Introduction Initiation Exploration Explanation Take Action Assessment
Grade: Middle School
Time Frame: 2 to 3 days
Objectives: Given a lesson on the solar system trough the following cooperative activities, students will be able to:
· Demonstrates a systematic problem-solving approach.
· Works as a cooperative team member.
· Identify a variety of information resources.
· Confront alternative solutions.
· Recognize efficient use of resources.
Materials: TV screen that can be hooked to the classroom computer, paper, pencil, computer lab with Inspiration, note cards, poster paper, markers
Overview:
The Great Solar System Rescue. Students complete research projects on individual planets or themes relating to groups of planets. This lesson works best after students understand the distinction between terrestrial planets and gas giants. They should also have a basic knowledge of each of the gas giants -- Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
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Inspiration® is a powerful visual learning tool that inspires students, grades 4-12, to develop ideas and organize thinking. Inspiration's integrated diagramming and outlining environments work together to help students comprehend concepts and information. Inspiration is ideal for use in language arts, science, social studies and anytime your students need to structure research or other thought processes. |
Inspiration assists you and your students in:
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Teacher: Facilitator
Students: Creators/Discussers
Method: A Futures Wheel (instructions below) based on solar system travel. Ask the question "What would happen if we had to move to another planet?" After the wheels are created, talk about the space travel seen in the movie clips from the first day. Talk about a realistic planet we could live on (the kids will have to try to recall some plants facts) and how long it would take to travel there.
Find the following information and more by clicking the newspaper header below.
"What would happen if __________?"
Hand out index cards to each member of each topic team. Within each team, each student should write on the card the first thing that comes to mind when they think of their topic question; "What would happen if _______?" They should place their answer on the top lines on the index card. Then they should draw an arrow pointing downward under their response. All students within a topic team will then exchange cards, or pass them to the right. The students should then look at the response on the new card and think of what would happen next. The next consequence or effect should be written on the index card below the arrow. Again, the student should draw an arrow under their response and hand the card to someone else in the group, or pass to the right. The process continues with each student writing down their response to the last consequence.
The topic team leader will then collect all the cards and construct the futures wheel. The center of the wheel is the question "What would happen if _______?" This question is placed in a circle in the center of a large sheet of paper.
The first responses from each card are then placed in circles surrounding the center with one line connecting the circle to the center. If some of the responses are the same, only represent them in one circle.
The second responses on each card are then placed in circles further to the outside and connected with two lines to the consequence before it. At this point, some of the responses may be the same again, so a circle may be connected to one or more of the circles from the first response. All second responses are connected by two lines.
All third responses are connected with three lines. Place the third responses in circles of their own in the outermost part of the paper and connect to the consequences before them. The topic team will have completed a Futures Wheel that visually represents their thoughts and conceptions about the consequences of a scientific event.
Teacher: Facilitator, Coach
Students: Decision Makers, Investigators
Methods: This is a very fun activity if you can get your hands on a copy of the program. The kids can perform different missions to save the lost probe. While having fun, facts about the planets are reinforced. This activity also builds teamwork, thought processes, and decision making.
Questions for a class discussion warm-up activity (suggestions from Tom Snyder Productions): Why are the planets the way they are? How does a planet's position in the solar system determine its makeup? How can a planet exist without any solid surface? Why are the gas giants so hot and so big? How do we know anything about these huge planets? What causes storms on the gas giants?
The Great Solar System Rescue.
Watertown, Mass.: Tom Snyder Productions, 1992.
Recommended grade level:
4-8.
In The Great Solar System Rescue, a videodisc-based simulation set in the
year 2210, 4 probes are lost in space and the class must rescue them. Students
analyze data in order to find the best way of rescuing the probes. They view a
videodisc description of the mission, then break into small groups, with each
student assuming the role of a specific scientist, such as an astronomer,
meteorologist, geologist, or space historian, to analyze the information. Each
group reports its recommendations to the class and the class decides where to
travel. When the probe is located, the small groups reconvene to develop rescue
plans, and the class again decides on the best plan.
The videodiscs include a library of short movies and stills that complement and extend the rescue activity.
Prices:
Videodisc kit, $349.95. Software for Macintosh or Windows (optional), $49.95.
Publisher/supplier:
Tom Snyder Productions.
Materials:
Available in kit.
Teacher: Facilitator
Students: Presenters
Methods: The
kids are asked to present their way of teaching (posters, power point, hyper
studio, etc.) to the class (sun power point
example-if you're using Internet Explorer, this will easily show you the power
point. If you're using Netscape you can open this with power point if you have
it, and if you do not, you can download it. Click here if you're using Netscape
and you just want to see a regular html page with text/pictures
of the slide show). After each project was presented, stand with the
student so you could make sure all the questions were answered, and that the
kids got the right notes. These projects were assessed as part of the unit
grade.
Teacher: Consultant, Facilitator
Students: Creators
Methods: The kids should then take their written concept maps and turn them into an Inspiration document listing their notes on each of the topics. Click here to see an Solar System Inspiration example. This can be completed in the computer lab or if your school has a rolling lap top station, you can complete this activity in the classroom.
The
projects should be assessed as part of the unit
grade.
