Download Thematic Unit Plan

Brandi Beneke
Thematic Unit Plan
Grade: 4
Unit Title: Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change
Course/Subject: Science
Approximate Time Required: 1 week (5/6 days)
Main Purpose:
The main purpose of this unit is to provide an introduction to our solar system. This includes
the introduction to the planets in the solar system, their order in the solar system in relation to
the sun, and the sizes of the planets in relation to the size of the Earth.
Behavioral Objectives:
I. Science
A. SWBAT investigate and understand the organization of the solar system.
B. SWBAT investigate and understand the planets in the solar system.
C. SWBAT investigate and understand the order of the planets in the solar
system.
D. SWBAT investigate and understand the relative sizes of the planets.
Content Outline:
I. Science
A. SWBAT investigate and understand the organization of the solar system.
1.) Background
a. Solar System is ancient
b. Early astronomers believed that Earth was the center of the universe
and that all other heavenly bodies orbited around the Earth
c. The Sun is the center of the Solar System
i. Eight planets, “dwarf” planets, 170 named moons, dust, gas,
and thousands of asteroids and comets orbit around the Sun
2.) Composition
a. Sun
b. Eight planets
i. Inner Planets
1. Orbit closest to the sun
2. Composed mostly of rock
3. Small
4. Dense
5. Few or no moons
a. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
ii. Outer Planets
1. “Jovian planets”
a. Gas giants
2. Large
a. Make up 99% of the mass of the celestial
bodies that orbit the Sun
3. Core composed of liquid heavy metals
4. Dozens of moons each
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5. Have rings
6. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
iii. Asteroid Belt
1. Separates inner and outer planets
2. Thousands of asteroids orbit around the Sun
a. Chunks of rock and metal
i. Loose material never formed into
planets
b. Total mass of asteroids is less than that of the
Moon
c. More than 7000 asteroids discovered
i. Several hundred discovered each year
ii. Hundreds of thousands more not
visible to the naked eye
c. Non-Stellar Objects
B. SWBAT investigate and understand the planets in the solar system.
1.) Earth
a. Inner Planet
b. Only planet in the Solar System known to support life
c. Living planet
i. Water
ii. Trees
iii. Plants
iv. Breathable air
d. Protected from dangerous sun rays and meteorites by its atmosphere
e. Average Temperature: 45 F
f. Comprised of a mixture of various rocks and minerals
g. Internal magnetic field
h. Has one moon
2.) Jupiter
a. Outer Planet
b. Stormy atmosphere
i. “The Great Red Spot” is as big as the Earth
c. Made up of gas
i. Hydrogen, helium
d. One of the brightest objects in the sky
i. Fourth brightest
e. Average Temperature: -244 F
f. Has the most moons
i. 63 identified so far
3.) Mars
a. Inner Planet
b. “Red Planet”
i. Rust of iron-rich materials that form the planet’s surface
c. Temperature Ranges
i. Minimum Surface Temperature: -190 F
ii. Maximum Surface Temperature: 98 F
d. Thin atmosphere
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i. Astronomers believe that water that once existed on the planet
might have actually leaked into space
e. Two small moons
i. Phobos
ii. Deimos
f. Network of canals and canyons
i. One of its best known features
ii. Led people to believe there was life on Mars
4.) Mercury
a. Inner Planet
i. Closest planet to the sun
b. Eighth largest
c. Most cratered surface of any planet in the Solar System
i. Shockwaves from a meteor impact
d. Moves quickly across the sky
i. In Roman mythology, Mercury is the god of commerce, travel
and thievery, the Roman counterpart of the Greek god
Hermes, the messenger of the Gods
e. Orbit is highly eccentric
f. Temperatures range
i. Minimum Surface Temperature: -274 F
ii. Maximum Surface Temperature: 662 F
g. Moons
i. No known moons
ii. Two moons in the Solar System are bigger than Mercury:
Ganymede and Titan
1. Ganymede orbits Jupiter
2. Titan orbits Saturn
5.) Neptune
a. Outer Planet
b. Winds are the fastest of any planet in the Solar System
i. Can reach more than 1,200 miles per hour
c. Atmosphere contains “ices”
i. Water, ammonia, methane
ii. Gives the planet its blue color
d. Average Temperature: -370 F
e. Named after the Roman god of the sea
f. Deep blue color
g. Ring System
h. At least 13 moons
6.) Saturn
a. Outer Planet
b. Distinctive, large rings
i. Most visible rings of all the Outer Planets
c. Made up mainly of gas
i. Hydrogen, helium
d. Average Temperature: -300 F
e. 60 known moons
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i. Titan has an atmosphere that may have been like Earth’s
during its formation
7.) Uranus
a. Outer Planet
b. Only planet to rotate on its side
i. One hypothesis is a major collision
ii. One hypothesis is smaller shifts during the planet’s formation
c. Dull blue color
d. Mainly consists of gas with a possible rocky core
e. Faint ring system
f. Average Temperature: -300 F
g. At least 27 moons orbiting it
h. Atmosphere contains “ices”
i. Water, ammonia, methane
ii. Gives the planet its blue color
8.) Venus
a. Inner Planet
b. Hottest planet in the Solar System
i. Average temperature: 850 F
c. Atmosphere is a thick cloud composed of various gases
i. Carbon Dioxide
1. Traps heat and transforms the planet into a raging
storm of heat
d. Often called “morning star”
i. Brightest object in the sky
e. No moons of its own
C. SWBAT investigate and understand the order of the planets in the solar
system.
