The Characteristics of the Solar System Mini UnitScience 6

Lesson 1: The Characteristics of the Planets – Students will be inquiring about and researching the characteristics of the planets in our solar system.

Lesson 2: The Sun & Orbits – Students will be exploring the orbital patterns and periods of the planets in our solar system.

Lesson 3: Scale Size – Students will be looking at and creating scale size models as well as evaluating the validity of those models.

Lesson 4: Scale Distance – Students will be looking at and creating scale distance models as well as evaluating the validity of those models.

Lesson 5: A Deeper Look at Scale Models – Students will be combining scale size and scale distance into single models and evaluating the validity of those models.

Outcome & Indicators:Outcome: SS6.1 Research and represent the physical characteristics of the major components of the solar system, including the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets.

a. Use a variety of sources and technologies to gather and compile pertinent information about the physical characteristics of the major components of the solar system.

g. Create scale-distance and/or scale-size models to represent the major components of the solar system.

h. Evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of scale-distance and scale-size models of the major components of the solar system.

Lesson Title: The Characteristics of the Planets Course: Grade 61

Designer: Trisha Wallington

Learning Outcomes/IntentionsFormal Unit Outcome(s): Outcome: SS6.1Research and represent the physical characteristics of the major components of the solar system, including the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. [CP, SI]

Understandings: There are similarities and differences in the

characteristics of the planets in our solar system. There may be discrepancies in the representations

of the planets in our solar system.

Essential Questions: What are the characteristics of the solar system? How are the planets of our solar system similar and

different according to their characteristics?

Knowledge:a. Use a variety of sources and technologies to gather and compile pertinent information about the physical characteristics of the major components of the solar system.

There are eight planets in our solar system. Each planet in our solar system has unique

characteristics.

Skills: Research information on the internet. Evaluate online sources for accuracy. Represent through a chosen medium.

“I can . . .” statements:I can research the characteristics of the planets.I can present my research through a chosen medium.

Assessment EvidenceFormative Assessments (Assessment for Learning):

Students will explain their reasoning behind answers and guesses when asked. Students will be asked questions throughout the lesson and given feedback on answers. Student work will be viewed as the teacher circulates the room during the activities and given appropriate feedback. Students will hand in their Solar System Graphic Organizers for a check. Students will hand in their Planet Report Proposals for feedback from the teacher. Students will practice giving peer feedback when they do peer evaluations on the Planet Reports and those will also

be handed in for the teacher to take a look at.

Summative Assessments (Assessment of Learning): Students will be assessed on their Planet Reports. Planet Report Guidelines and a Planet Report Rubric are

attached to show how students will be graded on the assignment.

SafetyThere are no safety concerns for this lesson.

Materials Google Slides (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UD16pX6bDuQ96deiD1kN6dGAYU3XNVD00R9ZQOwY2Mg/edit?

usp=sharing) Solar System Graphic Organizers (attached) Planet Information Sheets devices (iPads, laptops, phones) Planet Report Proposal handouts (attached) Planet Report Guidelines (attached) Planet Report Rubrics (attached) Peer Evaluation sheets (attached)

Learning PlanDAY 1

ENGAGE: 2

Begin by asking students what they know about the characteristics of the planets in our solar system. Get a sense of what students already know and what may need to be gone more in depth on.

Show students The Solar System Song video: https://youtu.be/ZHAqT4hXnMw. Ask them to be paying attention to the characteristics of each planet. Review some of these characteristics after the video. ASK: What do the planets orbit around? Which planet is closest to the sun? What is the smallest planet? What planet is about the same size as Earth? What is the red planet? What is the biggest planet? What planet has rings? What are the rings made of? What planet lies on its side? What planet is cold, dark, and windy? Let students know these will be things they will look at more as the mini unit goes on.

EXPLORE: Have 8 stations set up around the room. Make two stations for each planet. Have the stations set up in a circular way

that makes it easy for students to switch to the next station right beside them when instructed to do so. At each station, have information sheets for one of the first four (inner) planets laid out. These can be printed from some of the following websites as well as from this NASA site: https://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome.htm. Also have links to videos and websites for students to go to for each planet. These can be printed on a piece of paper or posted on a class Wiki or Google Classroom for easy access.

o Mercury – https://youtu.be/F2prtmPEjOc (0:35-0:58), https://youtu.be/0qu3j6hvLog, https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-mercury/en/, http://solarviews.com/eng/mercury.htm, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/mercury/

o Venus – https://youtu.be/F2prtmPEjOc (0:58-1:23), https://youtu.be/76m7YMarYp0, https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-venus/en/, http://solarviews.com/eng/venus.htm, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/venus/

o Earth – https://youtu.be/F2prtmPEjOc (1:23-1:48), https://youtu.be/TBmZjOHrVJ0, https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-earth/en/, http://solarviews.com/eng/earth.htm, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/earth/

o Mars – https://youtu.be/F2prtmPEjOc (1:48-2:12), https://youtu.be/whZENxqht8E, https://youtu.be/Wo9coDl1G1U, https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-mars/en/, http://solarviews.com/eng/mars.htm, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/mars/

Let students know they won’t have time to look at everything right now, so encourage them to look at the resources that look most interesting to them. Let students know that they don’t have to necessarily work WITH their groups, they can work independently at the same station if they choose. Keep this quite inquiry based.

Give students a solar system graphic organizer to record information in. Model the graphic organizer and how to take notes in it one the board. Make sure students know they don’t need to write everything down, but need to have substantial information for each planet.

Split students into 8 groups by numbering off and have each group start at one of the eight tables. Let students know they will have 8 minutes at each station and that there will be a timer set on the board so everyone knows how much time they have left. Set the expectation that students will move to the table to their right at each buzz of the timer.

Once groups have spent time at each planet’s station, have students return to their seats. Go over some characteristics of each of the first four (inner) planets on the Google Slides and invite students to fill in any information that they didn’t already have in their graphic organizers.

Close by getting feedback from students and prompting discussion. ASK: What planet interested you most? Why? What did you find out about Mars that you didn’t already know? Did you find out anything new about Earth? What do you know about moons in our solar system? What did you notice about the colours of the planets? What did you notice about the size of the planets?

DAY 2

EXPLORE: Continue on with the remaining planets. Have 8 stations set up around the room. Make two stations for each planet.

