misshaaland.weebly.com€¦ · Web viewLESSON PLAN PACKAGE. Grade 6 Science. Sky Science Review....

ED3501 C & I Lesson Plan Package Anne Haaland

LESSON PLAN PACKAGE

Grade 6 Science

Sky Science Review

ED3501 – Curriculum and Instruction

Prepared for: Mr. Paul Bohnert

Prepared by: Anne Haaland (ID: 001168755)

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Table of Contents

Lesson Plan #1 Page 3-7

Reflection on lesson #1 Page 7-8


Reflection on lesson #2 Page 12-13

Worksheets Page 14-16


Reflection on lesson #3 0-21

Planet Award Script Page 22-30

Planet Awards Worksheets Page 31-32

Rationale Page 33-35

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Lesson #1 Review of Emit vs. Reflect Date 13. November 2014

Subject/Grade Level

Science 6Time Duration

49 min

Unit Sky Science Teacher Miss. Håland

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General Learning Outcomes:

Students will

6-7 – Observe, describe and interpret the movement of objects in the sky; and identify pattern and order in these movements.

Specific Learning Outcomes:

Students will

1 – Recognize that the Sun and stars emit light by which they are seen and that most other bodies in space, including Earth’s Moon, planets and their moons, comets, and asteroids, are seen by reflected light.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will:

1. Participate in discussion regarding emission and reflection of light.2. Do their best thinking of different objects that emit and reflect light, and write these down in a list.3. Share their lists with the rest of the class. 4. Participate actively in the sorting game on the SMART board.

ASSESSMENTS

Observations: The level of engagement from each student. Comments and questions from the students. Which objects were hard to place in the right category, and which objects

were hard to think of.Key Questions: How do we see?

What is the difference between emission and reflection of light? Which objects emit light in the room, our atmosphere, our solar system, and in

the rest of the Universe? Which objects reflect light in the room, our atmosphere, our solar system, and

in the rest of the Universe? How does a meteor emit light? Is there a planet that is now starting to emit light?

Products/Performances:

The students will each make a list of objects that emit and reflect light. They will also share this list with the rest of the class.

The students will all participate in a sorting game on the SMART board.LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Pen and paper SMART board

PROCEDURE

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Prior to lesson

Introduction Time

Attention Grabber Question: How do we see?

I will explain how light has to hit our eyes for us to be able to see. That means that objects we can see have to either emit or reflect light. If it does neither, we simply cannot see it.

Question: What is the difference between emit and reflect light? With a raise of hands, who here thinks they know the difference?

I will explain that objects emitting light creates the light, and are the source of the light. When light reflects, however, light bounces off the surface of the object: the object is not the source of the light.

5 min

Assessment of Prior Knowledge

The students will answer the two questions I ask them. They will also raise their hand if they think they remember the difference between emission and reflection. This way I will get a rough sense of how much the different students already know.

Expectations for Learning and Behaviour

The students should all do their best when thinking of objects, and participating in discussions and game.

Advance Organizer/Agenda

1. A couple of questions2. Write list of emitting/reflecting objects3. Share the lists4. Sorting game on the SMART board

Transition to Body Now that you know the difference between emission and reflection of light, I want you to make a list of objects you can think of. First I want you to look inside this room. Which objects can you see that emit light? What objects can you see that reflect light? Then I want you to look up at the sky, but stay inside Earth’s atmosphere. Then think of objects in our solar system, and lastly think of objects that emit and reflect light beyond our solar system.

Body Time

Learning Activity #1 Write a list of objects that emit or reflect light.

I will write the outline on the whiteboard, for the students to get an understanding of what I want them to do.

I will ask them to find a blank sheet of paper, and then ask them to write down both objects that emit and reflect light in:

1. The classroom2. Earth’s atmosphere3. Our solar system4. The universe beyond our solar system

10 min

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I will ask them to give a few examples of objects that emit or reflect light. When it seems like they understand, I will give them some time to think and work on it.

Assessments/ Differentiation:

I will observe the students, making sure that they are all working on their lists. I will notice any questions that comes up, and if it looks like they understand the concept.

Learning Activity #2 Share the objects on the list.

When the students have had some time to work on their lists, I will ask them to share a few objects each. As the students share their objects, I will write them on the white board for everyone to see. If there were any objects they missed, they can add it to their list.

I will make sure to comment on each object given. If they have a hard time coming up with certain objects, like rainbow (reflects) or meteor (emits), I will ask questions leading them towards the right objects.

I will make sure to cover the tricky ones, like nebulae, that both emit and reflect light. The stars in the nebulae emit light, while the gas and dust reflect light.

