Tennessee Tech University
SCIENCE LESSON PLAN
Name: Katie Mattie
Date: January 8, 2013
Lesson Title: The Solar System
Estimated Duration: 45-60 minutes
Where in the Unit does this lesson occur?
Grade/Level: 3rd
Number of Students: 22
Structure(s) of grouping for the lesson:
(Check One) __Beginning __Middle ___End
(Check any that apply)
Whole Class
_____
Small Group _____
One-to-one
_____
Other (specify) ______
Curriculum Standards
Central Focus Question/Big Idea/Goal
Rationale/Theoretical Reasoning
GLE:
0307.6.1: Identify and compare the mayor components
of the solar system.
0307.Inq.2: Select and use appropriate tools and
simple equipment to conduct an investigation.
Checks for Understanding:
0307.6.1: Create a model of the solar system depicting
the major components and their relative positions and
sizes.
SPI:
0307.6.1: Identify the major components of the solar
system, i.e., sun, planets, and moons.
Goal: The students’ will be able to identify the major
components of the solar system.
Big Idea: The students’ will be able to use
appropriate tools and equipment to conduct an
investigation and create a model of the solar system.
Central Focus Questions:
1. What is a solar system?
2. How many planets are in our solar system?
3. Where is Earth in our solar system?
4. What object in our solar system is not a
planet?
5. What are the inner planets?
6. What are the outer planets?
7. Is Pluto a planet?
8. What do all the inner planets have in
common?
9. What are the outer planets like?
10. What is the largest planet?
11. Which planet is known for its many rings?
12. Which planet is closest to the Sun?
13. Which planet is the only one that rotates
“sideway”?
14. Which planet is known of the “Red
Planet”?
15. Which is the hottest planet in our solar
system?
16. Is Saturn an inner planet or an outer
planet?
17. On what planet does liquid water and life
exist?
18. How are Jupiter and Neptune alike?
19. What covers the surface of the moon?
20. How is the Moon different than Earth?
21. Do all planets have moons?
22. What is the Sun?
23. What object in our solar system is neither
a star nor a planet?
24. How are meteors related to asteroids and
comets?
Rationale: The assessments both
formal and informal), differentiated
strategies, motivator, and
instructional procedures support the
pedagogy of this lesson. The learning
tasks, which explain, in detail, the
procedures the teacher will take to
certify that the objectives for the
lesson have been met, support the
methodology of this lesson. The
teacher will provide assistance,
where needed, while the students’
complete the activities, worksheets,
and math problem. The teacher will
provide more instruction and
examples to build their
comprehension. All these strategies
will give these students’ the extra
assistance they need to work
independently with no assistance
and increase their comprehension of
the concept.
Theoretical Reasoning: Based
upon Tomlinson’s theory of
differentiated instruction, my
instructional approaches will be
adapted to meet the needs of the
individual and diverse students’ in
the classroom by providing one-toone assistance for any students who
need help with the worksheets,
activities, and math problem.
Through engaged learning, the
students’ will be involved in
activities that promote active
cognitive processes such as creating
and evaluating (Greg Kearsley &
Ben Schneiderman). The students’
are engaged in small groups,
partners, whole class, and
individually to promote an increase
in participation and allow an
opportunity for different classroom
structures. By preparing beforehand,
actively participating, and reflecting
after, the students’ will have the
opportunity to reflect on their self as
a learner and an individual
(Rowntree (1988)). The students’ will
complete a Student Self-Evaluation
Form where they rate their study
and personal skills and their overall
performance, and inform the teacher
of their self and their work and their
opinion of the teaching process for
the lesson. By implementing the
Lesson Objective(s)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The students’ will be able to describe our solar system.
The students’ will be able to describe the inner and outer planets.
The students’ will be able to identify and compare the major components of the solar system.
The students’ will be able to select and use appropriate tools and simple equipment to conduct an
investigation.
The students’ will be able to create a model of the solar system depicting the major components and
their relative positions and sizes.
Vocabulary/ Academic Language (Language Function)
Academic Language:

Planet
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Moon
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Sun
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Solar System
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Orbit
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Inner Planets

Outer Planets
Revised Spring 2011

Crater

Star

Asteroid

Comets

Meteors

Meteorite
Instructional Language:

