Welcome to Salvi Muzio's Solar System Unit
Below you will find the Planning, Objectives, Lessons, Standards, and Sample Work for a unit on the Solar System for a First Grade Class:
Click Here for Backwards Planning
Click Here for Unit Lesson Plans
Click Here for Examples of Student Work
Backwards Planning – Wiggins and Tighe
What is worthy and requiring of understanding?
It is important for children to understand that the world is larger than themselves and to learn some basic content knowledge about our Solar System. Additionally, since the Solar System is an engaging topic, it is important for students to deepen and explore that interest as well as reflect upon the growth and development of that knowledge and interest, while working together.
What is evidence of understanding?
Through various activities listed below, students will work with an “Exploration Buddy” and the whole class to learn content knowledge about the Solar System in general and a unique planet specifically. They will show this understanding through culminating projects by the ability to teach others in a jigsaw method, a fun “Who Am I?” guessing game, and an artistic creation of a representation of the planet they have specialized in.
What learning experiences and teaching promote understanding, interest, and excellence?
Below are detailed lesson-plans for each activity in the unit that were created toreflect the goals of understanding and to promote understanding, interest and excellence.
a. Students will work with a KWL chart to assess both their initial Solar-System-content-knowledge and questions, as well as reflect upon their learned knowledge and new questions.
b. Students will read nonfiction texts on the Solar System and answer specific research questions based on that text.
c. Students will listen to nonfiction and fiction texts on the Solar System and watch an educational video on Solar System.
d. Students will practice sorting themselves and manipulatives by distance from the sun, size, and temperature to reinforce facts.
e. Students will present information on their specific planet and share it with the class. Students will listen to others presentations and ask questions.
f. Students will participate in a guessing game where teacher will state clues about a plane’s size, temperature, and distance from the sun to assess learned content knowledge.
g. Students will use varied sources (pictures, books, etc.) and learned information to create an artistic representation of planet in various mediums (drawing and paper mache).
a. Students work with the same assigned “Exploration Buddy” throughout the unit.
b. Students’ buddies assigned based on various strengths.
c. Students work together on various assignments throughout the unit with both their buddies and whole group work.
d. All students get a chance to become experts on a specific planet and become teachers to the rest of the class. Student-researched information (i.e. their individual “fun-fact”) will become part of a teacher given assessment.
Objectives – Mager
What is worthy and requiring of understanding? Given the resources and experiences outlined in the unit plan, students will complete activities and gain appropriate content knowledge of the Solar System as evinced by the completion and reflection on their KWL charts, the completion of their papier-mâché models, and their ability of guessing at the “Who am I?” game.
Approaches to Learning
AL. 1 Demonstrate Initiative and Curiosity
6. Ask questions and seek meaningful information.
AL. 2 Demonstrate Engagement and Persistence
1. Show persistence in ability to complete a variety of tasks, activities, projects, and experiences.
3. Demonstrate ability to maintain focus on a task, question, set of directions or interactions, despite distractions and interruptions.
5. Acquire the skills necessary for participating in a group or independently.
Arts & Humanities
9.1 Production, Performance and Exhibition of Dance, Music, Theatre & Visual Arts
L. Recognize color, shape, line, texture size/relationship (proportion/scale) and pattern (repetition) in visual art.
M. Create and exhibit visual art.Personal-Social
PS 2 Develop Self-Regulation
D. Follow rules and routines in classrooms and other settings.
E. Use materials with purpose, safety and respect.
F. Focus attention as required by the task.
G. Manage classroom transitions.
H. Follow adult directions.PS 3 Develop Social Interactions
B. Know and state independent thoughts.
C. Establish and maintain positive relationships with peers.
E. Respond with empathy by recognizing the feelings and perspectives of others.
F. Seek help from peers and adults when needed.
G. Respect the feelings, rights, and belongings of others.
H. Cooperate in small and large group activities.
K. Show nurturing behaviors through helpfulness to others.
I. Use listening skills to identify the feelings and perspectives of others.1.1.3 Learning to Read Independently
A. Identify the purposes and types of text (e.g., literature, information) before reading.
B. Preview the text formats (e.g., title, headings, chapters and table of contents).
C. Use knowledge of phonics, word analysis (e.g., root words, prefixes and suffixes), syllabication, picture and context clues to decode and understand new words during reading.
F. Understand the meaning of and use correctly new vocabulary learned in various subject areas.
G. Demonstrate after reading understanding and interpretation of both fiction and nonfiction text.
- Retell or summarize the major ideas, themes or procedures of the text.
- Connect the new information or ideas in the text to known information.
- Clarify ideas and understandings through rereading and discussion.
- Make responsible assertions about the text by citing evidence from the text.
1.2 Reading Critically in All Content Areas
A. Identify, analyze and apply knowledge of the elements of a variety of informational texts to demonstrate an understanding of the information presented.1.2.3 Reading Critically in All Content Areas
A. Read and understand essential content of informational texts and documents in all academic areas.
- Differentiate fact from opinion within text.
- Distinguish between essential and nonessential information within a text.
- Make inferences from text when studying a topic (e.g., science, social studies) and draw conclusions based on text.
- Analyze text organization and content to derive meaning from text using established criteria.
1.4.3 Types of Writing
B. Write informational pieces (e.g., descriptions, letters, reports, instructions) using illustrations when relevant.1.5.3 Quality of Writing
B. Write using well-developed content appropriate for the topic.
- Gather and organize information.
- Write a series of related sentences or paragraphs with one central idea.
- Incorporate details relevant and appropriate to the topic.
F. Edit writing using the conventions of language.
- Spell common, frequently used words correctly.
- Use capital letters correctly (first word in sentences, proper nouns, pronoun “I”).
- Punctuate correctly (periods, exclamation points, question marks, commas in a series). Use nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and conjunctions properly. Use complete sentences (simple, compound, declarative, interrogative, exclamatory and imperative).
G. Present and/or defend written work for publication when appropriate.
1.6 Speaking and Listening
A. Apply listening and speaking strategies effectively.1.6.3 Speaking and Listening
A. Listen to others.
- Ask questions as an aid to understanding.
- Distinguish fact from opinion.
B. Listen to a selection of literature (fiction and/or nonfiction).
- Relate it to similar experiences.
- Identify and define new words and concepts.
C. Speak using skills appropriate to formal speech situations.
- Use appropriate volume.
- Pronounce most words accurately.
- Pace speech so that is understandable.
- Demonstrate an awareness of audience.
D. Contribute to discussions.
- Ask relevant questions.
- Respond with appropriate information or opinions to questions asked.
- Listen to and acknowledge the contributions of others.
- Display appropriate turn-taking behaviors.
E. Participate in small and large group discussions and presentations.
- Participate in everyday conversation.
- Present oral readings.
- Deliver short reports (e.g., Show-and-Tell, field trip summary).
1.8 Research
A. Use a systematic process for the collection, processing, and presentation of information.1.8.3 Research
C. Organize and present the main ideas from research.
- Take notes from sources using a structured format; summarize, orally or in writing, the main ideas.