I will also ask questions that will make the students think. For instance: Is there a planet in our solar system that has now started to emit light? (The Earth, because of all our manmade lights).

15 min

Assessments/ Differentiation

I will have the students justify their answers, to see if they really understand why the object is emitting or reflecting light. For example if they mention a satellite as an emitting object, I will ask why they think so. If they answer that there might be a light on the satellite that is emitting light, while the body of the satellite is reflecting, this will show good understanding.

Learning Activity #3 Sorting game on the SMART board.

When we have made a complete list of objects on the board together, I will ask the girls to go to one side of the room and the boys to the other.

I have noticed that this class really enjoys competing girls vs. boys, so I want to take advantage of that and get some real engagement from the students in this game.

There will be two vortices on the SMART board. One for emission and one for reflection. I will choose one person from each team to come up to the board. That person will then choose a word he or she wants to drag into a vortex. When the person has chosen a word, the teammates should help the person standing in the front, by shouting out the right vortex (emit or reflect). For this part I actually want lots of noise, as I hope this will engage more of the students. After getting some help from his or her teammates, the

15 min

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person in the front will drag the word into a vortex and get a point if it was the right one.

When the people in the front have both dragged their words of choice into vortices, they go back to their team, and I choose one new person from each team.

The boys and girls will each have their turn until there are no more words left. The winning team will be the one with the most points.


I will observe the engagement for the students. I will notice if some of the students are more engaged than the others, and if any are not engaged at all. I will notice if there are any objects they are having difficulties with placing in the right vortex.

Closure Time

Consolidation of Learning:

Question: Does anyone have any questions about the difference between emission and reflection of light?

With a show of hands, who here think they know the difference now?

What you have to remember is that if you can see an object, it means that this object is either emitting light or reflecting it. The object is emitting light, if the object is the source of the light (it creates it), otherwise it must be reflecting the light.

Before we go, did anyone here the big science news that happened yesterday? That’s right, a satellite landed on a comet for the first time. This is just amazing! Did anyone hear how it happened? Yea, so the lander was supposed to harpoon itself to the surface to avoid bouncing off. Because, as we know, comets don’t have much gravity. This, however, didn’t go as planned and the lander did bounce off the comet. Three times! Finally it got harpooned to the surface, and is, as we speak, working on gathering information about the comet to send back to astronomers here on Earth. One sad thing that happened when the lander bounced off the surface, is that it didn’t land where it was supposed to and is currently not getting any sunlight. The lander needs sunlight to recharge its batteries, or else it will die within two days. They are trying to move it to a different spot on the comet where it will get sunlight, so let’s cross our fingers that this works out!

4 min

Feedback From Students:

Questions they ask.

Engagement they show.

Feedback To Students I will answer their questions and comments. I will clarify anything that seems confusing.

Transition To Next Lesson

Next class, we will continue our review of this unit.

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Sponge Activity/Activities

News report on the comet landing + other videos explaining the landing.

Reflections from the lesson

I feel pretty good after doing this lesson. The students worked really well, and seemed engaged throughout the lesson.

The list writing activity seemed to make the students think and they came up with many great and relevant objects. Since I am so lucky, I get to teach the same lesson twice a day. What I notice when I was teaching the first time was that I needed to give more information before they start working on their list. The first time, I started by saying “Please find a blank sheet of paper.” Once I said that, this was all the students could concentrate on. It is amazing how long it can take a class to find a blank sheet of paper. So, while I was explaining what they were to do, most of them were either still finding a sheet of paper or had already started writing a list before knowing exactly what to do. The second time around, I made sure to explain thoroughly what they were going to do before asking them to find a sheet of paper. This helped. I noticed how this class knew much more clearly what to do than the first class. This time, however, the class used much longer finishing their lists. Apparently, when the students know exactly what to do, they spend more time doing it more carefully. One thing I think would really help, and that I would definitely do for another time, is to make a worksheet for them to fill out. This way I wouldn’t have to explain as carefully and they wouldn’t have had to spend so much time making the table.

When sharing the lists, I found that some of the students were very engaged. They were asking lots of questions and giving various comments on the different objects’ ability to emit or reflect. Other students seemed to be a little quieter (which is to be expected), I think for next time I would make sure they are all adding to their lists while I go through the objects. I might even collect their lists at the end of the lesson, just to make sure they were all participating.

The SMART notebook game was a lot of fun. These two classes love to compete girls vs. boys. I wanted a lot of noise during the game, since I wanted the team to help person standing in front. The more noise, the more people helping. It seemed like the students liked this, and found it very engaging. Next time, however, I will inform them that only the team belonging to the person in front is allowed

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to help. This is because I noticed that the boys were louder than the girls, both when it was their turn and the girls’ turn.