Have the stations set up in a circular way that makes it easy for students to switch to the next station right beside them when instructed to do so. At each station, have information sheets for one of the last four (outer) planets laid out. These can be printed from some of the following websites as well as from this NASA site: https://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/welcome.htm. Also have links to videos and websites for students to go to for each planet. These can be printed on a piece of paper or posted on a class Wiki or Google Classroom for easy access.

o Jupiter – https://youtu.be/F2prtmPEjOc (2:12-2:37), https://youtu.be/8XPmcfRXDrc, https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-jupiter/en/, http://solarviews.com/eng/jupiter.htm, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/jupiter/

o Saturn – https://youtu.be/F2prtmPEjOc (2:37-3:03), https://youtu.be/NqVyGM_vWAE, https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-saturn/en/, http://solarviews.com/eng/saturn.htm, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/saturn/ 3

o Uranus – https://youtu.be/F2prtmPEjOc (3:03-3:27), https://youtu.be/DTXsmh43fzw, https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-uranus/en/, http://solarviews.com/eng/uranus.htm, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/uranus/

o Neptune – https://youtu.be/F2prtmPEjOc (3:27-3:52), https://youtu.be/7B9M-bMyL4Q, https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-neptune/en/, http://solarviews.com/eng/neptune.htm, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/solar-system/neptune/

Remind students that they won’t have time to look at everything right now, so encourage them to look at the resources that look most interesting to them. Let students know that they don’t have to necessarily work WITH their groups, they can work independently at the same station if they choose. Keep this quite inquiry based.

Have students bring out their solar system graphic organizers to record information in. Review the graphic organizer and how to take notes in it one the board. Make sure students know they don’t need to write everything down, but need to have substantial information for each planet.

Ask students to work in the same groups they worked in the last day. Remind students that they will have 8 minutes at each station and that there will be a timer set on the board so everyone knows how much time they have left. Set the expectation that students will move to the table to their right at each buzz of the timer.

Once groups have spent time at each planet’s station, have students return to their seats. Go over some characteristics of each of the last four (outer) planets on the Google Slides and invite students to fill in any information that they didn’t already have in their graphic organizers.

Get feedback from students and prompt discussion. ASK: What planet interested you most? Why? What did you find out about Saturn that you didn’t already know? Did you find out anything new about Jupiter? What did you notice about the outer planets that differed from the planets we looked at last day? What did you notice about the colours of the outer planets? What did you notice about the size of the outer planets? What stuck out to you about the characteristics of the planets? What was your favourite planet that you looked at?

ELABORATE: Tell students that they will be doing a further inquiry and report on their favourite planet. Ask students to fill out a

proposal for their project that includes the planet they wish to inquire about, the reasons for choosing that planet, and two options for a way to present their report. Give some options for ways to present.

o Postero PowerPointo Songo Video o Report Papero Storybook

Take these proposals in to get a sense of what students plan to do and give some feedback so students know how to move forward in their inquiry.

Tell students they will be getting the next class to research their chosen planet further and that they will get the following one or two classes to work on their presentation.

DAY 3

ELABORATE: Hand students back their proposals with some feedback (including which of the two options for presentation they

should choose) so that they know how to proceed in their inquiry. Let students know they can use any of the videos or websites that were provided in the stations and place an

emphasis on the NASA website: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/sun/. Review some expectations for researching online that students will already be familiar with from previous inquiry

situations. ASK: How do you know if a source is accurate? Why should you be conscious of the date of publication of sources? Why might a source be inappropriate? Make sure to differentiate between accurate and inaccurate sources.

Hand out the Planet Report Guidelines sheet as well as the Planet Report Rubric and go over the expectations for the assignment with students.

Allow students to use signed out iPads/laptops to research their chosen planet for the remainder of the class. Instruct students to take notes on looseleaf if there is no more room on their graphic organizer from the previous

classes, but remind them that this is just jot notes and not the actual report. Circulate the room to monitor what is going on as well as converse with individual students on what they are looking

into. ASK: Why did you choose this planet? What do you already know about the planet? What else do you want to know? How will you go about finding that out? How are you researching? How do you know the sources you are using are accurate? What do you still need to find out about your planet?

At the end of class, tell students that they will be starting to work on their presentation next class so they should 4

have all the information they need. If students don’t have it all, they will need to do some homework.

DAY 4

ELABORATE: Allow students to begin to work on their chosen presentation. Have materials ready for students based on what you

know they need to complete their unique presentations (i.e. laptops, cameras, coloured paper, etc.). As students work, circulate the room to converse with students and view what they are working on. Offer suggestions

and ask questions. ASK: What have you learned about your planet? How are you going to share that new information with the class? How does your presentation medium work to showcase your knowledge?

Depending on how far students get in their projects, give another class period to finish or present the next day.

DAY 5

EXPLAIN: Have students present and explain their planet reports to the class. Before the presentations, remind students of the

guidelines for the reports so that they have a refresher on what aspects need to be included to receive marks. Assign two students to peer evaluate each presentation. Before doing this, model what peer feedback should look

like by writing comments on the board that correlate with the Peer Evaluation sheet that students will receive. After the presentations, prompt some discussion. ASK: What did you learn about the characteristics of the planets?

What is something knew that you learned from someone’s presentation? Did the people who presented on the same planet present the same information? Why do you think some information was different? What else do you want to know about the planets?

Reflection

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Solar System Graphic OrganizerName: ______________________________

Planet CharacteristicsMercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

Jupiter 6

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

7

Name: _____________________

Planet Report Proposal

1. What planet do you wish to inquire about?

2. Why does this planet interest you?

3. What are two possible ways you may choose to present your findings?

Option 1:Why would you want to present this way?

Option 2:Why would you want to present this way?

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Planet Report Guidelines

You will need to include:1. Name of the planet2. Numbered order from the sun3. Size of the planet4. Approximate distance from the sun5. Colour of the planet6. Number of moons7. Length of one day8. Length of one year9. Temperature of the planet10. An original visual of the planet (you have to create it!)

THESE 10 THINGS NEED TO BE INCORPORATED INTO YOUR REPORT.

Other information to consider:1. Atmosphere of the planet2. Surface of the planet3. Other names for the planet4. Anything else you can find!

THESE THINGS WILL INCREASE YOUR MARK.

Planet Report RubricName: ________________

4 - Excellent 3 - Good 2 - Satisfactory 1 - PoorThe presentation included all 10 required elements as well as at least 3 of the suggested elements. All information was accurate.

The presentation included all 10 required elements and at least 1 of the suggested elements. All information was accurate.

The presentation included all of the required elements, but failed to include any of the suggested elements. All information was accurate.

The presentation did not include all 10 of the required elements. Not all information was accurate.

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Planet Report Peer Evaluation

Name of Evaluator: _______________________

Name of Presenter: _______________________

1. What is one characteristic of the presenter’s planet?

2. What did you like about the presenter’s chosen medium?

3. Did the presenter include all 10 required elements?

4. Did the presenter present in a creative way? Explain.

1 2 3 4

Not at all. Kind of. Yes. Yes, very!

5. What is one area of improvement for the presenter? How could they go about improving this?

Lesson Title: The Sun & Orbits Course: Grade 610

Designer: Trisha Wallington

Learning Outcomes/IntentionsFormal Unit Outcome(s):Outcome: SS6.1Research and represent the physical characteristics of the major components of the solar system, including the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. [CP, SI]

Understandings: One revolution around the sun is equal to a year. Each planet has a different rate of revolution. Each planet has a different year length.

Essential Questions: What is the relationship of the sun and Earth? What does an orbit constitute? Why are year lengths different on each planet?

