K - 2nd Grade

Space Unit Teacher Lesson Plans (at a glance)

3rd-5th

title of lesson: WEIGHT in SPACE Lesson 1: Date:_______

Lesson Materials: Space for students to move

speaker/ iphone, CD player

Lesson Order:

1. Warmup: • Simple stretches in place of choosing.

2. Concept Introduction: • What is Weight?

3. Concept Exploration: • name things that move lightly vs things that move

strongly: show ideas thru movement 4. Skill development:

• Astronauts in Outer Space Rhythm • Locomotor: • Nonlocomotor skills: • Leaping: • Movement combinations: Big, Medium, Little

5. Free Dance: • light and heavy. use other words listed (in box) to

challenge their movements. 6. Optional Extension:

• art, science

Resources:

Astronauts in Outer Space (Pamela Gerke)

Song list: • Ambient Space music- Stardust • “light,” floating music: Jean Jarre, “oxygene • “strong” or “heavy” lower pitched music: Grieg,

“ in the hall of the mountain King, (peer Gynt) • Hap Palmer Big, Heavy Box” pretend

Movement concepts:

• Weight: Strong, Light • Direction: forward, Backward, Sideways, Up,

Down

Related Academic Topic: • Science • Physical Education

Lesson 1 of 4

Lesson Rules: Listen

Be gentle, and

Do your best

Locomotor (Traveling) crawl gallop hop jump leap roll run scoot slide slither tiptoe walk

Nonlocomoto (Stationary)

bend carve dab flick float glide poke press punch shake slash

spin squirm stretch swing turn twist wiggle wring

Alaska Physical Education Standards: Grades K-2 • A.1 Perform various locomotor movements walk, run, jump, hop, leap, and twist

• A.2 Perform various non-loco-motor movements: body shapes (straight, curved, angular, wide, narrow), balancing, bending, stretching, turning.

•B.1 Define open space

•E. 5 Respect for self and other (Cooperation with others)

•E.6 Demonstrate respect for differences

I CAN statements: Today I will learn about WEIGHT, so that I

CAN show light and heavy movements.

Today I will learn about DIRECTION, so that I

CAN move forward, Backward, Sideways, Up,

Down

Lesson 1: Narrative, Page 1

(story written by Pamela Gerke)

Concept: Introduction: This story take place in outer space and uses the concept of Weight. What is weight?

Concept Exploration: In movement, weight tells you how you’re using your muscles- either strongly or lightly. First pretend you are strong and are picking up very heavy weights, like an athlete in training. Notice how strong and hard your muscles feel when you pick up something heavy. Put down the weights and pretend to pick up a feather. Feel how soft and relaxed your muscles are when you lifting something light.

In this story, we’ll also be traveling in different Directions. Let’s all face this way, (toward a classroom wall) and stay facing this way as we change directions. walk forward…stomp backwards tiptoe to one side….slide to the other side. fall down…. jump up.

Skill Development (Begin with children standing scattered about the room, in self-space.)

Welcome, fellow astronauts! This is your commander speaking! Today we will take a trip through outer space to the planet XOGO! But first, we must do our exercises!

Locomotor/Nonlocomotor skills Stretch up…..Stretch down…..Stretch to the side…. Stretch to the other side. 10 jumping Jacks: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10!

Now we’re ready. Everyone put on your space suits! The zipper starts at the bottom and zips up: ZZZZZZZZZIP! There’s a zipper on each leg which start at the top and zip down: ZZZZIP! ZZZZIP!

Put on your space helmets! Now climb the ladder to the spaceship- up, up, up. Find your seat- for takeoff, we have to lie on our back and hug our knees to our chests. Strap on your seat belts!

Countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 6,5,4, 3, 2, 1 BLASTOFF!!!!!

(Cue Music, while jiggling in place.)

Looks like it’s safe to unstrap our seat belts now. Since we’re in outer space, there’s no gravity to hold us down and we can float lightly and freely around the spaceship!

Lesson 1: Narrative, Page 2

We float forward….backward…. We float sideways…then to the other side…. We float down, down, down, and roll around on the floor…. We float up, up, up, until we’re practically touching the ceiling!

