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Delta Science Reader SolarSolar SystemSystem Delta Science Readers are nonfiction student books that provide science background and support the experiences of hands-on activities. Every Delta Science Reader has three main sections: Think About . , People in Science, and Did You Know? Be sure to preview the reader Overview Chart on page 4, the reader itself, and the teaching suggestions on the following pages. This information will help you determine how to plan your schedule for reader selections and activity sessions. Reading for information is a key literacy skill. Use the following ideas as appropriate for your teaching style and the needs of your students. The After Reading section includes an assessment and writing links. OVERVIEW Students will: discover facts about the Solar System In the Delta Science Reader Solar System, students take a tour of the Sun and the explore the planets and other objects in the planets. Other space objects such as dwarf Solar System planets, comets, asteroids, and meteoroids discuss the function of a table of contents, are explored. Students read about the headings, and a glossary rotation and revolution of the planets and interpret photographs and graphics to the causes of night and day, seasonal answer questions changes, and the phases of the Moon. The book describes the work of a planetary complete a KWL chart geologist. In addition, students discover organize information in a variety of ways how telescopes work. delta science modules Solar System 119 © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint for classroom use only. READING IN THE To stimulate discussion, ask questions such as these: What are some of the CONTENT AREA SKILLS objects in our Solar System? How many • Compare and contrast planets planets are there? What is Earth’s closest neighbor in space? • Determine the main idea of a paragraph • Recognize cause-effect relationships Begin a class KWL chart by recording facts related to planetary conditions students know about the Solar System and • Draw conclusions about planetary facts its planets in the K column. You may wish • Demonstrate critical thinking to copy the KWL chart and ask students to maintain their own charts as they read. • Interpret graphic devices • Summarize K W L + • Categorize planets What What What What I Know I Want I Learned I Want to to Know Explore Further NONFICTION TEXT ELEMENTS Solar System includes a table of contents, headings, photographs and illustrations, captions, diagrams, boldfaced terms, a biographical sketch, and a glossary. Preview the Book Take a few minutes to have students look CONTENT VOCABULARY through the book. Explain the steps involved in previewing nonfiction: think The following terms are introduced in about the title, read the table of contents, context and defined in the glossary: read the headings, read boldfaced words, asteroid, astronomer, atmosphere, axis, and examine any photographs, comet, crater, day, Earth, ellipse, gas giant, illustrations, charts, and graphics. gravity, inner planet, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, meteor, meteorite, meteoroid, moon, Moon, Call attention to the various nonfiction text Neptune, orbit, outer planet, phase, planet, elements and explain how each feature can Pluto, revolution, revolve, rotate, satellite, help students understand what they read. Saturn, solar, solar system, space probe, Point out that the table of contents lists all star, Sun, telescope, Uranus, Venus, year. the main headings in the book and their page numbers. Ask, How do the headings help you know what you will learn about? EFORE READING Point to some of the photographs and ask B questions such as: What does this photo Build Background show you? How do you think it will help you understand the text? Explain that the Access students’ prior knowledge of the words in boldfaced type are important Solar System and its planets by displaying words related to our Solar System that and discussing the cover. Ask, Do you students will learn when they read the know what planet this is? (Saturn) What book. Point out that these words are do you think these other objects are? defined in the glossary. Choose one word (some of Saturn’s moons) Then read the and have students find its definition in title aloud and invite students to share the glossary. what they know about the topic from their personal experiences and prior hands-on explorations in science. 