Knowledge:a. Use a variety of sources and technologies to gather and compile pertinent information about the physical characteristics of the major components of the solar system.

The sun is the centre of our solar system. The planets orbit the sun.

Skills: Multiply and divide. Represent through the use of a model.

“I can . . .” statements:I can calculate the year lengths of each planet given necessary information.I can make a working model of the orbits in our solar system.

Assessment EvidenceFormative Assessments (Assessment for Learning):

Students will explain their reasoning behind answers and guesses when asked. Students will be asked questions throughout the lesson and given feedback on answers. Student work will be viewed as the teacher circulates the room during the activity and given appropriate feedback. As students work on the Planet Hop activity, they will conference with the teacher about what they are doing

regarding calculating their ages on different planets in relation to each planets’ orbit, and the teacher will take down a formative check on a class list to gain concrete evidence of who gets it and who needs more instruction.

Summative Assessments (Assessment of Learning): Students will hand in a small exit slip that has them explain the two factors influencing orbital periods using the two

activities done on Day 2. Each student will get a mark out of 4. One mark for correctly explaining the first factor, one mark for using an activity example for that factor, one mark for correctly explaining the second factor, and one mark for using an activity example for that factor.

SAFETYRemind students to be careful when swinging their washers during the Round and Round They Go activity and to make sure to keep them away from themselves and others, especially faces, so as to not cause any harm to themselves or others.

Materials Google Slides (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ieMH1z7K_RKgRIAeMTZeeP9F_HMyAlSItH8eye0hJEU/edit?

usp=sharing) chair coloured sticky notes devices (iPads, laptops, phones) Planet Hop worksheet (attached) class list large yellow sun cutout large planet cutouts drinking straws cut in half 15” long strings light weight washers Orbital Period Exit Slip (attached)

Learning Plan 11

DAY 1

ENGAGE: Show students the Google Slides and call on students to read the fact: For many centuries, people believed that the

sun circled around the Earth. Now we know that not only does the Earth rotate on its axis, but it also revolves around the sun. ASK: What do you know about the sun? What do you remember about the Earth from previous lessons? What relationship do the sun and the Earth have?

Do the As the World Turns activity to get students thinking more about the sun and orbits. Clear a space in the centre of the room and put a chair right in the middle. Have different coloured sticky notes stuck

up around the outside of the space in view for students to see. Have students walk counterclockwise around the chair and observe the sticky notes behind the chair as they walk.

Ask them to stop when they are in line with a yellow sticky note. Once all students have stopped, ask them to start walking again. This time ask students to stop when they are in line with a pink sticky note. Do this a few more times. ASK: What do you think this represents? What is the chair? What are you? Could you be other planets besides Earth? Make sure students understand that the chair is the sun and they are the Earth, but could potentially be other planets. ASK: What happened as you moved around the chair? Did it seem like the sticky notes were moving? Were the sticky notes actually moving? How does this relate to the fact we read at the beginning of class? Does it sometimes look to us that the sun is moving? Make sure students understand that even though the sticky notes may seem to move, it’s actually them, the Earth, that’s moving. The Earth orbits the sun, not the other way around.

Call on students to read the Google Slides fact: The Earth completes its journey of 598.3 million miles (965 million kilometres) around the sun in a little more than 365 days, moving about 18.5 miles (29.76 kilometres) per second. It revolves around the sun in an oval path – an ellipse.

EXPLAIN: Remind students of the information they learned in the previous lesson about how long each year on each planet

was in comparison to Earth years (Mercury – 88 days, Venus – 225 days, Earth – 365.25 days, Mars – 687 days, Jupiter – 12 years, Saturn – 29.5 years, Uranus – 84 years, Neptune – 164 years) through the Google Slides. ASK: How does this relate to what we’ve learned about orbits? What does a year mean? What constitutes a year on each planet? Why are years different on each planet? Allow students to discuss in groups, then host a class discussion.

ELABORATE: Have students complete the Planet Hop activity by allowing them to go to the following page on the STARCHILD

website: https://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/activity/planet_hop.html. Have students use their devices or booked out iPads/laptops to individually complete the tasks.

Have students first attempt to calculate their age on each planet using the instructions on the website and writing down their work on the Planet Hop worksheet. After students have completed the work, invite them to check their answers by pressing the “check me!” button on the site. For students who finish early, invite them to explore the page if they were different ages. ASK: If you were 75 years old on Earth, how old would you be on Jupiter? If you were 75 years old on Earth, how old would you be on Mercury? If you were 5 years old on Earth, how old would you be on Neptune? If you were 5 years old on Earth, how old would you be on Venus? Why?

As students work, the teacher will go around and conference with each student to get a quick check of who is getting it and who needs more instruction. They will do this by asking questions and letting the students explain, then deciding whether or not to check off the students’ names on a class list.

DAY 2

EXPLORE: Have students partake in the Orbiting the Sun activity. ASK: Do the planets take different amounts of time to orbit the

sun? How do you know? Why might it take planets different times? Make sure students relate this knowledge to the previous class and Day 1’s activities.

Assign students different roles:o 1 student will be the suno 8 students will be the planetso the remaining students will be astronomers

Explain what is going to happen and go through the instructions and diagram on the Google Slides to give students a better idea of what will go on. Give the sun the large sun cutout and each of the 8 planets one of the large planet cutouts you made previously. Have the students go outside to an open area. Have the astronomers instruct the planets into the correct order around the sun. Have the sun and each planet hold their sun/planet up in the air and have the planets walk counterclockwise around the sun in a somewhat steady oval. Practice a few times if students are having trouble staying on track. Remind students that they are the planets revolving around the sun.

Have the astronomers observe what is happening. After a few revolutions from the outermost planets, have all 12

students sit in a circle. ASK: What did you see? Did some planets take longer to get around the sun? Why did this happen? Which planet has the shortest trip? Which planet has the longest trip? What does each revolution constitute? Is a year the same amount of time on Venus as Neptune? Why not? Make sure students understand that the distances the planets are away from the sun has an effect on how long it takes them to orbit, making a year on each planet a different length of time. ASK: Do you think distance away from the sun is the only factor? Why else might the length of years differ from planet to planet?

Take the class back inside, making sure the sun and planets bring their cutouts.

ELABORATE: Have materials for the Round and Round They Go activity laid out in a line on a side table before going outside.

Have students go down the line to pick up their materials. Show the materials on the Google Slides so students have no excuse to pick up the wrong materials.

Go through the instructions on the Google Slides, calling on students to re-explain instructions so as to make sure everyone understands. Leave the instructions and model picture projected for reference as the students work.

o Tie the string to one of the washers.o Run the string through the straw.o Tie the other end of the string to the other washer.o Go to an open space.o Hold the straw vertically (up and down) in one hand.o Pull the string so that one washer is at the bottom of the straw.o Hold your arm out in front of your body and start spinning the string/washer by rapidly rotating your arm.o Continue until the string is fully extended.o Spin the string/washer at a constant rate.o Pull the bottom washer and string down slowly.o Observe what happens as you pull down.

