INTEGRATED UNIT: SPINNING IN SPACE

QL Quality Learning Tool Aboriginal Perspective ICT Integration Religion

Year: 3 Year: 2010 Duration: TERM 2 – 11 weeks

Aim/Rationale: This unit provides opportunities for students to explore the sizes, shapes, positions and movements of the Sun, Earth and Moon. They investigate how shadows change the throughout the day and link these changes to the Sun’s apparent movement across the sky. Big Ideas: Earth And Beyond Outcomes:

HSIE: SSS2.7

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: INVS2.7, UTS2.9, PPS2.5

Complex Question: How do the features of the solar system and their interactions, affect life on Earth?

Inquiry Questions:

1. What is our place in space?

2. What shape and size are the Sun, Earth and Moon?

3. How are shadows formed?

Areas of Integration:

English- Science Journals, word walls, labelled Mathematics- Data: Graphs; Position; Measurement; diagrams, role-plays, tables, graphs, posters Scale

Creative Arts- Sketching the planets; diagrams; Science & Technology/HSIE- Climate & weather; how role-playing; Space Art: day & night; Music & songs people adapt to weather conditions & climate change; about the Sun, Earth and the Moon; construction of the seasons; space travel; researching: Solar system; dioramas and models; astronauts and space travel; Aboriginal Dreaming stories;

Understandings:

Generic Skills:

Research Communication

Solving Problems Thinking Critically

Expression Task Management

Cooperation Responsibility

Using Technology (Science & Technology Outcomes UTS 2.9)

FOUNDATION STATEMENTS:

ENGLISH: Students write well-structured literary and factual texts in terms of topic, purpose, audience and language by drafting, revising and proofreading. Students communicate proficiently ideas and information in classroom, school and social situations for a range of purposes. They explore a range of roles when interacting in pairs and groups, using various listening strategies to gather general ideas from conversations, reports or spoken presentations.

HSIE: Students examine how technologies affect the provision of goods and services, lifestyles, the environment and monetary exchange (relevant to space travel). Students use a variety of texts and media to communicate information and data.

CREATIVE ARTS: Students make artworks that represent a variety of subject matter and make choices about the forms and techniques used to best represent the qualities of the subject matter. They discuss reasons why artists make particular artworks and why different interpretations are possible, recognising similarities and differences in how subject matter is represented.

MATHEMATICS: Students gather and organise data to create and interpret tables and graphs. Students use coordinates to describe position and compass points to give and follow directions.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: Students select and safely use equipment, computer-based technology and other resources throughout the processes of investigation.

Preparing the Learning Environment:

 Display complex & inquiry questions  Display texts/websites/stimulus posters  Prepare interactive word bank  Establish a “Did you know?” board with facts  Solar System posters  Magazine & Newspaper articles  Display generic skills  Prepare wall display Resources:

 Bulk loan of suitable library books on Space theme  Sets of guided reading texts  Teachers BLM books on Space

Initiating the Unit:

 Introduce questions and resources  Introduce generic skills  Find out what the children already know and what they want to find out Inquiry Question: Duration: 4 weeks Wks:

1. What is our place in space? 1 - 4 O P P C T l r o

TEACHING & LEARNING EXPERIENCES: e Assessment Outcomes/ b a o n a n s d f c e n u e

h Product e r c r e v d t e a

r Generic

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t A c i o n e n a l

y Skills s i s

Tuning In Communication

 What do we already know about the Solar KWL chart System and what do we want to find out? √ √ Student  What do we know about the movements of the responses Sun, Earth and Moon?

Finding Out

 Study and discuss images of day and night. Brainstorm the differences between day and √ Expression night and record them on a T-bar chart. T-bar chart Communication Student  Ask questions such as how do we know it is responses day/night? What might we see in the day/night?

Sorting Out

 Introduce Resource sheet 1 (Primary Connections Thinking Stage 2: Spinning In Space p11) & read it Critically √ Completed through with the students. Research worksheet  Students complete sheet then share ideas with a Cooperation partner. In the larger group compare people’s similarities and differences of opinion.

Making Connections

 Students draw a labelled diagram with the title Completed Research ‘Spinning in Space’ to record their ideas and diagram knowledge about: √ Thinking Critically  The sizes and shapes of Earth, the Sun and the Moon Expression

 The positions of the Earth, the Sun and the Moon

 How the Sun, Earth and Mood might move through space Going Further Narrative. Research  Investigate how the Aboriginal people explain the Sun, Moon and Earth in their dreaming √ √ Communication stories.

 Write a dreaming story that might explain how they came to exist.

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Reflecting and Acting Thinking Critically  Students complete the KWL process after √ Completed KWL reflecting on what they learned. chart Expression

Inquiry Question: Duration: 4 WEEKS Wks:

2. What shape and size are the Sun, Earth and 5 - 8 Moon? O P A P C T l r o e

TEACHING & LEARNING EXPERIENCES: n Assessment Outcomes/ b a o n a a n s d f l c e n y u e

h Product e r s c r e v d i t e a s

r Generic

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t c i o e n Skills

Tuning In

 Students suggest objects that are a similar shape to the Earth. Students explain why a sphere is different to a circle or a disc. √ Student Communication

 Discuss what students know about the sizes of the Sun, responses Thinking Moon and Earth. Encourage the students to make Critically comparisons based on size.

 When we look at the Sun and Moon they appear to be similar sizes.Show the students a basketball, a Expression tennis ball and a marble. Ask them to identify which object relates to the Sun, Moon and Earth. Students should give reasons for their choice.

Finding Out Communication  In cooperative learning teams, the students will discover more about the size of the Sun, Moon Student Thinking and Earth. responses Critically  The teams will move to the paddock and each team will be given a basketball, and a tennis ball. Cooperation  Two students will hold the basketball and the √ marble. A third team member will stand in front Research and view both balls as if standing on Earth and viewing the Sun and Moon.  The student with the basketball moves back until the basketball and tennis ball seem to be the same size. Students take turns to view the objects and discuss their observations e.g. that 2 √ different shaped objects can appear to be the same size depending on their distance from the observer.  Students might use a trundle wheel to measure the distance from the observer to both the tennis ball and the basketball. Written  Students record their findings in their Science observations Journal. Sorting Out Responsibility  Ask the students to make adjustments to their labeled diagram based on their experiences Thinking during the previous lesson/activity. Critically √

Making Connections Research

 Show the students the cardboard cutouts √ Student Responsibility representing the Sun, Moon and Earth. Discuss responses how models can help us to explain, understand and communicate science concepts.  Show internet images or watch video/DVD that Cooperation demonstrate the spherical shape of Earth and Task the relative sizes of the Sun, Moon and Earth. Management

Going Further Information Research Report Students might choose one of the following √ Thinking activities- Critically

 Send postcards from the Moon Task Management  Research and read about space flights and Moon landings.

 Create models of the Sun, Moon and Earth.

Reflecting and Acting Thinking Critically  Add new information to the What we learned column of the KWL chart. Expression √ Student  Students Reflect in their Science journals: reflections

 Something new I learned was…

 Something that interested me was…

 Something I wonder about is … Inquiry Question: Duration: 3 Weeks Wks:

3. How are shadows formed? 9 - 11 O P P C T l r o

TEACHING & LEARNING EXPERIENCES: e Assessment Outcomes/ b a o n a n s d f c e n u e

h Product e r c r e v d t e a

r Generic

n

t A c i o n e n a l

y Skills s i s

Tuning In

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Finding Out

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Sorting Out

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Making Connections

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Going Further

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Reflecting and Acting

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UNIT EVALUATION: