College of Education

Lesson Plan Template

Teacher Candidate: Heather Schryver
November 10-12, 2014 at 12:15pm

Date and Time of Lesson:

School: Ninety-Six Elementary School

4th Grade/Science

Subject/Grade Level:

Description of Lesson: (a general description in two- three sentences of

what you will do with students)

Lesson Title or Essential Question that guides the lesson: How does
the sun affect earth? How does Earths tilted axis and revolution around the
Sun result in the seasons of the year and day and night?
Curriculum Standards Addressed:
National Standard(s): N/A

SC Curriculum Standard(s):
Standard 4-3: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the properties,
movements, and locations of objects in the solar system. (Earth Science)
SC Academic Indicator(s):
4-3.3: Explain how the Sun affects Earth.
4-3.4: Explain how the tilt of Earths axis and the revolution around the Sun results
in the seasons of the year.
4-3.5: Explain how the rotation of Earth results in day and night.
Other:

EEDA Performance Standards:

Cooperative learning
Learning Styles
SSCA Standards:
Students must be able to cooperatively work together.
Students must respect each other.
Unit Objective(s):

Assessment(s) of the
Objectives:

4th grade students will be able to explain and

demonstrate how the Sun affects Earth and how
Earths axis and revolution around the Sun
results in seasons of the year and day and night.

Before the unit is taught, the

students will complete a five
question multiple choice preassessment. The questions
include:
What does the Sun
produce that Earth
benefits from?
The Sun is the source

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of almost all ___ on

Earth.
Where is the Suns
energy stored?
How many times per
year does the Earth
revolve around the
Sun?
What is caused by
Earths tilted axis?
During the unit, I will monitor
students progress through
teacher observation. There will
also be exit slips given during
the first two lessons. After the
third lesson, the students will
draw and (with teacher support)
a diagram.
After the unit, the students will
receive the same assessment
that was given to them before
the unit. This assessment will be
scored the same.

Materials/Resources:
Day one:
colored cards numbered and labeled correctly, paper, pencil, poster paper,
markers, pencils
Day two:
Textbook, whiteboard, markers, copy paper, pencils, twistables, science notebook,
exit slip
Day three:
globe beach balls, flashlights, paper, pencils, science notebook, twistables, exit slip

Prerequisites (Prior Knowledge): List skills/abilities students will need to

successfully participate in
their learning experience according to the following developmental needs: social,
cognitive, physical, and emotional.

Procedures:
Day One:
Objective: Students will be able to explain how the Sun affects Earth.
Discussion:
Today, we are going to do a lot of discussions with your neighbor. We are going to
call this turn and talk. When I say turn and talk I will also give you a time limit.
One of you will speak for that amount of time. When doing this, we need to remain
respectful to our partner and the class. If you are the speaker, what should you be
doing? (Eye contact, talking in low voice, talking only to partner, remain on task,
remain on topic) What about if youre the listener? (Eye contact, listening,
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remaining on task, appropriate feedback). Demonstrate.