Hint that students need to get the spinning washer going at a quick, but steady rate before starting to pull the string. They will need to keep the spinning going as they pull until they reach a point that it will become self-sustaining and then they don't have to worry about powering the spinning any more.

Students may think that they are making it faster as its orbit radius gets smaller, but point out that it is not them. Consider providing shorter string lengths as they produce a more manageable assembly. Invite students to spin their planet in a vertical circle if they can't maintain the horizontal circle. If they do this, remind

students that the science is not as technically correct with a vertical circle. Hint that students need to pull the string slowly enough that the washer can make complete orbits at each radius

before they pull the string more. This is hard to do at larger orbits, but easy to do as the orbits get smaller. Circulate the room to help and prompt students as well as question them and converse with them. ASK: What do you

feel in the hand that is holding the straw? What do you see as the orbital circle gets smaller? Once all students have completed the task, have them take apart their contraptions and put the materials away.

EXPLAIN: Use the Orbiting the Sun activity and the Round and Round They Go activity as reference points when asking

students the following questions. ASK: What does this have to do with planets orbiting the sun? What did we learn about distance from the sun and orbital path? Do planets that are father away from the sun take longer to orbit the sun? Is that the only factor in differing orbital times? What else affects the time it takes a planet to orbit? What about speed? Do some planets move slower around the sun? If a planet is close to the sun, will it move slowly or quickly around the sun? What happened with your washer planets? When did the washer move faster? When the string was shorter or longer? Why does Neptune take longer to orbit the sun than Mars?

Have a discussion about the two factors influencing orbital periods then have students complete a small summative exit slip asking them to explain the two factors using the activities we did as examples.

Reflection

Name: _________________Planet Hop

Use the instructions on the website (https://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/activity/ planet_hop.html) to calculate your age on each planet. Show your work! 1

3

Planet Revolutional Period Your AgeMercury

Venus

Earth

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Name: ____________________14

Orbital Period Exit Slip__/4

1. What is one factor that influences orbital period? Explain using an example from the activities we did today. ( /2)

2. What is another factor that influences orbital period? Explain using another example from the activities we did today. ( /2)

Lesson Title: Scale Size Course: Grade 6

Designer: Trisha Wallington15

Learning Outcomes/IntentionsFormal Unit Outcome(s): Outcome: SS6.1Research and represent the physical characteristics of the major components of the solar system, including the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. [CP, SI]

Understandings: The solar system is incredibly vast. Accurate measurement is important in scales. Scale models are rarely perfectly accurate.

Essential Questions: What size are the planets in comparison to Earth? How large is our solar system? How do I know if a model is accurate?

Knowledge:g. Create scale-distance and/or scale-size models to represent the major components of the solar system.h. Evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of scale-distance and scale-size models of the major components of the solar system.

Scales are used to make models. Scale size is used to represent large sizes.

Skills: Measure approximate lengths. Use a compass to draw circles. Represent through the use of a model.

“I can . . .” statements:I can make a model using given scale sizes.I can begin to explain why scale models may not always be accurate.

Assessment EvidenceFormative Assessments (Assessment for Learning):

Students will explain their reasoning behind answers and guesses when asked. Students will be asked questions throughout the lesson and given feedback on answers. Student work will be viewed as the teacher circulates the room during the activities and given appropriate feedback. Students will complete a Scale Size Comparison Exit Slip that will be taken in to gain a concrete understanding of

who gets it and who needs further instruction.

Summative Assessments (Assessment of Learning):N/A

SafetyThere are no safety concerns for this lesson.

Materials Day 1 Google Slides (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vsmf5uXy0REOf1VGJHzql4bjw6I4YRSpcS4agWVM0LA/edit?

usp=sharing) variety of different sized balls including:

o 1 small marbleo 2 tennis ballso 1 ping pong ballo 1 basketballo 1 soccer ballo 2 baseballs

Scale Size Comparison Exit Slip (attached) Day 2 Google Slides

(https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JETX1Lj9MzNBPGYw7_kLFtmI5W_KGST9mVo_bUF5qaE/edit?usp=sharing) tape paint paintbrushes thin cardboard thin wire Styrofoam bowls 1

6

scissors compasses rulers fortune teller sheets (attached)

Learning PlanDAY 1

ENGAGE: Show students the Star Size Comparison video: https://youtu.be/GoW8Tf7hTGA. Depending on the class, the teacher may decide to stop the video after the largest star or after the Milky Way galaxy

as it may be too much for students, but the video in its entirety helps show how large outer space really is and puts planet size into perspective.

Pause the video at certain points and ask students to look back down the line to see if they can even make out some of the smaller planets and stars as the video shows larger and larger components of space. ASK: Is it possible to show all the planets and stars at all points in the video? Why is scale size important in explaining to us the real sizes of things in space?

EXPLORE: Have students take part in the Have A Ball activity. Remind students to be thinking about what they’ve learned in

previous lessons including the relative sizes of planets they looked at in Lesson 1. ASK: What do you know about the sizes of the planets? Which planet is the smallest? Which planet is the largest? Are there any planets similar in size? What planet is similar in size to Earth? What planet is similar in size to Neptune?

Clear a space in the middle of the room and invite students to sit in a circle. Have a variety of different sized balls in the middle of the circle, including a small marble, two tennis balls, a ping pong ball, a basketball, a soccer ball, and two baseballs, but make sure there is a variety of other balls as well.

Have students try to come to a consensus on which balls could represent each planet so that everything is to scale. Allow students to try to work things out on their own, but facilitate the activity so that all students get some kind of say in choosing which balls are which planets. ASK: Why are you choosing that ball to be that planet? Why are some of the balls you’re choosing the same size?

Once students have come to some sort of conclusion, facilitate a discussion. Call on certain students to answer questions. ASK: What was the first planet you came to consensus on? What was the last planet you came to consensus on? What ball did you choose to represent Mercury? Why? What ball did you choose to represent Venus? Why? (continue on with all the planets) Was it hard to choose? Why or why not? Do you think you got them all right according to the scale I’m about to show you? Half right? Less than half right?

Show the Google Slides with the correct balls according to scale size.o Mercury – small marbleo Venus – tennis ballo Earth – tennis ballo Mars – ping pong ballo Jupiter – basketballo Saturn – soccer ballo Uranus – baseballo Neptune – baseball

Have the students pick out all the balls on the board and keep them in the circle. Ask that the rest of the balls be put back into the bin outside of the circle. Have students sit in a circle in the open space again.

Pass the planet balls to different students and ask them to take time to roll them around the circle to each other to inspect. Give students time to look at each ball and watch them be rolled around. Review some of the information from the beginning of the class as students continue to pass the balls. ASK: Which planets are about the same size? How is that represented in this model? Which planet is smallest? How does this model tell you that? Which planet is largest? How does this model tell you that? Is it possible to hold more than one Mercury in your hand? Is it possible to hold more than one Jupiter in your hand? Does this better help you understand scale size? Were the planets that we used in our orbit activity from a previous lesson to scale? How do you know? How big do you think the sun would be in this model? What ball or object could we use to represent something that big?

