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Project GLAD
Santa Ana Unified School District
Our Solar System
SAMPLE DAILY LESSON PLAN
Day 1:
Focus/Motivation
• Astronomer Awards
• Poetry, Chants
• Observation Charts
• Big Book, The Important Thing About Our Solar System
• Inquiry Chart: What do you know about the Solar System? What are you
wondering?
Input
• Solar System Pictorial
Guided Oral Practice
• Chants: Bugaloo, Yes Ma’am, Planets
• T Graph for Social Skills: Cooperation
• Team Points
• Science Free Exploration: Picture file cards, simulate observing “in the field’
process skills (observing, categorizing, comparing, ordering, inferring), group
reporting
Reading/Writing
• Learning Log-You are an astronomer: What observations about the Solar System
have you made so far?
• Primary Language Review, ELL Review
Input
• Narrative input chart on the Night Sky
• 10:2 Lecture with primary language groups
Reading/Writing
• Writer’s Workshop
o Mini lesson on types of writing
o Plan, share, write
o Author’s Chair
Closure
• Interactive journal writing
• Poetry, chanting
• Home-School Connection
Day 2
Focus/Motivation
• Partner share Home-School Connection
• Astronomer Notebook Award
• Chants
• Review Solar System pictorial with word cards, pictures
• Review Night Sky narrative, add speech bubbles
Input
• I Just Thought You Might Like to Know, Sun Big Book
• Chant and Highlight
• What makes day and night demonstration
• Comparative: Sun and Moon
Reading/Writing
• Bodies of the Solar System Expert Groups: Stars, Inner Planets, Outer Planets,
Moons, Asteroids, Comets
• Team Tasks
o Solar System Pictorial
o Night Sky narrative
o Comparative, Sun and Moon
• Process Grid, heads together, model with stars
• Interactive journal writing
Closure
• Poetry, chanting
• Read Aloud
• Home-School Connection
Day 3
Focus/Motivation
• Partner share Home-School Connection
• Revisit Big Book, The Important Thing About Our Solar System
• Astronomer Book Marks
• Read, review, process all charts
Input
• Add word cards to Sun and Moon Comparative
• Phases of the Moon/Orbiting Earth Pictorial
Guided Oral Practice
• Sentence Patterning Chart-Astronomers
• Flip Chant
• Sentence Exchange
• Process Grid
Reading/Writing
•
•
•
•
Cooperative Strip Paragraph
Revising/Editing Co-op Strip Paragraph
Interactive journal writing
Writer’s Workshop
o Mini lesson
o Plan, share, write
o Author’s Chair
• Team Tasks
o Solar System Pictorial
o Night Sky narrative
o Comparative, Sun and Moon
o Space Web
o Sentence Patterning Chart
o Flip Chant
o Moon Phase Pictorial
o Orbiting Earth Pictorial
Closure
• Chants
• Home/School Connection
Day 4
Focus/Motivation
• Partner share Home/School Connection
• Astronomer Awards
• Listen and Sketch
• Poetry, chanting
• Process Charts
Input
• Revisit Observation Charts
Reading/Writing
• Learning Log
• Writer’s Workshop
• Ear to Ear reading with Poetry Booklets
• Story Map
• Flexible group reading-by skill or needs based
• Team Tasks
o Solar System Pictorial
o Night Sky narrative
o Comparative, Sun and Moon
o Space Web
o Sentence Patterning Chart
o Flip Chant
o Moon Phase Pictorial
o Orbiting Earth Pictorial
o Team Evaluations
Guided Oral Practice
• Chants
• Sentence Patterning Chart
Closure
• Interactive journal Writing
• Team task presentations
• Review Inquiry Charts/Process Learning
Project GLAD
Santa Ana Unified School District
Our Solar System
Earth and Physical Science~Third Grade
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Unit Theme
• The bodies in our solar system include: the sun, inner planets, outer planets, moons,
asteroids and comets
• The objects in the sky move in regular and predictable patterns
• The sun gives us energy in the form of light and heat
Focus/Motivation
• Big Books: The Important Thing About the Solar System is… and I just Thought You
Might Like to Know…Sun
• Picture File Cards
• Observation Charts
• Astronomer Awards
• Inquiry Chart: What do you know about Space? And What do you want to know?
Closure
• Process all charts
• Group presentations of team tasks
• Video: The Magic School Bus Gets Lost in Space
• Student-authored books: The Solar System
Concepts
• Content Standards
Content Standards
• Objects in the sky move in regular and predictable patterns
o Students know the patterns of stars stay the same, although they appear to
move across the sky nightly, and different starts can been seen in different
seasons
o Students know the way in which the Moon’s appearance changes during the
four-week lunar cycle
o Students know telescopes magnify the appearance of some distant objects in
the sky, including the Moon and the planets. The number of starts that can
be seen through telescopes is dramatically greater than can be seen by the
unaided eye
o Students know the Earth is one of several planets that orbit the Sun and the
Moon orbits the Earth
o Students know the position of the sun in the sky changes during the course
of the day and from season to season
Physical Sciences
1a. Students know energy comes from the sun to the Earth in the form of light
Investigation and Experimentation
5b. Students will differentiate evidence from opinion and know that scientists do not
rely on claims or conclusions unless they are backed by observations that can be
confirmed
Vocabulary
Sun
star
rotate
Axis
revolve
orbit
Satellite
phase
crater
Planet
solar system
atmosphere
VI.
Telescope
comet
asteroid
Astronomer
constellation
astronaut
Equator
tilts
New Moon
Waxing Crescent
First Quarter
Waxing Gibbous
Waning Gibbous
Full Moon
Last Quarter
Waning Crescent
gravity
Oxygen
Solar System
Space Shuttle
galaxy
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Content Standards for English Language Arts
READING
1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency and Systematic Vocabulary Development
Students understand the basic features of reading. They select letter patterns and know how to translate them into spoken
language by using phonics, syllabication, and work parts. They apply this knowledge to achieve fluent oral and silent
reading.
