EmmatheExplorer2 First Grade Lesson Plan

Lesson Title:  Patterns of the Sun and Moon                                      Grade Level: first

Big Idea

It is essential for students to know that there are features that can be found in the day sky and in the night sky.

State Standard/s

Indicator 1.3.1: Compare the features of the day and night sky.

Standard 1-3: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the features of the sky and the patterns of the Sun and the Moon. (Earth Science)

Connection to SC Curriculum Support Document

1.3.1: Compare the features of the day and night sky.

Focus Questions

       How Special Is Our Sun?

     What do we see in the sky from the Earth?

   What might I see in the day and nighttime skies?

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills A student must already know and be able to…

Previous/Future knowledge: This is the first time that students have been introduced to features of the day and night sky. This is a foundational concept that will be further developed in 4th grade (4-3.5) when students explain how day and night occur.

Overview of Lesson

·       Young children have many misconceptions about the objects in the sky and day and night due to the lack of concrete experiences available and the abstractness of the concepts. They believe such things as:

o   The moon only “comes out” at night.

o   The sun “goes away” when the moon is in the sky.

o   All stars are the same size.

This lesson furthers the students understanding of objects in the sky.

Assessment Procedures

●       How did you assess this unit?

●       Attach student work as Appendices (i.e., rubric for group work, quizzes, tests, concept maps, etc.).

Lesson Preparation

·       Materials

·       Chart paper for web

·       Markers

Procedures

1.    Display the web on chart paper and pose the focus question to the children. Allow the children to share their ideas.

2.    As the children name objects seen in the sky, place labels on the web.

3.    Once the web is complete, discuss each object as to whether it is a “daytime” object or a “nighttime” object.

4.    Using an orange or red marker for day and a blue or black marker for night, have a student come to the chart and circle the object with the correct color marker.

5.    Continue until all objects have been circled.

Resources

Star-Lab

SC support documents

Differentiated Instruction

Extend

1.    Ask the students if any of the objects can be seen in both the nighttime and daytime sky. Circle these with both colors.

2.    Have the children draw one of the objects from the web on a sheet of paper. Ask them to label their drawings.

3.    Remove the web from sight.

4.    Ask the children to help you sort the drawings by nighttime sky objects, daytime sky object or both. (This could be done in a Venn diagram.)

Star-Lab