EXPLAIN: Show students another shorter planet/star size comparison video: https://youtu.be/HEheh1BH34Q. Have students pay attention to the planets and stars as they move down the line to larger and larger planets. Have students complete an exit slip explaining some comparisons of our scale size model to the model in the

video. 17

DAY 2

ELABORATE: Show the Day 2 Google Slides. ASK: What do you know about scale size from last class? What’s the smallest

planet? What’s the largest planet? What planets are similar in size? Which is larger, Neptune or Earth? Which is smaller, Mars or Venus?

Explain the instructions on the Google Slides as to how to make a scale size model and call on students to go back through the instructions to make sure everyone is on the same page. Leave the instructions up for reference.

o Use a compass to draw 2 scale size circles for each planet.o Cut out each circle to make discs.o Cut a slit about to the middle in each disc.o Paint the discs according to what you know about each planet’s characteristics.o Slide the 2 discs of each planet together using the slits.o Tape a piece of wire to each planet.o Turn the bowl upside down and stick each wire through to display your planets.

Remind students how to use a compass when going over the first step. Also talk about how the scales are for the diameter of each planet. ASK: Will you measure the full length on your compass? What will happen if you set your compass at the diameter scales sizes? Why should you halve the scale numbers? What is half of diameter? Make sure students know to halve the scale numbers when measuring out their compass.

Reference the scale sizes in relation to Earth’s diameter on the slide in the first step.o Mercury – 0.4cmo Venus – 0.9cmo Earth – 1cmo Mars – 0.5cmo Jupiter – 11cmo Saturn – 9cmo Uranus – 4cmo Neptune – 4cm

Have the materials set out in a line on a side table and have students go down that line to pick up what they need according to verbal and written instructions on the Google Slides. Allow students to start working independently as they gain all their materials.

o 8 pieces of wireo 2 pieces of cardboardo 1 bowlo scissorso compasso ruler

Have a few painting stations set up where students can go to paint their planets when they are on that step and have tape set up at another spot in the room. These things are also on the instructions slide for reference.

As students work, go around to comment and question. ASK: Why are you drawing Jupiter so large? Why are your discs for Mars so much smaller than your discs for Neptune? Why is it hard to tell the difference between Venus and Earth before you have your planets painted? Why are you painting Mars like that? What is missing from Saturn?

Have students help clean up then ask them to make/use their fortune tellers with questions from previous classes. Once all models are complete, have students set them up around the room. Have students go around and look at

each other’s models to compare. ASK: What similarities do you see between your model and someone else’s? What differences do you see between your model and someone else’s? Why do you think there are differences in our models? Didn’t we all use the same scale? How might we be more accurate in measuring? How might our models be more accurate? Tell students to be thinking about these things as we move into the next lessons.

Reflection

Name: _______________________

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Scale Size Comparison Exit Slip

Compare our scale size model to the scale model in the video. What was similar? What was different? Why do you think that was?

Similar:

Why?

Different:

Why?

Name: _______________________

Scale Size Comparison Exit Slip

Compare our scale size model to the scale model in the video. What was similar? What was different? Why do you think that was?

Similar:

Why?

Different:

Why?

Green Yellow

8. What is the smallest planet?

Mercury

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Lesson Title: Scale Distance Course: Grade 6

Designer: Trisha Wallington

Learning Outcomes/IntentionsFormal Unit Outcome(s):Outcome: SS6.1Research and represent the physical characteristics of the major components of the solar system, including the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. [CP, SI]

Understandings: The solar system is incredibly vast. Accurate measurement is important in scales. Scale models are rarely perfectly accurate.

Essential Questions: How far is it from the sun to Earth? How large is our solar system? How do I know if a model is accurate?

Knowledge:g. Create scale-distance and/or scale-size models to represent the major components of the solar system.h. Evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of scale-distance and scale-size models of the major components of the solar system.

Scales are used to make models. Scale distance is used to represent far distances.

Skills: Measure approximate distances. Represent through the use of a model.

“I can . . .” statements:I can make a model using given scale distances.I can begin to explain why scale models may not always be accurate.

Assessment EvidenceFormative Assessments (Assessment for Learning):

Students will explain their reasoning behind answers and guesses when asked. Students will be asked questions throughout the lesson and given feedback on answers. Student work will be viewed as the teacher circulates the room during the activities and given appropriate feedback. Students will complete and hand in an exit slip after Day 1 so the teacher gains some concrete evidence.

Summative Assessments (Assessment of Learning):N/A

SAFETYThere are no safety concerns for this lesson.

Materials Google Slides (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1D9qJO78NhHZnbJrvUflj3LTBJHH7Zx2YfWcJRZrJ2Uk/edit#slide=id.p) 12 ring stands 6 8’ (2.5m) long strings 6 sun cutouts (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b3/88/cd/b388cd802ad34227de739f209dd69e0f.jpg) 48 planet cutouts (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b3/88/cd/b388cd802ad34227de739f209dd69e0f.jpg) 48 clothespins 6 metre sticks or measuring tapes crayons or markers tape coloured paper exit slip (attached) rolls of toilet paper 8 different planet cutouts (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b3/88/cd/b388cd802ad34227de739f209dd69e0f.jpg) Toilet Paper Astronomy information sheet (attached)

Green Yellow

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Learning PlanDAY 1

ENGAGE: ASK: What did we talk about the last couple days? What is scale size? Do you remember the largest planet? How

about the smallest planet? Are there any guesses as to what we’ll be looking at today? Tell students the objective is to better understand scale distance and the real distances in our solar system. Show the Google Slides and have students read the fact: If a planet is 10,000,000,000 kilometres away, it would take

a car travelling at 100km/h 100,000,000 hours to make the journey. That is 4,166,667 days or 11,415.5 years!

EXPLORE: Do the How Far? activity for some reference for future activities. Have six stations set up around the room that each have an 8’ (2.5m) long string, a sun cutout, 8 planet cutouts,

crayons, 2 ring stands, a metre stick, tape, and 8 clothespins. Show students the slide with the instructions for the activity and go through them with the students. After the

instructions, ask specific students to go back through the instructions or answer questions about them.o Colour and label the planets according to what you already know about their characteristics.o Tie the string between the ring stands. Secure the string with tape if it slips.o Tape the sun to one of the ring stands.o Predict where each planet should be placed on the model.o Use clothespins to attach the planets to the string according to your prediction.

Leave the instructions slide (including a visual of how the model will look) on the board for reference. Remind students of what they have learned in previous lessons by calling on students to answer questions. ASK:

What planet is closest to the sun? What planet is farthest away from the sun? What order are the planets in from the sun? What’s a way to remember the order of the planets? Let students know this is something they will need to know when setting up their scale model. ASK: What’s a characteristic you know about Jupiter? What’s a characteristic of Mars? Which planet is known for its rings? What other planet has rings? What is one of the gas giants? Let students know these are some of the things they can include on their planet cutouts when they are colouring.