Word Recognition
1.1 Read narrative and expository text aloud with grade appropriate fluency and accuracy and with appropriate pacing,
intonation, and expression.
Vocabulary and Concept Development
1.2 Apply knowledge of word origins derivations, synonyms, antonyms, and idioms to determine the meaning of words
and phrases.
1.3 Use knowledge of root words to determine the meaning of unknown words with in a passage.
1.4 Know common roots and affixes derived from Greek and Latin and use this knowledge to analyze the meaning of
complex words (e.g. international).
1.5 Use a thesaurus to determine related words and concepts.
1.6 Distinguish and interpret words with multiple meanings.
2.0 Reading Comprehension
Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. They draw upon a variety of comprehension strategies as
needed (e.g. generating and responding to essential questions, making predictions, comparing information from several
sources). The selections in recommended Readings in Literature, Kindergarten Through Grade Eight illustrate the quality
and complexity of the materials to be read by students. In addition to their regular school reading
Students read one half million words annually, including a good representation of grade-level-appropriate narrative and
expository test (e.g. classic and contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers, online information).
Structural Features of Informational Materials
2.1 Identify structural patterns found in informational text (e.g., compare and contrast, cause and effect, sequential or
chronological order, proposition and support) to strengthen comprehension.
Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
2.2 Use appropriate strategies when reading for different purposes (e.g. full comprehension, location of information,
personal enjoyment).
2.3 Make and confirm predictions about text by using prior knowledge and ideas presented in the text itself, including
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
illustrations titles, topic sentences, important words, and foreshadowing clues.
Evaluate new information and hypotheses by testing them against known information and ideas.
Compare and contrast information on the same topic after reading several passages or articles.
Distinguish between cause and effect and between fact and opinion in expository text.
Follow multiple-step instructions in a basic technical manual (e.g. how to use a computer commands or video games).
3.0 Literary Response and Analysis
Students read and respond to a wide variety of significant works of children’s literature. They distinguish between the
structural features of the text and literary terms or elements (e.g. theme, plot, setting, characters). The selection is
Recommended Readings in Literature, Kindergarten Through Grade Eight illustrate the quality and complexity of the
materials to be read by students.
Structural Features of Literature
3.1 Describe the structural differences of various imaginative forms of literature, including fantasies, fables, myths,
legends and fairy tales.
Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
3.2 Identify the main events of the plot, their causes and the influence of each event on future actions.
3.3 Use knowledge of the situation and setting and of a character’s traits and motivations to determine the causes for that
character’s actions.
3.4 Compare and contrast tales from different cultures by tracing the exploits of one character type and develop theories to
account for similar tales in diverse cultures (e.g., trickster tales).
3.5 Define figurative language (e.g., simile, metaphor, hyperbole, personification) and identify its use in literary works.
WRITING
1.0 Writing Strategies
Students write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. Their writing shows they consider
the audience and purpose. Students progress through the stages of the writing process (e.g. prewriting, drafting, revising,
editing successive versions).
Organization and Focus
1.1 Select a focus, an organizational structure, and a point of view based upon purpose, audience, length, and format
requirements.
1.2 Create multiple-paragraph compositions:
a. Provide an introductory paragraph.
b. Establish and support a central idea wit a topic sentence at or near the beginning of the first paragraph.
c. Include supporting paragraphs with simple facts, details, and explanations.
d. Conclude with a paragraph that summarizes the points.
e. Use correct indention.
1.3 Use traditional structures for conveying information (e.g. chronological order, cause and effect, similarity and
difference, and posing and answering a question).
Evaluation and Revision
1.10 Edit and revise selected drafts to improve coherence and progression by adding, deleting, consolidating, and
rearranging text.
2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
Students write compositions that describe and explain familiar objects, events, and experiences. Student writing
demonstrates a command of standard American English and the drafting, research and organizational strategies outlined in
Writing Standard 1.0. Using the writing strategies of grade four outlined in Writing Standard 1.0, students:
2.1 Write narratives:
a. Relate ideas observations, or recollections of an event or experience.
b. Provide a context to enable the reader to imagine the world of the event or experience.
c. Use concrete sensory details
d. Provide insight into why the selected event or experience is memorable.
2.3 Write information reports:
a. Frame a central question about an issue or situation.
b. Include facts and details for focus.
c. Draw from more than one source of information (e.g. speakers, books, newspapers, other media sources).
2.4 Write summaries that contain the main ideas of the reading selection and the most significant details.
WRITTEN AND ORAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS
The standard for written and oral English language conventions have been placed between those for writing and for
listening and speaking because these conventions are essential to both sets of skill.
1.0 Written and Oral English Language Conventions
Students write and speak with a command of Standard English conventions appropriate to this grade level.
Sentence Structure
1.1 Use simple and compound sentences in writing and speaking.
1.2 Combine short, related sentences with appositives, participial phrases, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases.
Grammar
1.3 Identify and use regular and irregular verbs, adverbs, prepositions, and coordinating conjunctions in writing and
speaking.
Punctuation
1.4 Use parentheses, commas in direct quotations and apostrophes in possessive case of nouns and in contractions.
1.5 Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to identify titles of documents.
Capitalization
1.6 Capitalize names of magazines, newspapers, works of art, musical compositions, organizations, and the first word in
quotations when appropriate.
Spelling
1.7 Spell correctly roots, inflections, suffixes and prefixes, and syllable constructions.
LISTENING AND SPEAKING
1.0 Listening and Speaking Strategies
Students listen critically and respond appropriately to oral communication. They speak in a manner that guides the listener
to understand important ideas by using proper phrasing, pitch, and modulation.
