Earth, Sun and Moon Relationships

Title: Earth, Sun and Moon Relationships

Author: Teresa McCain (co-authors B. Moore, K. Doan, and J. Holmes)

Grade Level: 4th grade

Timeframe: While the unit of study will take several days, this lesson may take between 1 hour if students spend less time at each station or between 2-3 hours for more in-depth exploration at stations. Because several contents areas are integrated into this unit, it may cover more than one class period.

Students will learn about Earth, sun and moon relationships. How does each celestial body impact the other to cause night and day; seasons; Earth’s climate, moon phases?

Standards:
English Standard 1- Vocabulary and Concept Development
4.1.7 Use context to determine the meaning of unknown words.

English Standard 2- Comprehension and Analysis of Nonfiction and Informational Text
4.2.8 Identify informational text written in narrative form.

English Standard 2 - Computation
4.2.1 Understand and use standard algorithms* for addition and subtraction.
4.2.2 Represent as multiplication any situation involving repeated addition.

Science Standard 3 – The Physical Setting
4.3.1 Observe and report that the moon can be seen sometimes at night and sometimes during the day.
4.3.8 Explain that the rotation of the Earth on its axis every 24 hours produces the night and day effect.

ISTE Technology Foundation Standards for Students
1. Basic operations and concepts
· Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.
· Students are proficient in the use of technology.

3. Technology productivity tools
· Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
· Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

Assessment
Formative assessments for this lesson will take place through student science journals. As students explore each science station, they will respond to questions or ideas at each station. After completing the web-based activity at the computer station, students will take the online quiz. Students are provided with immediate feedback of correct and incorrect responses so that they gain a clear understanding of the concept. Student journals will be assessed for complete and concise responses.
Summative assessments for this unit of study will occur after another day of science experiences and homework related to the unit. This summative assessment will be a paper and pencil test, consisting of multiple choice, short answer and essay questions. By providing questions in various formats students have several formats in which to what they know.

Objectives: (observable/measurable aim or goal for students)
Through the use of science circus the students will go through various stations including a technology station, basal/text station, and an art station while investigating different prompts at each station. The students will work alone, and in pairs at various points to discover important science concepts about Earth, Sun, and Moon relationships such as the vocabulary associated with this unit as well as important numbers and times that go along with this topic.

Curricular Knowledge or Skills: Prior to conducting the “science circus” students will share what they know about Earth, sun and moon and how these celestial bodies work together. Students will pull this information from their “backpacks of prior knowledge” as a way to build concept knowledge. Responses will be compiled in a digital KLW chart with the use of a Smartboard.

Technology Knowledge: Students must be able to access the internet, use basic keyboarding skills, mouse and read website instructions. Students must also be able to operate cd player to listen to books on tape/cd.

Internet Resources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/earth_sun_moon.shtml

Hardware:
Class set of desktop computers or computer laptop carrels
Printer
Smartboard
Cd/cassette player
Software:
Web explorer (internet explorer or Mozilla)
Materials:
Computers
Internet access - BBC website
Science journals
Children’s Non Fiction Trade books (books on tape/cd; cd/tape player with headphones)
Digitally produced pictures of Earth, sun and moon
Various Art Supplies
Smartboard
Science Text Books

Procedures:

1. Load classroom computers with BBC website.
2. Setup science stations with appropriate materials.
3. Introduce the science circus stations and explain the procedures for each station; also break the students up into their groups.
4. The classroom teacher, student teachers, and/or classroom helpers, aides, or parents will assist groups or individual students to navigate science stations. Groups will spend approximately 20 minutes at each station.
5. Computer Station: Students visiting the computer stations will answer questions in their science journals (using complete sentences and proper punctuation) after viewing streaming video clips at the following BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/earth_sun_moon.shtml
   This interactive website asks students to input the number of days, months or hours to see how much the earth has rotated and revolved around the sun.
6. After completing the BBC activity, students will take the online quiz featuring multiple choice questions.
7. Basal/text station: This station will include students’ science textbooks, science nonfiction literature, and internet articles related to Earth, sun and moon relationships. Books available will be at various reading levels to accommodate all learners. Students will research to make discoveries about Earth, sun and moon relationships. A cd/tape player with headphones will be available to play books on tape. This will benefit the students who read at lower level than the texts available or students who process informational texts better by listening to them (auditory learners).
8. Students are asked to respond to math questions (posted at the station)in their science journals like : “The Earth makes ¼ of a revolution around the sun after how many months?” or “How many days does it take for the Earth to make one complete revolution around the Sun?”
9. Art Station: Student visiting art stations will create 3-dimensional models of Earth, sun and moon using materials like clay, string and toothpicks. They will also use art materials to create pictures of the Earth, sun and moon with characteristics seen in computer generated pictures, magazine photographs, and digital images located at the art station. Students have the option of creating books reflecting what they have learned at the various science stations.
10. Leave time for clean up at the end for whatever students are at a given station so that the teacher/ interns do not end up doing all of this.
11. Close with a whole group discussion about what they learned.

Differentiated Instruction
The lesson may be differentiated in many ways. Books at basal/text station may be available in other languages (Spanish for example). Instructions at each station may be written in that language as well. Provide ESL students to partner with English proficient students. Also, writing prompts may be written in simpler text.

Selecting “What Next” on the BBC website allows for greater exploration of Earth, Sun and Moon relationships. Students may respond to more challenging responses to reading or be provided with more challenging texts for research.

Web page may be changed to full screen mode. Click on the sound icon to hear on screen prompts. Sound may be adjusted for hearing impaired students. The “labels on/off” button (on the website) allows Earth, sun and moon to be clearly identified.