The overall goal of this unit is to allow students with special needs the opportunity to explore astronomy in a meaningful way. Often, scientific materials are not presented in a manner that allows students with special needs to learn material of a more complex nature. I hope to alleviate that problem with a unit especially prepared for exceptional students. Special Education or Regular Education teachers will have the methodology, resources, and lessons needed to prepare an astronomy unit that will include students with special needs.
Within the context of this unit, students will learn the difference between night and day using concrete terminology. Students will also identify significant heavenly bodies such as the earth, sun, moon, planet, and star; as well as other significant scientific terminology such as astronomy, outer space, constellation, astronaut, space shuttle, rocket, solar system and galaxy. In addition, students will comprehend that the planets circle the sun and moon circles the planet. Students will identify some groups of stars as constellations. Students will identify that there are nine planets that orbit the sun in this solar system. Students will identify the moon and the phases of the moon as well as one of the most significant historical event, the first moon walk.