Developmental Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Lindsay Applebach Date: 10/19

Group Size: 25 Allotted Time: 1 hour Grade Level: 4

Subject or Topic: The Planets

Common Core/PA Standard(s):

Standard - 3.3.4.B1 - Identify planets in our solar system and their basic characteristics.
Identify planets in our solar system and their basic characteristics. Describe the earth’s place
in the solar system that includes the sun (a star), planets, and many moons.

Learning Targets/Objectives:
Students will learn about the other planets in our solar system by creating a poster using a
checklist of information and then presenting it with the class.

Assessment Approaches: Evidence:

1. Performance Assessment 1. The students will be scored on a
2. Turn and talk rubric for the performance
…. assessment.
2. Students will perform a turn and talk
during a discuss question the teacher
poses.
…
Assessment Scale:
Rubric is below.

Subject Matter/Content:
Prerequisites:
● A basic understanding that there are 8 planets in our solar system.
● A basic understanding that none of the planets are alike.
Key Vocabulary:
● Mercury - the first planet from the sun.
● Venus - the second planet from the sun.
● Mars - the fourth planet from the sun.
● Jupiter - the fifth planet from the sun.
● Saturn - the sixth planet from the sun.
● Uranus - the seventh planet from the sun.
● Neptune - the eighth planet from the sun.
Content/Facts:
 ● There are 8 planets in our solar system.
● The planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies:
● Have all the students come to the carpet and sit.
● Congratulate the students on an awesome job of being awesome solar system
scientists this week.
● Tell the students that the final, most exciting day is today: all about the planets!
● Watch a quick video on all of the planets to refresh students' memories.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHAqT4hXnMw
● While the students are watching the video, go around and set out books about each
planet for each table group. Each table group will get a different set of books. These
will be stations.
○ Also set up chromebooks with links already brought up about information
about each planet. If students don’t want to read the books, they can scroll
through the websites instead.
● After the video, ask the students what planets look interesting to them and why.
● Allow the students to think for a second, and then ask them to turn and talk with their
neighbor.
● Once they’ve talked, ask the students to come back as a class and a few people may
share what they thought if they want to volunteer.
● Afterward, have all of the students go back to their seats in their table groups.
Development/Teaching Approaches
● Have all the students sit in their table groups and not touch the books.
● Explain to the students that they will have about 3 minutes per station to look at the
planet books/websites.
● First, the students will start at their table group and preview the books that they have
there.
● Give them a three minute timer and allow them to go.
● After the three minutes are up, have the students stand up with their table group and
rotate around the room.
● Repeat this six times until each table group is back at their home tables.
● When the students are back at their table groups, explain the assignment.
○ This is the performance assessment for the unit.
● Inform the students that they are going to pick one of the planets that look the most
interesting to them.
○ There are up to four students allowed in each planet since there should be
some variety and there are only four seats.
● Allow the students to walk around and choose which planet they would like to learn
much more about.
● Then, hand out the checklist, rubric, and performance assessment assignment, and a
scrap piece of paper.
○ This should be a stapled packet.
● Read what the performance assessment assignment is: the assessment is a poster
that each individual student will create about a planet of their choice. They will use
 the checklist provided to give all of the necessary information on the poster.
● Ask the students to then look at the checklist paper.
● Read the checklist aloud. This checklist coincides with the rubric.
○ If they complete the checklist they will get full points on the rubric.
● Hand out a paper the size of 11x17” or tabloid paper.
● Tell the students that they are allowed to write all over the front and back of the
checklist as notes for the poster.
○ This is encouraged so that mistakes aren’t made on the poster.
● Tell the students that the scrap piece of paper is for practicing their poster if they so
choose to do so.
● Allow the students to begin reading and writing down answers from the checklist.
○ Give them about 15 minutes to finish this work.
● During reading, walk around and hand out markers and colored pencils to the table
group so that they can make their posters colorful.
● After 15 minutes, tell the students that they should now start creating their posters.
○ Again, remind them that they can draft quickly first. The draft should NOT
include color.
● Give the students another 15 minutes to create their posters.
● After 15 minutes, have the students put all of the markers/colored pencils back into
their respective spots.
● Tell the students to go back to their original table groups.
● When sitting, assign the students into groups of four to five that all have different
planets to talk about. They will share all about their planets with their peers.
○ The presentations should take about 10-15 minutes.
● After the presentations, tell the class that they’ve done such a wonderful job on their
posters and how lovely they are.
● Ask the students to turn in the poster, as well as their stapled packet with the
checklist, rubric, assignment, and scrap paper into the bin.

