1. Unlocking the Key to the Solar System What are the “Big Ideas” for this unit?  Systems operate and move in an orderly pattern.  Gravity influences the paths, orbits and processes of celestial bodies.  The Sun directly affects the possibility of life and/or weather patterns on the planets.  Astronomers have developed and implemented formulas and techniques to learn about the solar system.

2. Shifting Gears Through Differentiation Through the melding of many different activities and approaches, all of the lessons in my unit will differentiate for my students. Some of the ways I will differentiate are:  Students will work in groups or with partners to complete assignments.  Students will complete hands-on experiments and projects.  Students will participate in class discussions to learn new concepts.  Students will have opportunities to complete extension activities that challenge and further their learning.

3. The Core Propositions My solar system unit is connected to proposition one, which states “Teachers are Committed to Students and Their Learning.” The main focus of this proposition is that students can learn. It is the job of the teacher to make that learning accessible to all students. An excellent teacher realizes that students are different and they monitor how their students are learning. It is my job to set aside my own beliefs about how I think students should learn and create my lessons to fit their needs and their learning styles. I have developed my unit to differentiate in each lesson so that I can be sure that I am hitting as many modalities as possible in each lesson. Also, through ongoing assessment, I can see each day how well my students are understanding and learning each concept in our unit.