Understanding By Design

Kelly Stavrides

Unit Topic: Patterns and Change Through Moon Phases

Grade level:____4th______
Stage 1 Desired Results
Content Standard/Established Goals(s):
PA Common Core Standards in Reading
CC.1.2.4.A
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key
details; summarize the text.
CC.1.2.4.C
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a text, including what
happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
CC.1.2.4.E
Use text structure to interpret information (e.g., chronology, comparison,
cause/effect, problem/solution).
CC.1.2.4.J
Acquire and use accurately grade- appropriate conversational, general
academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that
signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a
particular topic.
CC.1.3.4.A
Determine a theme of a text from details in the text; summarize the text.
CC.1.3.4.F
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in gradelevel text, including figurative language.
CC.1.3.4.H
Compare and contrast similar themes, topics, and patterns of events in
literature, including texts from different cultures.
CC.1.3.4.I
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words
and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly
from a range of strategies and tools.
PA Common Core Standards in Writing
CC.1.4.4.A
Write informative/ explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas
and information clearly.
CC.1.4.4.B
Identify and introduce the topic clearly.
CC.1.4.4.C
Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or
other information and examples related to the topic; include illustrations
and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CC.1.4.4.E
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or
explain the topic.
CC.1.4.4.F
Demonstrate a grade- appropriate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling.

Understanding By Design

Kelly Stavrides

CC.1.4.4.O
Use dialogue and descriptions to develop experiences and events or show
the responses of characters to situations; use concrete words and phrases
and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
CC.1.4.4.S
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research, applying grade-level reading standards for
literature and informational texts.
CC.1.4.4.T
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen
writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
CC.1.4.4.X
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for
a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
PA Common Core Standards in Speaking and Listening
CC.1.5.4.A
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade- level
topics and texts, building on others ideas and expressing their own
clearly.
CC.1.5.4.D
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an
organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive
details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly with adequate
volume, appropriate pacing, and clear pronunciation.
PA Common Core Standards in Math
CC.2.1.4.B.2
Use place-value understanding and properties of operations to perform
multi-digit arithmetic.
CC.2.2.4.A.1
Represent and solve problems involving the four operations.
CC.2.4.4.A.1
Solve problems involving measurement and conversions from a larger unit
to a smaller unit.
Next Generation Science Standards
ESS1-1
Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can
be predicted.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
ESS1.A: The Universe and its Stars
The sun is a star that appears larger and brighter than other stars because
it is closer. Stars range greatly in their distance from Earth.
ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System
The orbits of Earth around the sun and of the moon around Earth, together
with the rotation of Earth about an axis between its North and South
poles, cause observable patterns. These include day and night; daily
changes in the length and direction of shadows; and different positions of
the sun, moon, and stars at different times of the day, month, and year.
Crosscutting Concepts
Patterns Similarities and differences in patterns can be used to sort,

Understanding By Design

Kelly Stavrides

classify, communicate and analyze simple rates of change for natural

phenomena.
Cause and Effect Cause and effect relationships are routinely identified
and used to explain change.
Stability and Change - For natural and built systems alike, conditions of
stability and determinants of rates of change or evolution of a system are
critical elements of study.
Consistency in Natural Systems Many events are repeated.
Understanding(s)
Students will understand that:
The moon phases exemplify
change and observable
patterns in nature; these
patterns can be used when
observing and classifying
natural phenomena
Many events in nature and
natural systems are repeated
Patterns can be predicted
The moon has played and
continues to play an integral
part in cultures around the
world

Essential Question(s):
What is the moon?
What is a pattern?
How are change and patterns
interrelated (connected to
each other)?
How do the moon phases
show an observable pattern?
What other patterns can you
think of in nature?
Why is the moon so
important to so many
different cultures around the
world?

