Second Grade Language Arts, Math & Science Planets Lesson Plan

*Designed as a weeklong unit that can be added to

by ChristaCarol Jones
Objective:

TEKS 110.13. English Language Arts and Reading Grade 2.

(1) Reading/Beginning Reading Skills/Print Awareness. Students understand how
English is written and printed. Students are expected to distinguish features of a
sentence (e.g., capitalization of first word, ending punctuation, commas, quotation
marks).
(14) Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Expository Text. Students analyze,
make inferences and draw conclusions about and understand expository text and provide
evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:
(A) identify the main idea in a text and distinguish it from the topic;
(B) locate the facts that are clearly stated in a text;
(C) describe the order of events or ideas in a text; and
(D) use text features
(18) Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and
feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are expected to:
(A) write brief stories that include a beginning, middle, and end;
(21) Oral and Written Conventions/Conventions. Students understand the function of and
use the conventions of academic language when speaking and writing. Students continue
to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students are expected to:
(A) understand and use the following parts of speech in the context of reading,
writing, and speaking: (i) verbs (past, present, and future); (ii) nouns
(singular/plural, common/proper); (iii) adjectives (e.g., descriptive: old,
wonderful; articles: a, an, the); (iv) adverbs (e.g., time: before, next; manner:
carefully, beautifully); (v) prepositions and prepositional phrases; (vi) pronouns
(e.g., he, him); and (vii) time-order transition words;
(27) Research/Organizing and Presenting Ideas. Students organize and present their
ideas and information according to the purpose of the research and their audience.
Students (with adult assistance) are expected to create a visual display or dramatization
to convey the results of the research.
111.14. Mathematics, Grade 2. (2.4) Number, operation, and quantitative reasoning. The
student models multiplication and division.
112.13. Science, Grade 2. (2) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student develops
abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry in classroom and outdoor investigations.
(D) record and organize data using pictures, numbers, and words;
(E) communicate observations and justify explanations using student-generated data
from simple descriptive investigations;
(16) Science, technology, and society. The student understands how science and technology have
affected life, past and present. The student is expected to:
(A) describe how science and technology have changed communication, transportation,
and recreation;
Materials:
• The Planets by Gail Gibbons
• There’s No Place Like Space: All About Our Solar System(Cat in the Hat) by Tish
Rabe
• Moon Shot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca
• One Giant Leap by Robert Burleigh
• Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings by Douglas Florian
• You Are the First Kid On Mars by Patrick O’Brien
• Laminated Poster of the Solar System without the planets labeled
• Wipe off markers
• Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhWI0SZqBwM&feature=related Neil
Armstrong Remake of First Moon Landing (with actual clips used)
• Individual White Boards and Dry Erase Markers
• Journals and Pencils
• Construction paper for book covers
• Fact sheet for the Solar System
• Space Shuttle fact sheet
• Planets and Shuttles Group Activity Sheet
• Planet Cryptogram Activity Sheet
• Laminated planets with large print names (include the sun)
• Enough file folders for groups of 4-5 in the class
• Planets coloring sheet
• Index cards with category questions (read lesson for explanation)
• Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?
annotation_id=annotation_665240&v=9vfSutF9wb0&feature=iv NASA’s Next
Mission to the Moon
• Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTHcUFF8OSg NASA 1 – A stroll through
the Solar System

