intro to our solar system webquest

our Solar system WebQuest : 

our Solar system WebQuest By Lois Rolla

Our SolAr SystemA lesson Plan : 

Our SolAr SystemA lesson Plan Curricular/Subject Area: Science Grade Level: 3rd Grade Lesson Length: Four 2 hour sessions

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This lesson will introduce our solar system to students. Students will learn that objects in the sky move in regular and predictable patterns. They will learn about the planets that make up our solar system. Students will learn how telescopes facilitate the study of planets and how space exploration furthers our knowledge of the solar system. This lesson plan will teach students about the phases of the moon, the earth’s axis, its position relative to the sun, and rotation and how these events affect seasonal change. Students will gain an understanding of how the earth’s rotation is what makes the position of the sun change through exploration of sundials.

State-adopted Academic content standards: : 

State-adopted Academic content standards: Third Grade Earth Science 4. (b) Students will know the way in which the Moon’s appearance changes during the four-week lunar cycle.   (c) Students know telescopes magnify the appearance of some distant objects in the sky, including the Moon and the planets. The number of stars that can be seen through telescopes in dramatically greater than the number that can be seen by the unaided eye.   (d) Students know that the earth is one of several planets that orbit the Sun and that the Moon orbits the Earth.   (e) Students know the position of the Sun in the sky changes during the course of the day and from season to season.   Third Grade Investigation and Experimentation   5. (c) Use numerical data in describing and comparing object, events, and measurements.   (d) Predict the outcome of a simple investigation and compare the result with the prediction.   (e) Collect data in an investigation and analyze those data to develop a logical conclusion.

ISTE/NETS Standards : 

ISTE/NETS Standards 1. Creativity and Innovation   Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:   a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes. b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression. c. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues. d. identify trends and forecast possibilities 2. Communication and Collaboration   Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students: a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

ISTE/NETS Standards Cont’d : 

ISTE/NETS Standards Cont’d 3. Research and Information Fluency   Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:   a. plan strategies to guide inquiry. b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media. d. process data and report results.

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Day One Solar system KWL Vocabulary exploration – Word Wall Solar System Word Search worksheet Watch “youtube” videos http://www.youtube.com/tv Bill Nye the Science Guy - 82: Space Exploration (runtime 8:37) (Video about space study through use of telescopes and space exploration programs) PBS Spotlight on Space Exploration (runtime 5.31)   Read out loud the book “The Magic School Bus Gets Lost in Space.” Direct instruction about the planets in our solar system and the orbital paths of the planets. Explain the moon phases and the Earth’s axis. Discuss Moon observation data record chart and the results. Compare to predictions made. Teach students order of the planets in closeness to the sun using (display poster) My (Mercury) Very (Venus) Excellent (Earth) Mother (Mars) Just (Jupiter) Served (Saturn) Us (Uranus) Nachos (Neptune)

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Day Two   Begin with reciting “My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos” “Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn Uranus, and Neptune” Solar System word scramble worksheet Group students (9 groups), assign each group a planet to explore, and direct them to explore the following websites and direct them to bookmark the sites. http://stage30.scholastic.com/browse/media.jsp?id=989 - Pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope http://www.solarviews.com/eng/homepage.htm - Pictures and information about the planets http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/ http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html - Games/News Classroom library research on group planet research project Work on “A Short Report on (planet)” group report Art project – rendering on planet assigned cut out and paint (display in orbital order)

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Day Three Begin with reciting “My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos” and “Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune” Group presentations of art and reports on the planets. Students listening to the reports of other groups will complete “The Solar System. This is what I’ve learned about (planet)” for each group’s oral report Direct instruction about sundials and observation assignment. Make and record predictions. Set up sundial Make periodic observations (spreadsheet)

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Day Four Begin with reciting “My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nachos” and “Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune” Direct instruction about constellations. Direct study groups to the websites: http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/launchpad/1364/Constellations.html http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/Constellations/constnavi.html&edu=elem Have students perform “Constellation project” Students will draw and color an artistic impression of the planets and create a cover for a binder for this lesson’s work. Complete sundial observations and discuss results. Compare to predictions.