The Study of Space
Ms. Graham and Miss. McGee
6th Grade Science
Hillcrest Middle School
Science Lesson Plans
January 6 2016 to March 11, 2016
Standards
10 (P) & 8, 9, 11 standard
ELA 3-7-9
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Week January 6-8
Web Quest from STAR CHILD
Scavenger Hunt Level 1 –Regular
Scavenger Hunt Level 2- Academic Scholars
Week January 11-15
Mercury, Venus, Earth
Week January 18-22
Out 18th
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
Week January 25-29
Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
Week February 1-5
Sun and Moon
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Week February 8-12
Meteors, Meteorites, Asteroids
Week February 15-19
The Universe
Week February 22-26
University of Alabama and Space Water Rockets
Week February 29- March 4
Space Missions
Week March 7-11
Exam Week
Week January 6-8
Web Quest from STAR CHILD
Scavenger Hunt Level 1 –Regular
Scavenger Hunt Level 2- Academic Scholars
1-7-16
Before:
Question of the Day
How fast is the Moon moving away from the Earth?
Three centimeters per
1-6-16
year
Before:
During:
Scavenger Hunt Level 1-Regular
Scavenger Hunt Level 2-Academic Scholars
Question of the Day
After:
3-2-1
What space object is called a
fallen star?
Meteor
During:
Scavenger Hunt Level 1-Regular
Scavenger Hunt Level 2-Academic Scholars
After:
Exit slip
1-8-16
Before:
Question of the Day
What is the name given to storms on the Sun’s surface?
Sunspots
During:
Scavenger Hunt Level 1-Regular
Scavenger Hunt Level 2-Academic Scholars
After:
Turn in Scavenger Hunt
Space
Week 2
•Week January 11-15
•Mercury, Venus, Earth
– Before: Question of the Day
– During : Notes and Reviews
– After: 3-2-1 and Mini Assessments
Week 2 Day 1
Question of The Day
•Because it is so small,
Mercury is known as
a_________ planet.
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Answer:
lesser planet
Week 1 Day 1
• All the planets in our solar system have
elliptical orbits.
Mercury
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a small planet
the second smallest planet in our solar system
a “lesser planet” because it is so small
the closest planet to the sun
orbit is elliptical
Mercury is named for the Roman god of
commerce and thievery.
• about 5000 km in diameter
• can be seen without a telescope
Mercury continued
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can only be seen a few days, three or four times a year
one of the three rocky planets in our solar system
made mostly of iron with a thin rocky surface
has many craters due to impact of asteroids and other
objects
weather varies from extremely hot to extremely cold
“daytime” temperature varies, depending on how
close it is to the Sun.
on side facing the Sun is 370 degrees Celsius
on side away from the Sun can be less than -150
degrees Celsius
Week 2 Day 2
Question of The Day
•How did Mercury get its
name?
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Answer:
Mercury is named for the Roman god of commerce and thievery.
Venus
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a small planet
second planet from sun
between Mercury and Earth
orbit is nearly circular
Venus was named for the goddess of love and beauty.
has winds that blow hundreds of kilometers an hour,
and temperatures that are hot enough to melt most
metals.
• a Venerian year is just 225 days.
• a day on Venus is 243 days, which means that a day
on Venus is longer than it’s year.
Venus
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called morning and evening star
visible several months without a telescope
when visible—second brightest thing in sky
iron core covered by rocky lava layer
many active volcanoes on surface
completely covered by sulfuric acid clouds
average temp 480 degree C
air pressure equal to 800 km under water
constant tornado speed winds
Venus
• surface has many mountains (some higher
than Mount Everest), volcanoes and plains
filled with lava
• rotates East to West, which is just the
opposite of Earth and most of the other
planets.
Week 2 Day 3
Question of The Day
• What is the makeup of
Venus?
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Answer:
Iron core covered by rocky lava layer
Earth
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a small planet
third planet from Sun
orbit is nearly a perfect circle
average distance from the Sun is about 150
million kilometers
• The average distance of the Earth from the Sun is
called an astronomical unit (or a.u.).
• only planet that does not have a name from
either Greek or Roman mythology
Earth
• Takes 365.25 days to revolve around the Sun
• One revolution around the Sun is called a year.
• One year is 365 days and every fourth year has
366 days. That is called a leap year.
• takes 24 hours to rotate around its axis
• One rotation = a day --One day = 24 hours.
• core or center is solid and made up mostly of iron
• on top core is a very thick layer of molten, or
liquid, rock—the mantle
Earth
• On top of the mantle is the thin solid layer that
makes up the continents and the ocean floors.
• The continents actually float around on “plates”
that form this top layer.
• Surrounding the solid surface are layers of
atmosphere.
• The atmosphere consists of many gases including
oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide
Earth
• The weather on Earth varies a great deal, from very
cold at either the north or south poles to very warm at
the equator. Compared to other planets, the
temperature on Earth are mild.
• The seasons on Earth are caused by the fact the Earth’s
axis is not upright or vertical. Earth is titled at an angle
of 23.5 degrees. South of the equator, the weather is
warmer from November to February. This is because at
this time the southern half of the planet is tilted
towards the Sun. It is cooler during the rest of the year
when the northern half of the planet is tilted towards
the Sun.
Earth
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Earth has one Moon.
• one-fourth the size of Earth
• Earth is the only planet in the solar system
that has solar eclipses. These happen when
the Moon hides the Sun.
• Earth is the only planet which supports animal
and plant life. Also, it is the only planet with
oceans of warm water.