A SPECIAL INVITATION FOR TEACHERS...

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LessonPlansPage.com would like to take a moment to let you know about Concordia University's new Master’s Degrees in Education that you can complete online in just one year!

Available Master's Degrees in Education include:

• Curriculum & Instruction: Reading
• Curriculum & Instruction: Methods & Curriculum
• Curriculum & Instruction: English to Speakers
  of Other Languages
• Educational Leadership

These programs can help you:

• Open the door to a variety of school leadership career opportunities like higher education teaching, department chair, ELL consultant, literacy coach, or curriculum coordinator
• Complete your degree in one year, on your schedule,
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• A Master's Degree could mean an automatic salary increase in your school district!

Find Out More!

A national university system with 10 campuses throughout the United States, Concordia was founded more than 100 years ago and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Printable Version for your convenience!

1-2 days or 2 class periods

• 110.5. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 3
  (b.3.3) Listening/speaking/audiences/oral grammar. The student speaks appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and occasions. The student is expected to:
  (C) Ask and answer relevant questions and make contributions in small or large group discussions (K-3)
  
  
• 112.5. Science, Grade 3.
  (b.3.11) Science concepts. The student knows that the natural world includes earth materials and objects in the sky. The student is expected to:
  (C) Identify the planets in our solar system and their position in relation to the Sun; and
  (D) Describe the characteristics of the Sun.
  
  
• 117.12. Music, Grade 3.
  (b.3.2) Creative expression/performance. The student performs a varied repertoire of music. The student is expected to:
  (A) Sing or play a classroom instrument independently or in groups.

• Students will learn about our solar system and its planets.
• The learner will also be able to understand solar system and scientific concepts towards the end of the lesson by creating a Photo Story about each component of the solar system.

• The learner will understand that all planets and the sun are different and have unique characteristics.
  
• The learner will be able to identify all planets and their characteristics, including the sun.
  
• The learner will be able to recognize and organize planets in sequential and orbit order.
  
• The learner will be able to enrich their storytelling and technology abilities by using Photo Story 3 to enhance their planet knowledge.
• Due to the facts they have gained, they will be able to create a planet of their own and enhance this activity by creating a video to tell their classmates about it (in pairs).

• Computer
  
• Headset with microphone
  
• Projector
  
• Internet
  
• Solar System Bulletin Board Set (bought or self-made)
  
• Solar System Stickers (bought or self-made)
  
• Stickers or pictures that allow description of characteristics of planets (cloudy, dry, dusty, etc.)
  
• Music (depending on what you like)
  
• Glow necklaces and bracelets (amount depends on the number of students in your class)
  
• Paper
  
• Laptops/Computer (2 per student)
  
• Photo Story 3 Software
  
• Scanner

• The Teacher will have music representing space travel to set the mood for the lesson; decorations depicting our Solar System will be displayed through out the room.
• The eight planets and the sun cardboard cutouts will be posted in order on the board.
• The lesson can begin by singing The Family of the Sun.
  
  

  Family of the Sun (Use tune of "The Farmer in the Dell") The family of the Sun, The family of the Sun, There are eight planets in The family of the Sun. Mercury is hot And Mercury is small. Mercury has no atmosphere. It's just a rocky ball. Venus has thick clouds That hide what is below The air is foul, the ground is hot, It rotates very slow. We love the Earth, our home, Its oceans and its trees. We eat its food, we breathe its air, So no pollution, please. Mars is very red. It's also dry and cold Some day you might visit Mars If you are really bold. Great Jupiter is big. We've studied it a lot. We found that it has sixteen moons And has a big red spot. Saturn has great rings. We wondered what they were. Now we know they're icy rocks Which we saw as a blur. Uranus spins on its side And has a large rocky core. If we were to look inside, We might find diamonds galore. Neptune has "The Great Dark Spot" That is a grand storm. Since it’s so far away from us, We’ll need to explore some more. The family of the Sun, The family of the Sun, There are eight planets and Now our journey's done.

1. The teacher will show instructional input by demonstrating knowledge through key words used when presenting the solar system.
2. While using the following website http://www.planet-science.com/planet10/solar_preload.html , the teacher will describe each planet’s characteristics using descriptors and memorable adjectives and write them on the board (under each bulletin board planet cut-out).
3. While students are listening and watching the teacher do this, they will additionally be writing this information on an information sheet for them to place in their science journals.
4. They should also draw each planet with its description on this sheet. This will help students associate each characteristic to its corresponding planet and serve as a future reference.

