Space and Space Exploration - Forest Hills 4th Grade

Introduction

3...2.....1.......  BLAST OFF! 

 

                                               

 

Unfortunately you cannot actually travel through our solar system because you are only in the fourth grade and Mrs. Frizzle is not your teacher.  Instead you will be taking a virtual tour of the solar system.  You will work with your group to learn more about space and space exploration by completing a webquest.

 

 

Task

The activities in the webquest will help you meet these learning targets.

 

LEARNING TARGETS:

I can list highlights of space exploration.

I can identify Alabama's contribution to the space industry.

I can describe the appearance and movement of Earth and its moon.

I can describe components of our solar system.

I can define comets, asteroids, and meteors.

Process

1.  What is a lunar month?  How long is a lunar month?

 

2.  Read the article "An Exciting Discovery Deep in Space," about the Keppler Space Telescope.  After reading the article decide   which of these statements is the main idea of the article.

A.  The newly discovered planet is the same size as Earth.

B.  The newly discovered planet circles its home star in 130 days.

C.  The new planet’s discovery suggests that life can exist near M-dwarf stars.

D.  The new planet’s discovery suggests that there could be other Earth-like planets.  3. Compare the diameter of earth to the diameters of the other inner planets.  Which planet is similar to Earth in size?  Use the information found at this website - http://www.kidsastronomy.com/earth.htm. 
 4.  Who was Wernher von Braun, and what is connection to Alabama?       How long ago did the Space and Rocket Center he envision open in Huntsville? 5.   Explain why scientists deplanetized Pluto. 6.   What unit or units would you use to measure the distance of the planets from the sun?  How far is Earth from the sun?  How much further is the dwarf planet Pluto from the sun than Earth?   
7.     What is a comet, an asteroid, and a meteorite?
8.    Put the phases of the moon in order beginning and ending with the new moon?  How long does it take for the moon to orbit the earth? Explain why we see the moon differently from Earth each day?  (You may need to use the information from both websites to answer the last question.)
9.   When was the first moon landing?  What was it called?  Who were the astronauts that first landed on the moon?  How long ago was this?   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMINSD7MmT4   (Short video of the moon landing)
10.  Choose two items from the choice board to complete.  Discuss your choices with me before beginning your research and work.  We will work on these projects over the next couple of weeks in class.  You may have some work to complete at home, also.Choice Board

You must choose two activities to complete.  Activities on the choice board are completed individually.

  • Build a model of the solar system.  It must be labeled and in the correct order.

  • Create a presentation on the iPad or netbook based on factual evidence on an element of our Universe (such as the planets, our Moon, the seasons, or other objects in space)

  • How is Earth unique?  Compare and contrast Earth to another Planet.  Describe three or more facts to compare the two planets and three or more facts to contrast the  two planets.

  • Write an informational essay based on factual evidence found in your WebQuest of our Universe

  • Write a biography on two people that impacted space exploration.  Cite text evidence in your biography.

  • Design a table about the planets including information about size(diameter), distance from the sun in miles, km, and AU’s (astronomical units), and length of each planet's day and year.  Create five different types of math problems for your friends to solve.  You must base your table and problems on text evidence found in your webquest. You must work these problems out yourself and have an answer key.

  • After reading about the different components of our solar system, decide which place would be good for a family vacation.  Think about what might make it suitable for humans.  Describe what a vacation to this “place in space” might be like.  Make a brochure advertising this vacation destination.  

      

 

Evaluation

Complete the following quizzes.  Write your answer choices on notebook paper.

http://www.iq.poquoson.org/4sci/solarsystem/4solarsystem02tlm2..htm

http://www.iq.poquoson.org/4sci/solarsystem/4solarsystem02tlm1.htm

 

Your completed Webquest will be graded for daily grades as well as the two projects from the choice board for test grades.