The students found talking about the comet landing very interesting. I was surprised by how much many of the students already knew. The timing was a little different for the two classes, so the first class got to see a little more of the news report. This makes me see the importance of sponge activities. We never know how the timing is going to work out, because every class is different.

All in all, I am happy about this lesson. I think the biggest improvement would be to make worksheets to give them.

Lesson #2 Review of Terminology, The Change of Seasons, and The Moon Phases

Date 17. November 2014

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Subject/Grade Level


49 min

Unit Sky Science Teacher Miss Håland



Students will



Students will

1 – Recognize that the Sun and stars emit light by which they are seen and that most other bodies in space, including Earth’s Moon, planets and their moons, comets, and asteroids, are seen by reflected light.

6 – Describe seasonal changes in the length of the day and night and in the angle of the Sun above the horizon.

7 – Recognize that the Moon’s phases are regular and predictable, and describe the cycle of its phases.

8 – Illustrate the phases of the Moon in drawings and by using improvised models. An improvised model might involve such a thing as a table lamp and a sponge ball.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will:

1. Be actively engaged when playing the SMART board game2. Listen carefully when videos and picture is shown 3. Work intently with the assigned worksheets.

ASSESSMENTS

Observations: The level of engagement from each student. Comments and questions from the students.

Key Questions: Can you explain to me what these words mean? (The words in the SMART board game)

Can anyone explain to me what we are seeing in this video? What is the difference between winter and summer, when considering the

Earth’s tilt and orbit? How high in the sky is the Sun during the four seasons? How long does it take for the moon to complete one orbit around the Earth? How long does it take for the moon to change phases? What are all the phases called? In what order do the phases appear in?


I will collect the worksheets at the end of the lesson. The students will all participate in terminology game on the SMART board.

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Edmonton Public School, Science Assessment Manual

SMART Board Pencils and erasers

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WorksheetsPROCEDURE

Prior to lesson

Introduction Time

Attention Grabber As you know, you have a science test next week. That means it is important to review all the material you have gone through.


The whole lesson is designed to assess prior knowledge.


The students should all do their best when working on worksheets, and when participating in discussions and game. The students should pay well attention when teacher goes through material, and shows videos and picture.


1. Terminology game on the SMART board2. Videos and an image explain the concepts.3. Worksheets.

Transition to Body First, we will play a game!

Body Time

Learning Activity #1 Terminology game on the SMART board.

We will play a game that is very similar to hangman. There is a picture of a face on the board, we’ll say this is a picture of our teacher Mr. __. The students will guess letters, if the letter is right, a tomato will hit Mr. __ in the face and if the letter is wrong the tomato will miss his face.

If the students get 5 misses, they get a clue to what word we are looking for. They should be able to guess it pretty easily after getting this clue.

15 min


I will observe the engagement from the students. I will notice who is more involved in the game, and who are maybe not as involved. I will make notice of any words that seems to be confusing.

Learning Activity #2 Videos and an image explaining the concepts.

After the game, we will watch a couple of videos and an image, while explaining the most important concepts of the changing seasons and moon phases.

First, the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmPXOusmzrw

We will watch 1 min 35 sec of this video. It shows where the Earth is in its orbit around the sun, during summer solstice. I will pause the video whenever something extra important is explained and ask the students for comments/questions.

10 min

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmPXOusmzrw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmPXOusmzrw


Second, the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eufP3v46zko

This video shows Bill Nye (the science guy), explain the moon phases by referring to baseball. I think this video is quite easy to follow, so I will just let them watch the whole thing without pausing.

Third, the image:

http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases.phtml

I will explain to the students how we can the different moon phases in this image, and why the moon looks the way it does in the different phases. I will mention the time it takes for the moon to complete an orbit, and the time it takes to reach the different phases.

I will keep this image up on the board while the students work on the work sheets.


I will try to make sure all students are paying attention, and understanding the concepts. I will listen to which questions come up, and make sure to explain those in detail.

Learning Activity #3 Working on worksheets.

There are two worksheets I want the students to complete. “The changing of the seasons,” and “Moon facts.” I will inform them that these worksheets will be for marks, and that I want them handed in by the end of the lesson.

I will briefly go through the questions, to make sure the students know what they are doing.

When it seems like the students know what they are doing, I will let them work on the worksheets while I am available to answer questions they may have. If I notice that many of the students are having the same question, I will take time to explain it to the whole class.

