The Solar System and Beyond
Learning Sequence 3
.png)
Introduction With Gavin
This week, students will learn about the Earth’s moon and its relationship with Earth. They will understand the phases of the moon and the lunar cycle. The concept of other moons in the solar system will also be introduced. Students will learn about the characteristics of dwarf planets and their place in the solar system.
This week, we will learn about the moon and its role in the universe. We will explore the various ways the moon affects the Earth, including its impact on the tides, and the fascinating phenomenon of lunar eclipses.
As a follow-up activity, each of you will choose a moon from our solar system to research and create a slideshow about. Your slide show should include information about the moon’s size, distance from its planet, composition, and any unique features or phenomena associated with it.
After completing your slide show, you will present it to the rest of the class, sharing what you have learned about your chosen moon and its significance in our solar system.
Quote of the Week - Alen Shepard
As part of the course, we will revisit a series of inspiring quotes from the 12 astronauts who have had the privilege of walking on the moon. Each week, students will be asked to critically analyze and interpret one of these quotes to gain a deeper understanding of the message conveyed by the astronaut.
Students may also choose to conduct independent research on the astronaut or the particular space mission they were a part of, and record their findings in a notebook. To further enhance their engagement with the quote, students are encouraged to create an artistic representation, such as a drawing or visual art piece, that captures the essence of the message being conveyed.
Throughout this course, we’ll be exploring some inspirational quotes from the 12 astronauts who walked on the moon. Every week, you’ll get to read one of these quotes and try to figure out what the astronaut meant by saying it.
You can do some research to learn more about the astronaut or the space mission they were a part of, and write down your findings in your notebook. To make things even more fun, you can also create a drawing or artwork that shows what you think the quote is all about. This will help you engage with the quote and understand it better.
Weekly Keywords
Introduce the spelling word list and choose from this list of tasks that can be repeated and expanded upon if necessary.
Copy the words into a spelling list/vocabulary book for later reference.
Put each of the new words into a sentence and underline the new vocabulary in red pencil
Place the words in alphabetical order in a list.
Use a dictionary to define each of the words and place them into a vocabulary book.
Try to represent each of the words using a picture or a symbol and play the guessing game. (which image is matched to which word)
Write a paragraph containing all of the new vocabulary.
Make a vocabulary wall containing all of the new words.
Use a thesaurus to find synonyms for the words and create a synonym list.
These words will help you during this week’s lesson. You may already know some of these words however practice makes perfect!
First, read the words and then try to define them as simply as possible.
An example has been completed for you. You can write these into your books, and draw a picture to match or simply complete the task card.
Weekly Comprehension Activity -The Earth's Moon
Each week, we will provide you and your class with a reading comprehension activity. This can be done independently or tackled as a guided reading activity with your students.
Once the children have read the relevant information, they can then work through the comprehension questions until they become too hard,
The four levels of questions allow for your students to push themselves until they become too difficult. They may wish to use classroom resources to solve the questions they find too hard or they can be used as extension activities to be completed in free time or at home.
Read the information opposite on the introduction to the Earth’s structure and use the information gained from the video above and attempt to answer as many of the comprehension questions as possible.
You may talk to the people in the classroom and use any resources available in the classroom to get the answers. You may even wish to continue your research at home on the questions that you could not solve.
We have made the questions range in difficulty, see how far you can get! Remember to answer the questions in full sentences and make notes of any diagrams or amazing facts that may help you remember the information later.
Research Time - The Earth's Moon
This week, we would like your children to conduct research on the structure of the moon and how it was formed over 4.5 billion years ago.
Encourage children to work in pairs or small groups and use various research tools to collect their information. Once they have completed their research, ask them to keep it for their final project with Jordan, which will take place at the end of this lesson.
It is now time for you to become an astronomer! Not many people know that the moon has an internal structure similar to the Earth’s. Your task this week is to conduct some exciting research about the Earth’s moon.
Use the task card provided and fill in the empty spaces with your research as you try to inspire others to take an interest in the Earth’s only natural satellite!