Have a different coloured piece of paper at each station that correspond with coloured cards that will be strategically and purposefully handed out to students. Ask students to find their group by matching their card to the coloured papers at the stations. There will be six groups with roughly four students in each.

Allow students to work for about 10 minutes. Circulate the room and question students about what they are doing. ASK: Why are you colouring Mars like that? Why does Jupiter look like that? What makes you want to place Neptune there? Why are you putting Mercury that close to the sun?

Ask groups to look around at other groups’ models and compare. ASK: Are any groups’ predictions way off from yours? Can you pick out any similarities between groups’ predictions? Who thinks they have more than half of the planets placed correctly? Who thinks they have less than half placed correctly? How can we make our models to scale?

Switch slides so that students can see the scale distances (show just cm) from the sun:o Mercury – 1” (2.5cm)o Venus – 1 ½” (3.8cm)o Earth – 2” (5cm)o Mars – 3” (7.6cm)o Jupiter – 11 ½” (29.2cm)o Saturn – 19” (48.3cm)o Uranus – 38” (96.5cm)o Neptune – 60” (152.4cm)

Ask students to adjust their models by actually measuring the scale distances with the metre stick. Remind students of proper measuring techniques by asking questions. ASK: Where should you start measuring from on your model? Where should you start measuring from on the metre stick?

As groups finish, have the students look around at each other’s models and compare again. ASK: Do your models look more similar now? Are there still differences? Ask students to keep these thoughts in their heads.

Have students take down their models and leave the materials how they found them, but ask one group to keep their model set up for the class to see. Have students return to their seats.

Have students call out answers to the following questions in regard to the model. ASK: Which planet is closest to the sun? Which planet is farthest away from the sun? Which planets are closer to the sun than to Earth? If you travel from Earth, which planet would be closest to visit? If Venus is closer, why are we only trying to visit Mars? Why do we not want to go to Venus? Why are we planning a trip to Mars? Which trip would be longer – Jupiter to Uranus or Mars to Saturn? Tell students they can use this model as a reference for the activities in classes to follow.2

1

Remind students of the fact we looked at in the beginning and show it on the slides again: If a planet is 10,000,000,000 kilometres away, it would take a car travelling at 100km/h 100,000,000 hours to make the journey. That is 4,166,667 days or 11,415.5 years! ASK: Do you think this corresponds to the models we made? What is a problem with the models? Do you think the scale distances do justice to the actual distances? How could we better wrap our heads around these distances? Make sure that students understand that our models are not very accurate for reasons of poor measurement and because they are just too small in comparison to the real solar system.

ASK: Is there anything else wrong with our models? What about the planet cutouts? Were they to scale? What if we combined scale size and scale distance into one model? Make sure students note that our models also didn’t pass the accuracy test because, first of all, the planets are rarely ever lined up in a straight line from the sun, and secondly, because they were just about scale distance and did not take scale size into consideration.

EXPLAIN: Give students an exit slip asking them to choose one problem with the model to explain. Make sure expectations for

how students are to explain are set (i.e. “You need to write at least 2 sentences to explain your answer.”). Also, give an example of an explanation (that students can’t use) to model how the explanation should look.

DAY 2

ELABORATE: Toilet Paper Scale Activity: http://messyjofu.blogspot.ca/2011/12/over-moon.html,

http://www.astrosociety.org/edu/family/materials/toiletpaper.pdf, or http://www.pbs.org/parents/adventures-in-learning/2014/12/solar-system-scale-model/

Assign different roles to different students by drawing out of a hat:o 1 suno 1 rollero 1 tapero 1-4 instructors o 16 counters (two for each planet, potentially more for the farthest planets)o 8 recorders (one for each planet)

Call out each student role to come to a table near the door and give them the appropriate materials for their role. The sun will be given a roll of toilet paper, the instructors will be given an information sheet, the taper will be given a roll of tape and the recorders will each be given one of the 8 planet cutouts. As students receive their materials, they can enter the hallway and line up with their backs against the wall.

Instruct the sun to come forward and hold the first square of toilet paper on the floor without tearing it off. Ask them to hold the first square there for the remainder of the activity. Now call the roller forward and ask them to begin to unroll the paper, but carefully so as not to rip it. Ask the Mercury counter(s) to come forward as well as the instructor(s). Ask the instructors to read how many squares Mercury is from the sun and then have the counter(s) count it out. Have the taper come forward with the Mercury recorder so that the recorder can place Mercury on the correct square. Have the Mercury counter(s) and recorder move back to the wall and invite the Venus counter(s) and recorder to come up, count the squares, and tape down the planet according to the instructors. Continue this process until all the planets have been placed on the correct square:

o Sun – 0o Mercury – 3o Venus – 5o Earth – 7.5o Mars – 11.5o Jupiter – 39o Saturn – 72o Uranus – 144o Neptune – 225

Ask everyone to come line up behind the sun and look down the line. ASK: Can you even see the last few planets from this position? At what point do you think you could identify the planets at the end of the line? Have the students walk down the line, stopping at each planet to see when they can actually start seeing the farthest planets. Ask them to stand and look back towards the sun and see if it can be identified from all the way past Neptune.

Ask a few students to roll the toilet paper back up and have all students bring their things back into the classroom. Once students are settled, go back to the Google Slides and have students record on looseleaf in their binder how

many millions of kilometres each planet is away from the sun, in other words, how the squares of toilet paper match up with the actual distances between planets.

o Sun – 0o Mercury – 58 2

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o Venus – 108o Earth – 130o Mars – 228o Jupiter 778o Saturn – 1472o Uranus – 2870o Neptune – 4497

Ask a student to read out the slide: To roll out the toilet paper equivalent to Alpha Centauri, more than four light-years away, you would need more than 7,000 rolls of toilet paper! Have another student read the next slide: To star clusters a thousand times farther away, you’d have to have enough toilet paper to circle the Earth! ASK: Does this scale help you better understand the true distances between the planets in our solar system? After hearing these facts, do you think there could still be a better way to model the distances? What if the model was even bigger than our toilet paper one? Could we make a model that is bigger? Is there anything else wrong with our model? What about the planet cutouts? Were they to scale? What if we combined scale size and scale distance into one model? Tell students that that is coming up next lesson.

Reflection

Name: ______________________ 23

Exit SlipWhat is one problem with the model you made? Explain why the model is not accurate.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Name: ______________________Exit Slip

What is one problem with the model you made? Explain why the model is not accurate.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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Toilet Paper Astronomy Information Sheet

How many squares of toilet paper is each planet from the sun?

oMercury – 3 squaresoVenus – 5 squaresoEarth – 7.5 squaresoMars – 11.5 squares

oJupiter – 39 squaresoSaturn – 72 squaresoUranus – 144 squaresoNeptune – 225 squares

Lesson Title: A Deeper Look at Scale Models Course: Grade 6

Designer: Trisha Wallington 25

Learning Outcomes/IntentionsFormal Unit Outcome(s):Outcome: SS6.1Research and represent the physical characteristics of the major components of the solar system, including the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. [CP, SI]

Understandings: The solar system is incredibly vast. Scale models are rarely perfectly accurate. Evaluating accuracy is important. Scale size and scale distance work together to

make the best models possible.

