Name: Amy Martin
Subject : Science
Date: March 11, 2015
Lesson Length: 45 minutes Grade: 6
Content (Topic):
Teaching Instructional Strategies:
- Direct instruction
- Class discussion
Outcomes:
Unit Outcome:
SS6.1: Research and represent the physical characteristics of the major components of the solar system, including the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets.
Indicators:
Unit Indicator:
Students will demonstrate their learning of a major component of the solar system by creating a research project, and giving an oral presentation, that expresses their new knowledge.
Cross Curricular Competencies (CCC’s):
Think and learn contextually: Analyze connections or relationships within and/or among ideas, experiences, or natural and constructed objects
Think and learn creatively: Show curiosity and interest in the world, new experiences, materials, and puzzling or surprising events
Prerequisite Learning:
Students should be able to list the eight planets of the solar system, as well as identify other major components of the solar system, including the sun, moons, asteroids, and comets.
Adaptive Dimensions:
Extension: In addition to their project and presentation, students that comprehend the unit material can construct a 3D model of their assigned planet that demonstrates some of the physical characteristics that they researched.
Modifications: The project is designed in such a way that the student has complete creative control over their research project and presentation. This is to cater to the students' multiple intelligences. The project can be in the form of a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation, a poster board, a brochure, a video, a poem, a short story, or any other style of project that the student feels comfortable trying.

Lesson Preparation
Equipment/Materials:

Unit duo-tangs (with Project Outline sheet, marking rubrics, 3 Stars and a Wish sheets, and
Project Tracker sheets)
Advanced Preparation:

Print & photocopy Project Outline sheets

Print & photocopy marking rubrics

Print & photocopy 3 Stars and a Wish sheets

Print & photocopy Project Tracker sheets

Put together students' unit duo-tangs

Lesson Presentation
Set (25 minutes):
1. Introduce Solar System unit to the students: Explain the unit timeline (4 weeks), and the unit project. Restate that the students have the option to work individually or in pairs, but that if they are going to work with a partner, to pick someone that they work well with. Explain that the research project is a way for the students to become experts on the solar system: They will investigate one planet in depth, and then they will learn about the other components of the solar system from their peers.
2. Explain project in more detail. Reinforce that students are allowed to create any type of project that they would like:
PowerPoint, Prezi, report, short story, poem, poster board, brochure, video, etc.
3. Review project marking rubric with students. Ask: Is this rubric reasonable?
4. Explain oral presentation in more detail. Explain that it should be a short (4-5 minutes) summary of what the students learned during their research. Tell students not to be intimidated––this is a way to show off their expertise!
5. Review oral presentation marking rubric with students. Ask: Is this rubric reasonable?
6. Explain 3 Stars and a Wish sheets to students. Explain expectations for these sheets.
7. Review participation marking rubric with students. Ask: Is this rubric reasonable?
Development (10 minutes):
1. Address partner situation: How many students are working individually? Does everyone else have a partner?
2. Write project topic options on the board: Mercury, Venus,
Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, asteroids, and comets.
3. Randomly select which group gets to choose their topic first.
Maximum of two groups per topic.
Closure (10 minutes):
1. Allow time for any questions.
2. If time remains, play a brain break game.
Classroom
Management
Strategies
Students will pick their topics towards the end of class to avoid distraction during the lesson.

Assessment/Evaluation:
The assessment for this unit will be summative. Students will be marked based on three components: their research project, their oral presentation, and their 3 Stars and a Wish sheets.
Other informal assessments will take place during the course of the unit.