Download 4.7_Earth,_Moon,_Sun

SCIENCE CURRICULUM
Fourth Grade
Strand: Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change
SOL 4.7 Investigate and understand the
relationships among the Earth, moon, and sun.
Understanding the Standard
This standard focuses on the Earth-moon-sun system and includes knowledge related to the motions of this
system and the results of our unique position in it. This includes the presence of an atmosphere, liquid water,
and life. It is intended that students will actively develop scientific investigation, reasoning, and logic skills
(4.1) in the context of the key concepts presented in this standard.
Essential Questions

What is the difference
between rotation and
revolution?

How does Earth’s axial tilt
cause seasons?

What is the sequence of the
eight phases of the moon?
How do these phases
occur?
Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes
The student should be able to:

Differentiate between rotation and revolution.

Describe how the Earth’s axial tilt causes the seasons.

Model the formation of the eight moon phases, sequence the phases in
order, and describe how the phases occur.

Describe the major characteristics of the sun, including approximate
size, color, age, and overall composition.

Create and describe a model of the Earth-moon-sun system with
approximate scale distances and sizes.

What are the major
characteristics of the sun?

Compare and contrast the Earth-centered to the sun-centered model of
the solar system.

What are the major
characteristics of the
Earth?

Analyze the differences in what Aristotle, Ptolemy, Copernicus, and
Galileo observed and what influenced their conclusions.

Compare and contrast the surface conditions of the Earth, moon, and
sun.

Describe a contribution of the NASA Apollo missions to our
understanding of the moon.

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What are the major
characteristics of the
moon?
How did the thinking of
Aristotle, Ptolemy,
Copernicus, and Galileo
affect our understanding of
the Earth, sun, moon
system?
How did the NASA Apollo
missions contribute to our
understanding of the
moon?
SCIENCE VOCABULARY
Rotation, revolution, axis, phase, new moon, crescent , quarter moon, gibbous,
full moon, waxing, waning, NASA, Apollo
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Assessment and Strategies
Assessment
Marzano Strategies
All strategies should be considered with an emphasis on
Teacher observation/anecdotal records
the following:
Test
 Similarities and Differences
MIND notes
 Cues/Questions/Organizers
Projects/Models
 Generate/Test Hypotheses

Non-linguistic representation

Cooperative Learning Groups
Resources and Activities

Enhanced Scope and Sequence

Fourth Grade Science Curriculum and Resource Guide

McGraw-Hill (p. C62-C80 and C90-C91)

Websites
Cross-section illustrations of Earth, moon, and sun http://www.enchantedlearning.com
NASA Space Resources electronic publications http://spacelink.nasa.gov/index.html
NASA Education Home Page http://education.nasa.gov

Videos
Bill Nye: Moon, Earth’s Crust

United Streaming
A Spin Around the Solar System: Moon Dance (8 segments)
Junior Space Scientist: Voyage to the Moon
Our Amazing Sun
A Closer Look at the Moon (10 segments)
Geologist’s Notebook: Digging Through Earth (6 segments)
Space Exploration: The Rockets (15 segments)
A Spin Around the Solar System: The Sun Our Star Attraction (8 segments)
 Suggested Literature
The Magic Schoolbus Lost in the Solar System by Joanna Cole
The Magic Schoolbus Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole
Childhood of Famous Americans, Neal Armstrong