The Interplay of the Sun, Earth and Moon

 Preparation

Equipment

• split pins

 Assessment Plan

Tuning In

• Revise the content of the unit. Refer to posters, diagrams and experiments that demonstrate the student’s prior learning. Provide the students with opportunities to describe and explain how the sun, Earth and moon are interconnected.

Teacher Instruction

• Provide the students with a copy of the Movement of the Sun, Earth and Moon Model teaching resource. Explain to the students that they are going to create a moving model of the sun, Earth and moon in order to demonstrate how each of the celestial bodies interacts.
• Support the students create their models by cutting out the sun, Earth and moon using the template provided, then attaching the celestial bodies to each other using split pins.

Guided/Independent Learning

• Once the students have completed their models, ask them to independently write a detailed paragraph on a piece of lined paper which explains how the three celestial bodies move. Alternatively, students could be provided with the opportunity to verbally explain the movements of the three celestial bodies to the teacher. An ideal response would include the following information:
  • The sun rotates on its axis (approximately once every 27 days).
  • Earth rotates on its axis (once every 24 hours).
  • Earth revolves around the sun (once every year, or 365 days).
  • The moon rotates on its axis (approximately once every 27 days).
  • The moon revolves around Earth (approximately once every 29 days).
• Collect the students’ responses. These could be included in a portfolio of work samples and used to assess the students’ understanding of the unit objectives.

Wrapping Up

• As a class, reflect upon the unit. Gather the students’ feedback about the learning experiences they particularly enjoyed and those which they found challenging. Encourage volunteers to share something they learned from the unit.

 Differentiation

Extending Students

• Encourage more capable students to draw a diagram to accompany their written paragraph about the interplay of the sun, Earth and moon.

Supporting Students

• Allow students with lower literacy levels to verbally share their ideas about the interplay of the sun, Earth and moon, rather than submitting a written paragraph.

 Assessment Strategies

Suggested Assessment Strategies

• used strategic whole class or individual questioning
• observed student participation during learning activities
• recorded student progress on a checklist
• annotated student work samples
• collected and reviewed student work samples
• facilitated whole class or peer feedback sessions
• encouraged student self-reflection
• administered formal assessment tasks.

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