Lesson Plan for Third Grade Earth Science

                                    Constructivist Lesson Plan Format

 

Lesson Plan Team Members:

 

Science Subject Area and Grade Level:

 Earth Science, 3rd Grade

New York State Science Learning Standards:

Standard 5-ESS1-2: Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky.
Standard ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System - The orbits of Earth around the sun and of the moon around Earth, together with the rotation of Earth about an axis between its North and South poles, cause observable patterns. These include day and night; daily changes in the length and direction of shadows; and different positions of the sun, moon, and stars at different times of the day, month, and year. (5-ESS1-2)

Objective: The specific objective for your lesson based on the New York State Science
Learning Standards.

 Students will be able to explain the phases of the Moon and understand the relationship between the positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun during these phases.

Criteria for Success: Describe how you will know students have attained the
understanding embodied in the objective.

Students can accurately demonstrate the different phases of the Moon.
Students can explain why the Moon appears to change shape during its monthly cycle.
Students can describe the relationship between the positions of the Earth, Moon, and Sun during the different phases.

Resources: What resources will you and the students use?

Gail Gibbon’s The Moon Book
A flashlight for every four students
Identifying the phases of the moon worksheet
Images of the eight phases of the moon
Open work space

Adaptations: Describe how you will adapt the lesson to account for two of the following categories: Special Needs Children, Second Language Learners, Individual Learning
Styles and Gardner’s Intelligences.

Special Needs Children: Provide additional support, visuals, or simplified instructions as needed for students with special needs.
Second Language Learners: Use visual aids, gestures, and simplified language to support understanding for second language learners.
Individual Learning Styles and Gardner's Intelligences: Allow for flexibility in how students demonstrate their understanding, such as through verbal explanations, drawings, or written responses.

Engage: Describe you will capture the children’s attention and help the children access
prior knowledge.

 Start the lesson by introducing the key terms:
Phase: The different shapes that the Moon appears to have as it moves around the Earth.
Crescent: A phase of the Moon that looks like a curved shape, like a slice of a circle.
First Quarter Moon: A phase of the Moon where we can see half of the Moon's lit-up side.
Waxing Gibbous: A phase of the Moon where more than half of the Moon's l...