Comprehension
1.1 Ask thoughtful questions and respond to relevant questions with appropriate elaboration in oral settings.
1.2 Summarize major ideas and supporting evidence presented in spoken messages and formal presentations.
2.0 Speaking Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
Students deliver brief recitations and oral presentations about familiar experiences of interests that are organized about
familiar experiences or interests that are organized around a coherent thesis statement. Student speaking demonstrates
a command of standard American English and the organizational and delivery strategies outlined in Listening and
Speaking Standard 1.0. Using the speaking strategies of grade there outlined in Listening and Speaking Standard 1.0,
students:
2.1 Make brief narrative presentations:
2.2
2.3
2.4
a. Provide a context for an incident that is the subject of the presentation.
b. Provide insight into why the selected incident is memorable.
c. Include well-chosen details to develop character, setting, and plot.
Plan and present dramatic interpretations of experiences, stories, poems, or plays with clear diction, pitch, tempo, and
tone.
Deliver oral summaries of articles and books that contain the main ideas of the event or article and the most significant
details.
Recite brief poems (i.e., two or three stanzas), soliloquies, or dramatic dialogues, using clear diction, tempo, volume,
and phrasing.
VII. English Language Development Standards
LISTENING AND SPEAKING
Comprehension
Beginning
Begin to speak with a few words or sentences, using some English phonemes and
rudimentary English grammatical forms (e.g., single words or phrases).
Answer simple questions with one- to two-word responses.
Retell familiar stories and participate in short conversations by using appropriate
gestures, expressions, and illustrative objects.
Early Intermediate
Intermediate
Early Advanced
Advanced
Begin to be understood when speaking, but may have some inconsistent use of
standard English grammatical form and sounds (e.g. plurals, simple past tense,
pronouns [he/she]).
Ask and answer questions using phrases or simple sentences.
Restate and execute multistep oral directions.
Ask and answer instructional questions with some supporting elements (e.g., “Is it your
turn to go to the computer lab?”)
Listen attentively to stories/information and identify key details and concepts using both
verbal and non-verbal responses.
Listen attentively to more complex stories/information on new topics across content
areas, and identify the main points, and supporting details.
Listen attentively to stories and subject area topics, and identify the main points and
supporting details.
Demonstrate understanding of idiomatic expressions by responding to and using such
expressions appropriately (e.g., “Give me a hand.”)
Comprehension/Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication
Beginning
Independently use common social greetings and simple repetitive phrases (e.g., “May I
go and play?”).
Early Intermediate
Orally identify the main points of simple conversations and stories that are read aloud
using phrases or simple sentences.
Orally communicate basic needs (e.g., “May I get a drink of water?”).
Recite familiar rhymes, songs, and simple stories.
Intermediate
Be understood when speaking, using consistent standard English grammatical forms
and sounds; however, some rules may not be in evidence (e.g., third person singular,
male and female pronouns).
Actively participate in social conversations with peers and adults on familiar topics by
asking and answering questions and soliciting information.
Retell stories and talk about school related activities using expanded vocabulary,
descriptive words, and paraphrasing.
Early Advanced
Retell stories in greater detail including characters, setting, and plot, summary, and
analysis.
Be understood when speaking using consistent standard English grammatical forms,
sounds, intonation, pitch, and modulation, but may have random errors.
Actively participate and initiate more extended social conversations with peers and
adults on unfamiliar topics by asking and answering questions, restating and soliciting
information.
Recognize appropriate ways of speaking that vary based on purpose, audience, and
subject matter.
Ask and answer instructional questions with more extensive supporting elements (e.g.,
“What part of the story was most important?”).
Use simple figurative language and idiomatic expressions to communicate ideas to a
variety of audiences (e.g., “It’s raining cats and dogs.”).
Advanced
Negotiate and initiate social conversations by questioning restating, soliciting
information and paraphrasing.
Consistently use appropriate ways of speaking and writing that vary based on purpose,
audience, and subject matter.
Identify the main ideas, points of view, and fact/fiction in broadcast and print media.
Speak clearly and comprehensibly using standard English grammatical forms, sounds,
intonation, pitch and modulation.
WORD ANALYSIS
Concepts of Print, Phonemic Awareness, Vocabulary and Concept Development
Beginning
Recognizes English phonemes that correspond to phonemes
Students already hear and produce while reading aloud
Early Intermediate
While reading orally, recognize and produce English phonemes
that do not correspond to phonemes students already hear and produce (e.g., “a” in cat
and final consonants).
Intermediate
Pronounce most English Phonemes correctly while reading aloud.
Early Advanced Apply knowledge of common English morphemes in oral and
Advanced
silent reading to derive meaning from literature and text in content area.
Apply knowledge of word relationships, such as roots and affixes, to derive meaning
from literature and texts in content areas.
Phonemic Awareness, Decoding and Word Recognition
Beginning
Recognize sound/symbol relationships in own writing.
Early Intermediate
Recognize common English morphemes in phrases and simple sentences (e.g., basic
syllabication rules and phonics).
Intermediate
Pronounce most English phonemes correctly while reading aloud.
Use common English morphemes in oral and silent reading.
Early Advanced
Apply knowledge of common English morphemes in oral and silent reading to derive
meaning from literature and texts in content areas.
Advanced
Apply knowledge of word relationships, such as roots and affixes to derive meaning
from literature and tests in content areas.
READING
Fluency and Systematic Vocabulary Development
Vocabulary & Concept Development
Beginning
Read aloud simple words in stories or games (e.g., nouns and adjectives).
Respond appropriately to some social and academic interactions (e.g., simple
question/answer, negotiate play).
Early Intermediate
Apply knowledge of content related vocabulary to discussions and reading.
Read simple vocabulary phrases and sentences independently.
Use knowledge of English morphemes, phonics, and syntax to decode and interpret the
meaning of unfamiliar words in simple sentences.
