Lesson Title: Observing and Modeling the Solar system
Amount of time for this lesson = 95minutes in class
Description of lesson: This lesson is designed as the introduction lesson to a larger unit on the solar system. The first four parts could
be done over 1-2 days based on the length of the lesson. The rest is designed for students to work on as you teach the rest of your unit.
When they are constructing their models, be sure to tell them to construct them based on their observations.
1. Standards and Safety and Materials:
A. NGSS Standards:
HS-ESS1-4. Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system.
HS-ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System
Kepler’s laws describe common features of the motions of orbiting objects, including their elliptical paths around the sun. Orbits may
change due to the gravitational effects from, or collisions with, other objects in the solar system. (HS-ESS1-4)
B. Safety Concerns
Be sure to warn your class not to look at the sun with their new telescopes.
This lesson involves observing the sky at night. Implement any precautions, such as working in pairs, you feel appropriate
for your area.
C. Materials: Given per group
1 Galilean telescope- can be substituted for cheaper options if necessary
You should download Stellarium or a similar program on your computer
For making the model at the end of the unit. These are a suggestion, feel free to use other objects or have the students supply
their own if appropriate.
1 large hunk of clay
5-10 wires to connect pieces of clay
2. Objectives:
A. Students will be able to construct a refracting telescope.
B. Students will be able to observe planets in our solar system using the telescope.
C. Students will be able to model the movement of objects in the solar system based on their observations.
3. Connections, Misconceptions, and Crosscutting Concepts:
A. Real world connections: Astronomers, Engineers
B. Student connections: The students will understand how telescopes work.
Students will be able to use a telescope to observe our solar system.
C. Misconceptions: Size of objects in the sky.
Distance to different objects in the sky.
That things in the night sky don’t move over the course of the night.
D. Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns- Planets within our solar system move differently than the stars behind them. The moons
phases will change over time.
Systems and Models- The students will use their observations to construct a model of our solar system.
E. Academic Language:
Model- A systematic description of an object or phenomenon that shares important characteristics with the object or phenomenon
4. Pre test: Draw what the solar system looks like
5. Catch/Engagement: Bring up Stellarium. Show the students how the planets will look that night.
6. Activity/Exploration:
Part 1: Planning: Students will plan as a group how they will do their observations
Part 2: Observations: Students will observe of the solar system at night.
Part 3: Modeling: Students will model part of the solar system based on their observations.
Check to see the more about the observations and the Modeling at the end of the lesson plan.
7. Review/Essential Questions/Explanation:
A. Low Level – Can you use the telescope correctly?
B. Middle Level –How can you recognize a planet in the night sky?
C. High Level – Can you use data you gathered to make a model of parts of our solar system?
8. Assessments (Post-test)/Evaluation:
A. Formative: Discussion at the end of the lecture. Have the students practice with their telescopes on nearby objects during
the school day.
B. Post-test: same as the pretest.
C. Summative: Students will turn in pictures of their observations taken with their telescopes. They will use it to construct a
model of the solar system.
9. Timeline:
A. Pre-test
B. Catch
F. Planning Observations
G. Observations
5 min
15 min
30 min
A few weeks over the course of your astronomy unit
H. Modeling
45 min-can be adjusted to more time in class or at home depending on what is appropriate
Extra time can be added in as needed to check with your students and keep them on track
10. Enrichment/Elaboration: Have students use Kepler’s laws to solve equations about the planets in the solar system.
11. IEP Accommodations/Differentiation/Diversity: Struggling students will be given preferential seating, staff support, clarification
of directions and extended time to complete assignment.
Observations preparations: You will want to check to see what the student will be able to observe before sending them home with the
telescopes. Depending on what your students know you may want to tell them where to find the object they will be observing.
Stellarium or other computer programs could be used to familiarize your students with what they will be looking at before they do it.
Also discuss how to do observations. If at all possible the students should go to a remote place with little amounts of light pollution.
Observations: Your observations should go at least 2-3 weeks, and each member of the group should take a turn to observe. In their
notebooks they should draw the night sky as seen with the naked eye (they can focus on the area around the planet they are observing).
Then they should draw the planet as seen through the telescope. You may want to give them a time period, such as ½ an hour to
observe how the night sky changes over time.
Models: When are the observations are complete the students should see that the planets position has changed over time relative to the
stars in the sky behind them. The students should use these observations as well as the information they learned in the astronomy unit
to make a model of the planets movement through the night sky.