Group 37

Science: Solar System Lesson Plan

Making A Solar System Model

Grade Level: 5th Grade
DESCRIPTION OF LEARNERS, & LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Students are involved in an after school organization called, College Mentors For Kids (CMFK) that pairs college kids with at-risk children (4th-10th grade) to use to help mentor and teach a group of students in relevant subject areas within the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines. There will be between 15-20 students in each age group. Each student has a buddy (the college mentor) who will be with them for the STEM afternoon. The students will travel to campus to participate in this program. Learning will take place in a large classroom with several round tables that have been reserved for the STEM afternoon. The classroom is equipped with small whiteboards (dry erase boards) that are available for use as well as wireless Internet. There is one instructor station with a projector in the room. The lesson content has to do with learning and identifying the different parts of our solar system and being able to apply this knowledge to create a solar system mobile. The intended learning goal for this lesson is for students to become familiar with the different planets and objects that are parts of our solar system. Students will be shown a PowerPoint Presentation of the different planets/the sun that are apart of our solar system. In addition, students will be given the necessary materials to construct a mobile. Without notes, students can identify (list) all nine planets in the solar system in the correct order of relationship to the sun (starting with the closest to the sun and moving out). SCI. 5.2 2010-Earth Science SCI. 5.2.1 2010 Recognize that our earth is part of the solar system in which the sun, an average star, is the central and largest body. Observe that our solar system includes the sun, moon, seven other planets and their moons, and many other smaller object like asteroids and comets. SCI.5.2.2 2010 Observe and use pictures to record how the sun appears to move across the sky in the same general way every day but rises and sets in different places as the seasons change.

LESSON CONTENT INTENDED LEARNING GOALS OBJECTIVES

STANDARDS

MATERIALS NEEDED

Internet access Premade styrofoam balls representing Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, and Neptune

Premade styrofoam ball representing the Sun Star cut-outs (**or stencil of a star so students can make their own) Paper clips Solar System Unit
1

Group 37

Science: Solar System Lesson Plan

PROCEDURE

1 Glow stick (bracelet) per student for Saturns ring 1 Clothes hanger per student String or yarn Journal

1. Begin this lesson by introducing students to the eight planets and the Sun in our solar system with the Our Solar System presentation on PowerPoint. Be sure to have the students take notes in a journal with details about each planet. (ex. color, size, order from the sun) 2. Divide students into groups, having two students in each group. 3. Administer equal materials to each group. Each group should have 9 styrofoam balls for each of the eight planets and the Sun, as well as the other necessary materials. 4. Instruct the students to attach nine individual strings from the provided clothes hanger by tying a knot. 5. Partially unfold 9 paper clips so the top half is still curved over, but the bottom is a straight line.(College Mentors assist to make sure the final product of the paper clips appears like the image shown below.

6. With the paperclips, have students secure the styrofoam ball (planet/Sun) to one paper clip. (Because paperclips are sharp when unfolded, college mentors assist in this step) 7. On the opposite end of the already hanging strings, tie a knot attaching the protruding portion of the paper clips that are already attached to the planets/Sun in the correct order in relationship to the Sun. 8. With the star cut-outs, have students tape one piece of string to each individual star and then with the opposite side of the string, tie a knot to the hanger to secure the star. Students can use as many stars as they want in their mobile. For better visual quality, instruct students to place the stars in between some of the planets. 9. Next, students will write the names of each planet and the Sun on individual labels. Attach these labels to the individual strings securing each planet/the Sun.

10. With the help of their mentors students should refer back to the powerpoint and their journal

Solar System Unit

2

Group 37

Science: Solar System Lesson Plan

and check their mobile against the actual order of the planets and adjust as needed. 11. After completing their mobile, have each student discuss with their college mentor different things they noticed about the planets. This may include physical traits and conditions of the planets/the Sun.

ASSESSMENT

At the end of the lesson, students will present their model to the class. Students will be assessed based on a point system. 25 Points: Student actively participated in lesson/activity Proper placement of the planets in order from the sun is correct Each planet is properly labeled Mobile is functioning (everything is attached) 20 Points: Student participated in some parts of the lesson/activity Placement of the planets in order from the sun are semi-correct (few mistakes) Each planet has a label but some planets are labeled incorrectly Mobile is functioning (everything is attached) 15 Points: Student had little participation in the lesson/activity Placement of the planets in order from the sun is incorrect (many mistakes) Each planet has a label but many planets are labeled incorrectly Mobile is semi-functioning (some parts are not attached) 10 Points: Student had little participation in the lesson/activity Placement of the planets in order from the sun is incorrect Planets are not labeled Mobile is somewhat functioning (many parts are not attached) 0 Points: No effort was shown in this activity No labeling of the planets Placement of the planets in order from the sun is incorrect No part of the mobile is functioning (nothing is attached) Lesson Plan Sources: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/the-story-of-the-solarsystem.cfm http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Solar-System-Mobile http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/space/sun.html http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/planets/saturn.html Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1EFL3DXYiNdvcBgG57WTQ9Y_TXPXff0n7XNXDDya7G 1g/edit#slide=id.p

RELATED LINKS & RESOURCES

Solar System Unit

3

Group 37

Science: Solar System Lesson Plan

Star Cut-Outs: https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1RgXYqcs2azCLJCjmG3OLtfsKaPuY2SJlB-TboqQPXAk/edit

Part B-Lesson Plan Inspiration Our lesson plan was inspired based on one of all of our group members favorite part about science in elementary school. The majority of elementary school students are visual learners and we all found that we remembered the information we know now about the solar system based on the hands on activity we did as kids learning about the solar system. Based on the websites we viewed and our previous experience with making models of the solar system we catered to what we thought would help the students best learn the information at hand.

Part C-Journal Articles http://craftsncoffee.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/diy-solar-system-mobile.jpg

Solar System Unit

4

Group 37

Science: Solar System Lesson Plan

Tal, T., Dori, Yehudit J. & Keiny, Shoshana. (2001). Assessing conceptual change of teachers involved in STES education and curriculum development-the STEMS project approach. International Journal of Science Education. Vol. 23, No. 3, 247-262. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/095006901750066501

This article is aimed toward assessing the conceptual change of teachers involved in the field testing and evaluation for several modules. STEMS aims to improve the system thinking, decision making and problem solving within real life. The teachers involved focus on the need to practice their teachings with their students scientific pursuit and experiment design skills; from which develops an autonomous learner. The conceptual change was the switching of the learner role from student to teacher. We used these strategies in the lesson we developed by being involved in the lesson with our students and working together with them on a real-life hands on activity that will help them learn from experience.

Wood, W. (2009). Innovations in teaching undergraduate biology and why we need them . Anual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology , 25, 93-112. doi: 10.1146/annurev.cellbio.24.110707.175306
http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev.cellbio.24.110707.175306

This journal article approaches the idea that discipline based educational research in sciences shows an increase in student learning. Students learn better and more effectively by actually doing as opposed to just reading, listening, or observing in the learning of a specific topic. So in our lesson plan we incorporated active learning through hands on experience of making the solar system instead of just reading about it in a text book or being lectured about it for the allotted time. This article also talked about group work versus individual work. Group work is encouraged because it not only allows for students to learn from their instructors, but to gain a Solar System Unit
5

Group 37

Science: Solar System Lesson Plan

further knowledge from their peers. There is strong evidence that working in groups helps students work on collaborative skills and in general increases student learning. So we incorporated not only active learning in our lesson plan, but we also have our students working in groups to maximize their amount of learning.

Solar System Unit

6