Eric Bois

102471656
SPACE

GRADE: 6
DURATION: 60 min

STRAND: Understanding Earth and Space Systems

BIG IDEA:
Earth is a part of a large interrelated system.
PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE
Students learned about various properties found on Earth including rocks and
minerals, how they are used, recycled, and disposed. Students learned about
renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, resources and societys effect on the
environment.
OVERVIEW
The purpose of this lesson is to encourage students to investigate the properties of
the solar system. The lesson also introduces students to space exploration and
Canadian contribution and scientific understanding of space.
VOCABULARY
- Asteroid (defined by Merriam-Webster as: any of the small rocky celestial
bodies found especially between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter)
- Comet (defined by Merriam-Webster as: an object in outer space that develops
a long, bright tail when it passes near the sun)
OVERALL CURRICULUM EXPECTATIONS
Students will:
- Understand the Earth is the third planet from the Sun
- Understand the solar system includes the Earths moon, eight other planets and
their moons, and small bodies including asteroids and comets.
- Understand each planet within the Solar System has its own characteristics.
SPECIFIC CURRICULUM EXPECTATION
Students will:
1.1 assess the contributions of Canadians to the exploration and scientific
understanding of space
2.4 use appropriate science and technology vocabulary, including axis, tilt,
rotation, revolution, planets, moons, comets, and asteroids, in oral and written
communication
3.1 identify components of the solar system, including the sun, the earth, and
other planets, natural satellites, comets, asteroids, and meteoroids, and describe
their physical characteristics in qualitative terms
3.2. identify the bodies in space that emit light and those that reflect light

Eric Bois

102471656

OTHER EXPECTATIONS
Students will:
1. Compare and contrast different size variations of planets
2. Identify the distances between planets and where they are situated
3. Describe characteristics of each planet in the Solar System
4. Define what an asteroid is and what a meteor is
RESOURCES
Materials:
1. Clay
2. Markers
3. Index Cards
4. Worksheets
5. Rulers
6. Meter-Sticks
7. Characteristics of Planets Handouts
INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY
1. Teacher
- Read to class: A Brief History of Space Exploration
Engaging Questions:
1. What are the 9 planets of our Solar System? (Answer: Sun, Mercury, Venus,
Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune)
2. What are meteors? (Answer: any of the small rocky celestial bodies found
especially between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter)
3. What are comets? (Answer: any object in outer space that develops a long,
bright tail when it passes near the sun)
(5-10 minutes)
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
Activity 1
Teacher
- As a class, build a scale model of our Solar System:
- Split the class into 9 groups, each group builds one planet each (2-3 per group)
- Each group picks a popsicle-stick with a number on it to choose which planet to
build and study
- Hand out NASA instruction sheets: scale calculations for clay models of planets
- Hand out NASA information sheets: each group gets information on their own
planet
- One student in each group studies the information about their planet and
prepares a presentation to share with the class
- One student reads the instruction sheet with calculations for building the clay
model of their planet and then measures and shapes the clay to that size
- If there are 3 students in the group, split up the duties
(10-15 minutes)

Eric Bois

102471656

Activity 2
Presentations:
- Groups take turns presenting their clay models of their planets and read the
information sheets about their planets to the class
- All group members will take part presenting
- The class will take notes about the planets while listening to the presentations
(18-20 minutes 2 minutes each)
Activity 3
Teacher and students:
- Create a model of the Solar System by arranging the planets together either in
the classroom if there is enough space to fit the planets or outside in the hallway
- Use a meter stick and the NASA Solar System instruction sheet to arrange the
planets around the Sun
(5-10 minutes)
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
The lesson is simple for the majority of students because all the information about
the planets scale-measurements and characteristics are given to the students in
the handouts written by NASA. Students also work together in groups of 2-3 and
can help one another out. Teachers should encourage group members to help one
another out, students sometimes relate better to one another and will communicate
ideas more clearly between one another. Also, students who can explain what
they have learned will retain the knowledge better too. Teachers can also help
students who struggle by giving extra help to individuals while the rest of the
class stays busy working with their groups.
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Teacher:
- Ask students to discuss what observations they made based on the activity
- Review Questions:
1. What are meteors? (Answer: any of the small rocky celestial bodies found
especially between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter)
2. What are comets? (Answer: an object in outer space that develops a long, bright
tail when it passes near the sun)
3. What are the 9 planets in our Solar System (Answer: Sun, Mercury, Venus,
Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune)
(5 minutes)

Eric Bois

102471656

METHOD OF EVALUATION
Teacher first assesses the students previous knowledge of space during the
introductory activitys discussion. Record who can answer the questions asked at
the beginning of the lesson properly. Evaluate the students on their group work
by meeting with each group individually during the activity. Observe their ability
to follow instructions, their understanding of characteristics of their planet and
their ability to work together in groups. The teacher will also evaluate the
students participation: How did each student contribute to the group work?
At the end of the lesson the teacher checks how much the students can recall from
the lesson by reviewing the introductory questions.
FOLLOW-UP IDEAS
Next lesson students will learn how humans meet their basic biological needs in
space, what technological tools and devices are needed for space exploration and
about the effects of the relative positions and motions of the Earth, Moon and
Sun.
HINT MAKE SMALL ADJUSTMENTS
Use Play-do instead of clay to add colour and to make the activity look more
fun. NASAs website offers instructions to build a smaller scale model if you
only have a small space to work in. For a challenge, NASA also offers a larger
scale model.

CITATIONS
Comets. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved from http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/comet
Meteors. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved from http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/meteor
Mysciencesite.com. (2010). http://www.mysciencesite.com/science6space1.html
The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8. (2007). Science and Technology.