The Solar System

By: Nicole Meininger

Introduction: Describe learners (age, characteristics, multicultural awareness issues)
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Integrated Disciplines: content area and technology
Standards:
Content Area(s) Standards and Grade Level Standards
Content Area: Science
Standard: 3. Earth Systems Science
Grade Level Expectation: Fourth Grade
Concepts and skills students master:
1. Earth is part of the solar system, which includes the Sun, Moon, and other bodies that orbit
the Sun in predictable patterns that lead to observable paths of objects in the sky as seen
from Earth

Evidence Outcomes:
a. Gather, analyze, and interpret data about components of the solar system
b. Utilize direct and indirect evidence to investigate the components of the solar
system
URL:
https://www.cde.state.co.us/sites/default/files/documents/coscience/documents/science_
4th_grade.pdf
Integrated disciplines (NETS)
1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Research and Information Fluency
3. Technology Operations and Concepts

Objectives What you want students to learn and do. Use the objective format provided
in your methods courses or the examples below.

- Students will gather and analyze data on the lunar cycle by watching a video.
-Students will be able to accurately determine what stage of the lunar cycle the moon is
in.

Assessment How you will determine that students meet your objectives (rubrics are a
possibility)/ Objectives and assessments should correlate!

- After creating the Moon Phase Model in class, students will complete a quiz on the
moon phases by using this website:
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/moonlight.html

Materials/Technologies

Materials, supplies, equipment, resources (books, URLs, CDs, videos, you need to teach
the lesson
Materials, supplies, equipment, resources students need to complete the lesson

-Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCweccNOaqo

- Paper plates, oreo cookies, glue, markers

- Assessment:
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/moonlight.ht
ml
-Moon Phase Simulation:
http://highered.mheducation.com/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?
it=swf::800::600::/sites/dl/free/0072482621/78778/Lunar_Nav.swf::Lunar+Phas
es+Interactive
Procedures
Anticipatory Set - introduction to lesson "hook"
Specific details of what teacher is to do
In Class: I will demonstrate how each stage of the moon is created with the oreo
cookies and what to do for each step. During the making of each stage, I will explain
what stage of the cycle the moon is in, what it looks like and what it means. For example,
for the full moon I will show the kids to only take one top of the cookie off and glue the
bottom side down so that the white is showing.

After the model is complete, I will direct the students to copy the model into their
science notebooks as a diagram. I will also introduce them to the observations they will
be doing each night about what stage the moon is in.
Specific details of what students are to do
At Home: Students will need to watch the youtube video at home. The video is
about the eight stages in the lunar cycle. In their science notebook, they will need to
write down notes for each stage of the lunar cycle. After the video, they will answer
three questions.
1. How many phases does the moon have?
2. What is it called when you see more light on the moon?
3. How long does it take for the moon to complete a full cycle?
In Class: Students will come with questions they have on understanding the lunar
cycle. Then, they will create a model of the lunar cycle by using a paper plate, oreo
cookies and glue. We all will create this model together. After each stage of moon is
created, they will need to label that stage. After the project is finished, they will use their
lunar cycle model to create a diagram in their science notebooks with pictures and labels
in the correct order so they can reference it later. Starting today, the students will need
to keep a daily journal of what stage the moon is in. They will need to look at the moon
each night and fill in what the stage is for that night. When they bring their observations
to class, we will discuss which stage it is and the students will get to see if they were
accurate or not.

Differentiation
Students can be high ability learners who will need to be challenged and provided the
opportunity to excel. Below grade level students or students with diagnosed learning
disabilities will need accommodations or extra assistance. Be specific with how you will
differentiate the lesson.

-Students who need challenged: For a challenge, students will be invited to

write in the eight stages of the lunar cycle before creating the model.
-Students who need help: There will be additional help in the classroom to
assist students with creating the model. If using the cookies is difficult for a
student with learning disabilities, they will be invited to draw in the moon
phases instead of gluing the cookies down.
Closure

How you plan to end the lesson so that students retain learning. What will really send the
point home and force the information into students long term memory?
I will show the students a simulation of the complete lunar cycle to give them a visual
and bring all the information together.
http://highered.mheducation.com/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?
it=swf::800::600::/sites/dl/free/0072482621/78778/Lunar_Nav.swf::Lunar+Phases+Intera
ctive

References
A complete list of every source used to create this lesson plan
- http://highered.mheducation.com/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?
it=swf::800::600::/sites/dl/free/0072482621/78778/Lunar_Nav.swf::Lunar+Phases+I
nteractive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCweccNOaqo

- http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/moonlig
ht.html
-

http://highered.mheducation.com/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?
it=swf::800::600::/sites/dl/free/0072482621/78778/Lunar_Nav.swf::Lunar+
Phases+Interactive

Explanation/ Reflection

Typically, here you would type a reflection of how the lesson proceeded. This time, you
will write an explanation of why you chose the specific technology activities you did for
the lesson, discuss how they are effectively integrated, and how the technology will
enhance learning, and where you researched the lesson. This explanation should be a
paragraph in length and show thoughtful planning.
Throughout this lesson there are many areas where technology is integrated. I found a
video on youtube that will help the students in their exploration and learning more about the
content, a contextualized assessment that will measure what the students have learned about
moon phases, and a lunar cycle simulation website that shows what the moon looks like with

each orbit, each day for the entire cycle. All of these sources were chosen very carefully and
precisely to aid the students in their learning. Each source is effective in its own way. The
youtube video is effective for the take home part because the instruction in the video is very kidfriendly and easy to follow. The lunar simulation website is very effective because it shows a
calendar, the time, a visual and has the stage of the moon clearly labeled. It is a very strong
asset to the lesson because the kids can see how the moon rotates around earth and also what it
looks like from earth (what we can see). The website is very interactive and can be manipulated
in several ways. In the future, I would like to find more resources to apps that can be classroom
accessible. I wanted to create a lesson that would have all the required materials. Not all
classrooms have ipads or other tablets. I really learned a lot during the creation of this lesson
and have a much better understanding of what flipped learning really means.