Procedure:
1. Review with students what they already know about space during Large
Group:
a. Introduce the lesson by reading one of the suggested books (for following
days, read a new book in place of this activity and ask story
comprehension questions, and move into structure of a sentence lesson.)
When finished, ask story comprehension questions and open-ended
questions that promotes story retention. Ask what the main idea is, facts
from the story, and if there is an order of events, what they were. Write
answers on board to help visual learners.
b. Explain that this week they will be learning all about space, from facts and
history, to creative composition with writing fiction, and that “space stuff”
will be mixed in with their daily routines and lessons/activities.
2. Introduce the Writing Project:
a. Use the teacher board to write down student answers to this
question, “What is fiction?” Then, “What is Non-Fiction?”
 b. Discuss the answers. Explain that during writing time each day,
they will be working on writing their own short story about a trip to space.
Ask questions like, “What do you think a trip to space would be like?”
“How do you get to the moon?” “Has anyone ever been to another planet
in real life?” Ending with, “Do you think your book will be fictional or
non-fictional?”
c. Play Neil Armstrong Remake of First Moon Landing. When it is
finished, ask comprehension questions and guide the discussion to how
technology has changed from then until now. Be sure to go over/reinforce
facts about Apollo 11 and the landing on the moon.
3. Writing Time (Daily 5):
a. For reading choices, be sure to have class library filled with suggested
books and other books or magazines about space, planets, astronauts, etc.
b. Rotate Daily 5 so that everyone has a chance to work on writing. Write an
example of a Think Map you wish for them to use on the board, to outline
the story they will write. Most important for the first day, they need to
know which planet (or the moon) they plan to travel.
c. Other days are used to write and research the planet they plan on traveling
to so that they may add facts in their story about that planet. Require a
certain amount of facts in their story.
4. Regroup and begin reviewing parts of a sentence:
a. Write a sentence on the board. Make it simple, with just a pronoun
and a verb, i.e. “He flew.” Ask them to identify the pronoun and verb.
Write a new sentence below, adding to the sentence a new noun, i.e. “He
flew the rocket.” Ask them to identify the new words (the: adjective;
rocket: common noun). Ask what word they could add to the sentence that
is an adverb. Write the new sentence. Ask how they could change the
pronoun to a proper noun. Write the new sentence. Ending sentence could
look like, “Jim flew the rocket fast.”
b. Discuss what makes words nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs
and have students add more examples for each category.
5. Break out into Small Group:
a. Using individual white boards and markers, with journals and
pencils at the ready, have the students write a beginning sentence
for their story. Prompt students to raise hands if they have a
question or are finished and are ready to be checked. Once their
board is checked for spelling and grammar, encourage them to
write their first sentence in their journal but not to erase the
sentence from the board.
b. When a group is finished, they then pass their white boards to the
left so that a student has someone else’s. Have them mark nouns,
verbs, adverbs, and adjectives differently with their markers
(circle, underline, squiggly circle, box, etc.) And encourage them
to work as a group to self-check their work.
c. For following days, small group can be turned into individual
writing time for students to work on writing their story. Have them
 use their white boards to write sentences and have you check
before writing the story down into their journals. Stories should be
1-2 pages long about “My Trip to ______” with the planet of their
choice in the blank. Later in the week, before Friday, give them
adequate time to illustrate their front cover.
6. Science Time: Review the Planets
a. Hang up the laminated poster of the non-labeled planets and call
on students to name them. Write the names with dry erase marker
on the correct planet.
b. Teach the “Planet Chant” (lyrics attached) in a rapping style. Once
the class has gone over it a few times, have them “separated”
where the left side chants the first part, the middle the middle, and
the right side the end. Then challenge them by pointing at their
groups at different parts of the chant (similar to “popcorn reading”)
and use different tempos.
7. Small Group Time:
a. Explain they will break into small groups and work together to find
facts and information about the planets, and about the space
shuttle. Hand out a Space Shuttle Fact Sheet and Planetary Fact
Sheet for each student to refer to. Each student should read the
Space Shuttle expository first, then begin the activity worksheet
together. Refer to the Fiction and Non-Fiction discussion from
before and ask which category these fall into and why.
b. Review answers as a whole.
8. Play NASA’s Next Mission to the Moon
a. Ask open-ended questions and prompt for facts from the video,
and creative thoughts on their idea of the future for space travel.
b. Teach The Family of the Sun song (lyrics attached). Hand out the
laminated planets and Sun to random students. Explain each day
someone new will get a turn. During the song, have the “Sun”
stand in the middle, and each planet when it is called out in the
song, to “orbit” the sun.
9. Math Time: Review Multiplication and Division
a. Review the multiplication chart and some example division
problems on the board. Ask what the difference is between the
two. Explain that for their math project this week, they will get into
small groups and work on creating their own board game. On
Thursday, everyone will rotate around the classroom to play each
groups game.
b. Rules of the Games: The design has to be of the solar system. It
can be designed however they want, as long as there is a sun and
the 9 planets and they are in order and labeled properly. The start
and finish can be their design, the game pieces can be their design,
and it can be dice or spinner or something else for turns to be
played. There has to be five spaces with multiplication questions,
five spaces with division questions, and any other spaces left have
 to have questions regarding facts of the planets. The idea of each
game board will be to get from start to finish by landing on a
square and answering the questions correctly.
c. Group the class up into small groups of 4-5 students. Pass out a file
folder to each group. Have them first plan out their game board on
regular paper. Encourage them to have someone be in charge of
game layout, design, questions, etc. Hand out the Planets Coloring
Sheet (link in work sited) to use as the planets for their game
board.
d. Each day during math, review multiplication and division and give
adequate time for groups to work on game boards. Thursday, use
the math time to rotate and play the games.

10. FRIDAY:
a. Friday is presentation of each student’s story. Give them time to
finish illustrations and placing their journal paper into book form
with the construction paper book cover. Give them Read-to-Self
time during Daily 5 to go over their story before reading it in front
of the class.
11. REVIEW:
a. An idea to end the unit on the Solar System is to have a class
Game Show. Break them up into 4 or 5 groups. Have 3 categories
on the board, and index cards with questions. Categories: FACTS,
SENTENCES, MATH. To begin the game, have each group use a
white board and dry erase marker and have a designated writer.
Write a sentence on the board. The group that correctly identifies
the proper noun, adverb, adjective, verb, etc by your implied
markings (underline adverb, circle noun, etc.) first (by ringing a
bell or holding their sign up and saying “We’ve got it!”) gets to go
first. Examples of category questions are attached.
b. They pick a category and if they answer the question correctly, get
a point. Go clockwise to the next group. Get creative and play the
game in a way you think the class will retain information and have
fun. The winning group can have first dibs on the class library for
next week’s Daily 5 reading!
c. Review the chant and song.
d. Finish by letting them watch NASA 1 – A stroll Through the Solar
System.

