Lesson plan for the first lesson in Space Exploration: Planets and Moons

Date: 3/11/2015

Goals

Students will be able to name all the planets in the solar system in order.
Students will gain an understanding of the scale differences, and in turn
actual differences, between the sizes of the planets.
Students will develop their critical thinking skills by putting together facts to
inform their final decisions.

Materials

Index cards with measurements and symbols

Modelling clay
Rulers (in case students forget their own)
PowerPoint Presentation/SMART board

Lesson Plan (40 minutes)

Introduction
Students will enter and take their assigned seats. Take out your notebooks
Begin by asking students to name the planets in order. (This builds on students
prior knowledge since they have been researching planets for the past week)
As students name planets, write them on board in order. (10 minutes) students
should copy this down on a separate piece of paper.
Activity
Explain and model to students the next activity. Each student will get a card with a
measurement and a symbol (star, smiley face or square) on it. Each measurement
corresponds to a planet in the solar system, although the students will have to
figure this out on their own. The students will also get some silly putty to shape into
circles with a diameter that matches the measurement on their card. Give students
the time limit and frequently remind them of remaining time. (10 minutes) [Activity
created by Nancylee Bergey of PennGSE]
The students will be asked to get into groups according to the symbol they have.
Three groups of 8 should be created. (2 minutes)
In these groups, the students will work together to sort the planets on a piece of
paper. Since the students have some prior knowledge about the sizes of the some of
the planets and the names of the planets in order on the board they will simply
have to match the name to the size to put the balls in order.(8 minutes)

Through this activity, the aim is to identify students misconceptions about planet
sizes compared to each other.
After the students have sorted the planets, give information for students to revise
their decisions. This information will be displayed on the board to be visible to the
whole class. After each rearrangement the students have to rewrite the
measurements on their piece of paper as they correspond to each planet.
1.
2.
3.
4.

The largest planet is Jupitar. Give 2 minutes

The smallest planet is Mercury. Give 2 minutes
Mars is smaller than Earth, which is larger than Mercury. Give 2 minutes
Neptune is smaller than Uranus which in turn is smaller than Saturn. Give 3
minutes. Final decisions.
5. Reveal final, correct arrangement of planets.
Mercury
1.1 mm
1.1
//

Venus
3
2.9
//

Earth
1.6
1.6
3

Example of Students Tables

Mars
Saturn
Jupiter
27.4
10.7
11.3
10.7
27.4
33.7
1.6
//
33.7

Uranus
33.7
11.3
//

Neptune
2.9
3.0
10.7

Wrap-up
Ask students to arrange the planets on the paper and write the names of the
planets. One person from each group will carry the papers to the table in the back
of the class. (five minutes)
Students pack up and leave for next class.

Management

In general, classroom norms will continue to be followed:

Students will raise their hands to answer questions unless told otherwise.
Students will ask permission before leaving the classroom.
Students will remain in their seats at all time, unless expressly told otherwise.

In order to avoid confusion a materials person will be assigned to each table at

the beginning of the activity. This person would be the only one allowed out of their
seat to retrieve the clay for the group. This person will also be in charge of making
sure that every person at their table has enough clay to make their model.
Once the students get grouped according to symbol, some groups may contain
students who are habitually disruptive. Previous experience has shown me that

assigning these students the role of sound level monitor is a successful way of
ensuring that volume levels are kept in check and students are on task. The title
also gives the student a sense of responsibility and that seems to help keep them
on track.
At the end of the activity, one student from each group will carry the tray with the
planets to the back of the classroom.

