Michele L. Murzak
Planet Lesson
Objectives: Students will examine the location of the planets. Students will begin researching the nine planets. Students will observe the size difference between the planets.
To introduce the planets and solar system read "Postcards from Pluto: A Tour of the Solar System." This book is a great introduction for this unit. It really gets the children thinking about the different planets. It is important to look at the planets, their locations, and their orbits. Ask students to make up their own way to remember the position of the planets. For example, "My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas."
Next, divide the students into nine groups. These groups will do research projects on their planets. They may consult books, magazines, and given websites. Students will use their information to create poster board presentations on their planet. The presentations will be way fun way for students to teach one another the basics about each planet.
Finally, show students the solar system by using fruits and vegetables as the planets. This will give students an idea about how big each planet is.
Mercurya fresh pea
Venuswalnut
Earthslightly larger walnut
Marsone dry pea
Jupitera cabbage (about 9 inches across)
Saturna cabbage (about 8 inches across)
Uranusan orange
Neptunea grapefruit
Plutoa bean
Earth Lesson
Objective: Students will observe the Earth's movement that causes day and night and the seasons.
This experiment is used to show students why we have day and night and seasons. The materials that you need are as follows:
Light source (lamp or flashlight)
Small cutout of a person
Tape
Globe
Tape the cutout to our location on the globe. Stand the globe six feet from the light source. Turn out the lights. Remind students to watch the cutout on the globe. Slowly rotate the globe to the right until a full circle has been made. This represents one day. Rotate the globe several more times, having students say "day" and "night" as the cutout moves in and out of the light.
At the end of the activity, ask students to reflect on the experiment. Some possible questions or writing prompts are as follows:
What did you see when the cutout was facing the light?
What did you see when the cutout turned away from the light?
What caused this to happen?
How is this like what happens to us on Earth?
Sun Lesson
Objective: Students will learn how to observe the Sun and identify sunspots.
To observe the Sun, you must project it on to another surface. You can make an observatory to find sunspots or watch eclipses. The materials you will need are as follows:
Piece of cardboard
Hole punch
Tape
Wood stake or stick
Mirror
White Paper
First, punch a hole in the cardboard and tape it to the wood stake or stick. Push the stake into the ground a couple of feet away from the wall of a building. Tape the paper to the building wall directly in front of the cardboard. The teacher should hold the mirror behind the hole in the cardboard so that the mirror reflects sunlight through the hole. The Sun is projected on the paper.
Students can identify and trace the dark spots (sunspots) on the paper. This experiment may be repeated for a few days to see if the sunspots have moved. At the end of the activity, students should reflect in their science logs. Students may describe what they observed and what they learned from this experiment. As a final writing activity for this lesson discuss the different types of Sun protection, such as sunglasses, sun hats, suntan lotions, and sunburn remedies. Ask the students to invent their own Sun product. Students can write an advertisement for their product. Students should include the following:
Name of the product
Who would use the product
Available colors, sizes, or scents
The price
Where to buy it
Weather Lesson
Objective: Students will learn weather terminology and a variety of climates through examining and recording weather characteristics in cities around the world.
This activity relates to third grade math, in that, students will graph their results. They may show the results using line graphs, bar graphs, or pictographs. The materials you will need are as follows:
Newspapers with daily weather forecasts or internet websites
Graph paper
Pencils and markers
Rulers
Discuss the weather in New Haven, Connecticut. During this discussion, focus on words like humidity, temperature, and visibility. After students have a good understanding of these words, have students pick a city that they would like to do their weather project on. Everyday, at the same time of day, students should check the newspaper or internet and record their city's weather.
After two weeks of recording, have students graph their results for each weather term. Students may present their graphs to their classmates.
At the end of the activity, students should reflect in their science logs. Students can compare different cities by discussing similarities and differences. You can also focus on a few cities in different areas and graph them on a large class graph for discussion (choose a different color to represent each city).
Tornado Lesson
Objectives: Students will collect information about tornados from the internet in order to understand how tornados form and learn safety steps to follow. Students will make a "tornado in a bottle."
This experiment is a fun way for students to learn about tornados. The materials you will need for each student are as follows:
Two 2-liter clear plastic bottles
One 35mm film canister
Knife
Strong tape
Water
Dishwashing detergent
Glitter
Movie clips for "Twister" or "Wizard of Oz"
Tornados are fascinating. It's important to begin the lesson by discussing some of the myths. This will help students feel more comfortable and less fearful of tornados. Explain to students that tornados happen in many places around the world and that they are the most violent of windstorms. This is a great opportunity to discuss the good and bad things about wind. For example, wind is good because it helps move sailboats, carry seeds, and dry clothes; it's bad because it blows down trees and houses.
Tornados usually occur when cool dry air from the north mixes with warm moist air from the south. Most tornados are weak and cause little damage. Show students a map of the United States and mark "tornado alley."
Give students the opportunity to search the internet for information on tornados and safety steps to follow. Discuss their findings. For instance, if you are inside your house, go down to the basement or to a room with no windows on the lowest floor of the house. If you are outside and can't get indoors, lie down (in a ditch if possible).
Then have students make tornado models. Pour water into one 2-liter bottle until it is ¾ full. Add detergent and glitter. The teacher should cut off the closed end of the film canister (or have the students bring them in pre-cut). Place the canister on top of the bottle and secure it with tape. Place the other bottle on top by pushing it into the canister and secure it with tape. Turn the entire tube over and rotate it. The tube will produce a tornado-like funnel inside as water pours from one bottle into the other.
At the end of the activity, show clips from the movies. Have students write a "safety plan" for their house in their science logs.