Exploring Cycles of Our Earth, Sun, and Moon
Christine Uliassi
5 Day Unit Plan
EDCI 519
Fall 2007
Lesson 1
Grade: 3 ESOL Levels: 1-5 Content: Science in a General Education Class
Lesson Duration: 1 hour School: Parklawn Elementary
Planning Phase
TESOL Standard 4: English Language Learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the area of Science.
Performance Objectives
- Students will explain the sun’s role in pictures and words.
- The students will make a prediction, written or orally, about the outcome of a simple experiment.
Language Goals: The lesson is scaffolded for the variety of ELLs in the classroom by using visuals, including an illustrated word wall and pictures of the solar system. The lesson’s main concepts will be presented through a hands-on experiment which makes the lesson accessible to all students. The students will be working in cooperative groups. This is a way to differentiate based on the tasks given to each group member.
The level 1 and 2 students will be the artist for the team. Level 3students will be focusing on being the group’s reporter. The level four students will have the role as recorder to practice more advanced writing activities. Level 5 students will contribute as a Group Leader by facilitating, problem-solving, and coaching others.
Methods and Strategies: CALLA, Cooperative Learning, Natural Approach
Teaching Phase
Warm-up: Have students draw a picture of the sun. On each ray write or draw something the sun gives us or a fact you know about the sun.
A few students will share their facts with the class.
Prior Knowledge: Students will be thinking about common things they notice or have learned about the sun. This will prepare them for the more complex topics in the unit.
Presentation
- Explain to students that the class will be conducting an experiment to find out more about the sun.
- With groups, students will put 2 thermometers into2 plastic tubes. They will record the temperature and time shown on the thermometer.
- Go outside and have students place one thermometer in the sunshine and one in the shade.
- Have the groups make a prediction about what will happen in each tube.
- Check on the tubes in 45 minutes and see what happened. Share results. Ask children to check predictions-were they correct? What have we learned from this experiment?
Activities:
Cooperative Learning Activity: Students will break into groups of 4 as assigned and research the sun using websites and books. Students will make a poster about the sun including a picture or diagram of the sun/solar system and three facts about the sun including its role in helping Earth. After about 20 minutes students will share what they learned with the class as teacher records salient points on a sun chart.
Level 1 and 2 students will be the Artist Role in the Cooperative Group
Level 3 students could be the Reporter.
Level 4 students could be the Recorder since there writing skills are more advanced.
Level 5 students will be the Group Leader.
*Of course this would have to be adapted based on the number of students at each level and that is fine since many roles are appropriate for all.
The Four Skills:
Reading- reading class charts, word wall, books and internet resources
Writing-prediction during experiment, ticket-out to explain cooperation
Speaking-group work, sharing with whole class
Listening-recording new ideas about the sun, group work, experiment directions
Evaluation:
The teacher should listen to partner talk, ask appropriate questions, and take notes on students’ understanding based on the experiment and cooperative activity they were given.
Expansion/Extension:
Homework: Students will be making a flip book about the Earth, Moon, and Sun. Today students will add a page about the sun using writing and/or pictures.
Extensions:
* Read a book about the sun like Franklyn Branley’s The Sun: Our Nearest Star or J. Bendick’s The Sun Our Very Own Star. Make connections to today’s lesson.
*Research the benefits solar power energy. Make a solar powered mini-oven using household items like aluminum foil and shoe boxes.
*Using colored chalk-make a picture model of the Earth and Sun outside near the playground. Have students practice being Earth and rotating and revolving around the sun.
* Research how the planets’ distance from the sun affect the heat of the planet. Make connections to today’s experiment.
Closure:
Students will write one way cooperation helped them with their learning today on an index card (ticket out).
Lesson 2
Teacher: Christine Uliassi School: Parklawn Elementary
Grade: 3 ESOL Levels: 1-5 Content: Science in a General Education Class
Lesson Duration: 1 hour
Planning Phase
TESOL Standard 4: English Language Learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the area of Science.
Performance Objectives
- Students will explain how day and night occur in pictures or words.
- Students will match pictures or definitions with the terms: sunrise, day, noon, sunset, night, spin, and rotation.