23 min


I will collect all the work sheets at the end of the lesson. While the students are working, I will notice how well each student is working. When I look at the finished worksheets, I will get a clear picture of the understanding of the students.

Closure Time


Before ending the lesson, I will collect the worksheets.

I will ask if anyone heard the news on the Rosetta mission.

Remember how the Philae lander landed in a spot where it didn’t get any sunlight. Well, on Saturday it died! Philae did a good job,

1 min

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http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases.phtml

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eufP3v46zko


and sent back valuable information before dying. But from now on Philae is in a coma. Rosetta is still circling the comet. And researchers think, and hope, that the comet will move in such a way that the lander gets sunlight by next spring.


Comments, questions, and engagement. Worksheets.

Feedback To Students Answer to questions. Feedback on the worksheets next class.


Next class, I will give the worksheets back.


Spend more time on worksheets.

Help each other with worksheet.


This lesson was kind of a mess. If I had a double lesson, 49 more minutes, it would have been great. For a single lesson, however, it got rather stressful. Because I got so hurried, I also started ignoring students who were talking. Instead of taking a minute to deal with the noise level, I kept talking over the students.

The SMART board game was fun and engaging. It also seemed like most of the students learned something. When they had a hard time figuring a word out, they got intrigued to find out more about it. This game could easily have been the main focus of a lesson.

The students were paying well attention while I showed the videos and picture. Again, since it was a little rushed, I don’t think it was as effective as it could have been.

Then, we started working on the worksheets. This was a disaster. I informed the students that I would be collecting the worksheets at the end of the lesson, and that they would be for marks. This made the students very stressed. A couple of them were almost in tears. This was not my intention at all! They had about 25 minutes to finish the two (quite simple) worksheets, and I thought this would be plenty of time. Most of them did, in fact, finish both of them in the end. Still, the stress of the whole situation was not worth it.

I also noticed that I need to give them more information about the worksheets before letting them start working on them. There was a lot of confusion about what to do. I also didn’t realize some of the problems that would appear in the worksheets. I need to remember for later that more instructions are always better than

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less.

I see now that I really underestimate the time needed for worksheets. I need to remember for later to always give the students lots of time working on worksheets.

The second time I did this lesson, I tried to modify it a little. I skipped some of the word on the game at the start. I skipped the video of Bill Nye. This way I could still show and explain what I thought the students would need to finish the worksheets. I also gave them more thorough instructions before handing out the worksheets. This way it seemed like they knew what they were doing, and were calmer about it.

The second time around, I was still a little rushed (maybe because of the stress in the previous lesson). When it came to the students working on the worksheets, however, they had a lot more time than the previous class. They were not stressed, which is good, but it was also noisier and some students finished really fast and had nothing to do after.

When I talked to my TA after, he said that the reason why the first class got so stressed might be because they got less time on a math assignment earlier that day and had to do this as homework for the next day. They were already stressed about that, so when I told them these worksheets were for marks and had to be done by the end of the lesson, this was just the final straw for some of them. Either way, I will always keep this in mind and work on making my lessons and assignments non-stressful for the students. I really don’t think being stressed helps when learning something.

It has been an enlightening lesson and I learned lots. Especially what not to do.

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Lesson #3 Review of Planet Characteristics Date 18. November 2014

Subject/Grade Level


49 min

Unit Sky Science Teacher Miss Håland



Students will



Students will

9 – Recognize that the other eight known planets, which revolve around the Sun, have characteristics and surface conditions that are different from Earth; and identify examples of those differences.

10 – Recognize that not only Earth, but other planets, have moons; and identify examples of similarities and differences in the characteristics of those moons.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will:

1. Participate actively in discussions2. Participate actively in activity3. Share their opinion of which is the coolest planet in our solar system

ASSESSMENTS

Observations: The level of engagement from each student. Comments and questions from the students.

Key Questions: How did you like talking to a real astronaut? Does anyone have any comments about what Jeremy talked about? Was there anything you found surprising about what he said? Does anyone have any questions after talking to Jeremy? What special characteristics does each of our nine planets have? Which fact do you like the most about each planet? Which planet to do you think is the coolest and why?


The students’ participation in the activity

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/story-planet- awards/en/#/review/story-planet-awards/book.swf?bookXML=planet-awards.xml

SMART Board Pencils and eraser Worksheets

PROCEDURE

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http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/story-planet-awards/en/#/review/story-planet-awards/book.swf?bookXML=planet-awards.xml




Prior to lesson

Introduction Time

Attention Grabber As you can see, we have a visitor in class today. This is Mr. Bohnert. He is my teacher, just as Mr. Fletcher is yours. He is here to make sure I am doing a good job, so we should all be on our best behavior and show him how good we are.

