raft card |
Sample Lessons for 3rd grade Science: Planets |
RAFT CARD
Science: Planets
ROLE (student)
AUDIENCE
FORMAT
TOPIC
Row 1
An astronomer
NASA
An informative letter
You are writing NASA about your discovery of a new planet, comparing and contrasting it to the nine planets in our solar system.
Row 2
An alien
Fellow aliens on your home planet
A science fiction story
You have just returned to your home planet. Write a story about your adventures through the nine planets of the solar system.
Row 3
A teacher
Students in your class
A mnemonic device
Develop your own crazy mnemonic device to help your students remember the order of the nine planets in the solar system.
Raft Card 1: Planets
ROLE (student)
AUDIENCE
FORMAT
TOPIC
Row 1
An astronomer
NASA
An informative letter
You are writing NASA about your discovery of a new planet, comparing and contrasting it to one of the nine planets in our solar system.
Objective: Students will be able to write an informative letter using the compare and contrast strategy based on research of one of the nine planets.
Student Role: An astronomer
Audience: NASA
Format: An informative letter
Topic: Imagine you are an astronomer that has just discovered a new planet. Write a letter to NASA comparing and contrasting your planet with one of the nine planets in our solar system.
Directions:
1. Choose one of the nine planets in the solar system to research.
2. Visit http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/kids/index.cfm to learn about the nine planets in the solar system.
3. Gather research on the planet you chose, from the list of resources.
4. Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast planets.
5. Review the parts of a letter.
6. Write your letter and have a partner edit for you.
7. Use Microsoft Word or Apple Works to type your letter so it is easy to read.
8. Print your letter and put it on a sheet of construction paper along with a drawing you made of your planet.
Resources:
Websites to visit:
Solar System
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/kids/index.cfm
Nine Planets – Solar System Tour
http://nineplanets.org/
The Planets
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/
Assessment: Write a letter to NASA comparing and contrasting your planet with one of the nine planets.
You will be graded on the components and format of your letter. Your letter should contain a greeting, an introduction, one paragraph with at least two comparisons of the planets, one paragraph with at least two contrasts of the planets, a conclusion, and a salutation.
Raft Card 2: Planets
ROLE (student)
AUDIENCE
FORMAT
TOPIC
Row 2
An alien
Fellow aliens on your planet
A science fiction story
You have just returned to your home planet. Write a story about your adventures through the nine planets of the solar system.
Objective: Students will create a science fiction story with characters, setting, and a plot that has factual information about the planets in it.
Student Role: An alien
Audience: Fellow aliens on your planet
Format: A science fiction story
Topic: You have just returned to your home planet. Write a story about your adventures through the nine planets of the solar system.
Directions:
1. Watch the video “The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System” to learn more about the order of the planets and important facts about the planets.
2. Create your own alien. Go to http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/alien/alien.html Print out the alien you created.
3. Develop your story ideas: Character, setting, and plot by using research on the planets. Your alien character must stop on at least one of the nine planets and there needs to be a problem and a solution in your story.
4. Write your story.
5. Have a partner edit your story.
6. Using Microsoft Word or Apple Works, type your story.
Resources:
Alien: Assembly Required
http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/alien/alien.html
Nine Planets – Solar System Tour
http://nineplanets.org/
The Magic School Bus Space Chase
http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/games/space/index.htm
Assessment:
Using “The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System” as an example, write a science fiction story that contains characters, setting, and plot along with factual information about the planets.
You will be graded on the components of a story. Your story must include an alien character developed by you, a setting, and a plot with a problem and a solution.
Raft Card 3: Planets
ROLE (student)
AUDIENCE
FORMAT
TOPIC
Row 3
A teacher
Students in your class
A mnemonic device
Develop your own crazy mnemonic device to help your students remember the order of the nine planets in the solar system.
Objective: Students will be able to name the order of the nine planets in the solar system.
Student Role: A teacher
Audience: Students in the class.
Format: A mnemonic device
Topic: Develop your own crazy mnemonic device to help your students remember the order of the nine planets in the solar system.
Directions:
1. Watch the YouTube video “Planet Song-teach the order of the planets” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b2twHNy9L8
2. Use the iPad app Bill Nye the Science Guy to play the game about the planets. This game takes you through the order of the planets and gives factual information about the planets.
3. Be creative and come up with your own mnemonic device to say the order of the planets.
4. Prepare a slide for a class Power Point presentation of all the different mnemonic devices to remember the order of the planets.
5. Present your slide to the class, sharing your mnemonic device and how it helps you remember the order of the planets.
Resources:
Planet Song-teach the order of the planets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b2twHNy9L8
Mnemonics for the order of the planets orbiting the Sun
https://www.mnemonic-device.com/astronomy/mnemonic-device-to-remember-the-planets-orbiting-the-sun/
Nine Planets – Solar System Tour
http://nineplanets.org/
Assessment: Students will prepare a power point slide and share their mnemonic devices in class, and then they will orally state the names of the nine planets in the proper order.
