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1. Using the scaled down radius measurement of each planet in inches, Mercury’s diameter at one inch, students will mimic the real colors of the planets using colored poster board. Draw circles according to the scale, representing the planets.
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2. Cut out the circles and label each planet.
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3. Cut 2, 15 inch pieces of wire from the coat hangers and cross them at the center and secure with 10 gauge wire. This is where the Sun, represented by yellow poster board, will be located. (Size and distances of planets are modified for this activity.)
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4. Cut string or fishing line for each planet to hang on. Suggested lengths for string or fishing line are as follows: Mars 8 inches, Earth 7 in., Neptune 10 in, Jupiter 9 in., Uranus 10 in., Venus 10 in., Mercury 7 in., Saturn 9 in., and Pluto 12 in.
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5. Punch a hole in the top of each planet and place one end of the string through about an inch and tie a knot at that end.
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6. Cut 2, 24 inch pieces of string and tie the ends of each string to the ends of the coat hanger wire, at the 12 inch center place a paper clip to hang the mobile up with.
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7. Use a marker to write the name of each planet on both sides of the planet, permanent adhesive labels, such as file folder labels, are good for this.
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8. Secure each planet with a knot on coat hanger wire. (These directions and materials can be adapted as necessary. A suggestion might be to use pre-cut sticks, for younger children, and a wood glue to secure them at the center.)
Evaluation
The evaluation would be on a Rubric Scale Point System of 0-8. 0 being no effort exemplified in contrast to a 6 being excellent. The scoring would be in each of the following areas: Student participation, following of directions, use of prior knowledge skills, recording of research information accurately and neatly in Science/Astronomy Journals, and use of Journals in the development of the Solar System Mobile, and the completed Mobile in a timely manner.
I would present a teacher made test to evaluate students understanding of concepts taught. Also, the test will help me identify problem areas in which I need to reteach for mastery. All of the skills in this lesson are aligned with the Connecticut Mastery Tests and the district goals of developing critical thinking skills.
OUR MARVELOUS PLANETARY SYSTEM, Cooperative Problem Solving, Grade 3-5, Lesson seven.
Objective
Students will use deductive reasoning in a cooperative setting to Understand the order of planets in their Solar System.
Materials
Copies of written directions and clues prepared on index cards. Envelopes with index cards and pictures of the planets and Solar System.
Strategies
For each problem students will be astronomers. Clues will be presented and students will use the process of elimination. Divide the class into equal groups give each group an envelope with one clue. There can be four—six students in each group depending on class size.
Group rules
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1. One student is group leader, whose job it is to direct the discussion.
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2. One student is the recorder of data and reasoning ideas.
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3. One student is the reporter to the class of how the group solved the problem.
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4. There is one time keeper to keep everyone on task and focused.
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5. Only one person speaks at a time.
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8. There is a no-fault policy, no one blames another for ideas that might lead to an incorrect solution.
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7. If a small group of students, four-six, are working on solving the over all problem, each student is given one clue. Only four clues are needed to solve the problem.
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8. Students may read their clues to each other but not show the written clues.
Solar System Problem
Each group has a set of out of order pictures of the Sun, Pluto, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Earth.
(Solar System Cooperative Problem Solving Activity materials should be laminated for continual use.)
Directions should read
These clues are for solving your group problem. Only read the clues to the group. Don’t show the written clues to any other student. Problem reads: Order the Sun and the planet pictures based on the clues that you have on the index cards.
Two clues are written on each index card, for example:
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1. Five planets furthest from our star are Neptune, Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, not in that order.
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2. Four of the planets have a lower density even though they are much larger than the other five. Other examples of clues are as follows:
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*Uranus is between Saturn and Neptune.
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*Saturn is nearer Earth than Neptune.
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*Mercury and Pluto have seven planets between them.
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*There is just one planet between Uranus and Pluto.
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*Venus and Mercury were the only two planets closer to the Sun than our Earth planet.
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*The five planets nearest the Sun are Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Mercury, not in that order.
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*The five terrestrial planets, (Earth like planets), are Earth, Mars, Mercury, Pluto, and Venus.
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*Earth is approximately 93 million miles from the Sun. Copernicus of the 18th century only knew six planets: Earth, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus. These are the six planets closest to the Sun.
Note
For students who want more challenging activities add other pictures and clues such as the Earth’s Moon and other moons or rings around planets.
The possibilities of this type of cooperative, hands-on discovery and reasoning, are endless. Another adaptation could be to use this process with new information as research and new evidence becomes available. It could also be used for the various jobs individuals have in the various Sciences for Space Exploration.
