LessonPlanfor6thGradeStudentsLearningtheSolarSystem

OverviewofLesson

Inthislesson,thestudentswillbedivided
intotwogroupsofteninordertopresentthe
solarsystem.Eachstudentwillbetheirown
planet,withcostume,andpresentfacts
abouttheirplanet.Thestudentswillalsoact
outtheorbitoftheplanets.Studentswillbe
givenalinopresentation,whichwillbe
projectedontotheonlywhiteboardinthe
classroom,inordertolearnaboutthe
planetsandpreparetheirsmallspeech.This
lessonistobeviewedasagameinorderto
enhancethechanceofclassparticipation.

Descriptionoflearners/environment

1520students(6thgrade)willbeinalarge
classroomwithseveralroundtablesforthe
afternoon.Roomhassmallwhiteboards
andwirelessinternet.Thereisoneprojector
intheroom.StudentsareapartoftheSTEM
(science,technology,engineering,and
math)program.

LearningObjectives

UsingtheLinopresentation,notecards,
pencils,andcostumesfortheplanets,moon
andsun,thestudentswillpresentthesize,
position,surfacefeaturesandabilityto
supportlifeoftheirgivenplanetcorrectly.

Standards

6.2.1Describeandmodelhowtheposition,
sizeandrelativemotionsoftheearth,moon
andsuncausedayandnight,solarand
lunareclipses,andphasesofthemoon.
6.2.3Understandthatthesun,anaverage
starwherenuclearreactionsoccur,isthe
centralandlargestbodyinthesolarsystem.
6.2.4Withregardtotheirsize,composition,
distancefromsun,surfacefeaturesand
abilitytosupportlife,compareandcontrast
theplanetsofthesolarsystemwithone
anotherandwithasteroidsandcomets.

Materials

Cardboardsignsfortheplanets,moon,and
thesun,Linopresentation,notecardsforthe
studentstoremembertheirfacts,pencils,
string,markers,coloredpencils,tape.

Procedures

1. PrePrep:maketwosetsof
cardboardsignswiththeplanetglued
oneachandastringattachedfor
studentstowearlikeanecklace.In
eachset,thereshouldbeasignfor
these:Sun,Mercury,Venus,Earth,
Earthsmoon,Mars,Jupiter,Saturn,
Uranus,andNeptune.
2. Linopresentationwillbeprojectedfor
theclassasabasicoverviewofthe
planetsandtheirfacts.
3. Theclasswillbreakupintotwoequal
groups.(10ineach)
4. Everystudentineachgroupwillbe
assignedeitheroneoftheplanets,
thesunorthemoon.
5. Knowingwhattheyareassigned,
eachstudentwillfindtheirsign.
6. StudentswillusetheLino
presentationtofindtheinformation
abouttheirplanet.
7. Studentswillcolortheirplanet
correctly.
8. Eachstudentwillcopythe
informationabouttheirplanetontoa
notecard.
9. Whenallsignsarecoloredand
notecardsarefinished,onegroupwill
havetoputthemselvesintheorder
thattheirplanetbelongsinthesolar
system.
10. Studentswillactliketheyare
whateverplanettheyarewearing.
11. StartingwiththeSun,thatstudent
willbegintellingtheothergroup
abouthimself/herselfwithoutstating
theirname,thenasktheothergroup,
WhoamI?
12. Theothergroupthenworksasa
teamanddecideswhothatpersonis.
13. Iftheygettheplanetcorrectthenthat
teamearns2points.Ifitsthewrong
answertheotherteamgets1point.
14. Afterthe1stteamisdone,itisthe
nextteamsturn.
15. Teamwiththemostpointswins.
16. Everyonegetscandyattheend!

17. Ifthereisenoughtimeattheend,
havestudentslineup,intheir
separategroups,sotheirplanetsare
inthecorrectorderfromthesun.
18. Havethestudentsorbitaroundthe
sun.
19. Havethesunshoutoutarandom
planet,andthenthatchosenplanet
hastosayafunfactaboutitself.
20. Repeatuntilallplanetshavespoken.
Assessment

StudentswillplayaWhatamI?game.As
eachstudentpresents,amemberofthe
othergroupmustguesswhattheyare.For
example,ifastudentfromgroup1saysI
amthe2ndplanetclosesttothesun(other
facts),whoamI?Then,group2willdiscuss
together,pickingonestudenttosaythe
answer,theywilltrytoguesswhichplanetit
is.Eachcorrectanswercountsasonepoint
andtheteamwiththemostpointsattheend
oftheactivitywins.

ReferencesandReferenceMaterials

http://linoit.com/groups/EDCI270%20case%
202/canvases/EDCI270%20case%202

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu8qdH
uNluI

Sources
Heaverlo,C.A.,Cooper,R.S.,&Lannan,F.(2013).STEMdevelopment:Predictorsfor
6th12thgradegirls'interestandconfidenceinscienceandmath.
Journalof
WomenandMinoritiesinScienceandEngineering,

19
(2),121142.

ThisarticlefocusesontheimportanceoffemaleinfluenceintheSTEMfield.It
focusesonthelackoffemaleinfluenceandthelackoffemalestudent
participationintheSTEMfield.Thearticleexploresdifferentinfluencesthatcould
haveanimpactonthelackoffemaleparticipationintheSTEMfield.The
researchfoundthat,whenexposedpositivelytotheSTEMsubjects,womentend
toenjoythem.Religion,region,parents,andeconomicstatusareshowntoplay
aroleinwhetherornotwomenareencouragedtopursueSTEMinterests.
Dickerson,D.,Eckhoff,L.,Stewart,A.,Chappell,C.,&Hathcock,O.(2014).The
ExaminationofaPulloutSTEMProgramforUrbanUpperElementaryStudents.
ResearchinScienceEducation,

44
(3),483506.

ThisarticlefocusesontheideaofpullingtheSTEMprogramfromschoolstosee
whattheeffectswouldbeonthestudents.Inthisstudy,aschoolwhowasused
toaregularSTEMprogramwasstrippedofittoseethedifferenceintestscores.
ResultsshowedthatstudentspreferredtohavetheSTEMprograms.Italso
showedthatSTEMprogramshelpthetestscoresinreadingandwriting.STEM
alsoisshowntoraiseinterestinallstudents,nomattertheirrace.