Planets and Moons. unit overview

Transcription

1 The Grade 4 5 kit components: Materials and equipment Each kit contains a set of high-quality materials and equipment for a class of 32 students. Consumable items are provided for two classes. Refill packages are available. Teacher s Guide A comprehensive teacher s guide provides easy-to-, step-by-step instructions for presenting the unit. The guide includes a number of optional presentation approaches to meet the unique needs of your students. Student Books Eighteen copies of each of nine student books are included with the kit. Summative Assessment Booklet Contains a set of pre-post assessments ed to enable teachers to measure student gains over the course of a unit. Investigation Notebook The investigation notebook can be duplicated, or additional copies may be purchased separately and provided to each student. Copymaster Booklet A copymaster booklet is provided in each kit with full-size copymasters, including transparencies and student handouts.

2 What s in the Unit? is 40 sessions in length. The unit immerses students in learning about the with a focus on how is d to explore the. The unit has four investigations each with 10 sessions. Nine student books engage students in doing, talking, reading, and writing about the science of s and s. About half of the sessions in the unit have a literacy focus. As students read the books, they work to master the reading comprehension skills of setting goals, visualizing, and synthesizing; they write scientific s; and they learn to nonfiction text features, such as photographs and data tables. Investigation 1 Earth s Shape and Motion. Students about space and then read Exploring, about ways that scientists and engineers explore space. They discuss their ideas about Earth s shape and, then gather to write s about why you cannot launch a spaceship by dropping it off the edge of Earth. They two different s to investigate Earth s rotation, then read about rotation and in Spinning Through Space. They write a scientific about why the lengths of a day on Jupiter and on Earth are different. Investigation 2 The Moon and Beyond. Students get about the Moon s changing appearance from reading Observing the Moon. They this to construct two different s. They revisit lunar phases using a computer simulation and discuss questions about the Moon in a Roundtable Discussion. They analyze Galileo s observations of Jupiter s s, and they write a scientific about whether Jupiter s s would have phases. They the s using Objects cards, construct a scale of the, then read about size and scale in How Big Is Big? How Far Is Far? They a reference book, Handbook of, to make comparisons between different s and s. Investigation 3 Objects. Students expand their understanding of what is in the using the Objects cards to, compare, and classify the Sun, s, s, asteroids, comets, and Kuiper Belt objects. They read about why Pluto is no longer classified as a in What About Pluto? and write an about the classification of a recently discovered space object. They investigate conditions and surface features on different objects. They read about how a scientist s s to study surface features in Planetary Scientist, and then they choose a or to research and write about. Investigation 4 Designing for Exploration. In the final investigation, students focus on how engineers to explore space. Students landers that would work on the fictional Oobleck and write about how their landers meet goals. They read about the process in Tomato Landers and about different technologies ed to achieve particular goals in Technology for Exploration. They focus on the or they researched and work in teams to a lander to explore that or. They write s about their landers and share their s in presentations to the class.

3 What Students Do Investigation 1 Earth s Shape and Motion Students read Exploring, about how scientists and engineers explore space. They discuss Earth s shape and and gather about from a video. They write a scientific about why you can t launch a spaceship by dropping it off the edge of Earth. Students participate in a in which their head represents Earth, and a lightbulb represents the Sun. They a second involving a globe to investigate night and day. They read Spinning Through Space and examine a data table about the length of days and years on other s. Students write a scientific about why a day on Jupiter is shorter than a day on Earth. Investigation 2 The Moon and Beyond Students read Observing the Moon, then create a classroom showing how the Moon appears in the sky on different nights. They the Lunar Spheres Model to explain why the Moon appears to change shape. They a computer simulation of lunar phases and engage in a Roundtable Discussion of questions about the Moon. They analyze Galileo s observations of Jupiter s s. They write a scientific about whether Jupiter s s would go through phases like Earth s Moon. Students the s using the Objects cards. They go outside to create a scale of the and read about size and distance in How Big Is Big? How Far Is Far? They a reference book, Handbook of Planets and Moons, to compare s and s. Investigation 3 Object Students Objects cards to explore the characteristics of s, s, comets, and asteroids. They read What About Pluto? and write scientific s about whether a recently discovered space object is a. They investigate atmo and air resistance by constructing parachutes and watching a video of spacecraft landings. They compare Earth s and temperature with other objects, craters, and participate in a Discourse Circle about whether or not all objects could have craters. They read Planetary Scientist, about a scientist who s s to investigate surface features on other s and s. They different sources to research one or. Investigation 4 Designing for Exploration Students investigate a sample of surface material from the fictional Oobleck and their observations to landers for a to that. They write s about their landers and read about the process in Tomato Landers. They then re their landers based on feedback and participate in a Discourse Circle about whether their Oobleck landers would work on Mars. Students read Technology for Exploration, which provides them with information to help a to the or they researched. They landers and write s about them. They make presentations to the class about their lander s.

