Elementary Education                                                                                                        Science

2^nd Grade

Duration of the lesson: 45 minutes

Lesson plan title and summary:

The lesson name is Sun, Mercury, and Venus: The Beginning of the Solar System. In this lesson a small group will be introduced to the first three major bodies in the solar system: The Sun, Mercury, and Venus. The group will learn the names, climate, as well as some general and fun facts about each planet. Students will have 3 planet pages to fill in during the lesson, these will be turned in to the teacher at the end of the lesson.

Links to MA Curriculum Frameworks and National Standards

Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Frameworks 3^rd grade -5^th grade Earth and Space Science 13: Recognize that the earth is part of a system called the “solar system” that includes the sun (a star), planets, and many moons. The earth is the third planet from the sun in our solar system.

Specific Objective(s) of the Lesson

1.      Given the information about the planet the student will be able to record all of the correct information, to fill in their planet pages.

Materials and Technology Needed:

·         Laptop

·         Solar System PowerPoint

·         Markers

·         Crayons

·         Pencils

·         Notebooks

·         Planet Pages

·         Whiteboard

·         Dry-Eraser Marker

Vocabulary:

·         Space – The area between planets, moons, and stars.

·         Solar System – The sun and all of the planets and moons that surround it

·         Star – An enormous burning ball of gas, in space

·         Volcano – A mountain or hill that is full of lava

·         Climate – The weather conditions of a planet

Connections across the Curriculum:

This lesson could connect to the students English or Spelling curriculum by introducing or reinforcing words that being used in current lessons. The lesson also connects to Social Studies as one of the topics covered on all three solar bodies is the climate of the planet, this could either introduce the idea of climate to the students, or reinforce the idea depending if the concept has been introduce to them or not.

Instructional Sequence:

Introduction to the topic:

The lesson will take place in a small group setting at a table in the back of the classroom or in  full class setting with all of the students at their tables. Students will be asked if they ever imagined living on another planet. Have the students write down what they think it would be like to live on another planet, they should include what the weather would be like, do other things live on the planet, how long are the days, and anything else they imagine on the planet. Have each student, or three to five students in a full class, briefly share what they imagine what their planet would be like. Now, introduce that the group would be learning about the different planets in our solar system. On the whiteboard, write solar system with the student friendly definition beneath it.

Development:

Hand out to each student three blank planet pages and instruct them that they will be filling out one page for each planet that will be talked about during the lesson. Have all the students label the first page “Sun”. Open the first PowerPoint, and using the PowerPoint, share and have students write on the planet page that the sun is a star and not a planet, the sun is at the center of our solar system, and the average temperature of the sun. Next, have the students use colored pencils or crayons to color in the circle on the planet page to represent the sun. Continue to the PowerPoint slides on Mercury, have students label the next planet page “Mercury”. Using the slides, share and have students write on the planet page, Mercury is the second object in our solar system and the first planet from the sun, it is also the hottest planet in our solar system, and has a year that lasts less than three months on Earth. Have the students color the planet on the Mercury planet page so that it resembles Mercury. Continue to the slides on Venus and have the student’s label of the third page “Venus”. Follow the same steps used to instruct the students about Mercury instead of including their over 162 volcanoes on Venus, it’s the brightest planet in the solar system from Earth, the planet is very dry, and about the same size as Earth. Make sure the students color the Venus page.

Conclusion:

Have students put their name at the top of each planet page and turn it into the teacher. Tell the students that you want them to think about the plants Earth, Mars, and Jupiter and have them bring those thoughts with them next time the group meets. With any remaining time give the students “my solar system” book page and have them put their names on it and illustrate it with what they think space is like.

Assessment:

The assessment will be collecting the first three pages of the students Solar System book, as well as checking the pages for completeness and for correct use of information, for each planet or star. Any mistakes made on the pages should be written on a sticky note, and not made on the page with pen. This is because the pages will be used to create an information book for students and they should correct the pages, but not have pen marks on their final product.

Planning for Learner Variability:

Representation:

1.1: This lesson provides students will a variety of ways to display the information that they are acquiring. Students are able to put the majority of the information in written for on the planet pages that they are provided with. They are also able to color a representation of the planet, that could include any details that will help the student to remember information about the planet. This allows students to display the information in both an artistic and written format.

2.1: Though the vocabulary in the lesson is limited, it is all very critical to understanding the lesson. New and potentially difficult vocabulary such as star, solar system, and climate are all defined. If a student needs further clarification on the vocabulary there are instances where the vocab is used in context during the lesson, and the use repetition during the lesson will surely help students to grasp the vocabulary.

Action and Expression:

4.2: The majority of the lesson’s information will be provided using a laptop or tablet. The whiteboard will also be utilized during this lesson to put new vocabulary and new definitions as needed.

5.2: During the lesson students will be provided with planet pages for recording information about the different planets, on this page they will be able to both write down information and color a picture of the planet discussed on the page. This allows the students to construct a visual model of the planet using colored pencils and crayons as well as include written information that could not be drawn or colored.

Engagement:

7.1: Several times during the course of the lesson, students are given the opportunity to color and draw specific planets in whatever way allows them to identify the planet. Students will also be given the opportunity to create an individual cover page for the final book that will be created at the end of the unit.

7.3: To minimize threats and distractions, this lesson will take place in a small group. The small group setting allows for minimal distractions due to fewer students being able to disrupt the flow of the lesson, allowing the students in the group to remain focused on the task more easily.

Sources Utilized in the Design Process:

Information on the different solar bodies from: http://www.kidsastronomy.com/