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Science6

MiddleSchool > Grade6 > Science > Science6 > Week8Week13

Earth and Sun

Collaboration

Stage 1 - Desired Results

Standards
SciencePerformanceExpectations(NGSS,2013)
MSEarth&SpaceSciences

MS.SpaceSystems
PerformanceExpectations
MSESS11.DevelopanduseamodeloftheEarthsunmoonsystemtodescribethecyclicpatternsoflunarphases,eclipsesofthesunand
moon,andseasons.

DRAGONS
DRAGONS
Getglobal
StudentswilldecidedwheretheyshouldlivebasedonhowtheSunaffectstheEarthindifferentlocationsontheplanet.

Enduring Understandings
Overarching:EachpartoftheEarthreceivesadifferentamountofsunlight
thataffectshowpeopleliveineachplace.

Topical:ThetiltoftheEarthaffectstheamountofsunlightthatreachesthe
Earth'ssurface.

Essential Questions
Overarching:WhereisthebestplacetoliveonEarth?

Topical:Whatdoesthetiltdoforme?
Howarepolar,temperateandtropicalclimatesdifferent?

Knowledge

Skills

The student will know.

The student will be able to.

SWK:
whattypeofenergytheSunprovidestotheEarth
thattheEarthisspherical
theEarthspins/rotatesevery24hourswhichcausesdayandnight
theEarthorbits(revolves)aroundstheSunonceayear
Earth'sorbitisnearlyaperfectcircle
thattheEarthistiltedata23degrees
theimpactofthetiltonnumberofhoursofdaylightondifferentparts
oftheEarth

SWBAT:
ModeltheorbitoftheEartharoundtheSun
ModeltheangleoftheEarthandangleofsunlightontheEarth
Comparetheamountofsunlightplacesaroundtheworldreceives
Relatetheamountofsunlighttodaylighthoursandseasonal
changes
Explainhowtheanglechangesinoneplaceoverthecorseofthe
Earth

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Assessments

Performance Tasks (GRASPS)

EarthSunSurvey
Formative:Other:Quiz
Surveyaboutstudent'spreviousknowledgeofhowtheSun
andEarthinteract.Studentreflectonthequizoverthe
courseoftheunit.
sunearth_survey.pdf
TriptotheSunWriting
Formative:Written:Journal/Diary
ReflectivewritingoverthedistanceoftheEarthfromtheSun
andhowtheEarthrotatesonanaxis.
FavoritePlacetoLive
Summative:Oral:Presentation
GRASPS:StudentspickalocationandpresenthowtheSun
affectstheEarthandthislocation.
EarthandSunFinalProject.pdf

Goal:Thegoalistoconvinceyourfamilytomovetoalocationofyour
choosing.

Role:YouareexpertonhowtheSunaffectstheEarth.

Audience:Yourtargetaudienceisyourfamily.

Situation:Youandyourfamilyaremoving!Butyougettopickwereyouare
allmovingto.Youneedtoresearchalocationandconvinceyourfamilywhy
thiswouldbethebestplaceforyoualltolive.Youwillneedtopersuade
yourfamilythatyourchoiceisthebestchoicebasedonthetiltoftheEarth,
thesolarradiationthislocationreceives,andhowtheseasonsandlengthof
daywillchange(incomparisontowhereyoulivenow).

Product:Youwillneedtoresearchalocationandunderstandhowitis
affectedbytheSun,MoonandEarthstilt.Thenyouwillneedtopreparea
argumenttopersuadeyourfamilytomovetoyourlocation.Youwillneedto
explaintothemhowtheEarthisaffectedbytheSunandtheMoonand
relatetheinformationtoyourchosenlocation.

EarthandSunFinalProject.pdf

Stage 3 Learning Plan

Learning Activities
Engage
ChalkTalk:Seasons,Spring,Summer,Fall,Winter.
StudentSurveyofpriorknowledge,surveygiventofamily/friends,
datacollectedinclassanddiscussed
Explore
SizeandScaleoftheUniverse(NASAlesson)
TriptotheSunActivity
SunPhotocomparison
Earth'sorbitshapevsPluto'sorbitshape(drawingandcomparing)
MidExplainQuestion:Whydoyouthinkwehaveseasons?Referenceback
toStudentSurveyfromengage

Explore
TemperaturesandDaylighthoursfromaroundtheworld(graphing
activity)
TiltoftheEarthActivity
AngleofSunlightActivity
Explain
WhydoestoEarthhaveseasons?
Whatdoesthetiltdoforme?
Whathappenstotheseasonsattheequator?Atthepoles?
Evaluate:
GRASPS

Resources
1.TheRealReasonsfortheSeasons:byAlanGould,Carolyn
Willard,
andStephenPompea
1.Usedactivities16forEarthandSunconnections.
2.ExploreLearningGizmos
1.UsedforSeasonsin3DandSeasons:Whydowehavethem?

http://lhsgems.org/GEMSSeasons.html
https://www.explorelearning.com/

ELL Strategies

Reection
ThisunitwasreallygoodinusingtheRealReasonsfortheSeasonsbookthatsystemicallytakesthemisconceptionsaboutseasonsthatthestudentscomes
inwithanduseshandsonactivitiestocorrecttheirunderstandingoftheEarthSunrelationship.Theunit'sessentialquestionhelpeddrivethedirectionofthe
thestudentsthinking.Theyhelpedchallengedthestudentsmisconceptionsabouttheseasons.Overall,thestudentsunderstoodthemisconceptionsforthe
seasonsandtherealseasonswere.Therewasafewmisunderstandingstowardsthelastconceptofdirectandindirectsunlightpartiallybecausewehad
manyinterruptionswithfieldtrips,halfdaysetcandbecausethehandsonactivitieswereneverattemptedbecauseoflackofmaterials.Theunitmeetthe
needsofbothhigherlevelthinkersandESLstudents.ThehigherlevelthinkerswerechallengedtorethinkhowtheEarthandSuninteractedandthehands
onactivitieshelpedsupporttheEnglishdevelopmentofthestudents.Thestudentsstayedengagedthroughoutmostofthelessons,withsomeengagement
droppingoffwiththeGizmolabs.
Thisunitwasnotthemostchallengingunitintermsofcontent(seasons)butunderstandingthelargeabstractconceptssuchastheEarth'sorbit,tiltand
sunlightvariationwasachallengethatthestudentsworkedtounderstand.Havingamoreconcretemodeloforbitssuchasorrerieswouldallowthestudents
tovisuallyunderstandtheplanetsorbitsmoreclearlyandwithoutacomputer.Forthisunitthemissinghandsonactivityshouldhavebeendone.HoweverI
wasmissingglobalsforeachpairandflashlights.Inflatableglobalswereorderedbutamixupintheorderleadtoonlyonearrivingattheendoftheunitwhen
thestudentswerealreadyworkingontheirfinalproject.IfIadaptedthisunitagainIwouldchangetheguidesfortheonlinelabs.Theycanbewordyand
lengthlybutoverallleadstoabetterunderstandingofconcepts.

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