Essential Questions: How far is it from the sun to the earth? How large is our solar system? How do I know if a model is accurate?

Knowledge:g. Create scale-distance and/or scale-size models to represent the major components of the solar system.h. Evaluate the usefulness and accuracy of scale-distance and scale-size models of the major components of the solar system.

Scales are used to make models. Models of the solar system can use both scale

distance and scale size to be the most accurate. Scales of the solar system size things down.

Skills: Measure approximate distances. Represent through the use of a model. Evaluate using specific criteria.

“I can . . .” statements:I can make accurate scale models using both scale distance and scale size in partnership.I can explain why scale models may not always be accurate.

Assessment EvidenceFormative Assessments (Assessment for Learning):

Listen to student answers in the circle talk after the demonstration and record answers on the board. Students will explain their reasoning behind answers and guesses when asked. Students will be asked questions throughout the lesson and given feedback on answers. Student work will be viewed as the teacher circulates the room during the activities and given appropriate feedback.

Summative Assessments (Assessment of Learning): Students will make presentations on improved scale models to demonstrate their understanding of the characteristics

of the solar system as well as evaluate the accuracy of scale models. There is a guidelines sheet and rubric attached that show how students will be graded.

SAFETYRemind students about road safety before leaving the school grounds to make the Bill Nye model.

Materials Google Slides

(https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LkIzHlZ-kaEo3GowR3l4wBYNWSf4XD2rgUleLBwDE-k/edit?usp=sharing) basketball peppercorn variety of different sized balls including:

o 1 small marbleo 2 tennis ballso 1 ping pong ballo 1 basketballo 1 soccer ballo 2 baseballso 2-3m diameter balloon (if possible)

planet labels stick markers/stakes coloured paper 1m diameter balloon 2

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devices (iPads, laptops, phones) tape Walk & Talk Prompts (attached) Scale Model Improvement Assignment (attached) Scale Model Improvement Rubric (attached)

Learning PlanDAY 1

ENGAGE: Do a demonstration in the gym or outside to give students the idea of the size of the solar system. Show students a

basketball and say that it represents the sun. Show students a peppercorn and say that it represents the Earth. ASK: What am I demonstrating here? Is this showing scale size or scale distance? Do you think the distance is accurate? How can I make this model more accurate?

Have the class stand at a certain point and tell them to watch you walk 23 metres away (have this premeasured). Yell to them that they are the Earth and you are the sun. ASK: What am I demonstrating here? Is this showing scale size or scale distance? Do you think the size is accurate? How can I make this model more accurate?

Give one student the basketball and ask them to stand at a certain point. Give another student the peppercorn and ask them to stand at another point so that there is 23 metres from the basketball to the peppercorn. Have students walk back and forth between the sun and the Earth. ASK: Is this model more accurate? Why might this model be more accurate than just holding the objects next to each other or just standing 23m apart?

Have students come sit around you and hold up the two spheres. Have students relate to the first part of the demonstration to scale size. Have students relate when they were the Earth at a certain point and you were the sun at another point to scale distance. Remind students of the question asked at the end of last class. ASK: What if we combined scale size and scale distance into one model? Make sure students relate this to how models can be most accurate. Make sure students relate scale distance and scale size.

EXPLAIN: Go back to classroom and have a circle talk/ball throw activity about why our models in the previous lessons may

have been misleading. ASK: What models were the best? Why? What models were the worst? Why? What was missing from certain models? What was good about certain models? What was the recurring problem with our models? How can we most accurately represent the solar system to scale? Give each student a chance to make a comment and record responses on the board in a concept web.

EXPLORE: Do the Have a Ball activity outside with the balls to scale from a previous lesson. ASK: What do you remember from

the lesson where we used these balls before? What were we focusing on in that lesson? What do you think we could add to these scale sized balls to make a more accurate model?

Start by showing each ball and asking students what planet each represents.o Mercury – small marbleo Venus – tennis ballo Earth – tennis ballo Mars – ping pong ballo Jupiter – basketballo Saturn – soccer ballo Uranus – baseballo Neptune – baseball

Remind students about what we talked about regarding the sun in the previous lesson with these balls. ASK: What did we think might represent the sun? How big do you think the object would have to be? Let students see the huge balloon that represents the sun.

Set some expectations in walking in the hallway and going outside. Choose responsible students to give each planet and the sun to as well as labelled stake markers and then head

outside to an open space that has been previously checked for distance. Have students sit and explain the instructions. Have the person holding the sun stand up at a set area. Invite a

student to place the sun stake in the ground. Have each planet stand up and pace out the scale distances from the sun as well as have students set up the markers.

o Mercury – 4 paceso Venus – 7 paceso Earth – 10 paceso Mars – 15 paces 2

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o Jupiter – 52 paceso Saturn – 95 paceso Uranus – 191 paceso Neptune – 301 paces

Tell students to set their ball down at the stake once they have measured the distance and then come back to sit at the sun.

Once everyone has met back up at the sun, walk as a class up the line of planets so all students can see and feel how far the distances are as well as see the size of each planet in relation to the distance they’re walking. Make your way back to the sun and have students sit down again. ASK: Can you see Neptune way down there? Can you make out the baseball? Can you make out the baseball that is Uranus? How about the soccer ball that is Saturn? Can you see Jupiter? How about the little ping pong ball that is Mars? Is it easier to see Earth? How about Venus and Mercury? Did you expect to not be able to see some of the planets so well when we came out here? Do you think this model is more accurate than some of the others we’ve made? Why? How does putting scale size and scale distance together make models more accurate? Is there anything still wrong with our models? What about our scale sizes? Are they perfect? Are Venus and Earth actually the exact same size? Should they both be represented by a tennis ball? Are Neptune and Uranus the exact same size in reality? How could we make this better? Are paces an accurate form of measurement? Are different people’s paces different lengths? How could we make this better? What about the straight line the planets are in? Is that realistic? Why not? Is it possible to make a perfect scale model?

Have the same students who brought the materials out, bring them back in.

DAY 2

EXPLAIN: Show Bill Nye Scale Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvg36obxs9k. Have a further conversation about how near impossible it is to be accurate with both scales at once. Make sure to talk about how this is why you don’t usually make models to scale because they have to be huge to be

even remotely accurate. Ask students to think back to how far Bill Nye went in the video and how small the planets were. Host a small conversation about the Pluto part, but remind students that it is not considered a planet anymore, yet it’s

still that far away. ASK: Do you understand the hugeness of our solar system? Do you think we’ll ever be able to truly comprehend how large it is? Do you think scientists know everything there is to know about our solar system? Have you thought about what’s beyond our solar system? How much farther does it go? How much farther can we go?