Suddenly, the seat belt warning sign goes on: BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! A meteor shower is headed toward the space ship! Quickly, get back in your seats and strap on your seat belt!

Here come the meteor shower! KKKKK!!!! (Sound effects with voice or instrument, while jiggling in place.)

The shower has passed- Phew! Look out the window- we can see our destination planet, XOGO! What color is XOGO?

(Children can say what they imagine.)

Hold on, we’re coming in for landing!

(sound effects while jiggling in place)

THUD!!!! We made it! Now we can unstrap our seat belts.

The air is not the same here as on Earth, so when we go outside we’ll have to wear special breathing helmets. Take off your space helmets and put on your special oxygen helmets. Let’s go!

Oh, no, the door is jammed shut! It must have been hit by the meteor shower! We’ll have to push with all our strength to get it open! All together now: 1-2-3- PUSH!!!! It didn’t open—- it’s really jammed tight! Let’s try again, using more muscles: 1-2-3 PUSH!!! It still won’t open! We’ll have to use all the strength we’ve got! 1-2-3 PUSH!!! We did it!

Now that we’re outside. We realize that XOGO has a lot more gravity than earth and it pulls our bodies down, down, down. It takes all our strength just to walk! It feels like there are heavy weights on our arms and hands. Are you strong enough to lift up your hands?

It feels like there are weights on our feet and legs. Can you pick up your feet? Even our heads feel very, very heavy.

Wait—I just remembered: I have some antigravity powder in my pocket! I sprinkle it on everyone!

(pantomime sprinkling powder on all the children.)

Lesson 1: Narrative, page 3That’s better- now we can walk lightly! Uh, oh! I accidentally used the double dosage powder! Now we’re so light, we’re floating!

(music begins.)

Let’s do a floating dance!

Free Dance: (allow a minute for a “light” free dance.)

Now the antigravity powder is wearing off! The gravity of XOGO is pulling us down, down, down, and it take all our strength to move! Can you still dance when your so heavy?

(“heavy” free dance, switch music.)

Look at that- we danced all the way to the space lab! Inside, the gravity is like the earth’s and we can walk around normally.

Now it’s time to rest. Let’s ask the computer for directions to our beds in the space lab.

(Pantomime tapping a computer keyboard)

The directions say: First, go forward 10 steps: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 Now, walk sideways for 5 steps: 1-2-3-4-5 Now walk backward for 8 steps: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 Forward for 3 steps: 1-2-3 And there are our beds! Let’s lie dow and rest now. But wait- there’s one last message for us on the computer.

It says: “Welcome to XOGO, Earthlings!”

Optional Extensions:

1. Have children draw their own map of XOGO or draw pictures of the nature XOGOites. 2. This group can create the interior of their space ship with tables and chairs 3. Possible science project: growing seeds with or without and air supply. compare contrast.

title of lesson: The Moon Lesson 2- Date:________

Lesson Materials: • DIY puffy paint (shaving cream, glue, die or watercolor paint)

• paper plate

• popsicle stick ( to “paint with”)

• cup for puffy paint

• DIY space station

• recyclables, rubber-bands, glue, ribbon, tape, etc to students to make “communication devices” , “binoculars”, & “air tanks”

Resources: If you Decide to Go to the Moon- Faith McNulty Can you Hear a shot in Space?- Melvin and Gilda Berger

Song list: • album by “soundscapes” relaxing music: space. released

in 1998. (on spotify or itunes.)

Concepts: • Travel time to the Moon from Earth

• Travel in Space (i.e. food, zero gravity: Weightlessness, passing time, sleep.)

• The Moon: (Craters, lava, extreme temps, Sound, gravity on moon, moon map.)

• Astronaut camp

• Lunar dust

Related Academic Topic:

• Science

• Art

• Drama

Lesson 2 of 4

Lesson Rules: • Listen • Be gentle • Do your best

Locomotor (Traveling) crawl gallop hop jump leap roll

Nonlocomoto (Stationary) bend carve dab flick float glide

wring shake slash spin squirm stretch swing

Alaska Physical Education Standards: Grades K-2

• A.1 Perform various locomotor movements walk, run, jump, hop,

leap, and twist

• A.2 Perform various non-loco-motor movements: body shapes

(straight, curved, angular, wide, narrow), balancing, bending,

stretching, turning.