 

 

 

Conclusion

Why study the solar system?  Studying things like the solar system helps us understand our history and it impacts our present and future.  The universe is vast, and there is so much more out there to learn. 

The Earth has a unique place in space.  Hopefully after completing this webquest you can answer this question:

How does Earth's position in the solar system affect my life? 

As you read, research, and learn more, remember to question what you read and are told.  You may be the one to make a new discovery or make corrections in current information.

Credits
Teacher Page

Rationale:  It is difficult to cover all of the standards we are responsible for in the 180 instructional days we have with our students.  By integrating ELA and Math standards into the science and social studies curriculum using technology based activities this task becomes more feasible.  We chose to use the fourth grade standards related to space as a focus, and combine these with ELA , and math standards. The activities and technology resources could be used in a similar way with other science and/or social studies standards that are relevant to other grade levels.  

Research Base:  Why should we implement technology?

In classrooms where technology is implemented, interactive student involvement in the learning process is fostered, and learning becomes more fun and more attractive for the students (Eyyam & Yaratan, 2014).

Teachers reported that technology use increased overall student engagement (Williams, Atkinson, Cate, & O’Hair, 2008).

When technology is used appropriately in classroom instruction, it has a very positive impact on student achievement or success. Moreover, using technology in education or teaching helps teachers provide immediate feedback to students and motivates active student learning, collaboration, and cooperation. It also helps teachers provide individualized learning opportunities and flexibility for their students (Eyyam & Yaratan, 2014).

In order to prepare students for the future and help them learn how to think, learn, and gain different perspectives, technology has to be integrated into the classroom (Eyyam & Yaratan, 2014).

Technology and collaboration involve the students in their own learning process, which motivates them. In technology-integration activities, students become active participants, rather than passive recipients of information. One teacher shared her belief that “the technology is helping the students transfer their knowledge among the content areas and helping them make connections”  (Williams, ATkinson, Cate, & O’Hair, 2008).

Introducing teachers to new technologies for teaching and learning can support a change in teaching practices (Martin, Strother, Beglau, Bates, Reitze, & McMillan, 2010).

The study demonstrates that an approach to professional development that encourages networking, mutual learning, and sharing of strategies and resources among science educators is an effective strategy to improve technology integration in science education (Duran, Runvard, & Fossum, 2009).

The WebQuest encourages learning at the highest level of achievement, according to Bloom’s Taxonomy, and offers educators the opportunity to direct and individualize learning in a number of creative ways (Sanford, Townsend-Rocchiccioli, Trimm, & Jacobs, 2010).

A well-designed WebQuest is developed around an engaging and enjoyable task that encourages and facilitates higher thinking. The teacher sends learners to websites that answer questions or provide information so that learning can take place. Information may also be introduced during the process to help students complete a more focused WebQuest (Sanford, Townsend-Rocchiccioli, Trimm, & Jacobs, 2010).

Sources:

Duran, M., Runvand, S., & Fossum, P. R. (2009). Preparing Science Teachers to Teach with Technology: Exploring a K-16 Networked Learning Community Approach. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology-TOJET, 8(4), 21-42.

Eyyam, R., & Yaratan, H. S. (2014). Impact of use of technology in mathematics lessons on student achievement and attitudes. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 42, Supplement 1 to Issue 1, 31(42S), 12.

Martin, W., Strother, S., Beglau, M., Bates, L., Reitzes, T., & McMillan Culp, K. (2010). Connecting instructional technology professional development to teacher and student outcomes. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 43(1), 53-74.

Sanford, J., Townsend-Rocchiccioli, J., Trimm, D., & Jacobs, M. (2010). The WebQuest: Constructing creative learning. The Journal Of Continuing Education In Nursing, 41(10), 473-479.

Williams, L. A., Atkinson, L. C., Cate, J. M., & O'Hair, M. J. (2008). Mutual support between learning community development and technology integration: Impact on school practices and student achievement. Theory Into Practice, 47(4), 294-302.