Download Pottsgrove School District Unit Planning Organizer Subjects Science

Pottsgrove School District
Unit Planning Organizer
Subjects
Science
Grade / Course 6th grade
Unit of Study
Astronomy
Unit Type(s)
Topical
Pacing
Dominant Focus: Solar System, Moon and Lunar Phases, Gravity, Day
and Night, Seasons, Galaxies
Skills-based
Thematic
Weeks: 3
Current Priority State Standards and/or Common Core Standards
List the priority standards (written out in bold) that will be taught during this unit of study.
CAPITALIZE the SKILLS and underline the important concepts for all priority standards addressed in this unit.
3.3.6.B2 - USE models to DEMONSTRATE that earth has different seasons and weather patterns.
USE models to DEMONSTRATE that the phases of the moon are a result of its orbit around Earth.
3.3.7.B1 - EXPLAIN how gravity is the major force in the formation of the planets, stars, and the solar system.
DESCRIBE gravity as a major force in determining the motions of planets, stars, and the solar system.
COMPARE and CONTRAST properties and conditions of objects in the solar system to those on Earth.
Current Supporting State Standards and/or Common Core Standards
List the supporting standards (written out in non-bold) that will be taught during this unit of study. Supporting standards should not be unwrapped.
3.3.6.B3
A.1.1.1.
A.1.1.3
A.2.1.5
A.3.1.2
A.3.1.5
A.3.2.1
A.3.2.3
A.3.3.2
D.3.1.1
D.3.1.2
D.3.1.3
Priority
Standards
“Unwrapped” Concepts
“Unwrapped” Skills
(Students need to know)
(Students need to be able to do)
Ex: 8.12.U.D
May also include concepts in unit but not
specified in standard
Ex: Verb (concept)
Models to Demonstrate that Earth has Different
Seasons and Weather Patterns
3.3.6.B2
Models to Demonstrate that the Phases of the Moon
are a Result of its Orbit around Earth
3.3.7.B1
Gravity is a Major Force in:
- determining the motions of planets, stars, and the
solar system
Bloom’s II
Taxonomy
Ex: 4 - Analyzing
USE (models to demonstrate that earth has
different seasons and weather patterns)
USE (models to demonstrate that the phases of the
moon are a result of its orbit around Earth)
3 - Applying
DESCRIBE (gravity as a major force in
determining the motions of planets, stars, and the
solar system)
4 - Analyzing
Essential Questions
Corresponding Big Ideas
Essential Questions are engaging, open-ended questions that educators use to spark
initial student interest in learning the content of the unit about to commence.
Big ideas are what you want your students to discover on their own as a result of
instruction and learning activities.
Identify the Essential Questions that will be used throughout this unit to focus your
instruction and assessment. For consideration, ask yourself the following about each
essential question:
Identify the Big Ideas for each corresponding essential question.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Is this question written in student friendly language?
Can this question be answered with one of the Big Ideas?
Does the question lead the students to discovery of the Big Ideas?
Does the question go beyond who, what, where, when and ask the students to
explain how and why?
The goal is for students to effectively be able to respond to the teacher’s essential
questions with the big ideas, stated in their
1. Why do students in Pottsgrove have to wear coats to school on
the same day that students in South Africa wear shorts and tshirts?
1. Relevant to the sun, Earth’s rotation, revolution and tilt cause day,
night, seasons, and climate.
2. Why doesn’t planet Earth bounce around the Milkyway Galaxy
like a ball in a pinball machine?
2. Gravity and inertia are the forces that pull all objects toward the center
of the Earth, keeps all planets in place, and controls the motion of
objects in the solar system.
3. What are the 8 phases of the moon and what causes this cycle? 3. The eight phases of the moon are new, waxing crescent, first quarter,
waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, third quarter, waning crescent.
This cycle is caused by the changing positions of the moon, Earth, and
sun.
4.
4.
5.
5.
Plan for Instruction
Make connections between learning experiences and teaching strategies.
Engaging Learning Experiences
(Authentic Performance Tasks)
 Gravity Demonstrations/Labs
 Seasons Demonstration/Lab/Interactive
Computer Activities
 Day vs. Night Demonstration
 Charting Phases of the Moon
 Phases of the Moon Game
Researched-based Effective Teaching Strategies
 Cooperative Learning
 Summarizing & Note Taking
 Non Linguistic Representations
 Generating & Testing Hypothesis
 Comparing & Contrasting
 Vocabulary (ie. Graffiti Boards, Frayer
Models, Droodles, Word Walls)
Common Assessments
Note to Curriculum Designers:
Review grade-or course-specific state standardized assessments for the types of questions directly related to the “unwrapped” Priority Standards' concepts and skills in
focus for this unit of study.
2. Identify the vocabulary used and frequency of these questions.
3. Compare/contrast this information with the “unwrapped” concepts and skills listed above to determine how closely the two are aligned.
4. Create the Post Assessment using the Common Formative Assessment Template (Appendix A).
5. Create the Pre Assessment. Decide whether the pre-assessment will be aligned (directly matched to post-assessment but with fewer questions) or mirrored (exact
number and type of questions as post-assessment.
Create Informal Progress Monitoring Checks. Create short, ungraded “checks for student understanding” for the educator to administer throughout the unit of study that are
directly aligned to the post-assessment questions (selected-, short-, extended-response, and/or performance-based) and that coincide with learning progressions—the “building
block chunks” of instruction.
1.
Post Assessment: This multiple choice post assessment was created using the CFA Template. It consists of 12 multiple choice
questions and 1 constructed response question. See attached.
Pre Assessment: This multiple choice pre-assessment will be mirrored exactly by the post assessment.
See attached
Informal Progress Monitoring Checks: Exit slips, think pair share, personal response
Unit Vocabulary
Tier 2
Earth
Planet(s)
Sun
Moon
Seasons (fall, winter, spring, summer)
Day
Night
Tilt
Climate
Orbit
Gravity
Force
Phases of the Moon
Tier 3
Astronomy
Axis
Rotation
Revolution
Solstice (Summer and winter)
Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
Equinox (Autumnal and Vernal)
Inertia
Law of Universal Gravitation
New moon
Waxing crescent
First quarter moon
Waxing gibbous
Full moon
Waning gibbous
Third quarter moon
Waning crescent
Literary Terms
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Instructional Resources and Materials
Program / Text
Astronomy
-Prentice Hall Science Explorer
Technology
Teacher Created
United Streaming
Graphic Organizers
Interactive Websites
Lab Outlines
National Geographic
Interactive Handouts
Formative Assessments