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Introduction
A basic understanding of astronomy, the study of celestial bodies and the universe, is important for all students so they can understand what else is “out there.” Although, this knowledge doesn’t have immediate day-to-use it does provide opportunities for understanding some basic principles of physics and weather. Additionally, astronomy sheds light on the question: “How do we, humans on earth, fit into the larger context of the universe?”
Curriculum Standard(s)
Earth Science
S4E1. Students will compare and contrast the physical attributes of stars, star patterns, and planets.
a. Recognize the physical attributes of stars in the night sky such as number, size, color and patterns.
b. Compare the similarities and differences of planets to the stars in appearance, position, and number in the night sky.
c. Explain why the pattern of stars in a constellation stays the same, but a planet can be seen in different locations at different times.
S4CS6. Students will question scientific claims and arguments effectively.
a. Support statements with facts found in books, articles, and databases, and identify the sources used.
Language Arts
ELA4W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals a satisfying closure. The student
a. Selects a focus, an organizational structure, and a point of view based on purpose, genre expectations, audience, length, and format requirements.
b. Writes texts of a length appropriate to address the topic or tell the story.
c. Uses traditional structures for conveying information (e.g., chronological order,
cause and effect, similarity and difference, and posing and answering a question).
d. Uses appropriate structures to ensure coherence (e.g., transition elements).
ELA4W2 The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genres.
The student produces a persuasive essay that:
a. Engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a speaker's voice, and otherwise developing reader interest.
b. States a clear position.
ELA4W3 The student uses research and technology to support writing. The student
a. Acknowledges information from sources.
b. Locates information in reference texts by using organizational features (i.e.,
prefaces, appendices, indices, glossaries, and tables of contents).
c. Uses various reference materials (i.e., dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, electronic information, almanac, atlas, magazines, newspapers, and key words).
d. Demonstrates basic keyboarding skills and familiarity with computer terminology (e.g., software, memory, disk drive, hard drive).
International Society for Technology in Education Standards
1. Creativity and Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
2. Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
3. Research and Information Fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
5. Digital Citizenship: Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior
6. Technology Operations and Concepts: Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations
(Note: I will add Cobb County Technology standards here...unable to access them last night)
Aim/Purpose Statement
The “Planets and Stars” curriculum web aims to develop a basic understanding of astronomy. It is designed so that fourth grade students will be able to identify different objects in space, recognize their similarities and differences, and understand the movement of these celestial bodies in the night sky. Moreover, it will develop their research and writing skills.
Students will be present their knowledge using multimedia tools.
Rationale
Young people (ages 8-10 years) are naturally curiously about what lies beyond planet earth and what they see in the night sky. It is important to understand earth’s place in the universe and understand the physics behind it. This basic understanding helps foster a deeper sense of “one’s place.” It provides a sense of perspective as one attempts to grasp the constant changes of the universe over vastly large distances and vastly long periods of time.
General Educational Goals
This curriculum web was developed by a media specialist at an intermediate level (3-5th grade school) who wanted to focus on the researching and technology skills of fourth grade students within the curriculum. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) recognizes the importance of the providing authentic experiences for teaching students research skills preparing them for the 21st century world. Likewise this unit use of the multimedia applications combines the technology skills required by Cobb County and ISTE as platform for students’ presenting and sharing what they learned.
Subject Matter Description
This curriculum is centered on subject matter relevant to astronomy, specifically the planets in our solar system, stars and constellation, and how these appear in the night sky.
Definitions and information about the following astronomy terms:
Universe
Solar system
Planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune)
Inner planets (Terrestrial)
Outer planets (Jovian)
Rotation
Revolution (orbit)
Gravity
Mass
Satellite (moon)
Star
Constellation
Comet
Asteroid
Meteors
Moon
Supernova
Concepts and skills are:
Effects of distance on appearance
Table reading
Creation of spreadsheet
Increased time/space awareness
Information literacy
Creation of a multimedia presentation
Presentation skills
Division of labor
Persuasive writing
Citation of sources
Data collection and analysis
Compare and contrast skills
Learner Description
The activities in this curriculum web are designed for fourth grade students from diverse ethnic and social backgrounds. It is geared for students who already are familiar with using the Windows environment, various computer programs, and the Internet.
Prerequisites
Participants should know:
- Basic Windows operating skills (open/save files, typing and formatting text, copy/pasting etc.)
- How to navigate the Internet
- Read at least at third grade reading level
- Write at least at third grade level
- Work cooperatively with a partner
Learning Objectives
Upon competition of the “Planets and Stars” curriculum web participants will be able to:
- Define and describe astronomy terms
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Use websites to gain knowledge about planets, stars, constellations, and basic astronomy
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Compare and contrast planets-planets and planets-stars
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Cite web sources accurately
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Storyboard and script utilizing information gleaned from websites
- Write a persuasive piece
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Import pictures from the web into their student home directories
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Use Photostory to:
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Import saved pictures
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Narrate
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Create transitions
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Add background music
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Render their project into a digital video
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Evaluate self and other dyads’ projects
- Write a short story, song, or poem that explains why something in the night sky looks the way it does
Materials
Supplies
- Red and Blue pens, pencils, crayons, and markers
Print
Videos:
- The Expanding Universe (approx. 3 min.)