Demonstrate internalization of English grammar, usage, and work choice by
recognizing and correcting some errors when speaking or reading aloud.
Read own writing of narrative and expository text aloud with some pacing, intonation,
and expression
Intermediate
Create a dictionary of frequently used words.
Use knowledge of English morphemes, phonics, and syntax to decode and interpret the
meaning of unfamiliar words in written texts
Demonstrate internalization of English grammar, usage, and word choice by
recognizing and correcting errors when speaking or reading aloud.
Read grade appropriate narrative and expository texts aloud with appropriate pacing,
intonation, and expression.
Use content related vocabulary in discussions and reading.
Recognize some common roots and affixes when attached to known vocabulary (e.g.,
speak, speaker).
Early Advanced
Use knowledge of English morphemes, phonics and syntax to decode and interpret the
meaning of unfamiliar words.
Recognize words that sometimes have multiple meanings in literature and texts in
content areas (e.g., present (gift), present (time).
Use some common roots and affixes when attached to known vocabulary.
Recognize simple analogies and metaphors in literature and texts in content areas
(e.g., “fly like a bird”).
Use decoding skills and knowledge of academic and social vocabulary to achieve
independent reading.
Use some common idioms in discussions and reading (e.g., “scared silly”).
Read increasingly complex narrative and expository texts aloud with appropriate
pacing, intonation and expression.
Advanced
Apply knowledge of common roots and affixes when attached to known vocabulary.
Recognize that words sometimes have multiple meanings and apply this knowledge
consistently.
Apply this knowledge of academic and social vocabulary to achieve independent
reading.
Use common idioms, some analogies and metaphors in discussion and reading.
Use a standard dictionary to determine measuring of unknown words.
Read narrative and expository text aloud with appropriate pacing, intonation, and
expression.
Reading Comprehension
Comprehension & Analysis of Grade-Level Appropriate Text
Beginning
(Blank)
Early Intermediate
(Blank)
Intermediate
Use detailed sentences to orally respond to comprehension questions about written
text (e.g.,”The brown bear lives with his family in the forest.”).
Read and identify text features such as titles, table of contents, chapter headings,
diagrams, charts, glossaries, and indexes in written texts.
Read and use detailed sentences to orally identify main ideas and use them to make predictions
and provide supporting details for predictions made.
Describe main ideas and supporting details of a text.
Generate and respond to comprehension questions related to the text.
Describe relationships between text and their experience.
Use resources in the text (such as ideas, illustrations, titles, etc.) to draw inferences,
conclusions, and to make generalizations.
Early Advanced
Advanced
Comprehension
Beginning
Early Intermediate
Intermediate
Early Advanced/
Advanced
Respond orally to stories read to them by answering factual comprehension questions,
using one- or two-word responses (e.g., “brown bear”).
Orally identify relationship between simple text read to them and their won experience
using key words and/or phrases.
Understand and follow simple one-step directions for classroom or work-related
activities.
Read and listen to simple stories and demonstrate understanding by using simple
sentences to respond to explicit detailed questions (e.g., “The bear is brown.”)
Read and orally identify relationships between written text and their own experience
using simple sentences.
Understand and follow simple two-step directions of classroom or work-related
activities.
Read and use more detailed sentences to orally describe relationships between text
and their own experiences.
Understand and follow some multi-step directions for classroom-related activities.
Locate and identify the function of text features such as
format, diagrams, charts, glossaries, and indexes.
Comprehension and Analysis of Appropriate Text
Beginning
Identify the basic sequences of events in stories read to them, using key words or
pictures
Identify the main idea in a story read aloud using key words and/or phrases.
Point out text features such as title, table of contents, and chapter headings.
Early Intermediate
Orally identify the basic sequence of written text using simple sentences.
Read and orally identify the main ideas and use them to draw inferences about written
text using simple sentences.
Read and identify basic text features such as title, table of contents, and chapter
headings.
Intermediate
Early Advanced
Advanced
Read and orally identify examples of fact/opinion and cause/effect in literature and
content area texts.
Describe main ideas and supporting details of a text.
Generate and respond to comprehension questions related to the text.
Describe relationships between text and their experience.
Use resources in the text (such as ideas, illustrations, titles, etc.) to draw inferences,
conclusions, and to make generalizations.
VIII. Math/Science/Social Science Skills
• Drawing conclusions
IX.
• Making inferences
• Predicting
• Scientific Observations
• Cause and effect relationships
• Objects in the sky move in regular and predictable patterns
• Timelines
Resources and Materials
Non-Fiction
• DK Eye Wonder Space. Simon Holland, DK Publishing, Inc.
• The Best Book of the Moon. Ian Graham, Kingfisher
• Finding Out about Sun, Moon and Planets. Lynn Myring and Sheila Snowden,
Usborne
• The Stargazer’s Guide to the Galaxy. Q.L. Pearce, Tom Doherty.
• My Book of Space. Ian Graham, Kingfisher
• Starry Messenger Galileo. Peter Sis, Sunburst
• The Magic School Bus: Space Explorers. Eva Moore, Scholastic
• Spacebusters: The Race to the Moon. Dorling Kindersley Readers, Philip Wilkinson,
D.K. Publishing
• Astronaut Living in Space Eyewitness Readers. Kate Hayden, D.K. Publishing
Fiction
• Many Moons. James Thurber, Harcourt Brace
• Coyote Places the Stars. Harriet Peck Taylor, Evan-Mor
• McGraw-Hill Science Level 3, Teacher’s Multimedia Edition, California Edition.
McGraw-Hill
• National Geographic, September 1983. National Geographic Society
• National Geographic, October 1986. National Geographic Society
• National Geographic, August 1990. National Geographic Society
• National Geographic, November 1996. National Geographic Society
• National Geographic, April 1997. National Geographic Society
Internet Resources
• Enchanted Learning: Zoom Astronomy
http:/www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy
• NASA: “Star Child” astronomy site http:/starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov
• Astronomy for Kids! http:/dustbunny.com/afk/index.html
Project GLAD
Santa Ana Unified School District
Our Solar System
Earth and Physical Science~Third Grade
I.