Assessment:
1. Assess through observation during large and small group time based on verbal
answers. Also through observation during Thursday’s game rotation time by
students answering questions correctly from the board, as well as what kind of
questions were asked. Assess based on fact sheets activity, the proper
 structure of sentences in their short stories, and their participation in the Class
Game Show.
a. Optional: Provide the Planet Crypto gram activity sheet for an at home
assignment.
b. Optional: During computer time, have this game available:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/playspace/games/jigsaw/jigsaw.sh
tml

The Family of the Sun

(to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell" or in a more appropriate tune for your class. Use
directions in lesson plan for “performing” the song.)
The family of the Sun,
The family of the Sun,
Here are nine planets in
The family of the Sun.
Mercury is hot
And Mercury is small.
Mercury has no atmosphere.
It's just a rocky ball.
The family of the Sun,
The family of the Sun,
Here's another planet in
The family of the Sun.
Venus has thick clouds
That hide what is below
The air is foul, the ground is hot,
It rotates very slow.
(Repeat Refrain)
We love the Earth, our home,
Its oceans and its trees.
We eat its food, we breathe its air,
So no pollution, please.
(Repeat Refrain)
Mars is very red.
It's also dry and cold
Some day you might visit Mars
If you are really bold.
(Repeat Refrain)
Great Jupiter is big.
We've studies it a lot.
We found that it has 16 moons
And a big red spot.
(Repeat Refrain)
Saturn has great rings.
We wondered what they were.
Now we know they're icy rocks
Which we saw as a blur.
The family of the Sun,
The family of the Sun,
Here are two more planets in
The family of the Sun.
Uranus and Neptune
We don't know much about
Maybe you will study them
And then we'll all find out.
(Repeat Refrain)
Pluto's last in line.
It's farthest from the Sun.
It's small and cold and icy too.
To land there won't bw fun.
The family of the Sun,
The family of the Sun,
There are nine planets and
Now our journey's done.

Planets Chant
Here are nine planets that we know.
Round and round the Sun they go.

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars,

These are the planets near our star.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, too.
Neptune, Pluto, we can't see you.
These are the nine planets that we know.
Round and round the Sun they go.
 PLANETS AND SHUTTLES GROUP
ACTIVITY

Read the Space Shuttle expository. Use the fact sheets to answer the following questions.

1. What is the name of the space shuttle that made the first
flight in 1981?

2. How many feet long is the shuttle system?

3. What is a space shuttle used for?

4. How many orbiters have there been, and what are their
names?

5. Who was the first female astronaut to walk in space?

6. How many people can fit in a shuttle?

7. When was the 100th shuttle mission?

8. What is the future for NASA’s shuttle?

9. What is the fourth closest planet to the sun?

10. What is the mass of the biggest planet in our solar

system?

11. Based on the Planetary Fact Sheet, what do you

think the difference is between mass and diameter?

12. How long does a day on Mercury last?

13. How many days are in a year on Mercury?

14. Which planet has the most days in a year? Why do

you think that is?

15. What makes Mercury very hot and Pluto very cold?

16. What planets have no moon?

17. Which planet has the most moons? How many?

18. Which planets have rings?

19. Which planet has the least amount of gravity? What

do you think happens when there is not a lot of gravity?

20. Why do you think planet Earth is the only one

humans are able to live on?
CATEGORY QUESTION EXAMPLES FOR GAME SHOW

FACTS
What are the planets, in order, in our solar system?
Who was the first man to walk on the moon?
Who is the author of The Planets?
(Use questions about student stories here as well, ie: Who traveled to Jupiter? Etc.)

SENTENCES
What is an adverb?
What is the difference between a Proper noun and a noun?
What is wrong with this sentence? (write a sentence incorrectly)\

MATH
What kind of problem is 2X2?
What kind of problem is 6/4? (“Fraction” would be incorrect, Division would be the
correct answer)
How many numbers are on the Tens multiplication table? (100)
If it took 3 days to get to Mars, but 2 times longer to get back, what is the total amount of
travel time?
Various math problems within their skill level.
 Work and Ideas Cited

• Nine Planets to Color for Game

http://www.challenger.org/messengercelebration/downloads/Solar_System_Mobile.gi
f
• Space Jigsaw Game
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/playspace/games/jigsaw/jigsaw.shtml
• Fact Sheet of Solar System http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/
• Space Shuttle Fact Sheet: http://www.tlsbooks.com/educolorspaceshuttle.pdf
• Planet Cryptogram: http://www.tlsbooks.com/planetcryptogram.pdf
• The Family of the Sun song and Planets chant
http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems34.html

*Rearrange lesson based on your class routine with writing, math and science.