1 min


Discussion in beginning of class.

Questions I ask during the activity.


The students should all do their best when participating in discussions and activity.


1. Talk about the video conference we had with the astronaut.

2. First Annual Planet Awards – Presentation3. First Annual Planet Awards – Voting

Transition to Body I am sure Mr. Bohnert will be very interested in hearing about what we did this morning.

Body Time

Learning Activity #1 Talk about the video conference we had with the Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.

How did you like talking to a real astronaut? Thumbs up if you thought it was fun!

Does anyone have any comments about what Jeremy talked about?

Was there anything you found surprising about what he said?

Does anyone have any questions after talking to Jeremy?


I will notice which students are more eager to talk about the video conference. I will notice what made them surprised, and questions they may have after the video conference. I will try to give all the students a chance to say something, and I will try to clarify anything that may be confusing.

Learning Activity #2 First Annual Planet Awards – Presentations

I will ask for 9 volunteers. I will let the students know that the volunteers coming up must like a little bit of acting, they must be good at speaking clearly, slowly, and out loud, and be able to read a script.

When the 9 volunteers are all up at the front, I will explain that this is our 8 planets in our solar system + little dwarf planet, Pluto. We are having the first annual planet awards now! Each of the planets will introduce themselves, and they will tell us what makes them

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special compared to the other planets. (I will hand a script to each of the planets).

The rest of you are all going to be judges! And in order to be a judge, you have to know what you are looking for. I will hand out a sheet of paper that shows all the things you should be looking for when the planets talk about themselves.


The handout I give to the students will hopefully help them noticing the different characteristics of the nine planet. After every planet has introduced himself or herself, I will ask if anyone has any questions or if anything was unclear. I will try to make sure all the students are ready to move on to the next planet before we do.

Learning Activity #3 First Annual Planet Awards – Voting

When all the planets are done presenting themselves, we will vote for our favorite planet.

I will tell the 9 planets to go back to their seats. Then, I will inform the students that it will be voting time in just a couple of minutes. The 9 planets should also vote, and it is ok to vote for themselves (as long as they have a good reason). I will tell them that I would like for them to think for themselves which planet they think should win the award. I want the students to just think about this, no talking, and no discussing with others. I want the decision to be theirs personally, and I also want them to have a reason for their choice. I will let them know what this reason should be their favorite thing about that particular planet, something unique compared to the other planets.

When the students have had a couple of minutes to think, I will take in the votes one by one. I will hear their reasons, and comment on them if I feel it is necessary.


I will try to make sure the students have enough time to think of a planet and a favorite characteristic before starting the voting. Then, I will make sure all the students get a chance to give their vote. I will try to make all of them feel like their vote is great.

Closure Time


That is awesome, you guys! It looks like _______ is the winner! This just be because of _____ and _______. Thank you for all your votes.


Comments and questions.

Engagement they show.

Feedback To Students Answer their questions.

Comment on their work.


Next class, we will go even further with our review of this unit. Sky science.

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Prolong the voting section. Comment more on the different characteristics.


I am very pleased with my lesson today.

The talk about our videoconference with Jeremy Hansen, the astronaut, was a great introduction to the lesson. This conversation was still fresh in our minds, and we got to collect our thoughts with the little discussion in the beginning.

When I asked for volunteers, a lot of students raised their hands in both classes. This made them very interested in what we were about to do. When I finally told them, they got very excited. Apparently, this is something they don’t get to do very often and they like a change every once in a while.

Giving the students the handout to fill out while the planets were introducing themselves was very effective. This made them pay closer attention to what was said at the front of the class. It also helped them notice the main characteristics of each planet. What I might do differently another time, would be to have something for the nine volunteers at the front to do while they waited for their turn and after they had presented themselves. They were very good while they were up there, but I think it might have been even better if they had another task to do in addition to presenting themselves. Perhaps giving them handouts as well, so they would have to pay attention and write down characteristics about each planet like the rest of the students. Another thing I would definitely do next time is to collect the handouts at the end of the lesson. I wouldn’t mark them, just do a completion check. That way I would be sure how well the students were working during the lesson, and what valuable information they learned.

I was interested to find out what the students would vote for. I was afraid they wouldn’t take it seriously, and would just vote for random planet. I was very happy to see that this couldn’t be further from the truth. These two classes are very competitive, and many of the students were very eager for their favorite planet to win. They all had great reasons for wanting that particular planet to win. Like Venus; because it is the hottest planet, Earth; because it has life, Jupiter; because it is the largest planet, or Uranus; because

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it rotates on its side.