Focus/Motivation
• The Important Thing about the Solar System is…
II.
III.
IV.
V.
• I Just Thought You Might Like to Know…Sun
• Observation Charts
• Inquiry Chart
• Astronomer Awards
Input
• Solar System Pictorial
• Phases of the Moon Pictorial
• The Orbiting Earth Pictorial
• Read Aloud: Starry Messenger
• Read Aloud: Many Moons
• Narrative Input: The Night Sky
• Sun and Moon Comparative
• Space Exploration Timeline
Guided Oral Practice
• T-Graph for Social Skills: Cooperation
• Chants
• Poetry
• Process Grid: Stars, Inner Planets, Outer Planets, Moons, Asteroids, Comets
• Sentence Patterning Chart: Astronomers
• Daily review and processing of charts
• Story Map
Reading/Writing Activities
1. Whole Class
• Story Mapping
• Expository Reading/Writing
• Model Editing Process
• Poetry Frames
2. Flexible and Cooperative Groupings
• Sentence Patterning Chart with Word Cards
• Ear-to-Ear reading with poetry booklet
• Cooperative Group Strip Paragraph
• Team Tasks: Solar System Pictorial, Phases of the Moon Pictorial, Orbiting Earth
Pictorial, Star Narrative, Space Web, Sentence Patterning Chart, Flip Chant
• Expert Groups: Stars, Inner Planets, Outer Planets, Moons, Asteroids, Comets
• Flexible Grouping for ELL differentiation, primary language, reading instruction,
skill reinforcement
3. Individual Work
• Learning Logs
• Interactive Journals
• Reading/Writing choices: stickies in books, picture file cards, add to charts, make
word cards, highlight charts, focused reading, poetry booklet, flip chants
4. Writer’s Workshop
• Mini-Lessons
• Plan, Share, Write, Revise, Edit, Publish
• Conferencing
• Author’s Chair
Extension Activities
• Moon Phase Chart
•
•
VI.
What Causes Day and Night Investigation, McGraw-Hill Science Level 3, page 195
Investigating How the Moon’s Shape Changes, McGraw-Hill Science Level 3, page
205
• Investigate How Planets Move, McGraw-Hill Science Level 3, page 235
Closure/Evaluation
• Re-visit Inquiry Chart
• Student-Made Big Books
• Team Task Presentations
• Portfolio Conferences
• Home-School Connection
Name:
Solar System Bugaloo
I’m an astronomer and I’m here to say,
I study the Solar System everyday.
Sometimes I write, sometimes I read a book,
And I use my telescope to take a look.
Stars, Planets, Moons, too
Doing the Solar System BUGALOO!
The star nearest Earth is the Sun,
It provides energy for everyone.
The energy comes in the form of heat and light,
It is a ball of gases that burns just right.
Stars, Planets, Moons, too
Doing the Solar System BUGALOO!
Nine planets orbit the Sun,
We live on Earth, but it’s not the only one.
Rocks and metals make up the inner planets,
The outer planets are fat, gassy giants.
Stars, Planets, Moons, too
Doing the Solar System BUGALOO!
Out moon reflects light from the sun,
We can’t see the far side, only the sunlit one!
The moons seems to change shape in the sky,
Your changing view to it is the reason why.
Stars, Planets, Moons, too
Doing the Solar System BUGALOO!
Palomino, 2002
STARS
(to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle)
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
I know what you really are:
Giant ball of glowing gas,
One of billions in a mass!
Twinkle, Twinkle, little star,
Oh, how big you really are!
Twinkle, twinkle, giant star,
Larger than the Earth by far!
Since our distance is a lot,
You look like a tiny dot.
Twinkle, twinkle, giant star,
Very bright, yet very far!
Stars are twinkling, every one,
Some are bigger than the sun!
Just a twinkle in the sky,
Just because you’re oh so high!
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
Oh, how big you really are!
-Author Unknown
Busy Astronomer
I know an astronomer
A busy astronomer
A busy astronomer
Who studies the sky.
She uses a telescope.
He discovers new bodies.
She charts the stars.
He records his observations.
I know an astronomer
A busy astronomer
A busy astronomer
Who explores the universe.
Astronomers
Astronomers here, astronomers there,
Astronomers, astronomers everywhere!
Intelligent astronomers discovering daily,
Curious astronomers watching closely,
And detailed astronomers recording
explicitly.
Astronomers in the observatory,
Astronomers on the mountain,
Astronomers near the university,
And astronomers in the desert.
Astronomers here, astronomers there,
Astronomers, astronomers everywhere!
Astronomers! Astronomers! Astronomers!
Palomino, 2002
Yes Ma’am
Is this a star?
Is this a star?
How do you know?
How do you know?
Give me an example
Give me more examples
Yes, Ma’am
Yes, Ma’am
It’s a sphere of burning gas
It gives off heat and light
Our Sun
Polaris and Vega
Is this a planet?
Is this a planet?
How do you know?
How do you know?
Give me an example
Give me more examples
Yes, Ma’am
Yes, Ma’am
It rotates on an axis
It orbits the sun
Earth
Mars and Jupiter
Is this a moon?
Is this a moon?
How do you know?
How do you know?
Give me an example
Give me more examples
Yes, Ma’am
Yes, Ma’am
It is a natural satellite
It orbits a planet
Our moon, Luna
Io and Titan
Is this an asteroid?
Is this an asteroid?
How do you know?
How do you know?
Tell me more
Give me more examples
Yes, Ma’am
Yes, Ma’am
It’s a large piece of rock and iron
It orbits the sun
It’s called a minor planet
Vesta and Ceres
Is this a comet?
