Lesson Plan on the Solar System for 6th Graders

Lesson Plan on the Solar System for 6^th Graders

Standards: Science Teaching Standards

Language:

• Through brainstorming sessions, students will share their thoughts and findings from the learning resources about varied aspects of the solar systems. Through talking out and explaining themselves, students will be able to gather relevant information in situations where there is a lot of information. As they share what they have learnt, confidence will be built. Additionally, they will be enabled to interact with varied sources of information.

Content:

• With respect to Piaget and Vygotsky, Constructivist learning is based on the rationale that learning takes place when learners are actively involved in the knowledge and meaning construction unlike when the learning is passive (Pass, 2004). Consequently, avenues will be provided for students to actively participate in the lesson.
• Constructivist teaching leads to the development of independent and motivated learners and also fosters critical thinking.
• Activities employed in constructivist teaching are student-centered and interactive. Accordingly, activities will ensure the participation of students.
• In constructivism, the teachers play the role of scaffolding, coaching and modeling

Learning Strategies

• Balls of different sizes have to be used to stand in for the planets. They must be in line with the sizes of the planet. For instance, the ball standing in place of Jupiter should be the largest and that in place of Saturn should have rings. The normal ball like globe should stand in for earth. At the center should be a round object which should be the biggest. It should be positioned as the sun and all planets should revolve around it. While the earth revolves around the sun, it has to be rotating on its own. Another object has to be used to stand in the position of the moon. The move should be made to rotate around the earth. This is to enable the student experience what goes on in the solar systems. As explained by Gray, experiential learning is effective and to remember (Glatthorn & Jailall, 2009). This is also in line with the standards that postulate that the science content and the design of the curriculum should be in line with the experiences, abilities, understanding , knowledge and interests of the students (National Committee on Science Education Standards, 1996, Teaching Standard A)
• A scientific film about other heavenly bodies like meteors, meteorites and comets among others has to be watched and students explain what they have learned in their own words. Subsequently, through leading discussions, students have to share what they have with other with the rest of the class. This is to facilitate active participation in the learning process and also in line with the teaching standard B that stipulates that teachers have to facilitate and guide line. They should do so through challenging students to take part in their own learning (National Committee on Science Education Standards, 1996).
• From their memory, conducting research among their friends and family and from observation, students will have to draw varied phases of the moon. They will present their finds in the classroom through which they will be aided to plan the phases in order.
• Thus, the learning will be teacher assisted and interaction learning

Key vocabulary: planet, orbit, rotation, revolution, axis, moon, earth, sun
Materials: balls, the globe, scientific films

Motivation

• The experiences of the students will be reviewed
• Students who are able to perform the experiment through explications will be rewarded
• Students will engage in interesting activities

Presentation

• Through the use of technology like film, animation, pictures and PowerPoint presentation, students will be led into a discussion through which the language and content objectives will be communicated to the students
• Through brainstorming, group and class discussions, the topic will be covered in depth.
• Students will be engaged with through discussions

Practice and Application

• Different activities in relation to the solar system will be provided for the students. The students will engage in the activities and share thee knowledge and experiences gathered
• Through class discussions and brainstorming sessions, the students will be guided on how to arrange the information so as to generate meaning. Any hindrances to their comprehension will be dealt with to facilitate personal comprehension.

Review and Assessment

• In accordance to the standard C, teachers have to engage in ongoing assessment of both their teaching and the learning of the students (National Committee on Science Education Standards, 1996). Varied methods have to be used to gather information pertaining to the understandability of the students. Underpinning on this, during the class sessions, students will be randomly asked questions to gauge their comprehension
• Student will also take part in time to time quick quizzes in the classroom. They will exchange the assignment. The answers to the quizzes will be generated through discussions while the students mark each other’s work.

Extension

• Students will form pairs and engage in research on varied subtopics. They will then present their findings in class. The rest of the students will ask questions on the topic. Through explaining to the class, the students will expand their knowledge and will be able to apply what they have learnt through their research.

References

Glatthorn, A., & Jailall, M. (2009). The principal as curriculum leader : shaping what is taught and tested (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

National Committee on Science Education Standards. (1996). National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Pass, S. (2004). Parallel paths to constructivism : Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Greenwich, Conn.: Information Age Pub.