This was a fun and engaging activity. I had students come up to me afterwards asking me if we could do activities like this again. I thought it would be a good activity, but I wasn’t expecting this kind of response. I will definitely do this again!

Let’s meet our first contestant.

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Let’s give a big welcome to Mercury.

HOST: Tell us about yourself, Mercury.

MERCURY: OK. I am the closest planet in the solar system. I rotate so slowly that

my day is 58.5 Earth days long! I am rocky, nearly airless, and covered with

craters.

HOST: Do you have any moons?

MERCURY: Nope, no moons.

HOST: What makes you special?

MERCURY: I am the fastest of all planets when it comes to orbiting the Sun. It

takes me only 88 Earth days, which is the length of my year. Also, I have the most

extreme temperatures of any planet. I can be as cold as -300º at night and as hot

as 870º Fahrenheit during the day!

HOST: Whew! Thank you, Mercury!

Now, to our next contestant.

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Our next contestant is Venus.

HOST: Tell us about yourself, Venus.

Venus: I am the second planet from the Sun, and I am about the same size as the

Earth. I am rocky. I have mountains, valleys, and active volcanoes. I am covered

with very thick clouds, which makes it hard to see my surface.


VENUS: No, I have no moons.

HOST: What makes you unique?

VENUS: Well, my very thick atmosphere, which is about 100 times thicker than

Earth’s traps heat from the Sun, making me the hottest planet. I have the longest

day of any planet because I rotate so slowly. Actually, my day is slightly longer

than my year. It is 243 Earth days long. By the way, I also rotate backwards. No

other planet rotates in the direction I do, except maybe Uranus.

HOST: Hmm. That is weird. Well, thank you, Venus. Let’s see who’s next.

Next up is Earth.P a g e 23 | 35


HOST: So, what’s your story, Earth?

EARTH: I am the third planet from the Sun, I am a rocky planet whose surface is

covered mostly by water. I have continents, mountains, valleys, and active

volcanoes. I have an atmosphere that creates a variety of weather and protects

my surface from the harsh environment of space. Thus, I am proud to say, I am

home to a huge variety of plants and animals.

HOST: Any moons?

EARTH: Yes, I have one large and beautiful moon.


EARTH: I am the only planet known to have life, and I have a lot of it! I provide a

cozy home to billions of plants and animals. I am the only planet known to have

liquid water. I also have the highest density of any planet in the solar system. This

means that I am very heavy for my size.

HOST: You are indeed special. Thank you, Earth. Moving on to our next

contestant.

Let’s welcome Mars.

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HOST: Tell us about yourself, Mars.

MARS: I am a dry, rocky planet with high mountains and large, deep canyons. I am

the fourth planet from the Sun. I am about half the size of Earth. My atmosphere

is very thin, and my surface is covered with reddish dust. I have water ice in my

polar caps.


MARS: Yes, indeed. I have two small, irregular shaped moons. You Earthlings have

named them Phobos and Deimos.

HOST: What makes you stand out?

MARS: I hate to brag, but I have the highest mountain in the entire solar system. It

is called Olympus Mons, and it is 17 miles tall. That’s about three times higher

than Mount Everest on Earth. I also have the largest canyon of all of the planets. It

is called Valles Marineris, and it is about 5 times as long and 3 times as deep as

Earth’s Grand Canyon.

HOST: Wow. Thank you, Mars. Moving on to our next contestant.

Our next contestant is Jupiter.

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HOST: So, what are you all about, Jupiter?

JUPITER: That’s “Mr. Jupiter” to you. I am a giant gas planet – the largest planet in

the solar system. I am the fifth planet from the Sun. My very windy, thick

atmosphere is covered with light and dark colored bands. I also have a large, oval

shaped storm that you call the Great Red Spot.


JUPITER: Boy, do I have moons! I have at least 63 moons that you Earthlings know

about. I also have several thin, faint rings.


JUPITER: I am so large that all the other planets could fit inside me! My Great Red

Spot is the largest storm in the solar system – much larger than Earth. I also rotate

faster than any other planet. I make one complete rotation in less than 10 Earth

hours. My fast rotation rate also means that I have the shortest day of all the

planets.

HOST: Very impressive! Thank you, Jupiter. Next up.

Let’s give a big hello to Saturn.

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HOST: Please introduce yourself, Saturn.

SATURN: Oh, where to begin? Well, I am the sixth planet from the Sun. I am a fast

rotating, gas giant planet. I am the second largest planet in the solar system, next

to Jupiter. But I think I am much more beautiful, because I have a majestic system

of rings made up of chunks of ice and rocks.

