Table of Contents Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3

Introduction  The students will be learning about our solar system in this unit. Our lessons will go over the sun and moon, the planets, and also discuss the stars and touch upon the constellations.

 Before we begin our read-aloud, the students will respond to our class blog. They will respond to the post which says Lesson #1.class blog  We will then move on and read the Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System.

Main Points  The sun is actually a star.  The moon is a rocky body that reflects light from the sun.  The sun provides light, it is a source of energy for plants. It also provides heat for animals and humans.  The moon looks like it changes shapes. It goes through changes called phases.

 The moon has 8 phases. If you look at the handout you will see the different phases of the moon. handout  Let’s take a look at this video which will help us remember the phases of the moon.video  To finish up this lesson you must complete the worksheet. worksheet

Lesson #2Lesson #2 – The Planets  We will begin by reading My Place in Space by Robin and Sally Hirst.  My Place in Space is a story about a boy who tells where he lives by starting with his home address and ending with the planet on which he lives.  Where do we live? City? State? Country? Planet?

Main Points  There are 9 planets that travel in big circles around the Sun.  Planets are different from the sun because a planet is not as big or as hot as the sun. Remember how we said the sun is a star and makes light on its own.  Let’s watch this small video clip which shows us the order that the planets are in. Starting with the one closest to the Sun.video

 I will continue by showing the children pictures of the planets. Point out the characteristics of each planet that make the planet special. The following are some of the interesting facts about the planets that you may like to share with the children. * The largest planet is Jupiter, Saturn the next largest. * The smallest and coldest planet is Pluto. Pluto is so cold because it is the farthest from the sun. * The closest planet to the sun is Mercury. * Mars is sometimes called the Red Planet because the ground there is covered with red soil. * Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune have rings around them. * Mercury and Venus are the only two planets that don't have at least one moon. * Mercury is 36 million miles from the sun and has no water on it.  The lesson will conclude with a short activity where they draw, label and color their own Planet Chart.

Lesson #3Lesson #3 – The Stars  Before we begin our lesson, the students will respond to our class blog. They will respond to the post which says Lesson #3.class blog  We will begin a discussion about the stars we see in the sky at night.  Stars are different sizes, some are small and others are large. Our sun is a medium-sized star. Stars also look like different sizes. Some look brighter than others because they are different distances from the earth.

Demonstration  I will demonstrate how distance affects a star's apparent brightness. Shut off the lights in the room. I will have one of the students stand in the middle of the room and shine the flashlight on the blackboard or wall. They will slowly walk toward the board or wall and I will ask the rest of the class to notice what is happening to the light.  I will call on different children to tell the changes they see occurring.  I will explain that a star closer to the Earth will be brighter than a star farther away from the earth.

Constellations  Have you ever looked up into the sky at night and seen clouds that were the shape of something familiar to you, such as a dog or a tree or even a person's face?  A long time ago people looked up at the stars and found that groups of stars seemed to form shapes that looked like animals or people. The people gave the groups of stars names and made up stories about them. These groups of stars are called constellations.

 Now, we are going to read a book about one of the constellations. It is called The Big Dipper by Franklyn Branley.  After we read the book the students will get creative and create their very own constellation and they will need to name it.

End of the Unit  At the end of the unit the students will have a review survey of what they have learned this week. review survey  They will also have to complete the Webquest which they can find on our Science Page.WebquestScience Page

Homework  To view your homework assignments for this unit go to our Science Website. All the assignments are posted along with instructions.  Homework Page Homework Page