Kelli Donovan: Tec 925 Project

Curriculum Lesson: The Solar System

I chose the Solar System as my curriculum lesson because I have a background in science and more importantly the students are always fascinated about this topic.  I would teach 4 periods (40 min.) of class time about the general characteristics of the Solar System (i.e. dimensions in terms in which they can relate, planetary size comparisons, and the temp. and size of the Sun.  I would have to dedicate about 3 periods for a lab activity on Solar System dimensions and the other two periods would be lecturing to them about some characteristics of each planet. 

                                                Solar System Dimensions Lab

In this lab the students would be required to use math measurements with tape measures an adding machine tape.  I would be sure to use the Metric System.  I would use a large ball as a model for the Sun and adding machine tape would be stretched out across the room.  I would give the students a list of actual distances for all the planets and then I would have conversions of those distances in units that they can easily measure.  For instance Mercury's distance from the Sun is 30 million miles (58 million km) and on the tape it would be equivalent to 1 cm from the Sun (I would use only whole numbers).  Colored pencils would be used here to indicate the planet on the tape.  Pluto the planet that is furthest from the Sun would be about 118 cm from the Sun.   You can also tell them that the nearest Star, other than the Sun, would be some where in the next town Ð that usually wows them.

I would also lecture to the students for about 40 min. about each planet and give a general description of their characteristics.  I also have several books that I bought form the Teacher Store that the students can read.

                                                            Online Activities

I would now assign each student a planet, they would pick out of a hat, and they would research this planet in as much detail as is possible for a fifth grader.  I would want them to tell me about the distance from the Sun and Earth, the mass, the temperature, gasses in the atmosphere and the planets diameter.  They would also be required to compare their planet with the Earth.  I would give them a week to complete this and I would dedicate one period of class time per day for one week.  I know the students will have a difficult time with the large numbers but that's OK I just want an appreciation of the size.  Upon completion of the projects the students will be required to turn in their reports about their planet.  I will also give the students some suggestions with regard to useful websites.  They will also do some online searches using Google.

Astronomy/Solar System Sites:

http://enc.org/weblinks/science/0,1578,1-Cosmology-all-Cosmology+(origin+of+the+universe),00.shtm

http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov.master.com/texis/master/search/?q=Solar+System&s=SS

http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/lessons.cgi/Science/Astronomy

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/K12/planetsize/planetsize.html

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/Science45.htm

http://www.frontiernet.net/~kidpower/astronomy.html

http://www.worldalmanacforkids.com/explore/space.html

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/index.cfm

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/our_solar_system/solar_system.html

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html