I have given you either a green card or a yellow card. Your partner has the opposite
card. Write your name on the card. There is also a number written on your card..
Ignore this number, for right now. These will be used to decide who speaks first. If
you are speaking first, you must speak for the entire length of the time. The listener
is not allowed to respond until it is his/her time to talk.)
Engage:
What is Earths major source of energy? (Green: 20 seconds, yellow: 20 seconds)
Now, I want someone with a yellow card to tell the class your answer. Someone with
a green card, do you agree or disagree?
-- The Sun is Earths major source of energy. The Sun can power electricity (solar
power), helps plants to grow (creates food for humans), it warms the Earth, it lights
the Earth, it keeps the Water cycle moving (because of evaporation). The Suns
energy causes weather conditions on earth.
How do plants use the Suns energy? (Yellow: 30 seconds, green: 20 seconds)
Green, do you have anything to add?
-- The plants take the Suns energy and use it to make food energy.
How does the Sun affect Earth? (Green: 45 seconds to talk, Yellow: 30 seconds to
respond/add on).
Now, I want someone with a yellow card to tell the class what you and your partner
talked about. Green, do you have anything to add?
Okay, now, there is a number between one and six on your card. You will use these
numbers for the next few days, so you need to remember them. There are also
numbers hanging around the room. I am going to give you thirty seconds to find
your number in the room and go to it. I want to see how quietly you can do this. Go.
Stick your card onto the number.
If your number is circled, you are the Equipment Manager. You need to come to the
front and get a piece of paper and get an art box. Go.
If your number has a box around it, you are the recorder. It is your job to write
information on the poster.
If your number is underlined or has a triangle around it, you are the speakers. You
will present your information to the class.
On your poster, I want you to explain how the Sun affects Earth.
Explore
You poster should include:
Title
Pictures
Three examples of how the Sun affects Earth.
You will have 15 minutes to complete this.
The poster, over-all, must be about how the Sun affects Earth. However, students
may choose to show how it affects Earth through three (my chosen number)
different ways, or through one major way, with three different affects. (For example,
they can choose to complete the poster with three different ways: Energy, heat,
light. Or they can choose to complete the poster with one broad topic (plants grow
with sunlight) and show three different affects: food, energy, and environment).
Explain
Now its time to present the posters!
Elaborate
Remember earlier when we were turning and talking with our neighbors, we
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demonstrated respect? We need to follow the same procedures with our poster
presenters.
Evaluate
Before we finish for today, I am giving you one more sheet of paper. This is called an
exit slip. There is a question on it. I want you to answer this question. You can write
sentences or make a list. I will collect these before you leave.
Day Two: (Lesson may be modified due to the results of the previous lessons
assessment)
Objective: Students will be able to explain how the tilt of Earths axis and Earths
revolution around the sun results in the seasons of the year and day/night.
Engage
How do you think day and night is formed?
Earth spins. When Earth is facing the sun, it is day, when Earth is facing away from
the Sun, it is night).
Explore
Look at page 490 and 491 in your textbook. Turn and talk with your neighbor
(remember we talked about how to do this properly yesterday) about what this
picture is showing. Describe what you see. (Earth is rotating around the Sun. The
northern and southern hemispheres are tilted towards or away from the Sun)
So when its Winter, why are the days shorter? (Earth is already tilted away from the
Sun, so it has less of a distance to turn away from the Sun). When it is Summer,
there is further distance before the Earth is turned away from the Sun, creating
longer days.)
Now, I am going to give you each a sheet of white paper. I want you to take your
paper and fold it in half. Fold it in half again. (Creating four equal parts)
In the top of each box, I want you to label the top right box Winter
Who knows what date Winter starts on? (December 21)
What do you know about Winter? (Its cold, days are shorter)
North Pole is tilted away from the Sun.
Explain
Spring:
March 21
Days start getting longer
Neither pole is tilted towards the Sun
Summer:
June 21
Longer days
North Pole is tilted towards the Sun

