Lesson 1

Content
Australian
Curriculum

Class: 6/7

Science: Heavenly Bodies

Time: 1 hour 5

Number of Children: 28

minutes
The Earth, Moon and Sun System
Science Understanding: Chemical Science
Predictable phenomena on Earth, including seasons and eclipses, are caused by
the relative positions of the sun, Earth and the moon (ACSSU115)
Science as a human Endeavour: Nature and development of science
Scientific knowledge changes as new evidence becomes available, and some
scientific discoveries have significantly changed peoples understanding of the
world (ACSHE119)
Science knowledge can develop through collaboration and connecting ideas
across the disciplines of science (ACSHE223)
Science Inquiry Skills: Questioning and Predicting
Identify questions and problems that can be investigated scientifically and make
predictions based on scientific knowledge (ACSIS124)

Learning
Outcomes

By the end of this lesson students will be able to:

Understand the relative positions of the Earth, moon and sun in space.
Understand rotations and orbits of the Earth and moon relative to the sun.

Introduction

Laptops
Projector
Internet
3 different sized balls
String
Solar system work sheet
Link to day and night activity
Information sheets
Traffic light cards
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c_lL6I3OaA

10 minutes

Planets in our solar system, distance of planets from the sun.

Resources

Students are to watch video while answering questions on

Main Body

worksheets.
Rotations

45 minutes

Give a quick overview of each activity then separate groups off

into their rotation groups. Inform students that they will have
15 minutes per rotation therefore each group will only be able
to do 3 of the 4 activities.
Activities:
1. Draw the diagram of the solar system and label it with one

interesting fact about each planet and make up an acronym for

the planets.
2. Mathematical question.
If the earth was 149, 600, 000 km away from the sun and the
moon was 384, 400 km away from the earth. How far away is
the sun from the moon?
3. Note taking, What is Earth?
4. Day and Night on the laptops
http://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/viewing/L10261/index.html
Conclusion

Select each group to come up and explain an activity that they

10 minutes

did.
Activity 1: direct students to say their acronym and then name
the planets together.
Activity 2: Discuss with the students their calculation and direct
them to use the balls as representations of the sun, moon and
earth and to measure out with string the distances.
How could be represent day and night here?
Extension:
Video: http://www.solarsystemscope.com/
Solar System Quiz as a whole group:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/games/quizzes/solarsystem/
If the class gets any questions wrong students have to write
them down and research the answers at home, bring back for

Catering to
Individual
Learners

next Wednesday.
Poor attention span activities last for a maximum of 15 minutes.
Low numeracy skills working in small groups therefore support from

peers
Low reading skills interactive technology therefore requires minimal

reading skills
Poor social skills small group activities therefore children only have to

interact within their group.

Gifted & talented
Social & emotional small group activities consequently build self-esteem

in problem solving as a team

ASD ADHD variety of activities consequently stimulating new ideas and
cognitive movement

Behaviour

Behavioural traffic light system

Poor anger management
Traffic light System

Management

Each student is given three different coloured piece of paper.

Red = I dont understand
Yellow = I have a question
Green = I understand
Students are asked throughout the lesson to place their cards on the table, which
represents how they are feelings about the lesson. This gives an indication as to
whether the teacher has explained clearly what is expected and if everyone
understands. The students who have placed red and yellow cards can be
addressed through individual interaction or (depending on the % of the class who
dont understand) the problems can be addressed as a class. The students are
allowed to place the cards out on the table throughout any point of the lesson
consequently students are in charge of their learning. It also gives the teacher a
clear indication as to which students do and do not understand therefore address
the situation there and then. This behaviour management strategy discourages
negative behaviour as when children dont understand a topic they tend to switch

Assessment

off and do something else, consequently negative behaviour occurs.

Formative Assessment:

Using the traffic light system gives an sign as to whether children

understand or not.
Answering the questions to the video task sheet.
Listening and discussing with the students their ideas during the rotations.
Reflection and discussion at the end of the class will be a good indication
as to what students have learnt in the lesson.

Lesson 1
Unfortunately my first lesson today was a complete mix around and the lesson got divided up and
many distractions were occurring. One of my first hurdles to over come was the factor that my
scootle resource didnt work on the IPads or laptops. Consequently I had to change one of my
activities at the last minute. I started the lesson with the video and question sheet. This
introduction was very useful in the sense that the students were engaged throughout the activity
and the range of questions were suitable and appropriate. I am pleased with how this went and I
feel that I could do a similar activity in the future. After this, my lesson was stopped due to two
thirds of the class leaving for ball practice. The rest of my lesson was to then be picked up after 2 nd

break. Once the students returned from break they told the teacher that there was a problem
during break time, therefore asked for a community circle. This is where the students are to sit
around in a circle and discuss the event and how they felt about it consequently resulting in a
solution. By the time my lesson started again it was 2:15 and it didnt give me much time to reflect
on the video and implement my lesson effectively. During the last 45 minutes there were lots of
distractions, people and equipment going in and out of the room. As a results, students were put
off task and it was difficult to sit down with one group and scaffold the learning environment.
Overall I feel very frustrated that I couldnt effectively teach a lesson and I do understand that
many distractions occur within a classroom and that things do change on a daily bases. In
reflection for my next lesson I want to aim to put in some more behaviour management strategies
to ensure that I do have control over the class to implement a rich learning environment. Secondly
I want to focus on knowing my topic in detail therefore I can discuss with the students what is
required and extend the learning environment if need be. Thirdly, after reflection with the teacher I
want use paddle pop sticks with the students name on them. This method eliminates the hands
up approach as well as asking a range of students that I wouldnt normally ask. It also assists in
me getting to know their names. From this experience I feel that it has been a learning curve and I
aim to improve for the next lesson.