Chapter 4 Introduction and Lesson 1 "The Solar System"

Materials:

• Worksheet, "Observing Your Night Sky"
• Worksheet, "The Solar System"
• 3X5 note card or a small piece of paper.

Objective:

• Students will be introduced to chapter 4, "The Solar System"
• Students will explain the difference between stars, planets, and moons.
• Students will identify objects of the solar system.
• Students will describe the sun.

Anticipatory Set:* Students will be shown the picture of the sun on page 76 and then write a 5 line poem or 5 short statements about the picture. Students will use at least 3 descriptive words and underline them in their work. One volunteer student will collect the work and then choose one they like and read it to everyone district wide.

The students will then discuss other objects in our solar system. The list will be created on the screen as the students list them. Students will then view the goals for the chapter and discuss how the chapter is put together in the organize your thoughts diagram on Page 77.

Teacher Input:* Teacher will put the key vocabulary terms for this section on the screen and have the students write them down in their notebook. (star, planet, moon, solar system, atmosphere, sunspot)

Start out with star, Does anyone know what a star is?Star2.

Show the students a picture of the moon and ask if it is a real picture. Because the sun in setting behind the moon we know that it is not, Why? Where does the light from the moon come from? What about planets? (show Venus) Do they make there own light? How do we see there light? Show the picture from page 78.

(Show planet chart) How can you tell with the naked eye if you are seeing a planet in the sky? Where does the word planet com from? If everything in the universe is moving how come we only notice planets move? Show this picture out a car window. As you are driving a long looking out the window where are the object that move the fastest to you eye. This is the way the solar system and universe work. When we see items in the solar system we can tell they and us are moving. Objects far away are more difficult to see move.

Show solar system with planet orbit. What is the shape of the orbit of planets around the sun? What are some of the other objects in the system? Show (comet, asteroid belt1, 2 , moons) What holds all this together. Show the science Myth on Page 80.

Define: Star, Planet, Moon, Solar system.

What is the largest object in the solar system? (Sun) If you took everything else in the solar system and combined it which object would be bigger? (99%) of all the stuff in the solar system is in the sun. Show a picture of sunspots and ask what they are? (sunspots)

Show the parts of the sun, mention that the sun is much like a planet, it rotates and different parts rotate at different speeds because it is made mostly of gases. While looking at the picture describe the atmosphere and sunspots on the surface. Define them.

Other things you might want to use.

DidYouKnow page 81, SolarSystemP79, SunPage76, moon

Guided Practice:* Go through the questions on Page 83 with the students. Assign one question at each site.

Independent Practice:* Students should complete the worksheets,

• Worksheet, "Observing Your Night Sky"
• Worksheet, "The Solar System"
• Read the section 1, Page 78-82

Check for Understanding:* Students will complete the quiz on lesson 1, The Solar System, http://www.quia.com/pages/yksdearthscience.html

Duration:

(2) 30 minutes + 10-15 for Independent Practice (Could be longer if taken for homework).

Alaska Content Standards Addressed in this lesson:

• SCI A-3 STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND MODELS DESCRIBING THE COMPOSITION, AGE, AND SIZE OF OUR UNIVERSE, GALAXY, AND SOLAR SYSTEM AND UNDERTAND THAT THE UNIVERS I CONSTANTLY MOVING AND CHANGING.
• SCI-A-4 Students will understand observable natural events such as tides, weather, seasons, and moon phases in terms of the structure and motion of the earth (EARTH).
• SCI A5 Students will understand the strength and effects of forces of nature, including gravity and electromagnetic radiation.
• SCI A6 Students will understand that forces of nature cause different types of motion and describe the relationship between these forces and motion.