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Fall:
September 21
Days start getting shorter
Neither pole is tilted towards the Sun
If Earth revolving around the Sun creates seasons, how many times per year does
the Earth revolve around the Sun? (One)
Elaborate
Now, I want you to draw a picture for each season.
Evaluate
While you are finishing that up, I am going to give you each a sheet of paper. This is
another exit slip. I will collect this before you leave.
What are the four seasons? List two facts about each season.
Day Three: (Lesson may be modified due to the results of the previous lessons
assessment)
Objective: Students will demonstrate how the tilt of Earths axis and Earths
revolution around the Sun results in the seasons of the year and day/night.
Engage
Thinking about what we talked about yesterday, who can (raise your hand) explain
to the class how the seasons are formed? (Earths axis is tilted, and when Earth
revolves around the Sun, different parts of the planet get more sunlight.)
What about day/night? How does that happen? (Earths rotation towards and away
from the Sun).
Explore
Today, we are going to make a model of the Earth and demonstrate the rotations
and the tilt to see how seasons (and day and night) are formed.
I want you to go to your number in the room that you have been going to. When
your group gets your materials, do not touch them until you are told to do so. I have
specific directions to give you, before we begin. Today, the materials include: a
globe beach ball, a dry erase marker, a flashlight (do not shine the light in yours or
other peoples eyes), If you are caught playing with them, you will be
removed from the group and will have to complete this activity on paper,
rather than with materials. This time, if your number has a triangle around it or
is underlined, you are the materials manager. Please come to the front and get
your materials.
There are four sheets of paper with strings attached to them. Each piece of paper
has a season on it. If your number is
Circled: Spring
Squared: Summer
Underlined: Fall
Triangle: Winter
I am going to give you seven minutes to draw a picture that represents your season.
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Starting Now.
Now,
Hold up the foam ball. This ball will represent Earth.
What line runs through the middle of Earth? Show me. (The equator)
What is at the top and bottom of Earth? (North and South Poles) Are these facing
straight up and down?
Now, what do you think the flashlight will represent? (The sun)
The Earth is slightly tilted. So whoever is holding earth needs to tilt it slightly to the
right and back.
Now, I want you to add the Sun. Place the Sun on the table in the middle of the
group. Each member should stand in a circle around the Sun. Practice making Earth
rotate around the Sun. Pass Earth to each member of your group. Be sure that you
hold Earths tilted axis steady. The axis is always tilted.
Now, based on what we talked about yesterday, make your circle in order of the
Seasons. There are four seasons, and the seasons come in order. So, create your
circle with the order of the seasons.
Explain
Talk with your group members about how the seasons are formed.
-- When its Winter, Earth is tilted away from the Sun.
-- Summer, Earth is tilted towards the Sun.
-- Spring, Earth is even with the Sun.
-- Fall, Earth is even with the Sun.
Elaborate
I have placed a black mark on Earth. This represents the United States. Be sure that
the United States is facing the Sun.
Now, make Earth revolve around the Sun, but pay close attention to the change of
sunlight on Earth. Take time at each season and discuss how much sun is on Earth
during that season.
If you notice, though, when the Northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun, the
Southern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun. This is what causes the seasons
to be opposite between the two hemispheres.
Now, lets see the difference between day and night. In addition to Earth revolving
around the Sun, the Earth is constantly rotating. The side of Earth that is facing the
Sun, is experiencing daylight. But the side of Earth that is facing away from the Sun
is experiencing darkness night time. Make the United States face the Sun. It is
daylight for the United States. But over the day, the Earth turns away from the Sun,
creating night time.
Allow each group member to demonstrate day/night.
Now, I want my materials manager to bring me all of your materials, back. I want
the rest of you to go to your seats and take out your science notebook. You can also
take out a yellow twistable, a black twistable, and a blue twistable. With pencil,
label table of contents/page title.
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Evaluate
We are going to draw a diagram of what we just created.
What should we draw right in the center? (yellow sun)
Label the four seasons around Earth. (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter)
Draw Earth for each season. Draw North and South Poles and Equator.
Show sunlight on Earth for each season.

Activity Analysis: (should show use of TWS 1 data)

One activity that I used in this unit was for the students to create a poster to
explain and identify how the Sun affects Earth. This activity helps the
students to reach the objective because it gives the students the opportunity
to visually represent the Suns effect on Earth. The students work in small
groups to complete this, allowing them to collaborate with other students.
Students use markers and a poster board to complete this activity. After the
groups have completed the posters, each group will present their poster to
the class. The students will be given some freedom when choosing a topic for
their poster. The poster, over-all, must be about how the Sun affects Earth.
However, students may choose to show how it affects Earth through three
(my chosen number) different ways, or through one major way, with three
different affects. (For example, they can choose to complete the poster with
three different ways: Energy, heat, light. Or they can choose to complete the
poster with one broad topic (plants grow with sunlight) and show three
different affects: food, energy, and environment).
Another activity that is used in this unit is an interactive model of Earths
revolution around the Sun to create the seasons. This is a hands on activity

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that will appeal to the kinesthetic learners. My contextual factors suggest

that there is a wide variety of learning styles throughout this class. Many
students learn through kinesthetic learning. It will allow the students to
demonstrate through a model how the seasons are formed. This exploration
activity will also allow the students to demonstrate day/night. Students will
use a globe and a flashlight to demonstrate this. Being able to involve every
student and giving them each a unique (and highly important) role (four
students in a group, four different seasons) allows the students to gain a
broader understanding of the concept.
There is no technology needed for this unit. This unit is predominately hands
on and will effectively demonstrate these objectives without the use of
technology.

Differentiation/Accommodations/Modifications/Increases in Rigor
(should show use of TWS 1 data)
One student with vision impairment might need accommodations. For any handouts
that may be given, they will be blown up to large print so he can see it. When
writing on the board, I will write large. It will also accommodate the
kinesthetic/hands-on learners as well as the visual learners and the auditory
learners.

References:
http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/4th/science/science_by_unit08/4th_sc_unit6/un6act9_sc.htm

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Exit Slip (lesson one)

How does the Sun affect Earth?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Exit Slip (lesson two)
What are the four seasons? List two facts that we talked about for each
season.
1._________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2._________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3._________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4._________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

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