3rd Grade Science Unit

Solar System

Kim Mitchell

April 1, 2004

Unit Planning Map

Design of Instruction for Unit

            The first unit activity that I will discuss will be the planet postcards.  These cards will be made on big note cards.  On one side there will be a hand drawn picture of their favorite planet (excluding Earth) and on the other side will be a letter to someone depicting what the planet is like using three facts about the planet and in a creative way.  By doing this activity the students will learn more in depth about at least one of the planets and be more apt to remember the information.  My pre-assessment information told me the students do not have very much knowledge on the individual planets and the contextual factors led me to believe that an alternative form of learning would well suit the diverse needs of the class.  The only materials needed are a note card, colors, pencil, and their science book that would contain the information needed to complete the facts.  The students were given a rubric on what their postcards needed to contain which could be used during and after completion of the project.

            Another project that we did was to paper mache the planets.  The students were broken into pairs and given a planet to make.  By completing this activity the students will better understand the differences between the planets and their physical attributes.  The alternative form of learning is something that should help all of the students learn according to the contextual factors.  Also, the students showed very little knowledge of the planets on their pre-assessments so this should help with the information being learned.  The materials needed are shredded newspaper, flour, and water and tempra paint.  The students will be assessed on teamwork and creativity and individuality used before, during, and after the processes.

            The other project done was to discover their weight on other planets and chart their findings.  The students went to a website and punched in their weight.  They pushed the calculate button and their weight on the other planets was given to them.  They wrote these numbers down on a worksheet and then took them back to the classroom.  Here they charted their weight on a bar graph.  The students would better be able to understand the effects of gravity on the human body this way and how it differs from planet to planet.  They would also get some experience on gathering and charting data.  Again the alternative form of education comes into play, as well as having the weight calculated by the computer and graphs already pre-made this would accommodate for the diverse learners in the class.  The students would be assessed on computer etiquette, cooperation, and the matching of the information on their worksheets to the information on their charts.

Technology

            Technology was used in a variety of ways for this unit.  While planning for this unit I searched the Internet for ideas on what to do.  I looked for activities and samples of ideas and different ways of using technology to be integrated into the unit. 

            I had the students do two types of technology activities for the unit.  One activity was to go to the website www.exploratoium.edu/ronh/weight and the students will calculate their weight on other planets.  They will also view NASA’s Rover Mission video online so that they may better understand how and why this exploration process is happening.

Technology Integration

 Weight on Other Planets

Topic:  3^rd Grade Science-Weight on Other Planets

I.                    Objective/Standards:

The student will gain information on the solar system through discussion, the Internet, and charting.

South Dakota 3^rd Grade Standards:

Nature of Science:

3.      understand that science involves asking and answering questions and comparing the results to what is already known.

6.      gather, chart, and graph data

8.  communicate results of scientific experiments.

II.                 Preparation

A.     Purpose:

To investigate the effects of gravity on the body.

B.     Materials:

Charts for Weight

Internet

Crayons

Pen/Pencil

Worksheet for weight

Weight of students, taken previously

III.               Procedure:

A.     Anticipatory Set

We have been investigating the solar system lately.  We discussed that the planets each have a different level of gravity around them.  On some you would bounce and bounce and on others you would be so heavy it would be hard to move.  Today, we are going to find out what the gravity on each planet will do to our weight. 

B.     Body of the Lesson

I want you to listen very closely because this is all important.  Remember the classroom rules.  You must listen, be respectful, work cooperatively, and work quietly.  We will be on the Internet.  Follow along and take each step with me.  If you fall behind let me know.  Do not go ahead.  If you are caught in a place you are not supposed to be or not following the directions you will be taken off the computers.  We are going to discover the effects of gravity on our weight.  Each of the planets has a different level of gravity and that will make your weight either goes up or down.  I will type in a website, telling it to you out loud.  Type it in with me.  After you have it in, raise your hand so I can make sure that you have the right site.  If it does not work, raise your hand and I will come and help you.  Here is the site.  Say it slowly.  www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight.  Make sure each student is on the site.  Now we are going to enter our weight in the box that says “weight here.”  Then press “calculate.”  You will put the weight that you are on the blank next to the planet on this worksheet.  Hand out worksheet.  You may start.  When you get done, raise your hand.

After students have completed filling in their weight they will log off the computers and wait for the others to finish.

Once back in the classroom have the students complete the chart, filling in the appropriate amount of boxes for their weight on that planet.  Each planet should be a different color than the one next to it. 

C.     Closure

When the students are done, ask them who would like their charts to be displayed in the classroom.  Some may not due to the weight issue. 

D.     Follow-up

After being displayed, point out to the students how gravity can really affect your weight.  On some planets you would not weigh anything, on others you weigh more than some adults.  Imagine if you were an adult filling out those charts.  Would the numbers be higher or lower?  Discuss.

E.      Assessment of student learning

The students will be assessed on participation and if their charts coincided with their worksheets.

IV.              Objective for Subsequent Lesson

The students will be painting their planets in the next lesson.

Rover Video

Topic:  3^rd Grade Science-Viewing Rover

I.                    Objective/Standards:

The student will gain information on the solar system, Mars, Rover, and how NASA is exploring Mars.

South Dakota 3^rd Grade Standards:

Nature of Science:

5.  make specific predictions and observations concerning a situation or phenomenon.

Science, Technology, Environment, and Society

1.      investigate how people invent new ways of doing things, new ways of solving problems, and new ways of getting work done.