Accommodations
6A
This class has one ELL student and two students with low readingcomprehension abilities. The two low reading students will be placed in a group with
students who are closer to their level. I will spend time with this group to make sure
that they know what is required of them and that they are comprehending each
concept as it is presented.
The ELL student speak Hebrew so I will ensure that he ends up in a group
with a student who can translate for him. I will also take time during circulation to
sit with him and ensure that he is following along.
6B
This class is the last class of the day and so there is less instruction time. The
students in this class are also consistently more boisterous and disruptive which
means that care will need to be taken when assigning their groups. There is also a
student who uses a wheelchair so it is important to ensure that during the group
activity he is not required to move across the cramped classroom.
6B has a larger number of students with lower reading levels, but no
identified ELLs. Placing these students in a single group will not be productive since
they are unlikely to get any work done. So, these students will be spread out among
the rest of the class (heterogeneous grouping).
Anticipated Response
Previous experience has shown that students respond well to group hands-on
activities. The only challenge I foresee is students refusing to work collaboratively
due to personal differences (this has mostly been noticed in 6B).
Students have also shown an interest in learning about the planets so the subject
material itself will hopefully hold their interest.
I am unsure of the students comfort level using rulers to measure, but I anticipate
little complications occurring if I need to stop and demonstrate.
Assessment of Goals
Throughout the lesson, circulate between groups and monitor conversations. Look
for:

Comprehension of activity
Correct usage of ruler to measure diameter. (cm)
Discussion of acquired knowledge to determine order of planets.
Mutual respect and collaboration between students.

Lesson: Introduction to the Moon (45 minutes)

Anticipated Date: 3/17/2015

Goals:
SWBAT

Describe the different phases of the moon.

Understand and explain what causes the phases of the moons.

Materials:

Projector and PowerPoint slides.

Styrofoam balls to represent moons and sticks to hold them.
Large flashlight (sun)
Small flashlight (for individual use)
Online animation of the movement of the moon
Lined paper

Lesson Plan:
Introduction (3 minutes)
On the board, show a range of dates and the corresponding moon-sighting for that
date. Ask students to make an observation about what they see, what it is, what
changes what stays the sameetc.
Short Talk (10 minutes)
Ask students what they think causes the moons shape to change. Steer discussion
into talking about movement of celestial objects. (vocab from last week:
revolution and orbit)
Understandings to take away:

The Moon revolves around the Earth.

It takes about a month for the moon to complete one revolution, one lunar
month.
Some cultures follow a lunar calendar and have different months.
The shape of the moon is just the part that is illuminated by the sun.

Activity (15 minutes)

Row by row, the students will come to the front of the room and collect a moon.
Students will then stand in a large circle with the Moons held high and in front of
their heads. Teacher will stand in the middle and shine bright light around the circle.
The students will begin with a new moon. No illumination will be visible on their
moons. Slowly, they will begin to rotate to the left, so that a crescent will be visible.
When the students have their backs to the teacher, a full moon will be visible to
them.
As the students are moving, the teacher is explaining what each movement
represents. The students rotating is the moon moving around earth.

Teacher: based on this activity, ask where does the light of the moon come from?
students should be able to answer that it reflects the light of the sun.
If there are no confusions or questions, direct students to stand in such a way that
only a small part if the moon is illuminated, T: when the moon is this shape what do
we call it? (crescent), repeat for quarter moon, gibbous and full moon.
Student will return to their seats in rows.
Show animation of the movement of the moon.
http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/content/moonphase.html

Assessment of Understanding
On loose paper, students will draw the different phases of the moon and name
them. For those who finish quickly, briefly explain why we see these shapes.
Students will do this until it is time to pack up.

Accommodations and management:

With both classes, established classroom norms will be observed.

Students will raise their hands to answer questions unless told otherwise.
Students will ask permission before leaving the classroom.
Students will remain in their seats at all time, unless expressly told otherwise.

6A
Ensure that the entire class is paying attention when giving instructions to avoid
confusion or having to repeat steps. For ELL student, make sure to include more
images than words to help clarify concepts. Also for assessment at the end of class,
modify so that he only has to draw and name the different phases of the moon. If
time permits, converse to determine if he has understood the main goals of the
lesson. Since this class needs time to collect their things from their lockers, send
students who have completed their assessment first to avoid congestion later on in
the back of the room.
6B
Depending on the hyperactivity level of the class, consider showing the simulation
before the short talk to draw students in. This class has a physically disabled
student who will be unable to move as the activity requires. His in-class assistant
will move the flashlight around so that he will be able to experience the same
simulation as his peers. The desks will also need to be rearranged to ease his
wheelchairs movement around the classroom.