•B.1 Define open space

•E. 5 Respect for self and other (Cooperation with others)

•E.6 Demonstrate respect for differences

I CAN statements • Today I will learn about the temperature on the moon, so

that I CAN investigate how extreme temperature changes

affect the state of matter • Today I will learn about the moon’s surface, so that I CAN

create a model of the craters on the moon. Alaska Science Performance Standards Students demonstrated an understanding of the processes of science

by : • [3] SA1.1, asking questions, predicting, describing, and

communicating

The students demonstrates an understanding of the theories regarding

the origin and evolution of the universe by: • [3] SD4.1, recognizing that objects appear smaller the farther

away they are

*could put SE, SE1, SE2, SE3 depending on how you structure your

lesson

run scoot slide slither tiptoe walk

poke press punch turn twist wiggle

Lesson Order: 1. Introduction: Read Book 2. Discuss concepts found in reading 3. Learn listening device 4. Set up mission 5. Begin mission 6. Finish mission 7. Art project 8. Assessment- what are these holes in the project?

(craters) Ask open questions about the moon. 9. Review- what were some things that you applied from

to last lesson to this lesson?

Listening Device: Space Cadets! (hand to forward in salute position) Mission ready? (Yes captain! salute, hands to side) What’s the mission? (face Captain)

Lesson 2: Narrative, Page 1Note: This lesson can take up to 4 hours (all day, or multiple days if you stretch it out) so don’t be afraid to incorporate MATH READING, and WRITING into your lesson. In the Spaceship they have to solve their Math problems in order to out-run an enemy ship, in-coming meteor, fix something breaking down, to refuel, to land on a space station for supplies. For reading pick a book that is themed for the day- OR make that their “pass time” on the spaceship. I even made snack time and lunch themed- we ate applesauce out of a sandwich bag with a straw. With writing- space diary!

Skill Development (Begin with children standing scattered about the room, in self-space.)

Welcome, fellow astronauts! This is your commander speaking! Today we will take a trip through outer space to the Moon!

The Mission: I have gotten a special message from our Space Station Crew saying they have found some interesting rock they want to bring back for investigation, but their ship is not big enough to carry the weight- so need they need our help! They are also running low on some supplies. So we are going to restock their station.

Locomotor/Nonlocomotor skills But first, we must do our exercises! Stretch up…..Stretch down…..Stretch to the side…. Stretch to the other side. 10 jumping Jacks: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10!

Now we’re ready. Everyone put on your space suits! The zipper starts at the bottom and zips up: ZZZZZZZZZIP! There’s a zipper on each leg which start at the top and zip down: ZZZZIP! ZZZZIP!

Put on your space helmets! Now climb the ladder to the spaceship- up, up, up. Find your seat- for takeoff, we have to lie on our back and hug our knees to our chests. Strap on your seat belts!

Countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 6,5,4, 3, 2, 1 BLASTOFF!!!!!

(Cue Music, while jiggling in place.)

Looks like it’s safe to unstrap our seat belts now. Since we’re in outer space, there’s no gravity to hold us down and we can float lightly and freely around the spaceship!

(this is where free dramatic play comes in- Ask questions like: - What does the temp look like on our engines? - How are our supply levels? - Can you check the oxygen tanks? - Fuel levels? - Then I appoint kids to specific tasks, so they start to delegate and ask questions. Doctor, Scientists, Pilots, Nutritionists,

Herbologists- we have come up with lots of different ones!

sometimes I set up a “science lab” in the shuttle where kids can do color water testing, mineral testing, rocks etc- I will ask for “updates from the lab”

Lesson 2: Narrative, Page 2

We float forward….backward…. We float sideways…then to the other side…. We float down, down, down, and roll around on the floor…. We float up, up, up, until we’re practically touching the ceiling!

Suddenly, the seat belt warning sign goes on: BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! A meteor shower is headed toward the space ship! Quickly, get back in your seats and strap on your seat belt!

Here come the meteor shower! KKKKK!!!! (Sound effects with voice or instrument, while jiggling in place.)