National Technology Standards:

Standard 3: Students will develop an understanding of the relationships among technologies and the connections between technology and other fields of study.

Standard 4: Students will develop an understanding of the cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology.

II.                 Preparation

A.     Purpose:

To investigate the exploration of other planets.

B.     Materials:

Internet

III.               Procedure:

A.     Anticipatory Set

We have been investigating the solar system lately.  We have discussed Rover and it’s discoveries quite a few times in class.  Today we will watch a video of Rover.  Let’s head to the computer lab.

B.     Body of the Lesson

Type in the NASA website and click on the Mars Mission.  www.nasa.gov  When you are in click on the all videos button.  Then click on the animation link, the Rover Mission To Mars in Quicktime is the button to push after that. 

Discuss with the students that there is no sound on this video.  While things are taking place in the video discuss them with the students.  (ex: when it takes off from Earth, when it is in space, how long it takes to get there, when it lands, and when it comes out of it’s protective case, etc)

C.     Closure

When the video is over take the students back to the class.  Are there any questions over the video, answer any questions and discuss the video.

D.     Follow-up

Inform the class of Rover’s discoveries as they happen.

E.      Assessment of student learning

The students will be assessed on participation and their behavior.

IV.              Objective for Subsequent Lesson

The students will take the chapter review for the next lesson.

Analysis of Student Learning

Whole Class Pre-Post Assessment

The following table shows an analysis of the whole class.  It is broken down into individual students and how they did on the pre and post tests for each goal.

NA=Students that did not take the test due to illness.

            All of the students made great progress throughout the unit.  The advancement from the pretests to the post tests is very great in every child and in every learning goal.  A majority of the students went from knowing little to nothing about the topics on the test to becoming very proficient in the topics.  This tells me that the unit was very successful and that each student learned the information presented to them quite well.

Subgroup Pre and Post Assessment

The following analyses of the pre and post tests are broken into subgroups.  The groups are based on gender.  The first learning goal was used.

Pre and Post Assessments-Girls

Pre and Post Assessments-Boys

            The girls did not know learning goal one very well when they started the pretest.  But by the time they took the post test they all got perfects on that specific goal.  A few of the boys, however, did know some of the information on learning goal number one and they all scored perfects on their post tests.

Individual Analysis

            It is important to understand the learning of student number 6.  This student receives special services for Reading, Speech, Language, Spelling, Audio-Visual Skills, and Math.  His scores from his pretest and posttest gained dramatically.  All together on his pretest he was only able to answer 2 out of 20 questions correctly.  On his posttest, student number 6, answered all of the answers correctly.  There were no modifications required for his tests and they were completed on time and on his own.  When first asked to name the planets and the phases of the moon, student 6 could not begin to think of any answers.  He made some attempts but most of them were not correct.  On his posttest he answered all of the questions and did so correctly.  I did not count off for spelling, as long as it was clear to me as to what the child was trying to accomplish in his spellings.

Reflection and Self-Evaluation

            The learning goal where the students were most successful was number one.  The goal for the students was to identify all of the planets in the correct order.  One reason that they may have been so successful was because of the pneumonic that they learned.  I believe that this helped them to learn the names of all of the planets in the correct order in a fun, sing-song kind of way.  The pneumonic was easy for them to learn and easy to remember when they wrote it down or recited it.  Some of the students require an alternative form of education so this was a good way for them to learn.  We went through the pneumonic as a class everyday and then before they left they were asked to recite it, this way I could check individual and whole group progress.  For their assessment they were required to list all of the planets in the correct order, which was helped by knowing the pneumonic.  Another reason was the students’ excitement for the unit.  All of the students were excited to learn about the solar system and none of them had studied it so in depth before, which made it new and fascinating.  The projects that dealt with the planets, the planet postcards and the paper mache planets, probably helped them to learn more about the planets and their names.

            The goal that the students were least successful on was the phases of the moon.  I think that this was hard for them to do because they could not remember the names.  They seemed to understand the illustrations, or physical properties, of the phases but not always the names themselves.  Also, some of the students did not do the homework of charting the phases at night for a week.  This may have been due to lack of motivation or little parental involvement.  The parents were sent home a letter on this assignment so they could help their children complete the chart.  These things only left them exposed to what had been discussed in class; therefore they were not as comfortable with the phases and labels.  Another reason may have been for the lack of discussion on the topic.  The moon and its phases were only covered in depth one time really.  That was the day they were introduced.  Otherwise they were briefly discussed during reviews in the beginning of classes and during the review day which may not have been enough to really learn all of the physical properties and the names.  In order to more fully help the students I would still do the weekly chart of the phases, since this activity gave great exposure to the students, but maybe this time I would send a letter home to the parents again, this time in the beginning and in the middle of the assignment.  I would also maybe spend more time on the phases of the moon with the class.  Maybe I would do an activity with them so that they would be ensured more exposure.

            One professional learning goal that came about in this experience was how to modify lessons and information so that all of the different learners could get the most out of it and retain the facts necessary to achieve the goals I set for them.  In order to improve this area I would spend lots of time finding modified lessons and finding what works best for the students, both as a whole and individually.  Another way would be to assess student learning on a day to day scale so I could catch students who are falling behind right away and bring them back up to the level they should be at.

            Another professional learning goal that came about was to include more hands-on learning projects to go along with lessons.  They could do these in small groups, individually, or as a whole class but this way the students would get more practice with their lessons.  Another way to incorporate this would be to bring and use more props with lessons so that the students can better visualize what is being discussed and learned.