HOST: Any moons?

SATURN: Oh, yes. Your astronomers on Earth have found at least 31 moons of

mine. My largest moon, Titan, is bigger than Mercury and even has an

atmosphere.


SATURN: Well, I have the largest and most beautiful rings in the solar system! I

also have the lowest density of all the planets. That means I weigh least for my

size of all the planets. Actually, I could float in a bathtub, if you could find one big

enough. My moon Titan is the largest moon in the solar system.

HOST: OK! Thank you, Saturn. And who do we have next?

Let’s welcome Uranus.

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HOST: So what’s up with you, Uranus?

URANUS: First of all, my name is pronounced YOOR-un-us. I am the third largest

and the seventh planet from the Sun. I am a large, gas planet with no solid

surface. I appear blue-green, and I rotate on my side.


URANUS: Yes, your astronomers have found at least 27 moons of mine. Five are

large moons and the rest are much smaller. I also have faint, thin rings.


URANUS: Well, I am more tilted than any other planet, and I do not rotate in the

same way the other planets do. I am the only planet that rotates on its side. This

means that one of my poles is often pointed towards the Sun giving me very long

seasons. My rings are also sideways compared to the rings of other planets.

HOST: Something big must have knocked you over! Thanks, Uranus. Moving right

along.

Our next contestant is Neptune.

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HOST: So who are you, Neptune?

NEPTUNE: I am the eighth planet from the Sun. Although I am the smallest of the

large gas planets, I am still large enough to hold nearly 60 of your puny little

Earths! I am a blue planet with very strong winds.


NEPTUNE: Yes, your observers on Earth have found 13 moons and several rings.


NEPTUNE: That’s easy. I have the fastest winds in the solar system. Winds on my

surface have been measured at up to 1500 miles per hour! One of my storms,

which you called the Great Dark Spot, was larger than Earth! I am the farthest of

the giant gas planets from the Sun, and my tilt gives me some of the most extreme

seasons in the solar system. My seasons last 41 Earth years!

HOST: Wow, that would be a very long winter! Thank you, Neptune. Now let’s

meet our final contestant.

Let’s welcome dwarf planet Pluto.

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HOST: Please tell us your story, Pluto.

PLUTO: I was once the ninth and farthest planet from the Sun, but now I am

classified in the group of dwarf planets. I am what I am, whatever you call me, I

am rocky and covered with ice. My orbit is very lop-sided, which means that

sometimes I am closer to the Sun than Neptune is. When I am closer to the Sun,

some of the ice on my surface evaporates and give me a thin atmosphere.


PLUTO: Yes, three. A larger moon you call Charon and two tiny moons, Nix and

Hydra.

HOST: Why are you special?

PLUTO: Well, with my small size, odd orbit and distant location, Earth astronomers

have disagreed about whether I really am a plane. Since I am so far away, I’ve had

no visits from Earth. I’m lonely way out here. But finally a NASA mission is on the

way! I am so excited! So, when it arrives in 2015, you will learn much more about

me.

HOST: Thank you, Pluto.

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Mercury Venus Earth Mars JupiterNumberfrom the Sun

Rock or gas planet

Size Quite small

Water or ice

Moons

Five special characteristics

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Your favorite fact!

Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto

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Numberfrom the Sun

Rock or gas planet

Size

Water or ice

Moons

Five special characteristics

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Your favorite fact!

Rationale

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(1) What were your lesson design intentions and decisions, or why did you do what you did in your lessons?

After talking to my TA, we decided to do about two weeks of review before the sky science unit test. My TA explained to me the importance of proper review. When planning a unit, there should always be set off enough time at the end for review. If there is not set off enough time for proper review, this can be very stressful for both the teacher and the students. This also means that the students will also have to do a lot more studying at home on their own. When reviewing before a test, it is important to check their abilities. It is a good idea to do a little mini quiz or assignment at the start of reviewing, to find out what the students know and what needs to be worked on more. This way, you can better plan the review session. You will find out what needs more review and what doesn’t need as much focus. You will also find out if they need a better understanding of concepts, or if they need memorization of information. When I looked at assignments the class did prior to starting the review, I noticed that these two classes both needed a better understanding of concepts. They could recite the phases of the moon, but if they were asked where the moon was in its orbit around the Earth at a given phase, most of them weren’t able to answer this.

I decided to start reviewing some of the bigger concepts: emit vs. reflect, terminology, change of seasons, moon phases, and planet characteristics. This way, we could go through more details after they have a good understanding of the topic.

I tried making my lesson as much activity based as possible. I figured that since this is review, I should do something the students will learn from and also something that is fun, in case some of the students already know what we are going through. I also think that doing activities will give a better understanding for the students, and it makes the material easier to remember.

