Unit plan

Grade : V
Month: Sep/ Oct

Subject: ScienceTopic: The Earth and beyond Duration : 8 periods

Lesson Objective:
To know that the Sun, Earth and Moon are approximately spherical.
To know about the relative sizes and distances between the Earth ,Sun
and Moon
To know that it is the Earth that moves on its axis and not the sun, and the
earth spins on its axis every 24 hours.
To know that it is daytime in the part of the Earth facing the sun and night
time in the part of the Earth away from the sun.
To know that sun rises from the east and sets in the west.
To know that the Earth takes one year to make one complete orbit of the
sun, spinning as it goes.
To know that the moon takes 28 days to orbit the Earth.
To know that the different appearance of the moon over 28 days provides
evidence of a 28 day cycle.

Lesson Outcomes
Students can prove that the Sun Earth and moon are approximately
spherical.
Students will know the relative size and distance between the Earth, Sun
and Moon.
Sun is at the centre of the Solar system and the Earth and other planets
orbit around the Sun.
Earth has two types of movement rotation and revolution.
Earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours which causes day and night.
The part of the Earth facing the Sun will have day and the part away from
the Sun will have night.
Earth revolves around the Sun and takes one year to complete one
revolution.
Seasons are caused by revolution of the Earth and tilt of axis.
 The Moon completes one revolution around the Earth in 28 days.
The Moon changes its shape because it orbits the Earth.
Students will know about waxing and waning Moon.

Introduction:
Find out what children know about earth sun moon by asking them to
draw and explain them a picture showing how these would look to a
traveller in space
Ask children questions about their drawings eg
Is the earth flat?
Is the sun bigger than the moon?
Does the sun move?
Point out to children that it is only the last 40 years that we have
photographic evidence from space about the earth being spherical in
shape and ask them to find out some earlier ideas about the earth being
flat or spherical and what evidence people used to support their ideas.
Remind children about the pictures they drew earlier and the photographs
they saw and ask them to put earth moon and sun in order of size by
selecting from a range of spheres eg football, tennis ball, beach ball, pea
ask three children to take 3 spheres and position them in the classroom to
give an idea of their relative distances apart .select three spheres to
represent earth sun and moon recognizing which is largest and which is
smallest and making a reasonable match to relative size.
Ask children about where the sun shines into the school (or their homes)
at different times of the day remind them of earlier work on shadows and
ask them to suggest what this evidence shows.
If necessary observe the length and position of the shadow of the stick set
up in the playground at different times of the day over successive days.
Describe the apparent positions of the sun changes over the course of the
day and clarify that this does not mean that the sun is moving
Use secondary sources eg video, CD-ROM to illustrate the earth spinning
on its axis show children model of the process eg using a globe and a
strong light source to represent the sun. Ask children to show others eg
modelling or using themselves as sun and earth by drawing or using other
 models how night and day arise from the earth spinning on its axis talk
with children about the different presentations
Illustrate eg using models or drawings that different parts of the sun
during the course of the day and where it is day and night.
Discuss with children the concept of year right from birthday to birthday
through all the seasons .Model the earths orbit of the sun eg a child
moving around a central sun ie a lamp and explain that the Earth takes
12 months to complete one revolution around the sun. Explain seasons
are caused due to revolution and tilt of the Earth.

Students will make a chart with true and false statement about Earth and
space provided by teacher.
Ask Students to investigate about different scientists research on solar
system and present in class their work. Discuss about the different models
made by the scientists.
Use secondary sources eg CD-ROM reference books to illustrate that the
appearance of moon changes in a regular manner over a period of 28 days
model the moons orbit around the earth by asking a child to walk around
a group of children representing the earth so that the child representing
the moon always faces the earth ask children to describe the movement of
the moon eg it goes round the earth it turns so that the same side always
faces the earth.
Explain that the time scale of the changes in the moons appearance moon
orbits the earth once every 28 days children do not always understand
that the moon revolves on its own axis as it orbits the earth so that the
same side of the moon always faces the earth.
Shoe box activity to show how the angle from which we view the moon
changes the shape of the moon.

M.I Activities

Linguistic: Presentation and research work.

Interpersonal : Working in groups
Bodily kinesthetic : Making moon box, making chart.

Take Home Tasks:

 Research the lives and discoveries of scientists who explored the solar system
and stars

Assessment

Students complete the worksheet which is assessed by teacher.

Oral questions.
Children showing rotation and revolution movements.
Making chart

Plenary
Visit to planetarium
Mount pictures of phases of the Moon around classroom
Tell students about a programme called SETI9 the search for extra
terrestrial intelligence). It uses idle computer time to analyze data
received from radio telescopes searching space for messages from aliens-
so far there havent been any.

Resources: Heinemann Explore science

www.primaryresources.co.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/life/index.shtml
http://adc.gsfc.nasa.gov/adc/education/space_ex/index.html

Reflection