Literature Focus Unit Space By: Joanna Sajda

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1 Literature Focus Unit Space By: Joanna Sajda Theme/ Rationale: The theme of this focus unit is Stars and Planets the book and which make up the solar system. I feel that it is important for my students to learn more in-depth about the universe and not just about earth. I think that all children must learn about the solar system because we all live arth, one of the planets of the system. Books/ Web Sites: Journey to the Moon By: rich Fuchs Planets, Stars, and Space By: Joseph Miles Chamberlain and Thomas D. Nicholson Stars and Planets By: Christopher Lampton The Moon Seems to Change By: Franklyn M. Branley The Sun Our Nearest Star By: Franklyn M. Branley Watching the Stars By: dana ckart Solar system Simulator: Views of the Solar System: Academic Standards: Math: Measure length to the nearest quarter inch, eighth inch, or millimeter. Science: Observe and report that the moon can be seen sometimes at night and sometimes during the day Recognize that and describe how changes made to a model can help predict how the real thing can be altered. Social Studies: xplain the essential facts of arth/sun relationship and be able to relate these to the climate of Indiana. Language Arts: Write narratives that: - include ideas, observations, or memories of an event or experience - provides a context to allow the reader to imagine the world of the event or experience. - use concrete sensory ideals

2 Objectives/Goals: 1. Students will learn the planets in order from closest one to the sun to the farthest one from the sun. By learning the planets they will then know the order of the solar system. 2. Students will be able to calculate the distance of the arth or any other planets distance from one another when given the numbers. They will be able to measure it in different measurements. 3. Students will learn the importance of the sun in our solar system and the relationship that the Sun has to the arth. 4. Students will keep a journal for nine days over the two week period and observe the moon during the day and once at night. By observing the moon they will learn about the rotation of the arth and the relationship it has with the moon. 5. Students will write a narrative story about a trip they took to the moon. Activities: 1. During class time we will take time to make a journal to record information about the moon in. I will provide art materials, such as space stickers, markers, construction paper, glue, scissors, and crayons for the students to decorate their journals with. The students will have to observe and describe the moon in the daytime and at nighttime. We will take class time during the day for the students to find the moon and write about it. Some students may want to draw a picture of the moon and that is okay to do too. 2. Students will make a model of the solar system, using various materials provided by the teacher. The class will work on the model two days a week for minutes at a time. The models will then be displayed around the classroom. 3. Students will write a descriptive story about a journey into space. The students can be as creative as they want to. Once the story is written the students will peer edit each others papers and draw pictures to go with their story. Then the students will make a book out of their story. 4. Take a field trip to an observatory or a museum. 5. Students will make a poem using all of the planet names. They will then turn their poems into chants or cheers. 6. Students will get into nine groups assigned by the teacher. ach group will be given a planet to do a small project on. They will present their finished projects on the last day of the unit. 7. I will show the students the book journey to the moon and as I read it the students will tell the story. This book has no words on the pages, just pictures. As I flip through the book the students will take turn making up a story for the pictures.

3 8. The students will be given a sheet with several constellations on it. ach one will be labeled with the correct name. Then they will be given a picture of the stars in the sky. The students will have to find the constellation in the sky on their paper trace it and write the correct name of the constellation by it. 9. Throughout the two weeks I will read several books to the class and discuss the books with the class and the importance of the books. Time Schedule: W K O N W K T W O Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday *Read Stars *Work on *Field Trip to and Planets presentation the observatory to class. or museum. *Turn the stories the class wrote into books. *Write a story about a trip to space. (peer edit) *Assign presentation groups. * Write poems and make chants *Finish up book project *Pick a book from the book baskets and read in groups or independently. *Begin model of solar system *Work on model *Figure the distances of the arth, Sun, Moon, planets, etc. *Work on model *Show the book Journey to the Moon and have class make up story. *Read The Sun Our Nearest Star to class. *Work on presentations and model *Talk about fieldtrip *Presentations *Display models *Share books with each other that the students made. *Turn in journals *Party for the Planets!!!!!!!!!!*

4 Grouping: I will group my students differently depending on the project that they are doing. For the poem writing I will let the students work in the pods that they are sitting in. It s easy because they are already grouped together in threes and fours. For the presentation they will be divided up into nine groups each group receiving a planet. These groups will be picked by ability and I should know the range of abilities in my classroom to group them equally. ach group will have two or three students in it. For the reading activity, the students will pick a book they want to read and if more than one student wants to read it they can read the book to each other. If only one student chooses a book, they can read it independently. Checklist: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Write a story about a trip to space. Have a student peer edit story Worked on presentation Begin model Thursday Friday Field Trip Work on presentation find internet source Work on model Monday Tuesday Finish books Write poems Wednesday Distance project

5 Thursday Friday Finish presentations Finish model PARTY!!!!!! Blooms Taxonomy: Level I- Knowledge Where is the planet (insert any planet here) located from the sun? Can you list at least 3 planets? Level II- Comprehension How would you summarize the story of the book The Sun Our Nearest Star? Can you explain the purpose of the sun? Level III- Application How would you show your understanding of the solar system? How would you apply what you have learned to develop a model of the solar system? What would result if there was no sun in the solar system? What questions would you ask if you had an interview with an astronaut? Level IV- Analysis How is the earth related to the sun, moon, and other planets? Can you make a list of the planets starting with the one closest to the sun and work your way till you get to the farthest away? Level V- Synthesis Suppose you could go to the moon, what would you do there? Can you construct a model that would change if you changed the position of the planets? Level VI- valuation How would you prove that someone walked on the moon? Why was it better that the sun is close to the earth? How could you determine the placement of the planets?

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