Science: Planets
ROLE (student)
AUDIENCE
FORMAT
TOPIC
Row 1
An astronomer
NASA
An informative letter
You are writing NASA about your discovery of a new planet, comparing and contrasting it to the nine planets in our solar system.
Row 2
An alien
Fellow aliens on your home planet
A science fiction story
You have just returned to your home planet. Write a story about your adventures through the nine planets of the solar system.
Row 3
A teacher
Students in your class
A mnemonic device
Develop your own crazy mnemonic device to help your students remember the order of the nine planets in the solar system.
Raft Card 1: Planets
ROLE (student)
AUDIENCE
FORMAT
TOPIC
Row 1
An astronomer
NASA
An informative letter
You are writing NASA about your discovery of a new planet, comparing and contrasting it to one of the nine planets in our solar system.
Objective: Students will be able to write an informative letter using the compare and contrast strategy based on research of one of the nine planets.
Student Role: An astronomer
Audience: NASA
Format: An informative letter
Topic: Imagine you are an astronomer that has just discovered a new planet. Write a letter to NASA comparing and contrasting your planet with one of the nine planets in our solar system.
Directions:
1. Choose one of the nine planets in the solar system to research.
2. Visit http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/kids/index.cfm to learn about the nine planets in the solar system.
3. Gather research on the planet you chose, from the list of resources.
4. Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast planets.
5. Review the parts of a letter.
6. Write your letter and have a partner edit for you.
7. Use Microsoft Word or Apple Works to type your letter so it is easy to read.
8. Print your letter and put it on a sheet of construction paper along with a drawing you made of your planet.
Resources:
Websites to visit:
Solar System
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/kids/index.cfm
Nine Planets – Solar System Tour
http://nineplanets.org/
The Planets
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/planets/
Assessment: Write a letter to NASA comparing and contrasting your planet with one of the nine planets.
You will be graded on the components and format of your letter. Your letter should contain a greeting, an introduction, one paragraph with at least two comparisons of the planets, one paragraph with at least two contrasts of the planets, a conclusion, and a salutation.
Raft Card 2: Planets
ROLE (student)
AUDIENCE
FORMAT
TOPIC
Row 2
An alien
Fellow aliens on your planet
A science fiction story
You have just returned to your home planet. Write a story about your adventures through the nine planets of the solar system.
Objective: Students will create a science fiction story with characters, setting, and a plot that has factual information about the planets in it.
Student Role: An alien
Audience: Fellow aliens on your planet
Format: A science fiction story
Topic: You have just returned to your home planet. Write a story about your adventures through the nine planets of the solar system.
Directions:
1. Watch the video “The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System” to learn more about the order of the planets and important facts about the planets.
2. Create your own alien. Go to http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/alien/alien.html Print out the alien you created.
3. Develop your story ideas: Character, setting, and plot by using research on the planets. Your alien character must stop on at least one of the nine planets and there needs to be a problem and a solution in your story.
4. Write your story.
5. Have a partner edit your story.
6. Using Microsoft Word or Apple Works, type your story.
Resources:
Alien: Assembly Required
http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/alien/alien.html
Nine Planets – Solar System Tour
http://nineplanets.org/
The Magic School Bus Space Chase
http://www.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/games/space/index.htm
Assessment:
Using “The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System” as an example, write a science fiction story that contains characters, setting, and plot along with factual information about the planets.
You will be graded on the components of a story. Your story must include an alien character developed by you, a setting, and a plot with a problem and a solution.
Raft Card 3: Planets
ROLE (student)
AUDIENCE
FORMAT
TOPIC
Row 3
A teacher
Students in your class
A mnemonic device
Develop your own crazy mnemonic device to help your students remember the order of the nine planets in the solar system.
Objective: Students will be able to name the order of the nine planets in the solar system.
Student Role: A teacher
Audience: Students in the class.
Format: A mnemonic device
Topic: Develop your own crazy mnemonic device to help your students remember the order of the nine planets in the solar system.
Directions:
1. Watch the YouTube video “Planet Song-teach the order of the planets” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b2twHNy9L8
2. Use the iPad app Bill Nye the Science Guy to play the game about the planets. This game takes you through the order of the planets and gives factual information about the planets.
3. Be creative and come up with your own mnemonic device to say the order of the planets.
4. Prepare a slide for a class Power Point presentation of all the different mnemonic devices to remember the order of the planets.
5. Present your slide to the class, sharing your mnemonic device and how it helps you remember the order of the planets.
Resources:
Planet Song-teach the order of the planets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b2twHNy9L8
Mnemonics for the order of the planets orbiting the Sun
https://www.mnemonic-device.com/astronomy/mnemonic-device-to-remember-the-planets-orbiting-the-sun/
Nine Planets – Solar System Tour
http://nineplanets.org/
Assessment: Students will prepare a power point slide and share their mnemonic devices in class, and then they will orally state the names of the nine planets in the proper order.