The shower has passed- Phew! Look out the window- we can see our destination planet, MOON! What does it look like?

(Children answer.)

Hold on, we’re coming in for landing!

(sound effects while jiggling in place)

THUD!!!! We made it! Now we can unstrap our seat belts.

The air is not the same here as on Earth, so when we go outside we’ll have to wear special breathing helmets. put on your special oxygen helmets. Let’s go!

Oh, no, the door is jammed shut! It must have been hit by the meteor shower! What should we do? How do we get out?

Now that we’re outside. We realize that MOON has a lot less gravity than earth. What happens to our bodies?

(Now enter into loosely guided dramatic play with the children) examples/ideas- children make come up with more! - oh no, my communication device is breaking up…i….can’t…hear……you……..shhhhhhhhh

- now you have you all communicate with sign languages b/c there is no sound on the moon - light, bouncy, moon walking- sometimes I tie sponges to the bottom of my shoes for this - extreme temperatures - terrain: craters, sharp mountains - running out of air - finding a flagpole - finding an astronauts camp - finding a crash site - moon dust - finding the plaque from the book - getting lost! - with loosely guided dramatic play, you go with the children’s idea- you never say “no” to an idea/concept/statement, even

if it takes your story on a tangent. rule of thumb “always say yes” in process drama, figure out how to make it work, and guide it back to where you need it to be. Know where you want it to end.

Lesson 2: Narrative, page 3Eventually…

Now we’re so light, we’re running out of air- we find this space station before it’s too late for all of us! (pull out your binoculars that you all made out of toilet paper rolls)

the space-station ! It’s over that mountain, through that tiny crevice, and on the other side! It will be a tight squeeze. We will have to stick together.

Inside, the gravity is like the earth’s and we can walk around normally.

YES! We are safe- but we need our supplies to give to the space station, and we need our shuttle to fill with the rock specimens. what should we do? (Open dramatic play- allow children to guide this)

possible answers: - We could all refill air tanks and head back - We could send two people back - Let’s tell the robot we left there where we are, and have him deliver the supplies! We are tired. - Don’t they have a shuttle? Can’t they just fly us over there?

Ending: deliver supplies fill spaceship with rocks head back to earth- reverse of beginning

Extension:

-Puffy Paint Crater Moon

Assessment: - what are those holes on the moon?

Ask question about The Moon: (Craters, lava, extreme temps, Sound, gravity on moon, moon map.) in pairs, in groups of three, share what you learned today.

older children: exit ticket is also an option with one question.

source: Cerys Parker (Creative Family Fun blog)

• DIY puffy Paint: mix two parts shaving cream to one part glue. Basically, if you have 1 cup of shaving cream, use 1/2 of glue.

• I use either plastic spoons or large popsicle sticks to spread the paint.

• can use either dye OR watercolor paint to create color.

• make craters with fingers (the marbles get stuck OR lost.)

• takes about 2-4 days to dry, depending on how much paint they used.

Lesson Order: 1. Introduction: Read Book (s) 2. Break into think-pair-share groups to do moon phases

activity. 3. Discuss concepts found in reading 4. Review Learn listening device 5. Set up mission 6. Begin mission 7. Finish mission 8. Art project 9. Assessment- Why does the moon change in appearance

over the course of it’s cycle? Ask open questions about the moon.

10. Review- what were some things that you applied from to last lesson to this lesson?

title of lesson: shadows and the moon Lesson 3- Date:________

Lesson Materials: • handout to draw the phases

• DIY space station

• recyclables, rubber-bands, glue, ribbon, tape, etc to students to make “communication devices” , “binoculars”, & “air tanks”

Resources: - Papa, Please Get the Moon for me- Eric Carle - The Faces of the Moon- Bob Crelin - The Moon Seems to Change- Franklyn Branley

Song list: • album by “soundscapes” relaxing music: space.

released in 1998. (on spotify or itunes.)