Language Goals: The lesson is scaffolded for the variety of ELLs in the classroom by using visuals, including an illustrated word wall and models of the Earth and Sun during the demonstration. Even though this is a complex topic, language is not interfering with instruction and understanding for the Level 1 and 2 students. Students at the intermediate levels will be building their vocabulary by reading a paragraph about what makes day and night. The more advanced language learners, levels 4-5, will be answering higher level questions and using more complex language to explain their thinking. Students of all levels will be able to use the lesson’s vocabulary to explain the cycle.
It is important to note that these students have already studied other natural cycles, like the life cycle for plants and animals and the water cycle. The concept of a cycle has been taught and is being built upon in this lesson.
Methods and Strategies: CALLA, Natural Approach
Teaching Phase
Warm-up: Share that today we will be learning about another cycle: day and night.
Students will be given the task of creating a list of things they do during the day and things they do at night. (See T-chart-Appendix B). This list can be done with pictures or words.
A few students will share their lists and ask students to predict what they think causes day and night.
Prior Knowledge: Students will be thinking of what they do during day and night. Students will be building on their knowledge of cycles and patterns.
Presentation
1. The warm-up may bring about the response that the Earth’s spinning causes day and night. If not, introduce the idea now using a globe or an on-line model of the Earth spinning.
2.Read and review the word wall vocabulary that you will be focusing on today.
3. You will now do a demonstration of the sun shining on the earth as it rotates.Use a lamp to model the sun, darken the room as much as is safe. Ask a student to be the Earth. Use the attached wrap-around Earth map. ( Have a student mark Virginia with an X on the map (VA should be somewhere on the front of the Earth student).
4. Have the Earth child begin with his back facing the sun. Ask if it is day or night. (NIGHT) Discuss. Have Earth child rotate until the sun is just shining on their left arm and side. Ask students what time of day it would be. (SUNRISE) Point to word on the word wall.
5. Student continues to rotate until the sun is shining directly. Ask students now what time it is in Virginia. They should be able to say NOON , if they say DAY that fine but explain what noon is and show the word on the word wall.
6. Ask students to explain to a partner what time it would be on the other side of the Earth(the dark side).
7. Have the student rotate a little more and now discuss SUNSET.
Repeat this demo with several students so they get to experience being Earth child.
Activities:
Level 1: Students will match pictures of today’s keywords with labels. Students should practice saying the words aloud.
Level 2: Have students illustrate flashcards of today’s key words. Students should use the flashcards to sequence day and night cycle (sunrise, noon, etc…) and then able to explain what makes day and night to a partner.
Level 3: Students should read the short paragraph about what makes day or night and make a picture to show understanding of the demonstration today (Appendix D).
Level 4 and 5: Comprehension Questions based on demonstration (Appendix E):
1. What did this demonstration represent?
2. When it is day in Virginia, it is night in other places. Name 5 countries that are having night while Virginia is having day.
3. What causes day and night?
4. How would our lives by different if the Earth did not rotate?
The Four Skills:
Reading: word wall, comprehension questions and paragraph
Writing: warm-up list, comprehension answers
Speaking: explanation to a partner about day and night
Listening: partner talk, whole group discussion, closure activity
Evaluation:
The teacher should listen to partner talk, ask appropriate questions, and take notes on students’ understanding based on the activity they were given.
Expansion/Extension:
Homework: Students will be making a book aboutEarth, Moon, and the Sun; students will add a page to their cycle book titled What Makes Day and Night and record ideas from today’s lesson.
Extensions:
*Read aloud the Franklyn Branley book, What Makes Day and Night
*Using colored chalk-make a picture model of the Earth and Sun outside near the playground. Have students practice being Earth and rotating and revolving around the sun.
Closure: New and Review-students will turn and talk to a partner about one piece of new information they learned and one piece of information that was review.
Lesson 3
Teacher: Christine Uliassi School: Parklawn Elementary
Grade: 3 ESOL Levels: 1-5 Content: Science in a General Education Class
Lesson Duration: 1 hour
Planning Phase
TESOL Standard 4: English Language Learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the area of Science.
Performance Objectives:
1. Students will explain the reason for the season in pictures, words, or by acting it out.
2. Students will identify their favorite season and describe preferred activities and natural changes during specified season.
Language Goals: The lesson is scaffolded for the variety of ELLs in the classroom by using visuals, including an illustrated word wall and models of the Earth, the Moon, and Sun during the demonstration. Even though this is a complex topic, language is not interfering with instruction and understanding for the Level 1 and 2 students since they will be acting out the concepts and vocabulary. Illustrating the song will help build understanding of the seasons and the cause of the changes. The more advanced language learners, levels 4-5, will be answering higher level questions and using more complex language to explain their thinking. Students of all levels will be able to use the lesson’s vocabulary to explain the cycle.