Closure/Summarizing Strategies:
● Once everyone has turned it in, tell the students once again that they have done such
an amazing job on being solar system scientists this week.
● Tell the students that the unit test will be coming up the following Monday, and that
they have the weekend to take their science journal home and review their notes.
● Then, pull up the Kahoot review game. Ask the students to pull out their
chromebooks.
○ This is a short game with a question or two on each lesson throughout their
week for reminders.
○ https://create.kahoot.it/share/unit-review/de7e1d82-6e9e-471b-a5aa-
dc068fc2f512
Accommodations/Differentiation:
● Follow all IEPs
Materials/Resources:
Materials:
● Solar System Warmup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHAqT4hXnMw
● Kahoot review: https://create.kahoot.it/share/unit-review/de7e1d82-6e9e-471b-
a5aa-dc068fc2f512
● Mercury books/websites:
○ Mercury - Space Book for Kids by IP Factly
○ Thank you Mercury! by Carmen Gloria
○ Discover Mercury by Georgia Bath
○ https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-mercury/en/
○ https://nineplanets.org/mercury/
● Venus books/websites:
○ Are We There Yet? All about the Planet Venus! Space for Kids by Baby
Professor
○ Venus by Ariel Kazunas
○ https://nineplanets.org/kids/venus/
○ https://www.ducksters.com/science/venus.php
● Mars books/websites:
○ Mars: The Red Planet: Rocks, Rovers, Pioneers, and More! by Elizabeth Carney
○ Mars’ First Friends: Come on Over, Rovers! by Susanna Leonard Hill
○ https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-mars/en/
○ https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/science/space/facts-about-mars/
● Jupiter books/websites:
○ Are We There Yet? All About the Planet Jupiter! Space for Kids by Baby
Professor
○ Jupiter - Space Book for Kids by IP Factly
○ https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-jupiter/en/
○ https://www.ducksters.com/science/jupiter.php
● Saturn books/websites:
○ Saturn and Its Rings - Astronomy for Kids Books Grade 4 - Children's
Astronomy & Space Books by Baby Professor
○ Planet Saturn by Ann Squire
○ Saturn by J.P. Bloom
○ https://nineplanets.org/kids/saturn/
○ https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-saturn/en/
● Uranus books/websites:
○ Uranus: The Blue-Green Planet - Solar System Book for Kids Grade 4 -
Children's Astronomy & Space Books by Baby Professor
○ Planet Uranus by Christine Taylor-Butler
○ https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-uranus/en/
○ https://nineplanets.org/kids/uranus/
● Neptune books/websites:
○ Neptune Is Too Far Away - Space for Kids Grade 4 - Children's Astronomy &
Space Books by Baby Professor
 ○ The Secrets of Neptune by Thomas K. Adamson
○ https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-neptune/en/
○ https://nineplanets.org/kids/neptune/
● Kahoot
● 11x17 sheet of white paper (25)
● Checklist, assignment, rubric, and scrap paper packet (25)
● Markers
● Colored pencils
● Chromebooks
● Projector
Resources:
● Mercury books/websites:
○ Factly, I. (n.d.). Mercury - Space Book for Kids.
○ Gloria, C. (n.d.). Thank you Mercury!
○ Bath, G. (n.d.). Discover Mercury.
○ All About Mercury. (2020, April 14). Retrieved November 20, 2020, from
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-mercury/en/
○ Mercury Facts: Information, History, Location, Size & Definition. (2020,
September 15). Retrieved November 20, 2020, from
https://nineplanets.org/mercury/
● Venus books/websites:
○ PROFESSOR, B. (2017). ARE WE THERE YET? ALL ABOUT THE PLANET VENUS!
SPACE FOR KIDS - CHILDREN'S AERONAUTICS & SPACE BOOK. S.l.: BABY
PROFESSOR.
○ Kazunas, A. (2012). Venus. Ann Arbor, MI: Cherry Lake Pub.
○ Venus Facts for Kids: Information, Location, Summary & History. (2020,
September 15). Retrieved November 21, 2020, from
https://nineplanets.org/kids/venus/
○ Astronomy. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2020, from
https://www.ducksters.com/science/venus.php
● Mars books/websites:
○ Carney, E. (n.d.). Mars: The Red Planet: Rocks, Rovers, Pioneers, and More!
○ Hill, S. L. (n.d.). Mars' First Friend: Come on Rover!
○ All About Mars. (2020, July 29). Retrieved November 21, 2020, from
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-mars/en/
○ Facts about Mars: Facts for kids. (2020, June 02). Retrieved November 21,
2020, from https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/science/space/facts-
about-mars/
● Jupiter books/websites:
○ Professor, B. (n.d.). Are We There Yet? All About the Planet Jupiter! Space for
Kids.
○ Factly, I. (n.d.). Jupiter - Space Book for Kids.
○ All About Jupiter. (2019, July 25). Retrieved November 21, 2020, from
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-jupiter/en/
 ○ Astronomy. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2020, from
https://www.ducksters.com/science/jupiter.php
● Saturn books/websites:
○ Professor, B. (n.d.). Saturn and Its Rings - Astronomy for Kids Books Grade 4 -
Children's Astronomy & Space Books.
○ Squire, A. (n.d.). Planet Saturn.
○ Bloom, J. (n.d.). Saturn.
○ Saturn Facts for Kids: Interesting, Fun, Information & History. (2020,
September 15). Retrieved November 21, 2020, from
https://nineplanets.org/kids/saturn/
○ All About Saturn. (2020, March 24). Retrieved November 21, 2020, from
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-saturn/en/
● Uranus books/websites:
○ Professor, B. (n.d.). Uranus: The Blue-Green Planet - Solar System Book for Kids
Grade 4 - Children's Astronomy & Space Books.
○ Taylor-Butler, C. (n.d.). Planet Uranus.
○ All About Uranus. (2019, July 25). Retrieved November 21, 2020, from
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-uranus/en/
○ Uranus Facts for Kids: Rotation, Information, Summary & History. (2020,
September 15). Retrieved November 21, 2020, from
https://nineplanets.org/kids/uranus/
● Neptune books/websites:
○ Professor, B. (n.d.). Neptune Is Too Far Away - Space for Kids Grade 4 -
Children's Astronomy & Space Books.
○ Adamson, T. K. (n.d.). The Secrets of Neptune.
○ All About Neptune. (2019, October 24). Retrieved November 21, 2020, from
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-neptune/en/
○ Neptune Facts for Kids: Temperature, Surface & Information. (2020,
September 15). Retrieved November 21, 2020, from
https://nineplanets.org/kids/neptune/

Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels

Remediation Plan (if applicable)

Personal Reflection Questions

Additional reflection/thoughts