• The teacher will place cardboard planets under randomly selected students’ desks and a cardboard sun under the teacher's desk.
• After the students have learned about the solar system, the teacher will ask them to look under their desks, as she/he does so as well.
• The teacher will model the position of the sun. The teacher will then prompt the students by asking them which planets follow in sequential order.
• This will help students imagine and comprehend the relative space in-between each planet.
  
  Example: Space out the students to represent the distance between the planets.
  • Mercury - 1 foot (from the sun)
    
  • Venus - 2 feet
    
  • Earth - 3 feet
    
  • Mars - 4 feet
    
  • Jupiter - 5 paces (a pace is equal to 3 feet)
    
  • Saturn - 8 paces
    
  • Uranus - 17 paces
    
  • Neptune - 26 paces
    
  • Pluto - 32 paces
  
  
• Other students will also have an opportunity to participate by ‘decorating’ the students that are playing the role of different planets with stickers; there will be stickers with pictures that go along with each planet’s characteristic.
  
• After having them place each characteristic on each "planet" (or student with a specific planet sticker), the teacher will hand out glow in the dark necklaces and ask students to place them on their heads. The sun will get blinking glasses or something that is brighter than the rest of the glow in the dark necklaces.
  
• When all the planets are lined up in orbit order, they will revolve around the sun once with the lights on, and once with the lights off. The ‘spacial’ music played at the beginning of the lesson will be played once again while they are rotating.
  
• While the students are engaged in this hands-on, kinesthetic activity, the teacher will ask the following questions to check for understanding.
  
  The teacher will ask the students to:
  • compare one planet with another.
    
  • state at least one characteristic that describes each planet.
    
  • identify planets in sequential order.
    
  • predict what would happen if they lived or traveled to other planets.

• Based on the information the students have learned throughout the lesson, the teacher will then group students in pairs or groups of three and allow them to brainstorm and think of how they can construct a planet of their own.
  
  They must include the following in their project:
  • Their planet’s name.
    
  • A narrative describing the planet’s characteristics (color, gaseous, not gaseous, cloudy, hot, changing temperatures, icy, etc.).
    
  • Draw pictures of each word they’ve used to describe their new planet.
    
  • Drawn pictures of their planet and its relation to the sun.
    
  • They may add anything else they feel relevant.
  
  
• All of this information must be written and drawn and ready to be scanned. Once it is ready to be scanned, students will go to the computer lab and work on their Photo Story to describe how they came up with the new planet.
• The teacher will assist in this process and will also tutor students on how to add music and cite works appropriately.

• Sing Family of the Sun song aloud with students to recap information that was learned about our Solar System.
• Students will also be prompted to write what they learned and what they found interesting in their science journals.
• This will serve as a checking for understanding activity and will let the teacher know if they learned or understood concepts taught in the lesson.

• Assessment is based on keywords and critical thinking questions.
• The teacher will be able to evaluate if the student knows how to identify each planet based on its characteristics.

• Students that need one-on-one help will receive it.
• Additionally, the teacher will follow the student’s IEP and take appropriate measures.
• Depending on the student’s disability, the teacher will act accordingly and plan for an appropriate, yet on-level adaptation.

Students will work on a 3 dimensional project representing our solar system and label each planet with its name, facts, and characteristics.

Students can go to these following websites to learn and enjoy facts about the solar system while having fun:
• http://www.apples4theteacher.com/starwarp2.html
  
• http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level1/activity/planet_go.html
  
• http://www.planet-science.com/planet10/solar_preload.html

• Solar System Puzzle
  
• Solar System Orbit Pattern (Foamie)
  
• Outer Space Re-stickable stickers (astronauts, satellites, etc.)

Planets	Atmosphere
Solar System	Clouds
Gravity	Gases
Orbit	Rings

1. What planet is dry and cold?
   1. Earth
      
   2. Jupiter
      
   3. Mars
      
   4. Mercury
   
   
2. ________ spins on its side due to ___________.
   1. Earth, an explosion
      
   2. Mars, an ice age
      
   3. Uranus, a collision
      
   4. Saturn, its rings
   
   
3. List 3 characteristics that describe these planets:
   1. Jupiter:
      
   2. Saturn:
      
   3. Earth:
   
   
4. Compare and contrast an Inner Planet with an Outer Planet.
   
   
5. Are there any planets that go by any nicknames? If so, what are they and why do they go by that name?
   
   
6. What planet’s name would you change based on its characteristics? Explain why you chose this name.
   
   
7. What planet do you think humans or living things could live on? Why?

E-Mail Mayra Garcia!

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