The Dynamic Trio

Contributor
Siemens Foundation
Type Category
Instructional Materials
Types
Instructor Guide/Manual , Lesson/Lesson Plan , Activity
Note
This resource, vetted by NSTA curators, is provided to teachers along with suggested modifications to make it more in line with the vision of the NGSS. While not considered to be "fully aligned," the resources and expert recommendations provide teachers with concrete examples and expert guidance using the EQuIP rubric to adapted existing resources. Read more here.

Reviews

Description

In this lesson, students will learn about the stars, planets, and moons found in our solar system and how they relate to one another. The video segment enhances the learning. After a nonfiction read aloud, students work in groups to create models of the Solar System.

Intended Audience

Educator and learner
Educational Level
  • Grade 1
  • Elementary School
Language
English
Access Restrictions

Free access - The right to view and/or download material without financial, registration, or excessive advertising barriers.

Performance Expectations

1-ESS1-1 Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.

Clarification Statement: Examples of patterns could include that the sun and moon appear to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; and stars other than our sun are visible at night but not during the day.

Assessment Boundary: Assessment of star patterns is limited to stars being seen at night and not during the day.

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this performance expectation.

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
After reading, modeling and support the students develop their own models of the Sun, Moon and Earth. The lesson mentions the planets. Knowledge of plants and their location is beyond the NGSS standard at this level. Selection of a non-fiction text is left to the teacher and should be done carefully. This lesson does not give any indication as to how the students can track the patterns of the Sun, Moon and the earth.

Science and Engineering Practices

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this science and engineering practice.

Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
This lesson can be strengthened in the practice portion of the lesson if students have conversations about their observations of the sun and moon during the day and night and if the information is tracked via a website that contains this information.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this disciplinary core idea.

Comments about Including the Disciplinary Core Idea
Careful viewing of the non-fiction video that is related with this lesson helps to strengthen this Core Idea. The instructor should review the 5 minute refresher section of this lesson with a focus on the prior knowledge that a young learner brings to this topic and to the Common Misconceptions section.

Crosscutting Concepts

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this crosscutting concept.

Comments about Including the Crosscutting Concept
Careful viewing of the non fiction video that is related with this lesson helps to strengthen this Cross Cutting concept. The instructor should review the 5 minute refresher section of this lesson with a focus on the Prior Knowledge that a young learner brings to this topic and to the Common Misconceptions section.

Resource Quality

  • Alignment to the Dimensions of the NGSS: This lesson scaffolds the ability of the young learner to create a model and gives students time to apply what they know to a 3-D representation of the Sun, Moon and Earth. There is no effort to make this model to scale.

  • Instructional Supports: The lesson provides hands on activities and learning opportunities for small groups of students. It also gives suggestions for enhanced learning, extensions and home/school connections along the way. The student handout shows the Sun, Planets and stars. The planets do not need to be added to meet this NGSS standard.

  • Monitoring Student Progress: No assessment is given. The objectives, prior knowledge, and common misconceptions are listed in the 5 minute refresher section of this lesson.

  • Quality of Technological Interactivity: The video that is included provides content knowledge. Websites are suggested in this lesson. The instructor can enrich this lesson by including a astronomy application that tracks the patterns of the Sun, Moon and Stars so that first hand observations can be confirmed.