Concepts: • Waxing – getting bigger

• Waning – getting smaller

• Phases – changing in stages

• Orbit – one object moves around another in a circle

• Reflect – light, sound, or heat bouncing off an object

• Rotate - moving in a circle

• Shrink - to get smaller

• Relationships: Earth Moon Sun

Related Academic Topic:

• Science

• Art

• Drama

Lesson 3 of 4

Lesson Rules: Listen Be gentle Do your best

Locomotor (Traveling) crawl gallop hop jump leap roll

Nonlocomoto (Stationary) bend carve dab flick float glide

wring shake slash spin squirm stretch swing

Alaska Physical Education Standards: Grades K-2

• A.1 Perform various locomotor movements walk, run, jump, hop,

leap, and twist

• A.2 Perform various non-loco-motor movements: body shapes

(straight, curved, angular, wide, narrow), balancing, bending,

stretching, turning.

•B.1 Define open space

•E. 5 Respect for self and other (Cooperation with others)

•E.6 Demonstrate respect for differences

I CAN statements • I CAN make observations of changes in the moon’s

appearance over time. • I CAN see the phases of the moon and how they

change from day to day Alaska Science Performance Standards: Grade 3 Students demonstrated an understanding of the processes of science

by :

• [3] SA1.1, asking questions, predicting, describing, and

communicating

• [5] SD31 observing a model that shows how the regular and

predictable motion of the Earth and moon determine the

apparent shape (phases) of the moon over time

Alaska State Art Standard K-5 A. A student should be able to create and perform in the arts

1. participate in visual arts 6. integrate two or more art forms to create a work of art

run scoot slide slither tiptoe walk

poke press punch turn twist wiggle

Listening Device: Space Cadets! (hand to forward in salute position) Mission ready? (Yes captain! salute, hands to side) What’s the mission? (face Captain)

Lesson 3: Moon Phases

It takes the moon 28 days to complete it’s orbit around the Earth.

From the earth we see the part of the moon that is reflecting the SUN

Vocabulary: • Waxing – getting bigger

• Waning – getting smaller

• Phases – changing in stages

• Orbit – one object moves around another in a circle

• Reflect – light, sound, or heat bouncing off an object

• Rotate - moving in a circle

• Shrink - to get smaller

• Relationships: Earth Moon Sun

I learned about the phases of the moon, so that I CAN work as a team to create these SHAPES with my body.

• straight • curved • angular

• twisted • wide • narrow

• symmetrical • asymmetrical

title of lesson: stars Lesson 4- Date:________

Lesson Materials: • Picture of a Nebula

• Playdough and small figure to go in the play dough

• black construction paper

• chalk pastels

Resources: - The Book of Stars- Clint West Song list: • album by “soundscapes” relaxing music: space.

released in 1998. (on spotify or itunes.) Concepts: • Nebula

• Red dwarg

• giant star

• dying star

• double star

• star cluster

• galaxy

• universe

• star shapes

• night skies

Related Academic Topic:

• Science

• Art

• Drama

Lesson 4

Lesson Rules: Listen Be gentle Do your best

Alaska Physical Education Standards: Grades K-2

• A.1 Perform various locomotor movements walk, run, jump, hop,

leap, and twist

• A.2 Perform various non-loco-motor movements: body shapes

(straight, curved, angular, wide, narrow), balancing, bending,

stretching, turning.

•B.1 Define open space

•E. 5 Respect for self and other (Cooperation with others)

•E.6 Demonstrate respect for differences

I CAN statements • I CAN realize that the sun is our nearest star and that

it’s position in the sky appears to change • I CAN describe a Nebula and create my own pastel

drawing of one. Alaska Science Performance Standards: Grade 3 Students demonstrated an understanding of the processes of

science by :

[3] SA1.1, asking questions, predicting, describing, and

communicating

[3]SD4.2 recognizing that object have properties, locations and

movements that can be observed and described

[4] SD4.1 recognizing that stars are like the sun but are so far

away that they look like points of light

[5]Sd4.2 distinguishing among stars, planets, moons, comets,

and meteors

Alaska State Art Standard K-5

Lesson Order: 1. Introduction: Read Book (s) 2. Break into 3. Discuss concepts found in reading 4. Review Learn listening device 5. Set up mission 6. Begin mission 7. Mid mission (science experiment) 8. Finish mission 9. Art project 10. Assessment 11. Review- what were some things that you applied from to

last lesson to this lesson?

Listening Device:

Lesson 4: Nebula instructions