Download Bringing Our Solar System to Life Grade 5 Overview Since the Solar

Bringing Our Solar System to Life
Grade 5
Overview
Description of Learners
Indiana Academic Standards
for 5th grade Science
Objectives
Materials
Since the Solar System is a very abstract concept for primary age
children, this lesson focuses on using engaging, tangible activities
that will help students understand this abstract concept. This
lesson plan was designed to show children the ideas of
"revolution" and "rotation". The activities the students are
involved in use role playing to demonstrate the universe and its
connection to the sun.
The classroom contains roughly 20 fifth graders. The genders in the
classroom are about even. These students have had one prior
lesson on the solar system and its planets which was presented in a
lecture form, with pictures, by the teacher. The setting of the
school is rural.
5.2.1 Recognize that our earth is part of the solar system in which
the sun, an average star, is the central and largest body. Observe
that our solar system includes the sun, moon,
seven other planets and their moons, and many other smaller
objects like asteroids and
comets
 Using any resource, including The Solar System Popplet,
students will create a model of the Solar System using
candy, demonstrating knowledge of relative planet size
and color and order from the sun, within one week.
 Without using any resources, students will write the
definitions of “revolution” and “rotation” without any
content or grammar mistakes.
 Without using any resources, students will list the order of
the plants, using the sun as the starting point, without any
mistakes.
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one yellow punch ball
nine balloons of different colors
chalk or string to mark orbits
classroom set of laptops with access to Internet
projector
whiteboard/chalkboard
Procedure
1. Using the computer and projector, go to popplet.com and pull
up the Popplet named “Planets”. Write the URL on the board so
each student can access it from their laptop.
http://popplet.com/app/#/2126129
2. Once everyone has gotten to the site, play the YouTube video
about outer space in the top popple.
3. Write the definition of “revolution” on the board as the motion
of planets traveling around the sun in a roughly circular path (1
planetary year) and the definition of “rotation” as the spinning
motion of a planet on its on axis (1 planetary day).
4. Use the Popplet to show students the order of the planets in the
Solar System and their characteristics such size and color. The
teacher will use this web tool to better explain revolution and
rotation by clicking on the comments of each planet to see their
revolution and rotation period. The teacher should reference
Earth’s revolution and rotation periods first and use them as point
of comparison.
5. Let the students explore the Popplet. Tell them to go to the
embedded website to find out more information on the planets or
play the educational games. Also, tell students to add one
comment to any of the planets on the Popplet from new
information learned from the website. This allows students to
collaborate, share, and contribute. (15 minutes)
6. Ask for volunteers to help blow up a yellow punch ball to its
fullest and balloons of nine different colors to sizes representing
the eight planets.
7. Take the class outside or go into the gym inside. Have eight
paths marked on ground or floor with string or chalk to represent
the different orbits.
8. Have one student hold each balloon. Another student will hold
the yellow punch ball which represents the sun.
9. The "sun" stands in the middle of a circle. The other children
take their places on the marked paths. Teacher will need to give
each child the name of his/her planet and direct him/her to the
correct place.
10. Begin the experiment by having children walk in their path or
"orbit" around the sun. Stress that the planets never leave their
own orbits. This travel around the sun is called "revolution".
11. After the children have orbited the sun once, bring in the added
concept of "rotation". While moving around the sun, the children
should also start to spin around like tops. (Caution them against
becoming dizzy.) This demonstrates "rotation". Remind children
that it takes one year for the earth to revolve around the sun, and
it takes one day for the earth to rotate on its own axis.
12. Point out that "rotation" or spinning on one's own axis takes
much less time than going all the way around the sun, "revolution."
13. Give all children in the class a chance to try the experiment.
Assessment
Resources
Students will be given a quiz the next class in which they have to
write the definitions of “revolution” and “rotation” without
grammar mistakes and also write the order of planets from closest
to the sun to farthest away. For a follow up assignment, the
students will have one week to complete a creative model of the
solar system using candy (such as M&Ms, Sweet Tarts, and
Butterscotch). It will be graded on the accuracy of the model in
relation to the color and size of candy chosen to represent each of
the eight planets and sun in the Solar System.
http://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/standards/science/2010Science-Grade05.pdf