Is this a comet?
How do you know?
How do you know?
Tell me more
Give me more examples
Yes, Ma’am
Yes, Ma’am
It’s made of rock, gas, ice and dust
It moves through space
It’s has a head and tail
Halley’s Comet
Palomino, 2002
The Moon Chant
By Carmen Smith
The moon is here.
The moon is there.
The moon is shining everywhere.
The new moon hides out of sight.
The waxing crescent gives off more light.
The 1st quarter moon is pretty bright.
But the full moon lights up the darkest night.
The moon is here.
The moon is there.
The moon is shining everywhere.
The 3rd quarter moon hides half its face.
The waning crescent is a “banana in space.”
Soon the new moon will reappear.
The phases start over. To that we cheer.
The Inner Planets
Characteristics
The inner planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.
These spheres are made up of the same kind of materials - mainly rocks and metals. They have a
solid outer surface called a crust.
Location in Space
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are called the “inner planets” because they are the closest to
the Sun. Mercury is the closest to the Sun, followed by Venus, Earth and Mars. All of the planets of
the solar system are held in arrangement by gravity. Gravity is the invisible of attraction between
objects.
Motion
All of the planets rotate, or spin around like a top, but they all rotate at different speeds. A
planet’s day is the time it taks to make one rotation. All of the planets also each make a special
journey, called an orbit, around the Sun. The Sun has the strongest gravity, so all of the planets are
forced to keep to their paths around it. A planet’s year is the time it takes to make one full orbit
around the Sun. Because the inner planets are closer to the sun, they have shorter orbits and shorter
years.
Interesting Facts
All of the inner planets have unique characteristics. Mercury is a small, rocky planet and looks
like the Earth’s moon. During the day, temperatures are four times hotter than on Earth. But, because
its thin atmosphere is not able to hold onto the heat from the sun, at night it is freezing on Mercury!
Venus is the closest planet to Earth. Venus is also the hottest planet in our solar system. Earth is the
planet we call home. It is the only planet we know of that has air we can breathe. It is also the only
planet we know of with plants and animals. Mars, the fourth planet from the sun, has the biggest
volcanoes. Its biggest volcano, Olympus Mons, is probably the biggest volcano in the solar system.
The inner planets are interesting to study!
Asteroids
Characteristics
Asteroids are space rocks. Asteroids can be a few feet to several hundred miles
wide, but most are about one to two miles wide. At least 4,500 asteroids have been
identified, but there are many, many more.
Location in Space
Most of the asteroids in our solar system can be found orbiting the Sun between
of Mars and Jupiter. This area is sometimes called the "asteroid belt". The belt
probably contains at least 40,000 asteroids that are more than 0.5 miles across.
Motion
The asteroid belt is a big highway in a circle around the Sun. Think about the
asteroids as cars on the highway. Sometimes, the asteroid cars run into one another.
When this happens, the asteroids may break up into smaller asteroids.
If an asteroid is captured by the gravitational pull of a planet, the asteroid can be pulled
out of the belt and go into orbit as a moon around the planet that pulled on it.
Interesting Facts
The biggest asteroid in the asteroid belt is called Ceres. Ceres is the same size as
the country of France. Vesta is the brightest asteroid. It is the only asteroid that can
sometimes be seen from Earth with the naked eye, but at least one hundred asteroids
can be seen with a small telescope.
The Moon
Characteristics
The Moon is the largest, brightest object in our night sky. Unlike the Sun, it has no light of its
own to give out. It looks so bright because its surface is lit up by the Sun. The Moon is like a desert
with plains, mountains and valleys. It also has many craters, which are holes created when space
rocks hit the Moon’s surface at a high speed. There is no air to breathe on the Moon. Recently ice
was discovered at the poles (top and bottom) of the Moon. The ice is buried beneath some of the dust
of the Moon’s surface. The Moon is much smaller that the Earth. However, the pull of its gravity can
still affect the Earth’s ocean tides.
Location in Space
The moon is our closest neighbor in space. It is 240,000 miles away. The same side of the
Moon faces our planet all the time. The side we can see from Earth is called the near side and the side
we never see is called the far side.
Motion
The moon is Earth’s natural satellite. It travels on a path around our planet Earth. The journey
that is makes around Earth is called an orbit. As it orbits, it also spins like a top. It spins exactly once
during each orbit of the Earth. As the Moon travels around the Earth, we see different amounts of its
sunlit side. That is why the moon seems to change shape. These changes are called the phases of the
Moon. The first phase is the new moon, when it cannot be see at all. Then we see the crescent, the
first-quarter, the gibbous and finally the full moon.
Interesting Facts
The Moon is the only place in our solar system, other than Earth, where humans have visited.
On July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin landed the Lunar Module of Apollo 11
on the Moon’s surface. Neil Armstrong was the first human to set foot on the Moon.
Our moon is not the only moon in the solar system. All of the planets except Mercury and
Venus have at least one moon. In fact, Saturn has at least twenty-one moons!
The Outer Planets
Characteristics
The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are called “the gas giants.” They are much bigger than
Earth. Although they all have a hard center, their top layers are made of gas and
liquids, and they do not have hard surfaces like Earth. Pluto, the coldest planet, is made
of ice and rock.
Location in Space
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are called the “Outer Planets”
because they are the farthest from the Sun. In fact, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are so
far from the sun that they get very little of its heat and light. Most of the time Pluto is
the last planet of the Solar System, but for twenty Earth years of each orbit it passes
inside Neptune’s orbit making Neptune the most distant planet. All of the planets of the
solar system are held in arrangement by gravity. Gravity is the invisible attraction
between objects.
