1. Other than the sun, planets, and moon, what other objects are found in the Solar System?
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should ask the students the question on the ppt slide. Give students 1 minute or less to provide examples of other objects in the solar system.

2. In this lesson, we are going to be comparing comets, meteors, and asteroids which are found in the Solar System.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should read the slide to the class.

3. Essential Question: What is the difference between a comet, meteor, and asteroid?
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should introduce the essential question and the standard that aligns to the essential question.
Standard S6E1f. Describe the characteristics of comets, asteroids, and meteors.

4. Activating Strategy
Complete the “Before the Lesson” section of the Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids Anticipation Guide by selecting which object each statement describes based on your prior knowledge.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should give each student a Comet, Meteor, and Asteroid Anticipation Guide. The students should individually read each statement and mark whether it describes a comet, meteor, or asteroid. Remind students that it is an activating strategy; therefore, students are not expected to know the information yet. You are activating any prior knowledge they have about comets, meteors, and asteroids. The teacher may want to allow students to compare their responses; however, stress to the students that they should not change their answer based on another student’s response. See the Comets, Meteors and Asteroids Anticipation Guide linked on the resource page.

5. Use the graphic organizer to record important information.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should give each student a copy of the graphic organizer to record important information during the lesson.

6. Comets

8. Comets
Comets are composed of dust and rock mixed with frozen water, methane, and ammonia
Comets are considered to be like a large, dirty snowball
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the characteristics of a comet while the students record the important information on their notes.

9. Comets travel around the sun in elliptical orbits
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the characteristic of a comet while the students record the information on their notes. The teacher should show the animation of a comet traveling in the solar system to reinforce the concepts.

10. Comets
When a comet nears the sun, some of it melts and forms a long tail (gases in the comet are vaporized by the sun)
When a comet moves farther away from the sun, the tail disappears
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the characteristics of a comet while the students record the information on their notes. The teacher should show the animations of a comet traveling in the solar system to reinforce the concepts.

11. After a comet has passed close to the Sun many times, it breaks apart
After a comet has passed close to the Sun many times, it breaks apart. The small pieces from the comet spread out. These pieces of dust and rock, along with those coming from other sources, are called Meteoroids.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide.

12. You may have noticed that in the last slide we used the term Meteoroids to describe objects in the sky, but your essential question and the standard say Meteor. What’s the difference?
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide and ask students if they can identify the difference in a meteoroid and a meteor.

13. Meteoroid, Meteor, Meteorite
Meteoroid, Meteor, Meteorite? The difference is just based on where the rock is located when you are describing it.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide.

14. Meteorite is a meteoroid that hits the earth’s surface
Meteoroid is a “space rock” that is still in space
Meteor is a meteoroid that burns up in the earth’s atmosphere (Shooting Star)
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes. Possibly do the Meteor Burnout demonstration linked on the resource page.
Meteorite is a meteoroid that hits the earth’s surface

15. Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should use the image on the slide to reinforce the difference between a meteoroid, meteor, and meteorite.

16. A Meteor is considered harmless even though it can be viewed from earth at times.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record any important information on their notes.

17. Distributed Summarizing
On your notes sheet, explain the difference between a comet, meteoroid, and meteor.
When instructed, turn to an elbow partner and share your answer.
Instructional Approach(s): The students should answer the distributed summarizing question on the bottom of their notes comparing a comet, meteoroid, and a meteor. After 1-2 minutes, the teacher should instruct students to share their answer with another student close to them (without getting out of their seat).

18. Asteroids
Instructional Approach(s): Introduce Asteroids

19. Asteroid A piece of rock similar to the material formed into planets.
An Asteroid is smaller than a planet but larger than a meteoroid
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the characteristics of an asteroid while the students record important information on their notes.

20. Asteroid
Most asteroids are located in an area between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter called the Asteroid Belt.
Why are they located there?
The gravity of Jupiter might have kept a planet from forming in the area
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the characteristics of an asteroid while the students record important information on their notes.

21. Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should use the image to reinforce the location of asteroids.

22. Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should use the image to reinforce the characteristics of a comet, asteroid, and a meteor.

23. Comet, Meteor or Asteroid? Explain how you know.
Instructional Approach(s): Give students the images at the beginning and have them tape or glue the image underneath the correct object name OR after going through the characteristics of each object, have students cut out the pictures and then match them to the correct object. Once the teacher checks the student’s matches, the student can then tape or glue the image underneath the correct object name.

24. Possible Activities Scale Size Comet, Meteoroid, Asteroid
Asteroids, Meteoroids, Comets Path Worksheet
Let’s Cook Up a Comet!
Triple Venn Diagram or Triple Comparison Organizer
Instructional Approach(s): If additional practice or activities are needed, the teacher can select one or two of the activities. See the resource page for details.

25. Summarizing Strategy
Complete the “After the Lesson” section of the Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids Anticipation Guide by selecting which object each statement describes.

26. teacher check
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should use the slide to go over the information ONLY AFTER the teacher has viewed student responses to determine student mastery of the concepts.

27. Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should use the slide to allow students to make sure they have the correct information in their graphic organizer.