, and quantity in the night sky.

c. Describe why the guide of stars in a constellation stays identical, but a planetoid can be seen in separate locations at different times.

d. Recognize how technology is used to observe distant objects in the sky.

Presentation of Ideas through Clustered Presentations:

S4E2: ”Students will present the area plus distance of the planet in the solar system and will define the function of relative space and motion in determining the sequence of the phases of the moon.

a. Describe the day/night cycle of the earth using a model.

b. Explain the sequence of the phases of the moon.

c. Demonstrate the revolution of the earth around the sun and the earth

’s tilt to explain the seasonal changes.

d. Describe the relative size and order from the sun of the planets in the solar system.

Specific learning target(s) / objectives:

The pupils will be able to describe and name all the planets in the solar system. Further, the students will comprehend the organization of the solar system with the ability to quantify the distance between the planets from the sun and label the distances from the sun. Finally, the students will be able to make models of the solar system respectively.

Teaching notes:

The lessons fall into the earth science category which introduces the students to the solar system and star pattern in the universe. The primary phase of the lesson is to add to classify planets using the KWL charts which require a textual reference to the solar system. There are numerous books on research from which the students will be allowed to find out something unique about the solar system within the first lesson. The second lesson will require the students to classify the planets by size. This is a difficult task and will require reference to textbooks which will provide the distance for each planet from the sun. The book text will take close to twenty minutes of the second lesson where the students will be required to jot down notes.

The third lesson is on the analysis of the planets based on the distance from the sun. Again, this will necessitate the students to interpret literature as they write down each planet and distance from the sun. Iteratively, the lessons will enable the students to understand more about the solar system.

Agenda:

At the opening of the lesson, the teacher will ask the students to give an explanation or example of what they think the solar system is all about.

As part of the learning and teaching activities, the students will be presented with a video or a visual on the solar system. It will be the norm for every lesson motivating the students to want to learn more about the solar system.

At the end of every lesson, the scholars have to interpret what they have gathered during the lesson periods individually. For the third lesson, the students have to present a model of the solar system based on a planet of choice and what they understand of the solar system.

Formative assessment:

Assessments will be as follows:

Evaluation of engagement of each student through participation during interactive discussion which includes note taking.

The teacher will monitor on the ability of each student to articulate the topic of each lesson through random assessment which will be progressive.

There will be monitoring of the students ability to comprehend difficult terminologies and how to pronounce them. It will require an integrative analysis of pronunciation and influence of learning disabilities.

The presentation evaluation will be fundamental in the assessment of the students on their ability to learn about the solar system.

Academic Language:

Key vocabulary:

Asteroids

Comets

Orbit

These words shall be taught at the very beginning of each and every lesson where it will be labelled at the blackboard as the word of the day.

Function:

The purpose of the vocabularies is to familiarize the students with the technical terms that are within the solar system. As such, the students will be required to answer questions in the words of the day through inquiries.

Form:

For the students to comprehend the technical terms, the teacher will use a rhythmic song to remember the meaning of the phrases of the day.

Instructional Materials, Equipment and Technology:

 The Story of the Solar System video

 Crayons, markers, or colored pencils

 Tape or glue

 Black pens

 Index cards

 Pencils and erasers

 Encyclopedias, science texts, magazines, and other print resources with information about comets, asteroids and orbits.

 Photos and images of comets, orbits and meteoroids (and/or meteors and meteorites)

 Computer with Internet access (optional)

Grouping:

As the teacher, the students will be in groups of four students based on their learning abilities homogeneously. The ELB and EIP will be grouped homogeneously into two groups due to their level of education and anticipated assistance. Therefore, the students will be monitored progressively but, separately.

II. Instruction

A. Opening

Prior knowledge connection:

It is this education that aims to connect to the former one as the students will continue learning about science from natural science to earth science.

Anticipatory set:

Understanding the solar system will enable the students to gain life skills on the knowledge of earth science based on what it is composed of and how to interpret scientific findings in the future.

B. Learning and Teaching Activities (Teaching and Guided Practice):

I Do

Students Do

Differentiation

1. Introduce the students to the topic of the lesson.

2. Laying an interactive platform: I will ask the students whether they know of anything to do with the solar system and allow them to talk about it for ten minutes.

3. I will also ask them hypothetical questions about the solar system such as Do you think the earth is as hot as the sun?

Assessment of the students will involve how the students answer the questions through their capability to answer hypothetical and progressive questions.

4. I will introduce knowledge about the solar system through a visual documentary that is animated for the students to get an idea of what the solar system is all about.

5. I will then classify the solar system to the students using a KWL chart and resources.

6. At the end of the lesson, the students will be required to recap whatever they remember about the experience.

Lesson 2: Introduction of the size of the planets in the solar system. It will be through literature comprehension of what scientists have presented for fifteen minutes and then the visual demonstration of the representation of a solar system.

Lesson 3: Classification of the planets based on distance from the sun. In this lesson, the students will have a presentation of the solar system with a demo of the distance of the planets.

At the end of the lesson, the students will be allowed time to choose a planetoid and tell the class what they have learned about the solar system.

1. Students will gather into groups.

2. Students will engage in integrative analysis of the solar system through discussions of laid out questions.

3. The presentation will be at the third lesson on the chosen planet based on size, distance, and position in the solar system.

For any contradictions, the students can be corrected from other students through fact additions or from the teacher. Such interactions will help build more knowledgeable memories on the lesson plans for the day.

1. The students ‘separation will be into different groups based on their learning abilities which will be on the ELL and EIP and average education students.

Assessment will depend on Web’s Depth of Knowledge levels which provides a ranking for the diverse students (”Slide 1 - Integrating+Literacy.pdf,” n.d.).

It will be on the thinking and comprehension of each group based on different lessons.

III. ASSESSMENT

Summative Assessment:

The students will be required to model a solar system based on the distance, size, and position in the solar system. The assessment expectation is that each student will be able to interpret the information provided both literary and practical and be able to integrate it into the assessment.

Therefore, the formative evaluation of each student will be on the ability to understand the objectives of the lessons and how they can interpret them such as the vocabulary.

Differentiation:

The accommodation of the students based on their differential learning disabilities will be incorporated. It will require the motivation and constant supervision of the 3ELL and 6 EIP students. For the students who understand the solar system better will assist those who do not.

Closure:

The students will be provided with time to present what they have learned about the planets through chosen planetoids. They will represent what they understand about the planet, its features, size, position in the solar system and distance from the sun.

Homework:

The assignment is skill-based practice as the students will be required to build a solar system based on what they have understood about it.

References

Kindergarten - FourthGradeApproved7-12-2004.pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.georgiastandards.org/Standards/Georgia%20Performance%20Standards/FourthGradeApproved7-12-2004.pdf

Slide 1 - Integrating+Literacy.pdf. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.carolinacurriculum.com/leadership/downloads/2012/Integrating%2BLiteracy.pdf