Motion
All of the planets rotate, or spin around like a top, but they all rotate at different
speeds. A planet’s day is the time it takes to make one rotation. All of the planets also
each make a special journey, called an orbit, around the Sun. The Sun has the strongest
gravity, so all of the planets are forced to keep to their paths around it. A planet’s year
is the time it takes to make one full orbit around the Sun. Because the outer planets are
farther from the sun, they have longer orbits and longer years.
Interesting Facts
All of the outer planets have unique characteristics. Jupiter is the largest planet
in our solar system. It is so big that all of the other planets could fit inside it. Saturn is
best known for its bright rings made of icy rocks. Uranus also has some rings, but its
rings are thin and dark. Neptune has four very faint rings, and is the windiest planet in
the solar system. Pluto is the smallest planet we know, and some scientists think that
Pluto might not be a planet at all. There are many interesting facts about the outer
planets!
Comets
Characteristics
A comet is made of dirty ice, dust, and gas. It has a nucleus (solid, frozen ice, gas
and dust), a gaseous coma (water vapor, CO2, and other gases), and a tail (dust and
ionized gases). The tail can be up to 250 million km long, and is most of what we see.
A comet does not give off any light of its own. What seems to be light from the
comet is actually a reflection of our Sun's light. Sunlight bounces off the comet's ice
particles in the same way light is reflected by a mirror.
Location in Space
Most comets lie in an immense cluster, beyond the planets, called the Oort
Cloud. Occasionally, something such as the gravity of another object in space pulls a
comet out of the Oort cloud and causes it to pass within the orbit of the planets.
Motion
Some comets orbit the Sun like planets. Their orbits take them very close to and
very far away from the Sun. When a comet gets close to the Sun, part of the ice starts to
melt. The solar winds then push the dust and gas released by the melting ice away from
the comet. This forms the comet's tail. Every time a comet comes close to the Sun, a
part of it melts. Over time, it will completely disappear.
Interesting Facts
Scientists believe that about 100,000 million comets orbit the Sun. A few comets
come close enough to the Earth for us to see them with our eyes. Halley's Comet, for
example, can be seen from Earth every 76 years.
Object
Sun
Inner Planets
Outer Planets
The Moon
Asteroids
Comets
Characteristics
Location in
our Solar
System
Motion
Interesting
Facts
Solar System Pictorial
Phases of the Moon Pictorial
Seasons Pictorial
Narrative Input Chart
Albert and Monica
By Linda Palomino
Before my friend Monica moved in next door our neighborhood was really boring. I mean
there was absolutely nothing to do at night that is except watch T.V. Nobody went outside. The
street was very quiet. Now it’s one thing when it is winter and the days are short and you have
homework to do and all, but when its summer…well, everyone needs a little excitement. I was
starting to get really bored that warm July day when Monica moved in. Yes, I had watched enough
cartoons to last a lifetime. I am not saying that I would usually hang out with girls, but Monica was
different, you see, Monica had a telescope. She was a real amateur astronomer. Hanging out with
Monica was like watching your own personal Discovery channel.
The day Monica moved in next door, she came to introduce herself. She said, “Hi, my name is
Monica. What’s your name?”
I said, “My name is Albert.”
Then, without wasting anytime she says, “Wow Albert, look at that bright star in the sky!”
Not yet realizing that Monica was an amateur astronomer, I said, “There are no stars in the sky,
it is daytime. I don’t see anything in the sky except for the sun.”
“Oh Albert”, she said, “The sun is a star! It is a ball of burning gases!”
“But how can the Sun be a star? I mean it is so big, and stars are just little dots in the sky!”
“Actually Albert, you’re right. The sun is really big, it’s over a million times larger than our
planet Earth, but the Sun is only a medium-sized star. It looks bigger than the other stars because it is
closer to Earth. The other stars are very, very far away.”
“Wow, Monica that’s cool! Where did you learn all that stuff?”
“At my old school my teacher did something called GLAD. She taught us all about the Solar
System.”
“Wow! I’d like to learn more about the Solar System!”
“Hey, why don’t you ask your mom and dad if you can come out tonight and I’ll bring out my
telescope?”
“Okay, that sounds great! I’ll see you later.”
So that’s how it all started. Monica and I went outside that night. Her mom and dad joined us
too. She explained that stars give off heat and light because of their hot gases, which make stars shine.
She taught me that stars are different colors. Some look red, some are yellow and others look white.
She said that the cooler stars are red, the warmer stars are yellow and the hotter stars are bluish white.
After many nights of stargazing with Monica and her parents, I started to notice that the stars
moved across the sky as we looked at them. If we wanted to observe a star we would have to move
the telescope to follow the star. “How do the stars move?” I asked Monica’s dad one night.
“That’s a very good question Albert,” he said. “The stars seem to move across the sky from
east to west, but it is our planet, Earth that is moving. The Earth is turning slowly from west to east.
The stars rise and set just like the sun.”
“And the sun is a star too,” I said proudly.
“That is right Albert. And there are other stars in the sky during the day, but you can’t see
them because of the bright sunlight.”
The next night Monica had something new to share with me. She told me about constellations.
She said that a long time ago people thought that groups of stars formed outlines of people, animals or
things in the sky. She told me that there are 88 constellations, but some of them you can only see at
certain times of the year, depending on the Earth’s position in the sky as it orbits the sun. We were
able to find the Big Dipper, and the Little Dipper. The North Star is at the end of the Little Dipper’s
handle.
The following week Monica’s parents brought out star charts. Star charts are maps of the sky.
They can help you find a certain star or constellation. Monica’s mom said that about 2000 stars can be
seen while looking up at the sky on a clear night! She said that some stargazers use binoculars to get a
better look, and some people, such as astronomers use telescopes to see some stars clearer, and to see
other stars that are too far away to be seen with eyes alone.
It was sure cool hanging out with Monica that summer. That next year she had to move again
because her dad got a new job. I was really sad, but happy that thanks to Monica, I had a new
hobby…STARGAZING! Maybe someday I’ll even be a professional astronomer and make new
discoveries of my own.