Be careful with your facts, as you will be using them this week when we get creative with Jordan at the end of this lesson.
Real World Learning - Group Moon Research Slide Deck
Students will choose and research a moon from our solar system, other than our moon. They will work in teams and use the template provided to create a slide deck about their chosen moon. The students will conduct thorough research, using various resources, to gather information and facts about their moon.
Once they have completed their slide deck, the students will present their research to the class in a short talk. The aim of the task is to teach others about the moon they researched and demonstrate their knowledge of the subject. The presentation should be colorful, detailed, and include pictures, text, and even video.
Overall, this task is designed to encourage students to learn more about our solar system, to conduct research and present their findings in an engaging and informative manner.
Now that you know a lot about our moon, it’s time for you to research and learn about another moon from our solar system. With over 200 moons to choose from, you have plenty of options!
First, gather with your team and choose which moon you want to study. Then, use the template provided to create a slide deck about your chosen moon. Make sure to conduct thorough research before completing the task. Use pictures, text, and even video to make your presentation colorful and detailed.
Once your slide deck is completed, it’s time to present your research to the class. You’ll have a chance to give a short talk and teach others about the moon you researched. Remember, teaching others is a great way to test and demonstrate your knowledge. Good luck!
Bringing Mathematics To Life - Moon Phase Percentage
In this activity, the children will learn about the phases of the moon and how they affect the visibility of the moon. They will estimate the percentage of the moon visible during each phase based on the given range and then conduct research to check the accuracy of their estimation.
We encourage the children to use various sources to conduct their research and to take notes on the information they gather. They should also record their estimation and the actual percentage for each phase.
This activity is designed to make math more engaging by applying it to a real-world scenario. We hope the children will enjoy learning about the phases of the moon while also developing their estimation and research skills.
As we know, the Moon looks different every night of the month due to the phases of the Moon. These changes occur because the Sun’s rays are blocked from reaching different parts of the Moon.
Each of the phases has a particular name and a specific percentage of the Moon that is visible. This percentage range is called the “illumination percentage range.”
Your task is to use the task card provided to estimate the illumination percentage range for each phase of the Moon. Once completed, your task will be to research the correct percentage range and compare it with your estimation.
This activity will help you practice your math skills while learning about the phases of the Moon.
Let’s Create with Jordan - Papier Mache Moon Model
Papier Mache Moon Model
Core Curriculum Connection: Science
Elemental Foci: Form, Texture, Shape
Principle Foci: Balance, Contrast, Unity
Goal: Students will be able to create a spherical model of the Earth’s Moon, complete with textured craters.
Criteria:
– Use a balloon as a template to wrap papier mache around, blowing it up to larger than 20 cm in diameter.
– Use Papier Mache or a simple 25/75 flour/water mix to coat strips of paper – wrapping the balloon completely.
– Layer additional textures like craters and mountains on your moon with papier mache once the balloon is covered.
– Pop the balloon before painting the exterior of your model with acrylic paint to strengthen it.
– Paint gray detailed craters over the surface of your moon after your surface has dried.
Relevance:
Through this project, students will understand how the surface and texture of the moon reflects light from the sun.
Every week, we’ll provide you with an art activity related to what we’ve been learning about in class. It’s an opportunity for you to enhance your artistic abilities and learn more about the Solar System and Space!
Jordan will be joining us every week to brainstorm creative ways to showcase what we’ve learned about Space while also doing some good for the world.
We may challenge you to use recycled materials for your artwork, encourage you to teach someone else using what you create, or simply give it away as a gift to brighten someone’s day.
Take a look at the video on the other side and then do your best to follow Jordan’s guidance to make the world a better place with your creative skills.
To fully understand what we will be creating this week, you may wish to watch the full video below before starting.
Let’s get creative!
Let's Create With Jordan - Full Video
Watch the video with your class and support them as they use the skills demonstrated in the video in their own work tasks.
Watch Jordan’s full video here before starting your creative art project and remember that your work does not need to match Jordan’s exactly. Use it as a guide and try to make your work unique and be as creative as you like!