I tried including a wide variety of teaching methods in my lessons. I believe this is important for two reasons. First, it will engage more of the students. There are all types of personalities in a class, and the students have different needs to take into consideration. They all learn in different ways. Secondly, students need both consistency and change in their daily lives. They need some consistency to feel safe and comfortable (same teacher, same room, and same class), but they also need some changes to feel challenged and for them to learn a wide range of skills. While I was teaching I really noticed that when I did something the students rarely do, they were much more engaged and eager to learn more.

I personally really like discussions in class. I feel like this is a relaxing way for students to share their thoughts and knowledge. I like how we can steer the conversation in the direction most suitable for the specific situation. When having discussions I can ask questions about previous knowledge, about what the students have learned, about their opinions, and I can ask questions designed to make the students think rather than be answered.

(2) What elements in your lesson did you include to account for establishing and maintaining a positive learning environment for students?

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I feel very lucky I get to teach science. This is my major and I am very excited about it. One of my favorite fields in science is astronomy, so I couldn’t be happier about this unit. I do my best to show this enthusiasm when teaching the students. I think the enthusiasm I feel can rub off on some of the students, at least this is what I am hoping for.

I smile a lot while I teach. The best part about this is that the smiles are genuine. I really love teaching, and I really love the students. I think the students can see through fake smiles and I am happy I can do it genuinely.

While teaching science, I encourage the students to ask questions, and share their opinions and stories. Often, students have personal stories related to the topic we are going through. These stories add a lot to our lessons. When students share their own stories, it makes it more personal to them. This can also get the other students in intrigued to share their thoughts and stories. When the students realize that science is all around us, and affect all of us, they usually become more engaged and eager to learn.

I find that my job as a teacher is mainly to get the students thinking and trigger an interest. If I manage to do this, a lot of other pieces fall into place. I try to provide the students with relevant information, and I always try to show them current happenings in science. I remember one time a student came to me and asked “How come scientists don’t make any new discoveries anymore?” That was an 8th grader. I think this illustrates well the usual focus in science class. You are supposed to learn about Newton and Einstein and Archimedes. Newer scientists are often neglected. I want to try to don’t fall into this trap. I believe it is important for the students to understand how important scientific research is today. Maybe this will lower the frequency of how often these famous questions are asked “When am I ever going to use this?” and “Why do I have to learn this?” That would be a great bonus!

(3) What adjustments would you consider if teaching a series of three lessons?

When teaching a series of three or more lessons, it is important to start with the end in mind. I need to remember to get a clear picture beforehand on what needs to be taught in the particular timeframe. When I know exact what needs to be taught, I can plan for proper scaffolding and pacing. I should try to get a good flow in the lessons, so that I am not rushed or all of a sudden have nothing to do. In this case, I was in charge of giving the students review of sky science over two weeks. This is a good time duration for review, but we also had to jump from topic to topic, to make sure we covered everything. Because we did this, I didn’t have a good flow across the three lessons. I feel like that’s the way it has to be when reviewing though. What I should do differently, however, is to divide the material more equally over the three days. For my first lesson, I had lots of time, but for my second lesson, I was very rushed. This could have been avoided if I had started, say, showing the videos in lesson #1 instead of cramming them into lesson #2.

I need to plan time for feedback. Teaching is a waste of time, if the students aren’t learning anything. The only way to know if the student are learning, and what they are learning, is to spend some time on feedback. This feedback can be anything coming from the students. What they say, what they do, work they show, and so on. Also, I don’t only have to set off time

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for feedback, I have to set of time for various feedback. It is important so that all students get to show their knowledge in a way best suited for them. Some students like talking, and can communicate better that way. While others will show their work in the best way when writing it down. It is also important to use various sources of feedback for the teacher to get evidence of knowledge from different angles. This way, the teacher can get a clearer picture of what the students know and needs to know better.

Another thing I would have to consider when planning a series of lessons is giving homework. Maybe the rush I felt in lesson #2 could have been spared if I had only told the students they could finish the worksheets at home. I am not a big fan of homework, though, so I would probably not plan to give them any. If I give the students a chance to finish the work at school, however, it might be a good idea to also give them a chance to finish at home for those who need more time.

Lastly, when doing a series of lesson, it is extremely important to be flexible. I have worked on this during my time in practicum, and I can already see an improvement. I can definitely see huge benefits of being flexible as a teacher, some might even say it is an absolutely necessary trait. I will continue working on my flexibility, and working more on integrating flexibility into my lesson plans.

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