If I do become a professional astronomer, I’ll use a huge telescope at an observatory that will
take pictures for me to study. If I discover a new star or a new planet, I think I’ll name it “Monica”.
Big Books-The Important Thing About Our Solar System, by Linda Palomino
The important thing about our solar system is that its objects move in
regular patterns.
• The Sun is a star in the center of our solar system.
• It is a ball of burning gas that provides us with energy in the form of
heat and light.
• All of the planets travel around the Sun.
• It takes 365 days or 1 year for Earth to orbit the Sun.
But, the important thing about our solar system is that its objects move
in regular patterns.
The important thing about our solar system is that its objects move in
regular patterns.
• The inner planets include Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
• They are the closet planets to the Sun.
• They are made of rock and metal.
• Like all planets, they rotate on an axis, and they orbit the Sun.
But, the important thing about our solar system is that its objects move
in regular patterns.
The important thing about our solar system is that its objects move in
regular patterns.
• Asteroids are space rocks.
• Most asteroids can be found orbiting the Sun between Mars and
Jupiter.
• This area of our solar system is called the Asteroid Belt.
• Asteroids can be as small as a large boulder, or as large as a whole city.
But, the important thing about our solar system is that its objects move
in regular patterns.
The important thing about our solar system is that its objects move in
regular patterns.
• Our Moon is our closet neighbor.
• The Moon has no light of its own. It is lit by the Sun.
• The Moon seems to change shape, but really as the Moon travels
around the Earth, we see different amounts of its sunlit side.
• The changes in the appearance of the Moon are called “phases.”
But, the important thing about our solar system is that its objects move
in regular patterns.
The important thing about our solar system is that its objects move in
regular patterns.
• The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.
• The outer planets are farther from the Sun.
• Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune have surfaces made of liquids and
gases. Pluto is made of ice and rock.
• The outer planets rotate on an axis and orbit the Sun.
But, the important thing about our solar system is that its objects move
in regular patterns.
The important thing about our solar system is that its objects move in
regular patterns.
• A comet is made of dirty ice, dust, and gas.
• It has a nucleus, a coma, and a tail that can be up to 250 million
kilometers long.
• Some comets orbit the Sun like planets. Their orbit takes them very
close to and very far away from the Sun.
• Every time a comet comes close to the Sun, a part of it melts. Over
time, it will completely disappear.
But, the important thing about our solar system is that its objects move
in regular patterns.
Big Book: I just thought you might like to know… by Pat Inglés
Did you know…
the sun is the center of the solar system?
• The sun is a star, a huge ball of hot glowing gases.
• The planets in our solar system orbit the sun because it pulls on them
with a force called gravity.
• All objects in space have some gravity.
• The bigger an object is, the more gravity it has, so the greater the
gravitational pull.
I just thought you might like to know the sun is the center of the solar
system.
Did you know…
the sun is the center of the solar system?
•
•
•
•
Our closet star is the Sun.
The sun is thought to be 4.6 billion years old.
It is known as a yellow dwarf, which is a medium size star.
The sun is a star in the Milky Way Galaxy.
I just thought you might like to know the sun is the center of the solar
system
Did you know…
the sun is the center of the solar system?
• Like the Earth, the sun has an atmosphere, a cloud of gases
surrounding it.
• The sun’s inner atmosphere is called the Chromosphere (chromo means
color).
• Usually, we can not see the Chromosphere because it is hidden in the
bright glare of the sun’s surface.
• However, during a total eclipse of the sun, the Chromosphere becomes
visible.
• A solar eclipse takes place when the moon comes between earth and
the sun, blocking out the light from the sun.
I just thought you might like to know the sun is the center of the solar
system.
Did you know…
the sun is the center of the solar system?
• The sun’s diameter is 864,939 miles.
• The sun is nearly 600 times bigger than all the planets in the solar
system.
• About 1,300,000 Earths could fit inside the sun.
I just thought you might like to know the sun is the center of the solar
system.
Did you know…
the sun is the center of the solar system?
•
•
•
•
•
The sun is sometimes covered with dark spots called sunspots.
They look dark because they are cooler than the gases around them.
Sunspots look small, but most are bigger than our planet earth.
Solar flares are huge bursts of energy that explode near the sunspots.
They are so powerful, they can send energy all the way to Earth in 8
minutes.
• When this energy is loose in space it causes solar storms.
I just thought you might like to know the sun is the center of the solar
system.
Did you know…
the sun is the center of the solar system?
• The sun is the source of all life on earth.
• Energy from the sun causes weather and seasons.
• Without the sun, earth would be a cold, black rock in space.
• All the energy that living things need to grow comes from the sun.
Well, I just thought you might like to know how important the sun is to
all of us!
Home-School Connection #1
Our Solar System
Ask someone in your family to go outside with you tonight and observe
the night sky. What do you see? Draw a picture and write about your
observations.
Pídele a alguien de tu familia que salga contigo esa noche a observar el
cielo de noche. ¿Que ves? Haz un dibujo y escribe tus observaciones.
Home-School Connection #2
Our Solar System
Ask your mom or dad if they remember any songs or rhymes about
the sun, moon, stars, or planets from when they were children.
Write and draw about what they tell you.
Preguntale a su mamá o papá si recuerden agluna canción o rima
acerca del sol, la luna, las estrellas, o los planetas desde cuando ellos eran ninos.
Escribe y haz un dibujo acerca de lo que te dicen.
Home-School Connection #3
Our Solar System
Observe the moon each night for the next month. Draw what you see. If you
don’t see the moon one night, leave that space blank.
Observa la luna cada noche durante un mes. Dibuja lo que ves. Sí no ves la luna
una noche, ne escribas nada.
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday
Friday
Saturday