Evaluation
The evaluation would be on the outcome of the student/groups placement of the planets based on the clues. Observation by the teacher of the groups working together to solve the problem presented. Journal entries in Science Journals about what was learned by each student would be another indicator for evaluation.
OUR MARVELOUS PLANETARY SYSTEM, RELATIVE TO SIZE AND DISTANCE, Grades 3-5,Lesson Eight.
Explain terms used when discussing distances and sizes this great, such as light years. A good question to identify where students are in their knowledge is to ask things like, “What is a light year?” (Students love to have a question asked and then you act like you don’t know and need their help.) Explanation should be the time/distance light travels in one Earth year. Light travels approximately 186,300 miles per second, equal to about 6 trillion miles is the distance light travels in one year. Relative distances and time to travel to places in The Solar System are as follows: (Note that a space craft traveling at the speed of a jet is figured at 600 miles an hour.
Also note that the figures are approximations.)
PLANET
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DIAMETER
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DISTANCE
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A SPACE CRAFT
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LIGHT
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TRAVEL
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At Equators
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In Miles
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AT JET SPEED
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Sun
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870,000
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93,000,000
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17.7 yrs
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8.5 min
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Mercury
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3,030
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57,000,000
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10.8 yrs
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|
5 min
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Venus
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7,500
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26,000,000
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5.4 yrs
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|
2.5 min
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Mars
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4,200
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40,000,000
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8.8 yrs
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|
4 min.
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Jupiter
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89,000
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390,000,000
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74.25 yrs
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|
35 min.
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Saturn
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75,000
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794,000,000
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150.4 yrs
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1.2 hrs.
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Uranus
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32,000
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1.7 billion
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318.5 yrs
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2.5 hrs
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Neptune
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31,000
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2.7 billion
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513.2 yrs
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4 hrs
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Pluto
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1,500
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3.6 billion
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690.1 yrs
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5.4 hrs
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EXTENDED LESSONS
You could go on for example, the distance to nearest star Proxima Centauri is
25.trillion
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4.8 million yrs
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4.2yrs.
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I would also use travel guides in relationship to travel around the world and how long it takes by jet to travel from place to place (A little geography here). Show how that relates to the travel we are talking about to the various planets.
OUR MARVELOUS PLANETARY SYSTEM, RELATIVE TO SIZE AND DISTANCE, Grades 3-5, Lesson Eight.
Objectives
Students will be able to identify and relate through analogies, the size and distance of planets in relationship to Earth.
Materials
Overheads for direct teaching by teacher. Rich print environment of Astronomy books, magazines, and computer software for research. Sand, sifter made out of screen, small ball-bearings, and a large container made out of glass, such as an Aquarium. Large boxes to create models with.
Procedures
Students can be grouped during presentation and activities.
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1. Teacher will direct teach approximate sizes and distances of the planets on the over head.
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2. Teacher will present analogies to students for relative size and distance concepts.
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3. Example of Chart presented is as follows:
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(Some information could be left out and used as research questions for students.)
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OPENING EXAMPLE: Earth’s approximate diameter is 8,000 miles. What is a diameter? What is a circumference? Wait for responses to check prior knowledge. The Earth’s circumference is about 24,000 miles. The Sun’s diameter is approximately 870,000 miles, over 100 times thicker than the Earth’s. The Sun’s circumference is more than 2,700,000 miles. The Solar System is approximately 5.5 billion miles across. (Use the scaling down process from prior lessons to compare sizes and distances from student background knowledge.) “What would it take scale the Earth to appear as a speck of sand if the classroom was the Solar System?” “What would the size of the Sun be in relationship to the Earth?” “Would it appear as the size of a small ball bearing. (Hold each item up when you refer to them, ie. a speck of sand, and the ball bearing.)
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4. Fill the fish tank with sand and have each student pick out one piece of sand and observe it very carefully. Then have each student close their eyes and drop their piece back into the fish tank and ask each one to predict the chances of finding it. Use other objects like a BB shot or ballbearing and have them make other predictions. Demonstrate to the groups how difficult it is to locate the various items.
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5. Have students put lots of pin holes in the card-board boxes and hold it up to the light and have them come up with a relative explanation as to the purpose. (It is to see the size and distance of the universe and stars in relationship to the pin holes. Letting light through.)
Evaluation
Students take notes in their Science/ Astronomy Journals and then record procedures and results from activities. Quizzes that are teacher made, to help evaluate the learning of concepts, is suggested. Rubrics, similar to previous lessons can be used.