ELABORATE: Take the class out for a long walk or bike ride to actually scope out some of the distances to scale as shown in the

video, while also taking into account scale size. Start by having students create the sizes of the planets using balls of paper. Assign students to 5 different spaces in

the room where each group will create one of the first 5 planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter) using balled up paper according to the sizes they saw in the video. Groups will get to choose the colour of paper they use based on what they know about the characteristics of the planets from previous lessons. Each group will also have an iPad/laptop to rewatch the video and pause it on their assigned planet. As groups finish, they can make/use the fortune tellers from previous lessons.

Once all groups are done, have students share their planet creations with the rest of the class so everyone knows what each planet looks like.

Watch the video again up to Jupiter and have students record the scale distance their planet is away from the sun. Ask each group to repeat their distance so all 5 can be written on the board.

o Mercury – 39mo Venus – 72mo Earth – 100mo Mars – 152mo Jupiter – 520m

Tell students that we will be going out to make the model up to this point. Set some expectations for leaving the school grounds and walking on the street or sidewalk. Make sure students know street safety and are responsible enough to do this activity.

Tell students that they will be doing a walk and talk in between our planet placing. Give each group one copy of the Walk & Talk sheet and ask them to talk about the prompts as they walk.

Explain to students that you already have the distances pre-measured out and have some kind of landmark to show where each stake and planet should be placed in the model. ASK: If we place the sun at the school sign and head down the street, where do you think Mercury will be placed? At what point do you think Venus will be dropped 2

8

off? Where do you think Earth will be? How about Venus? Where will we leave Jupiter? Tell students that we will be marking each drop off point with a stake and taping the planet paper balls to the stake.

Give each group a roll of tape and a stake then head outside. Do the walk and talk activity as the class walks and each planet is placed by its group. At each drop off point, have

students turn around and look back to where they came from. ASK: Can you see the previous planet? Do you think you’ll be able to see this planet once we’re at the next one?

Once the class gets to Jupiter, spend a bit more time discussing the scales. ASK: Is this where you thought Jupiter would be? What do you know about Jupiter that explains why it is so much farther from the sun than the planets before it? Can you make out Mars at all? Can you see even the stake that holds the sun? Can you even see the school sign where the sun is placed? How does this model better put space into perspective? Is there anything else we could still improve? Have students continue to discuss the prompts as the class heads back to the school. Have each group pick up their planet and stake as we pass them on the way back.

DAY 3

EXPLAIN: Reference the Bill Nye video and the scale model the class made the previous day and talk about how misleading

some representations of scale in the solar system are. ASK: How did the Bill Nye model better represent the solar system? How do scale size and scale distance work together to form accurate models? Why aren’t scale distance models and scale size models as realistic as the Bill Nye model we made? If we would have went to Neptune like Bill Nye did, would you have been able to see any other planet from there? Why was our scale model so large? Why are larger scale models more accurate?

Brainstorm some final ideas to improve some of the previous scale models we looked at or made in class. Prompt students if they are having trouble remembering the models we made.

Have students form groups of 3 and choose one model we looked at or made in class to improve. Allow students to make changes to the model of their choice and present those changes to the class however they would like. Give some ideas like:

o PowerPointo Videoo Postero Song

Students will be handed out an assignment sheet with further instructions and guidelines. Make sure students know they need to make an improved model as well as a presentation that explains how their new model is improved from the original.

Show students a rubric for this assignment before they start so they see how they will be marked. Allow students this class period and the next class period to work on their improved scale model and presentation

and then have them present the next class after that.

Reflection

Walk & Talk Prompts

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1. What do you know about scale distance?

2. What do you know about scale size?

3. How do you think this model will improve our accuracy in model making?

4. Where do you think each planet will be dropped off?

5. How did you know how big to make your paper ball planet?

6. Do you think the paper ball planets are accurate? Why or why not?

7. How could we make the scale size more accurate in this model?

8. What has been your favourite planet to learn about?

9. What do you know about that planet?

10. What more do you still want to know about the solar system?

11. Do you think you have a better understanding of the characteristics of the solar system now than you did before this mini unit?

12. What was your favourite model that we made? Why?

13. Have you seen any other scale models of the solar system outside of class?

14. What do you think is beyond our solar system?

15. How many stars do you think there are?

16. How far do you think space goes?

17. Where do you think we will space travel to next?

18. What planet do you hope we visit in the future? Why?

19. Do you think it’s possible to visit other planets? Why or why not?

20. What has been your favourite part of the mini unit? Why?

Scale Model Improvement Assignment30

You will choose ONE model that we looked at or made in class to improve. You will actually remake the model so that it is more accurate. You will create a presentation in the medium of your choice to share your understandings with the class.

Choose one of the following models to improve:

1. Orbiting the Sun (Lesson 2)2. Round and Round They Go (Lesson 2)3. Scale Size Paper Bowl Solar System (Lesson 3)4. How Far? (Lesson 4)5. Toilet Paper Astronomy (Lesson 4)6. Basketball and Peppercorn (Lesson 5)7. Have a Ball (Lesson 5)

Choose one of the following (or another approved medium) to present your model:

1. PowerPoint2. Video3. Poster4. Song

To make improvements, take into consideration:

1. Is this model to scale?2. Is this model only showing scale size?3. Is this model only showing scale distance?4. Is this model accurately representing the characteristics of the planets?5. Is this model showing an accurate representation of the planets’ orbits?6. Is this model showing a linear representation?7. Is this model large enough?8. Is this model using accurate measurement?

See the rubric for how you will be graded.

Names: _____________________________________

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Scale Model Improvement Rubric

4 - Excellent 3 - Good 2 - Satisfactory 1 - PoorScale Model Students created

an exemplary scale model that improved upon multiple areas from the original model. Students combined scale size and scale distance. The model took into account all of the considerations in the assignment outline.

Students created a good scale model that improved upon some areas from the original model. Students combined scale size and scale distance. The model took into account at least 4 of the considerations in the assignment outline.

Students created a scale model that improved upon one area from the original model. Students used only scale size or only scale distance. The model took into account at least 1 of the considerations in the assignment outline.

Students created a model that may or may not have been to scale and didn’t improve upon the original model. The model did not take into account any of the considerations in the assignment outline.

Presentation The presenters choose a very appropriate medium to share their understandings with the class. The presentation very clearly included the process the group went through to create their model. The presentation clearly stated the problems with the original model and how the group improved those inaccuracies.

The presenters chose an appropriate medium to share their understandings with the class. The presentation included the process the group went through to create their model. The presentation stated the problems with the original model and how the group improved those inaccuracies.

The presenters chose a medium that they liked, but may not have executed it as well as they could have to share their understandings with the class. The presentation did not clearly include the process the group went through to create their model. The presentation did not clearly state the problems with the original model and how the group improved those inaccuracies.

The presenters chose an inappropriate medium to share their understandings with the class. The presenters did not attempt to include the process they went through to create their model. The presentation had no explicit connection to the problems with the original model and how the group improved those inaccuracies.

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