- How Stars Live and Die (approx. 5 min.)
- PhotoStory: How to Import Pictures
- PhotoStory: How to Create Text
- PhotoStory: How to Narrate
- PhotoStory: How to Create Motion and Transitions
- PhotoStory: How to Create Music and Finalize Video
The following web pages:
The following computer hardware and software:
- A computer for each dyad with Internet access, Photostory, and Audacity
- Headphones
- Microphones
Instructional Plan
- Introduce the topic that the class will be studying during this nine week semester by showing them the entry and homepages of the Web.
- Assign students a partner to work with throughout the process. Each dyad will work together throughout the process to “sell” NASA on the idea of which planet is most interesting.
- Discuss issues of each team member must do their share of the work and that they will evaluate their own contribution and that of their partner.
- Each dyad will begin by completing the “Planets – Activity 1” sheet.
- Once all teams have completed “Characteristics of Each Planet Worksheet” have them compete to see who can answer “Most/Least” questions the fastest. If you have a “lock out response system” this could used for this activity.
- Have dyads learn more about planets (Planets – Activity 2).
- Students then begin Activity 3 which is researching their selected planet in depth and taking notes using the Best Planet in the Solar System Notes form. Teacher will need to reinforce what kinds of information to record and model for students how to cite their sources.
- Once students have finished researching and taking notes. The teacher will check notes for adequate number of facts, accuracy, variety, and citations.
- Provide students with the Best Planet in the Solar System Script/Storyboard and have them write their script for their Photostory.
- When students have completed their script have them begin Planets – Activity 4 – How to create a Photostory. Provide them with a rubric for the project and rubric for team work. Reiterate that they are rated individually for their effort as well as being rated as a team.
- Provide students with instruction on finding and saving pictures to their home directory.
- Show Photostory: Importing Pictures video to students. Provide assistance as needed.
- Show Photostory: Text video to students. Provide assistance as needed.
- Show Photostory: How to Narrate. (Remind them that in order to achieve best sound quality they should hold the microphone about 3-4 includes from their lips as they record). Assist as needed.
- Show Photostory: Transitions and Motion to students. Assist as needed.
- Show Photostory: Create Music to students. Assist as needed.
- Provide instruction on how to save project as a movie. Make sure they save it to their student home directory on the network.
- Plan and host a class or public presentation of completed videos. (Best videos can be aired on the school's closed circuit news broadcast and/or school's information channel.)
STARS
- Have students read on their own about the stars using the links from the Stars web page.
- Have students individually complete Activity 1: Star Quiz i
- Have students individual draw using either KidPix or with crayons, markers, pencils a series of illustrations of a star’s life cycle.
NIGHT SKY
- Explain to the students that they will be learning about the night sky and why it looks the way it does. Upon completion of their learning about it they will have to write either a story, song, poem, or play about one of the things in the sky explaining why looks the way it does.
- Then provide students with the “Understanding the Night Sky” handout. Students will individually read about the constellations and the night sky following the links provided on the Night Sky webpage. They should complete the handout as they read through the websites.
- Have students write their short piece about the sky.
- Have them record their piece using Audacity.
- Display their recorded pieces in some public way (ex. Class blog, school website, school info channel.
How you complete this section you should have VERY detailed descriptions of every learning activity that you will include in your curriculum website including all of the text that you will use.
Assessment Plan
- Planets Comparison Chart – students will color this chart identifying most/least of each of the different qualities of the planets. Comprehension will be further assessed via a competition of teams using a lock system.
- Solar System Cloze from Enchanted Learning.
- Stars Cloze from Enchanted Learning.
- PhotoStory Rubric – Students will be given a copy of the rubric so they will understand the expectations. Teacher will use the rubric to grade product of dyads during the presentations of stories.
- Team Work Rubric – Students will be provided a copy of this handout before they begin working on the Photostory so they will understand what is expected of them as team members. Upon completion of the project they will be asked to complete the form.
- Understanding the Night Sky: Compare-Contrast Planets and Stars handout – students will use this to record what they learn about how the night sky looks and why it is looks the way it does.
- Night Sky Story Rubric – will be given to students prior to the writing of their short porque story (poem, play, song, etc.). Teacher will use it to evaluate student stories during the presentation of stories.
Evaluation Plan
Evaluating this curriculum web for its instructional content and design will be achieved by doing the following:
- Peers from the MEDT7467 Web Design class at the University of West Georgia EdS Instructional Technology program will be asked to provide feedback regarding its navigation and design.
- In August 2010 I will ask a fourth grade teacher at my school, who is highly interested in and involved science instruction (she coordinated and leads our school's Science Olympiad Team) to review the curriculum web.
- I will collaboratively teach this unit with a fourth grade teacher to her/his class.
- Students in the class will be requested to complete the online survey at Exploring Planets and Stars Evaluation Survey so they share their opinions about the curriculum web.
- At each stage, feedback will be analyzed and used to modify and improve the curriculum web.
Implementation Plan - click to open implementation plan
Contact Information
This section is particularly useful of you are sharing your curriculum web. Include your contact information and a link to the curriculum web here.
Bibliography
In this section you should cite all of the relevant material that you use in your curriculum web. Use APA formatting, except for margins and font which you should keep consistent with the rest of this document, for this section.
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