4 What Students Learn Investigation 1 Earth s Shape and Motion Students learn that Earth is a, and that pulls toward the center of Earth. They learn that s help scientists understand and explain how things work. Students learn that a scientific includes a supported with. They learn that visualizing is a ful strategy in reading and in science, and it is helpful in preparation for writing. Students learn that Earth s rotation explains why we have day and night. They learn that one day is the time it takes for a to rotate once, and a year is the time it takes for a to the Sun once. They learn that data tables are ful features of nonfiction text, and that setting a goal for reading helps you read in a focd way. Investigation 2 The Moon and Beyond Students learn that the Moon s Earth, and that its motion explains lunar phases. They are introduced to the strategy of synthesizing across text and experience. They learn that the four inner s are composed of rock, while the four outer s are composed of gas. Students learn that scientists to. Students learn that scientific s include from more than one source. They learn what a scale is, and that distances in the are vast. They learn that reference books are organized in ways that help readers find information quickly. They learn that s are always like the things they represent in some ways and different in other ways. Investigation 3 Objects Students learn that s the Sun, and s s. They learn that other objects in the include comets, asteroids, and Kuiper Belt objects. They continue to develop the reading comprehension strategies of setting goals, visualizing, and synthesizing. They learn that scientists classify objects to help them make comparisons. They learn that scientific s include reasoning, which helps show how supports the. They learn that temperature and are very different on different s and s. They also learn about different surface features on s and s, such as craters. They learn that it is helpful to multiple sources when researching a topic. Investigation 4 Designing for Exploration Students learn that when engineers for a, they must take into account goals and conditions. They learn that and teamwork are important for engineers, and that the process includes learning from mistakes and testing and revising s. They learn that is ed for particular purposes, and that features that make s function in certain conditions may not work in other conditions. Students learn that scientists and engineers present their ideas to others, both orally and in writing, in order to and share information.

5 At-a-Glance Chart investigation 1 Earth s Shape and Motion Session WEEK exploring Planets and Moons ReADING, page Questions About Earth SCIENCE INQUIRY, page investigating Earth inquiry, page making Sense of Earth s Shape and Gravity science/literacy, page writing About Earth s Shape and Gravity literacy development, page 62 Knowledge/Conceptual Vocabulary Inquiry/Reading Comprehension Knowledge Vocabulary Inquiry Reading Earth is spherical. Gravity pulls all objects toward Earth's center. The globe is one of Earth. Setting goals is a ful strategy for reading nonfiction text. Setting goals helps readers focus as they read. Photographs are a ful feature of nonfiction text. Setting a goal for reading can help you find specific information. Visualizing is a strategy for making something that is difficult to understand more clear. A scientific begins with a. A is usually the answer to a question. A scientific includes that supports the. engineer Inquiry text to s and mental s s make s make inferences information text features Nature and Practices of / Oral and Written Discourse How Works, What Scientists Do Scientists and engineers explore space in a variety of ways. Scientists learn by asking questions and investigating. Scientists to make s. Models help us understand something by making it simpler or easier to see. Scientists s to show their ideas and explain how things work. Visualizing is when you picture something in your mind, using what you already know. Every is similar to the real thing in some ways and different in others. Evidence can come from text and from investigations. Writing, Listening/Speaking support s with write to gather information write s WEEK ing the Spinning Earth science Inquiry, page investigating Day and Night inquiry, page Spinning Through Space Reading, page writing About Rotation literacy development, page Making Sense of Orbiting and Rotating science/literacy, page 118 Earth rotates once every 24 hours. Earth s rotation cas the apparent motion of the Sun (and other stars). Light from the Sun shining on the rotating Earth cas day and night. The time of day is different at different places on Earth. When it is day on one side of Earth, it is night on the other side. A day is the time it takes for a to rotate once. A day is a different length on every. Earth s around the Sun as well as rotates on its axis. Every object in the rotates. A day on Jupiter is shorter than a day on Earth beca Jupiter rotates faster than Earth. The length of a day on a depends on how fast it rotates. A year is the time it takes for a to the Sun once. Earth s the Sun once every 365 days. A year is a different length on every. Data tables are a ful feature of nonfiction text. Data tables can be d for seeing patterns. rotate Inquiry s s analyze data make s take notes and revise s text to learn topic-specific vocabulary monitor comprehension text features information refer to textual Claims in science are based on. gather information write to support s with write s