Methods and Strategies: CALLA, Natural Approach
Teaching Phase
Warm-up:
1. The first activity is to make a class list of students’ favorite sports and outdoor activities without mentioning seasons at all. Having pictures ready or drawing them would be a good way to reach visual learners at this time.
(This will be used as a resource when students do the independent part of the warm-up)
2 .On the Four Seasons web (Appendix F)students will list activities and natural changes related to each season. They will put a star next to their favorite season.
3. Guess my season listening activity: Call on a student to share his or her favorite activities and have another student guess what season he or she is referring to.
Prior Knowledge: Students are thinking of sports they like to play throughout the year. Students are connecting new information to real life observations they have made about the seasons.
Presentation
1. Explain to students that another natural cycle is the seasonal changes our Earth goes through each year. Ask students to predict why this occurs.
2. Discuss answers and then tell students you will be watching a quick video about the seasons to understand why it occurs.
3. Show the Brainpop video pausing to discuss important concepts as they are introduced.
4. Whole class discussion:
What causes the seasons to change? Why does it feel warmer in summer? When it is summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, where is it winter? Why? How long does it take for the Earth to revolve or orbit the sun?
Students should mention the words REVOLUTION and TILT in their answers. Make sure you bring attention to these words and have students act out tilting towards the sun (a lamp or paper model works) and revolving around the sun (use string to make the Earth’s orbit).
With partners, students should complete the activity sheet that requires them to show the Earth’s orbit and answer questions about the concept of revolution. (Appendix H)
*Students enjoy but struggle with the question how many times have you revolved around the sun?So this may be a focus during or after the activity sheet.
Level 1 and 2: With a teacher singing it first, students will read together the Song about the Seasons(Appendix G)several times, discussing new words and asking questions about it. After reading and singing they will illustrate each season in its stanza and the word tilt in the first stanza.
Level 3: Students will write an acrostic poem using the words TILT, SEASON, or REVOLVE.
Level 4 and 5: Students will make a Venn diagram using the words rotation and revolution and compare and contrast the terms.
The Four Skills:
Reading: Brain pop video text, word wall, song, comprehension questions on Revolution activity
Writing: poem, Venn diagram, closure, seasons web (warm-up)
Speaking: singing, class discussion, Q & A
Listening: singing, class discussion, Q & A, partner talk
Evaluation:
The teacher should listen to partner talk, ask appropriate questions, and take notes on students’ understanding based on the activity they were given.
Expansion/Extension:
Homework: Students will be making a book about Cycles; students will add a page to their cycle book titled The Reasons for the Seasons.
Extension: Study how animals and plants adapt to the seasons.
Closure:5 students were given sticky notes at random as they walked in the door. It was their job to write 1 interesting thing they heard another student say during the lesson. They can share this now.
Lesson 4
Teacher: Christine Uliassi School: Parklawn Elementary
Grade: 3 ESOL Levels: 1-5 Content: Science in a General Education Class
Lesson Duration: 1 hour
Planning Phase
TESOL Standard 4: English Language Learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the area of Science.
Performance Objectives
1. Students will identify at least 4 phases of the moon by matching the word to the correct picture.
2. Students will explain the cause of what makes the moon phase change in words or pictures.
Language Goals: The lesson is scaffolded for the variety of ELLs in the classroom by using visuals, including an illustrated word wall and models of the Earth, the Moon, and Sun during the demonstration. Level 1 and 2 students will be using pictures from the internet of the moon phases. The more advanced language learners, levels 4-5, will be answering higher level questions and using more complex language to explain their thinking. Students of all levels will be able to use the lesson’s vocabulary to explain the cycle.
Methods and Strategies: CALLA, Natural Approach
Teaching Phase
Warm-up: Share that today we will be learning about the moon.
1. Students will be asked to draw a picture of the moon. Remind them to work on their own and not to look at their peer’s moon pictures.
A few students will share their pictures by holding them up and describing them. This is a good way to introduce the idea that the moon looks different and seems to change(phases).
2. Ask students questions like: Why do some of our pictures look different? Don’t we all see the same moon? Discuss the idea of how the moon looks different through out the month.