Anticipated Response:
Students have shown an interest in hands-on activities and are generally wellmannered and able to follow directions. Some confusion may occur with trying to
figure out how to move during the activity. Clear instructions and patience on the
teachers part are paramount.

Assessment of Goals:
Students understanding will be assessed by examining discussion responses.
Do students use correct terminology
when referring to the movement of
celestial objects?
Can students articulate questions that
build on an understanding of the
movement of the moon?
Are students able to relate
understanding from activity to answer
questions posed afterwards?
Also, physical evidence of comprehension in the form of drawings and a short
paragraph.

Lesson: The Moon landing (Apollo 11)

Expected Date: 3/23/2015
Goals:
SWBAT:

Recount the main events of the Moon landing and the astronauts involved.
Understand the mission of Apollo 11 and put it in context.
Utilize background knowledge to make deductions about conditions on the
Moon.

Materials:

SMARTboard/ Whiteboard
Access to internet and sound system for viewing videos.
Lined paper

Lesson Plan:
Introduction (5 minutes, or 10. See accommodations)
Do now: Construct a chronological list of the events that led to the Americans being
interested in landing on the Moon.
-Sputnik, US fails to launch a satellite, Eisenhower creates NASA, USSR send
first man into space, (three weeks later) first American in space, Kennedy asks for
funds to send man to moon, (1969) man lands on moon, cold war ends and USA
and Russia begin to conduct join missions.
Today we will focus on the first moon landing.
Introducing the Astronauts (15 minutes)
*show video of moment of landing. Ask students who the man speaking is. Because
of a previous assignment, most should know that it is Neil Armstrong. Was he
alone? talk about how more than one astronaut was needed, they had three
(Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins)
Distribute short biographies of the astronauts and divide classroom into thirds. Each
group will read the about an astronaut and create a summary to share with the
class.
*Armstrong being the only one to have passed away, show video speaking about his
role in the mission and in American culture. (Youtubes Sci-show video)
Moon Landing (15 minutes)

NASA interactive feature- explore the surface of the moon and the inside of the
shuttle. Highlight to students that:

This mission was considered very dangerous, officials had protocols in place
in case the astronauts were stranded/died.
Learned about the surface of the moon and gravity differences.
Took pictures of Eagle to improve design for next missions.
When they returned, astronauts had to be quarantined for fear of
extraterrestrial contamination.

Writing Activity (5 minutes)

Explain to students that they must use what they have learned about the three
astronauts to design an advertisement enticing young people to join the space
program. What characteristics are required? What prior experience is needed?
Students have a choice. Either design an ad (as they have done in Social studies
class earlier in the semester) or write a persuasive essay (1 page). Due next
Monday- 3/30/2015

Students pack up and leave.

Management:
With both classes, established classroom norms will be observed.

Students will raise their hands to answer questions unless told otherwise.
Students will ask permission before leaving the classroom.
Students will remain in their seats at all time, unless expressly told otherwise.

Some students may need to be redirected to the task at hand during the reading
portion of the lesson as chatter may become too distracting or off-topic.
To hold student interest, if the need arises, ask a student from each group to come
up to the board and write one point of information about the man they were
assigned.
Accommodations:
For introduction: if majority of students seem to recall the main events and
understand their impact on each other, spend only 5 minutes for quick overview. If
students are confused or unable to recall major events spend 10 briefly reviewing
the highlights).
When dividing the students into groups to read about the three astronauts, each
group will be of a different reading level. The texts will be differentiated accordingly.
For 6B there is a chance that the class may be cut short due to the shorter
instruction time of the last period. Anything that is not covered in this class will be
carried over to the next cushion day.

Assessment:
Formative Assessment: The morning do now. While students are writing, circulate
and record those who are struggling to formulate their thoughts. According to these
observations modify the rest of the lesson.
In addition, facilitate discussion and conversation. Use these to assess student
comprehension of subject matter.
Summative assessment: The writing assignment is to gauge students
understanding of the qualities that are needed for someone to become a member of
NASAs astronaut program. The students will use information gained from the
biographies that were handed out as well as students own estimations and
conclusions. The choice that is given to students is a form of differentiation. If
students prefer writing to designing and drawing they can opt for that choice and
vice versa.