6 At-a-Glance Chart investigation 2 The Moon and Beyond Session WEEK observing the Moon Reading, page ing Lunar Phases Inquiry, page making Sense of Lunar Phases /, page observing Jupiter s Moons science Inquiry, page writing About Lunar Phases literacy development, page 192 Knowledge/Conceptual Vocabulary Inquiry/Reading Comprehension Knowledge Vocabulary Inquiry Reading The Moon appears to change in a regular cycle. The Moon can be visible during the day. The different shapes the Moon appears to have are called phases. Keeping track of observations can help you see patterns. When the Sun and the Moon are on opposite sides of Earth, the Moon looks full. The Moon s Earth about once every 30 days. The bright side of the Moon is always the side facing the Sun. The light we see from the Moon is reflected sunlight. As the Moon s Earth, we see more or less of the lighted part of the Moon. The Moon appears to go through one cycle of phases every time it s Earth, about every 30 days. Other s have s. Moons s. Light from other s and s comes from the Sun. Synthesizing is a strategy readers to connect information and formulate new ideas. A scientific includes from more than one source. A scientific includes a conclusion that brings the writing to a close. lunar phase rotate Inquiry analyze data s s make s record notes information make inferences Nature and Practices of / Oral and Written Discourse How Works, What Scientists Do Visualizing can help you understand a. Models can help you look for patterns. Different s of the same thing can be ful in different ways. Scientists to. Scientists look for patterns to help them make s. Writing, Listening/Speaking support s with write to gather information write s WEEK introducing the Planets Inquiry, page Scale Model of the science Inquiry, page How Big Is Big? How Far Is Far? Reading, page Handbook of Planets and Moons Reading, page making Sense of the Planets science/literacy, page 248 There are eight s in our. The small, inner s are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. The large, outer s are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The inner s are composed of rock. The outer s are composed of gases. Objects in the are very small compared to the distances between them. There is a lot of empty space in the. The size of objects varies greatly. Distances between objects in space are vast. Sizes and distances in space are relative. Reference books give a lot of information about one topic. Reference books are organized in ways that help readers find information quickly. Tables can help you make comparisons. composition object surface feature Inquiry classify data s s text to make connections monitor comprehension refer to textual text features In a scale, the parts of the are all increased or decreased in size by the same amount. Scientists reference books to learn what other scientists have discovered about s and s. Scientists comparative language to explain how two things are alike and different. Models can be improved.