Memorization

Prior Knowledge

Whole Class

Cooperative Group

Independently

Reflection

Assignment

Expectations
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Partners

Experiment
The students’ will “echo read” the vocabulary words with the teacher. The students’ have already pre-recorded
the definitions to the vocabulary words in their science folders. As the teacher reviews the vocabulary words,
the teacher will review the definitions as well.
Assessment/Evaluation
Formative (Informal): The teacher and the students’ will review the lesson by answering and discussing the
central focus questions and the academic language. The teacher will use the popsicle sticks that have the
students’ name on them to call on them to answer the questions. This strategy is called Popsicle Stick
Questioning. The students’ will pair up with a partner to conduct an experiment called Sizing Up Planets. The
students’ will determine the relative sizes of the planets and record their observation on the Quick Lab Sizing
Up Planets worksheet. The students’ will be placed in groups based upon their academic level. The below level
students’ will create a t-chart with the column headings labeled Inner and Outer. These students’ will
determine which planets are inner and which are outer planets. The on-level students will create a Venn
Diagram to compare and contrast two different planets. The above level students’ will create their own
quizzes with ten questions and ten answers about our solar system and its planets. The students’ will use the
green, yellow, and red cards to let the teacher know how they feel about the partner and group activities.
Green represent they feel comfortable with the activities. Yellow represents they feel good, but still have
questions about the activities. Red represents they feel uncomfortable and do not understand the activities.
This strategy is called Traffic Light Cards. The students’ will complete a Self-Evaluation form which reflects
their opinion of their study and personal skills. This form allows the students’ to evaluate their self by rating
their study and personal skills and their overall effort from a one to three: one meaning they feel they need to
improve; two meaning they feel they are satisfactory; three meaning they feel they have strength in. This
form also allows the students’ to provide the teacher with information about themselves or their work and
how they felt about the instructional procedures.
Summative (Formal): The students’ will make a model of the solar system using clay, styrofoam balls, or
similar materials. The students’ will be allowed to create a mobile, model, or other three-dimensional objects.
Mastery of this assignment will be based around the students’ use of the correct relative sizes, colors, special
features, and placement of the planets from the Sun.
Popsicle Stick Questioning, the
teacher will know who to call on to
answer the central focus and higher
order thinking questions. This
process makes it easier for the
teacher because she won’t have to
decide on who to call on for
answering questions. The teacher
will implement the Traffic Light
Cards in order to understand the
students’ opinion of the activities.
The students’ will show a green card
to demonstrate they feel comfortable
with the activities, a yellow card to
demonstrate they feel good, but have
questions about the activities, and a
red card to demonstrate they do not
feel comfortable and need extra
instruction with the activities. By
using Houghton Mifflin’s Company’s
t-chart during the group activity, the
students’ will demonstrate their
understanding of inner and outer
planets in the solar system. By
implementing the Venn Diagram,
the students’ will demonstrate their
comprehension of how to compare
and contrast two different planets.
Instruction
Set/Motivator: The students’ will be pre-assessed through teacher-class discussion. The teacher and students’
will review the lesson on the solar system by discussing and answering the central focus and higher order
thinking questions provided by the teacher.
Instructional Procedures/Learning Tasks: The students’ will get with a partner to conduct the experiment,
Sizing Up Planets. The students’ will hold a marble 30 cm away and a tennis ball 5 m away from their
partner. The students’ will record their observations of which object seems larger and why and which is really
larger. The students’ will infer on how can larger planets look smaller to us tan smaller planets. The students’
answers to these questions will be recorded on the lab worksheet titled Sizing Up Planets. The students’ will
be placed in groups based upon their academic level. The below level students’ will create a t-chart with the
column headings labeled Inner and Outer. These students’ will determine which planets are inner and which
are outer planets. The on-level students will create a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast two different
planets. The above level students’ will create their own quizzes with ten questions and ten answers about our
solar system and its planets.
Questions and/or activities for higher order thinking:
1. How would the Sun look from Mercury?
2. If Mercury is closer to the Sun than Venus, why is Venus hotter than Mercury?
3. Do you think that people could travel to the Sun? Explain your answer.
4. Why is the Sun important to us?
5. Where do you think asteroids come from?
6. Why do you think that most meteors that enter Earth’s atmosphere, the air around Earth, do not hit
Earth’s surface?
7. Why might it be difficult for scientists to decide if an object is a planet?
Closure: The students’ will solve a Math problem individually that relates to the solar system. The teacher
will discuss the students’ homework assignment and what must be included within that assignment in order
to obtain mastery. The teacher will discuss the procedures for completing the Student Self-Evaluation Form.
Material/Resources:

Teacher’s Edition of Science: A Closer Look textbook
Revised Spring 2011
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Students’ Science Folder
10 marbles
10 tennis balls
Meter stick
Sizing Up Planets Quick Lab Worksheet
Teacher example of T-chart
Teacher example of Venn Diagram
Teacher example of Solar System Quiz
Paper
Pencil
Student Self-Evaluation Form
Green, Yellow, Red cards
Students’ names on popsicle sticks
Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs: The teacher will provide feedback and answer questions by
monitoring students’ progress. The teacher will provide one-to-one assistance to students’ who are struggling
with the Math problem. The students’ will be placed in groups based upon their academic level. The below
level students’ will create a t-chart with the column headings labeled Inner and Outer. These students’ will
determine which planets are inner and which are outer planets. The on-level students will create a Venn
Diagram to compare and contrast two different planets. The above level students’ will create their own
quizzes with ten questions and ten answers about our solar system and its planets.
Management/Safety Issues: There are no safety issues. There are two students’ who do not pay
attention well, listen to directions, or do their work. If these students’ decide to not do what is expected of
them, the teacher will conference with them individually about their behavior. Any misbehavior will be
reported by the students signing their name in the consequence book and stating the reason why they have to
sign the book. If the students’ get one check, ten minutes will be taken from their recess. If the students’ get
two checks, twenty minutes will be taken from their recess. If the students’ get three checks, parents are
contacted and no participation in Fantastic Friday.
Reflections/Future Modifications:
___________________________________________
______________________________________________
Student Teacher Signature/Date
Supervisor/Date
Sources:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/graphic/venn2/
http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/tchart_eng.pdf
http://www.3villagecsd.k12.ny.us/Instructional_Technology/TchLrn/Differentinstructoverview.htm.
http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm.
http://www.science.ulster.ac.uk/nursing/mentorship/docs/toolkits/Reflection.pdf.
Page Keeley. (2008). Popsicle Stick Questioning and Traffic Light Cards. Science Formative Assessment.
Macmillan/McGraw-Hill. (2010). The Solar System. Science A Closer Look: Teacher's Edition Grade 3.
Macmillan/McGraw-Hill. Sizing Up Planets. Science A Closer Look: Building Skills Activity Lab Book
Revised Spring 2011