Student objectives (outcomes):

Students will know
Key facts about the moon and
moon phases and how the
different celestial bodies
interact to create the
different phases
Pertinent science vocabulary,
including topic specific
vocabulary and more general
vocabulary about science
methods and tools
About different cultures
beliefs and traditions
surrounding the moon; how
they differ and how they are
similar

Students will be able to

Name the 8 major phases of

the moon identify the
different phases of the moon
based on a
description/picture
Understand patterns and
change to predict the next
step in a pattern

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Performance Task(s):
Other Evidence:
Record questions, predictions,
Informal observation during
activities, and objectives in
class discussion and group
their science notebooks
work
Moon journal detailing at least
Homework and worksheets

Understanding By Design

Beginning

Kelly Stavrides

3 moon observations over the

course of 13 days
Use a graphic organizer to
help structure a moon myth
One to two paragraph moon
myth
Class created timeline
Moon rover
Final assessment 8 page
student created booklet

Collaboration between
partners and in groups
Student participation during
discussion

Culminating

Stage 3 Learning Plan

Learning Activity
Objectives/Goals
Formative
Assessment
Introduction/Science SWBAT
Diagnostic Assessment
:
-Make a KWL chart
Give the students a
about the moon
KWL Chart and class
diagnostic assessment
-infer what the two
discussion
week curriculum unit is
Read aloud If You
about from the read
Decide to go to the
aloud and our
Moon and make a KWL discussion
Chart about the moon
Discuss the long term
moon journal
assignment
Social Studies:
View and discuss a
PowerPoint of different
cultures moon myths
Complete a graphic
organizer about
creating your own
myth about the moon

Social Studies:
Discuss and review
timelines
Have students work in
collaborative groups to
predict when certain
events in moon history
would be have taken
place

SWBAT
-Draw on previous
knowledge about the
moon and moon
phases
-Use the knowledge
and tropes identified in
the myths talked about
in class to create their
own myths

Graphic Organizer

SWBAT
-Work collaboratively in
a group setting
-Predict when certain
events in moon history
happened and place
them on a timeline

Assess Collaborative
group work

Completed one to two

paragraph myth about
the students moon
myth
Observation of student
discussion of different
cultures moon myths
and class participation

Timeline
Timeline worksheet,
with dates correctly
filled out

Understanding By Design

Kelly Stavrides

Groups place pictures

of events in moon
history on a large
timeline on the
whiteboard. Class
discusses whether they
the events are placed
in the correct order or
not.
Science:
Students work with a
moon calendar for a
previous month and
discuss any patterns
they notice

SWBAT:
-Discuss the pattern of
the moon phases
-Name the eight main
phases of the moon
-Label the eight main
phases on a template

Observation of student
discussion during class
and student
participation

SWBAT:
-Describe what the
moon looks like
-Understand the
difficulties of landing
space craft and rovers
on the moon and be
able to explain them
-Design their own
model rover

Class discussion and

participation

Completed moon
phase template

Phases are named and

discussed
Moon phase diagram
template is completed
Science:
Shape of moon and
surface of moon are
discussed by class.
Multimedia (pictures,
text) used to describe
moon.
Students predict what
would be difficult about
landing a space craft or
rover on the moon

Orbiting and relation of

different celestial
bodies will be

Working collaboratively
with their group to
build a rover
Building a working
rover and testing it

Students build a model

rover with these ideas
in mind and
experiment with it
Science:
Moon phases discussed
more in-depth

Student predictions
about what would be
difficult for landing
craft on the moon

SWBAT:
-Name all the different
moon phases
-Understand that moon
is orbiting around the
earth and that the
earth is orbiting around

Class discussion and

participation in
discussion
Class participation
during demonstration

Understanding By Design
discussed and
demonstrated.
Students will be given
a blank calendar and
asked to fill it out using
their knowledge of
moon cycles and
phases
Science:
Introduce students to
the idea of differing
gravities and the idea
of weightlessness.
Look at a video of a
reduced gravity aircraft
aka the vomit comet.
Have students
compare the gravity
between the Earth and
the moon.

Kelly Stavrides
the sun
-Understand that each
moon cycle is a
consistent 29.5 days

Moon calendar

SWBAT:
-Discuss basic ideas
about gravity and
weightlessness
-Compare the gravity
between the earth and
the moon
-Use mathematical
formulas to figure out
what simple items
would weigh on the
moon

-Class participation
and class discussion

SWBAT:
-Write key facts about
the moon and moon
phases
-Create an 8 page
booklet with text
features and a Title
Page and an About the
Author page

8-page booklet

-Gravity and Mass

worksheet

Complete worksheet
about differing gravity
and weight.
Science/Literacy:
Review all we have
learned about moon
phases
Students will create an
8 page booklet that will
be completed in class,
to be graded on a
rubric already handed
out