7 At-a-Glance Chart investigation 3 Objects Session WEEK classifying Objects SCIENCE INQUIRY, page what About Pluto? Reading, page comparing Objects /literacy, page writing About Classification Development, page investigating Air Resistance inquiry, page 316 Knowledge/Conceptual Vocabulary Inquiry/Reading Comprehension Knowledge Vocabulary Inquiry Reading objects include the Sun, s, s, and other things that the Sun. The Sun is the only star in our. Many kinds of objects the Sun, but they are not all classified as s. objects can be classified based on composition, size, location in the, and shape of their s. objects include comets, asteroids, and Kuiper Belt objects. Planets have been discovered outside our. Most places in our and other solar systems are not habitable. Falling objects slow down when there is air resistance. If a object has no atmo, there is no air resistance. All objects have, but only some of them have atmos. Parachutes can be d on s to s and s that have atmos. Synthesizing helps readers connect what they have read with their firsthand experiences. Tables can be d to organize and analyze information. Scientific s include reasoning that helps show how the supports the. atmo composition conditions object Inquiry classify sort and classify based on organize and represent data make s investigate scientific questions make predictions refer to textual Nature and Practices of / Oral and Written Discourse How Works, What Scientists Do Scientists classify Solar System objects based on their characteristics. Our of the Solar System is always changing as advances and new discoveries are made. Scientists may change their s when they acquire new. Scientists classify Solar System objects to help them make comparisons. Writing, Listening/Speaking summarize main ideas write s support s with WEEK conditions on Other science Inquiry, page observing and Discussing Surface Features /, page Planetary Scientist Reading, page Researching Planets and Moons /literacy, page making Sense of Other science/literacy, page 364 Temperature,, and atmo are all examples of conditions. Conditions on other s and s are very different than on Earth. Most s have atmos, but most s do not have atmos. Most objects are colder than Earth. Many objects have less than Earth. objects that are composed of rock or ice usually have craters. Craters are cad when something traveling through space hits the surface of a object. Most objects have craters. Some of Earth's surface features can be found on other s and s. Studying Earth can help us to learn more about other s. There is a great deal of variation among s and s in the. objects have diverse characteristics. When researching a topic, it is helpful to consult multiple sources of information. atmo composition conditions object surface feature Inquiry classify data make s revise s s text to record notes learn topic-specific vocabulary refer to textual make connections text features Planetary scientists a variety of methods for learning about space, including and s. Models don t always look like the things they represent. One way scientists learn about objects is by reading what other scientists have discovered. Observing photographs and analyzing data tables are ways of gathering information about objects. write to write descriptions present information clearly support s with

8 At-a-Glance Chart investigation 4 Designing for Exploration Session WEEK investigating Oobleck science inquiry, page Designing Oobleck Landers science inquiry, page writing About Oobleck Missions Development, page tomato Landers Reading, page making Sense of the Design Process science/literacy, page 422 Knowledge/Conceptual Vocabulary Inquiry/Reading Comprehension Knowledge Vocabulary Inquiry Reading Conditions that affected the Mars Exploration Rover included rocks, hills, and slippery sand. Missions to different objects require different s. Reasoning helps link ideas in a scientific. Readers actively connect ideas as they read. atmo composition conditions engineer surface feature Inquiry data investigate scientific questions record notes make s revise s make connections refer to textual Nature and Practices of / Oral and Written Discourse How Works, What Scientists Do Knowing the conditions on a or is important for ing a. Engineers must consider conditions as they create their s. Engineers based on goals. Engineers to. Engineers can many different types of that meet the same goal. Engineers test their s and make changes based on the results. Many s are not successful. Learning from flaws is an important part of the process. Scientists engage in discussions about. Writing, Listening/Speaking present information visually write s support s with present information clearly WEEK for Exploration Reading, page Planning Lander Designs science Inquiry, page Designing Planet and Moon Landers science inquiry, page writing About Planet and Moon Missions literacy development, page Sharing Lander Designs science/literacy, page 464 There are many things that are not known about s and s in our. Conditions on different s and s vary widely. Synthesizing helps readers understand important ideas. Text features, such as headings, tables of contents, and photographs, can help you find information in a book quickly. Synthesizing involves putting ideas together from a variety of sources. A scientific presents ideas to a reader in a way that is clear and understandable. atmo conditions engineer object surface feature Inquiry data record notes text to make s discuss word meanings and make connections Technology is d to aid in. Technology is ed to serve particular purposes. Different conditions call for different kinds of. Technology can help address challenging conditions on a or. Designing successful requires both and. Scientists present their ideas to others in public forums. write to summarize main ideas present information visually organize information write s support s with present information clearly