Where we are in Place and Time
Up, Up, and Away!
The Solar System is part of a vast universe, which affects life on earth.
March 17, 2008
Dear Parents,
Our next PYP Unit is a Science Unit about our solar system.
Students will be answering the following questions:
-How does the motion of the Moon and Earth around the Sun create the phases of the moon? (Causation)
-How does the Earth compare to other celestial objects in the solar system? i.e. planets, asteroids, comets (Form)
-How have humans attempted to understand their place in the solar system? (Connection)
Our key concepts for this unit are:
Form – What is it like?
Causation – Why is it like this?
Connection – How is it connected to other things?
Students are keeping a Moon Journal on a nightly basis. This journal has a calendar and students are to draw exactly the shape of the moon they see in the calendar box. Then they write a descriptive journal entry, using the five senses, with the date, and they may be very creative with their artwork drawing in their journal
In Language Arts, students will read a variety of books, poems, and stories. We will learn about Fantasy and Non-Fiction. In addition to writing fantasy of their own, students will also be writing different kinds of poetry, journal entries, and a research report.
In Science, students will learn about our solar system and its place in the universe. We will discuss Earth’s Moon and our exploration of it. Students will learn about the movement of the moon around the Earth and why it has phases. We will talk about planets and other celestial objects, (asteroids, comets, black holes, etc.) found in our galaxy and beyond. Students will also learn about the different kinds of galaxies. Students will decide on a question they want to research and decide what way they want to present their findings. This is the summative assessment project for this unit.
In Math, we will finish Division, and begin studying about Time and Fractions.
This is an exciting and active unit and we hope our students will not only enjoy it, but love it and learn about Our Place in Space and Time!
We are including a few websites for the students:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/ (type in space on their search engine)
http://science.hq.nasa.gov/
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/
http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/kids/papermodels.cfm
http://kids.nineplanets.org/
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html
http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/solar.html
http://www.spaceweather.com/
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids
http://spacekids.hq.nasa.gov/osskids/
All of these sites are up and running as of March 12, 2008. We hope your children enjoy them!
The Third Grade Teachers