1.) Mercury
a. Distance from the Sun: 35,983,095 miles
2.) Venus
a. Distance from the Sun: 67,237,910 miles
3.) Earth
a. Distance from the Sun: 92,955,820 miles
4.) Mars
a. Distance from the Sun: 141,700,000 miles
5.) Jupiter
a. Distance from the Sun: 483,500,000,000 miles
6.) Saturn
a. Distance from the Sun: 1,427,000,000 kilometers
7.) Uranus
a. Distance from the Sun: 2,870,990,000 kilometers
8.) Neptune
a. Distance from the Sun: 4,496,600,000 kilometers
D. SWBAT investigate and understand the relative sizes of the planets.
1.) Jupiter
a. Largest planet in the Solar System
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i. Diameter: 143,000 km
ii. Surface Area: 6.22x1010 km2
iii. Volume: 1.43x1015 km3
1. 1,321 Earths
2.) Saturn
a. Second largest planet in the Solar System
i. Diameter: 120,536 km
ii. Surface Area: 4.27x1010 km2
iii. Volume: 8.27x1014 km3
1. 764 Earths
3.) Uranus
a. Third largest planet in the Solar System
i. Diameter: 51,118 km
ii. Surface Area: 8.1x109 km2
iii. Volume: 6.83x1013 km3
1. 63 Earths
4.) Neptune
a. Fourth largest planet in the Solar System
i. Diameter: 49,500 km
ii. Surface Area: 7.64x109 km2
iii. Volume: 6.25x1013 km3
1. 57.7 Earths
5.) Earth
a. Fifth largest planet in the Solar System
i. Diameter: 12756 km
ii. Surface Area: 5.1x108 km2
iii. Volume: 1.08x1012 km3
6.) Venus
a. Sixth largest planet in the Solar System
i. Diameter: 12,100 km
ii. Surface Area: 4.6x108 km2
iii. Volume: 9.38x1011 km3
1. 86% of Earth’s volume
7.) Mars
a. Seventh largest planet in the Solar System
i. Diameter: 6,792 km
ii. Surface Area: 1.45x108 km2
iii. Volume: 1.63x1011 km3
1. 15% of Earth’s volume
8.) Mercury
a. Eighth largest planet in the Solar System
i. Diameter: 4880 km
ii. Surface Area: 17.48x107 km2
iii. Volume: 6.083x1010 km3
1. 5.4% of Earth’s volume
Brandi Beneke
Procedures and Activities:
Procedures
Educational Video
Lecture/PowerPoint
Discussion
Monitoring
Guided
Observing/Monitoring
Discussion
Monitoring
Guided/Demonstration
Guided
Guided/Observing/Monitoring
Activities
Watching/Answering Discussion Questions
Taking notes
Responding
Labeling planets in the Solar System
Compare/Contrast Planets (Characteristics)
Writing Assignment (Journal)
Responding
Vocabulary (matching)
Solar System Song
Classroom Jeopardy! Game (trivia)
Solar System mobile (final project)
Instructional Aides and Resources:
1.) PowerPoint
2.) Educational Video
3.) Computer
4.) Projector
5.) Dictionaries
6.) Video questions
7.) Notebooks
8.) Worksheets
9.) Crosswords
10.) Classroom Jeopardy!® game
11.) Jeopardy!® Buzzers
12.) The “Solar System” song
13.) Hanging frame
14.) String/fishing line
15.) Spray paint/acrylic paint (various colors)
16.) Paintbrush (optional – acrylic paint)
17.) Styrofoam balls (various sizes)
18.) Glue/Tape
19.) Scissors
20.) Wire
21.) Hook
Assessment:
I. Science
A. SWBAT investigate and understand the organization of the solar system.
B. SWBAT investigate and understand the planets in the solar system.
C. SWBAT investigate and understand the order of the planets in the solar
system.
D. SWBAT investigate and understand the relative sizes of the planets.
Brandi Beneke
Didactic Questioning – Informal
Group Work – Informal
Discussion – Informal
Homework – Informal
Worksheets – Informal
Homework – Formal – Low Stakes
Worksheets – Formal – Low Stakes
Group Work – Formal – Medium Stakes
Quizzes – Formal – Medium Stakes
Tests – Formal – High Stakes
Paper – Formal – High Stakes
Project – Formal – High Stakes