120 delta science reader © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. Following the preview, ask, What questions • Shared Reading Have students form do you have about our Solar System that pairs or small groups and read the book you would like this book to answer? Record together. Ask students to pause after each students’ responses in the W column of the text section. Clarify the text as needed. KWL chart. Explain that they will add to the Discuss any questions that arise or have chart as they are reading and complete it been answered. when they finish reading. • Independent Reading Some students may Preview the Vocabulary be ready to read independently. Have them rejoin the class for discussion of the book. You may wish to preview some of the Check understanding by asking students to vocabulary words before reading, rather than explain in their own words what they read. waiting to introduce them in the context of the book. Possibilities include creating a word Tips for Reading wall, vocabulary cards, sentence strips, or a concept web. • If you spread out the reading over several days, begin each session by reviewing the For example, have students categorize words. previous day’s reading and previewing List words from the glossary that can be what will be read in the upcoming session. grouped in different ways, such as moon, • Begin each text section by reading or asteroid, revolve, comet, planet, and rotate. having a volunteer read aloud the heading. After helping students define the words, ask, Discuss what students expect to learn, Into what groups can we put these words? based on the heading. Have students What would be a good name for each examine photographs, illustrations, and category? (Objects in Our Solar System— graphics and read accompanying captions asteroid, comet, moon, planet, dwarf planet; and labels. Ways Planets Move—revolve, rotate) • Help students locate context clues to the Set a Purpose meanings of words in boldface type. Remind them that these words are defined Discuss with students what they might expect in the glossary. Provide help with words to find out when they read the book, based that may be difficult to pronounce. on their preview. Encourage them to use the questions on the KWL chart to set an overall • As appropriate, model reading strategies purpose for reading. students may find helpful for nonfiction: adjust reading rate, ask questions, paraphrase, reread, visualize. GUIDE THE READING Think About . (pages 2–13) Preview the book yourself to determine the amount of guidance you will need to give for Pages 2–3 Our Solar System each section. Depending on your schedule and the needs of your class, you may wish to • Direct students’ attention to the diagram of consider the following options: the Solar System on page 2. Ask questions to elicit facts about the Solar System. How • Whole Group Reading Read the book many planets are there? (eight) Which aloud with a group or the whole class. one is closest to the Sun? (Mercury) Encourage students to ask questions and Which is the farthest? (Neptune) Where is make comments. Pause as necessary to Earth in the Solar System? (third from the clarify and assess understanding. Sun) Which is the biggest planet? (Jupiter) delta science modules Solar System 121 © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. • Scientists now consider our Solar Further Facts System to have eight planets, not nine. The planets were named after ancient Pluto has been reclassified as a dwarf mythological characters: planet. See Pluto and the Definition of a Planet on page 6. Mercury messenger of the ancient Roman gods • Generate interest in the text by asking, As you sit here, are you moving or Venus Roman goddess of love and beauty staying still? Explain, Everyone on Mars Roman god of war Earth is moving—because the Earth itself is moving! We’re being carried Jupiter king of the Roman gods along by the Earth as it turns on its Saturn Roman god of agriculture axis and as it travels around the Sun. and time Have students read page 2 to find out about our Solar System and the ways in Uranus the sky personified as a god and which the Earth moves. father of the Titans (a family of giants) in Greek mythology • Check comprehension by asking, Neptune Roman god of the sea What is our Solar System? (the Sun and everything that moves around it) What is the difference between Page 3 What Is the Sun Like? revolving and rotating? (Revolving is • Before reading “What Is the Sun Like?” moving in a path around something; have students study the photograph of rotating is turning on an axis.) the Sun. Invite volunteers to describe what they see. Have students read the Discuss with students the meaning of caption to find out about the Sun’s size the word system. (a group of objects and some of its features. Ask, What is that work together as one unit) Discuss shown coming off the Sun’s surface? that in a system, the parts usually have (cloud of matter erupting) You may wish an effect on one another. Ask, What to share with students that these giant would happen if the Sun were eruptions of matter are called solar removed from the Solar System? (The prominences. Ask, What are the light planets would fly off into space, and dark areas shown on the Sun? because there would not be enough (The light areas are hotter places, and gravity to keep them in orbit.) the dark areas are cooler places.) • Before reading the first paragraph on • Have students read the text about the page 3, have students read the caption Sun on page 3.
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