Crandall

University
Science Education
Developed by: Cara Rossiter, Jennie Niles, Emily Steeves, Amy MacLaren
Grade level: 6 Science - The Solar System
Universal Design for
Learning
Representation
1.1
I use physical objects and
models to teach abstract
concepts
Students will be making
models of the planets and
toilet paper to gain access
to understanding huge
distances and foreign
properties in space
3.1
Students' prior knowledge
will be activated at the
beginning of class.
Recalling what they have
learned in previous classes
about the planets and their
orbits, students will make
predictions about the
distance of each planet
from the sun.
Action and Expression
4.1 Students will use
physical response through
the distance of planets
activity at the end of class.
5.2 Students will be using
a variety of tools to
complete their planet. This
will allow them to vary
their ideas to create a
more individualized
creation.
6.3 Students will be able
to manage information
and resource to create a
realistic depiction of a
planet and the distance
between planets.

Outcomes
GCO: The Solar System
SCO: Students will be expected to select and
use tools in building models of the solar
system that show approximate relative size
of the planets and sun, and the approximate
relative orbits of the planets around the sun
(205-2) and describe the physical
characteristics of components of the solar
system (104-8, 300-23)
SWBAT (in student friendly terms):
Students will be able to build models of the
solar system. They will show their
knowledge of size, terrain, and where each of
the planets are in relation to the sun.
Assessment (formative/summative,
self/peer)
What prior data is informing your
instruction?
Students must know that the planets in our
solar system revolve around the sun, and that
the planets are in orbit at different distances
from the sun.
What assessment strategies will measure the
learning from the outcomes?
Students will be assessed on their
representation of the planet's unique
characteristics (formative and summative)
and relative distance from the sun
(summative)
SCO: select and use tools in building models
of the solar system that show approximate
relative size of the planets and sun, and the
approximate relative orbits of the planets
around the sun (205-2)

Required Materials,
Tools and Technology
Paint
Cotton balls
Styrofoam balls
(appropriate relative sizes
of the planets)
Cups for water to clean
paintbrushes
Paintbrushes
Pipe Cleaners
Tin foil
Plastic wrap
Sun Mask/Costume
Toilet paper rolls
Planet descriptions
retrieved from:
http://www.universetoday.c
om/37051/surface-of-theplanets/
Planets' Distances retrieved
from:
http://starryskies.com/try_t
his/tiolet.paper.html

Their participation through verbalizing the

characteristics of their planet (formative and
summative).
SCO: describe the physical characteristics of
components of the solar system (104-8, 30023)

Special Concerns
If we have difficulty
getting or keeping student's
attention, or the lesson runs
short use this video to
create a discussion:
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=l-o2oBL8EtE
The video gives further
descriptions for each of the
planets and can further the
students' learning as well.
Special attention has been
paid to intentionally
grouping the pairs, i.e.,
keeping the boys in the
class separated.

Timeline / Elaboration

Ensure that you have the

Engagement
7.2 Students, intentionally
paired to ensure maximum
participation, will have the
opportunity to create a
model planet using the
provided craft materials
8.3 Students will have the
opportunity to work in
pairs during APK, the
creation of their model,
and in the closing activity

Before (APK)
3m
To activate students' prior knowledge, they
will complete a Bellwork activity, which will
be written on the whiteboard when students
enter the classroom. The whiteboard will
read "Bellwork: With your partner (listed on
the tables) please try to name the planets of
the Solar System in order of distance from
the Sun. Once you've named all of the
planets, please create an acronym to
remember the names of the planets in order."
During
20 m
1.Bellwork - Through intentional grouping,
students will sit with their partners at the
beginning of class based on their names at
the tables. Each group will be assigned a
planet in order to ensure that all planets are
accounted for in the solar system. Student
will complete the above Bellwork activity.
During the Bellwork all instructors should be
circulating the classroom, assuring that all
students have seen the message on the board
and are completing the assigned task and
sitting with the appropriate partner.
Intentional grouping- Students will be
grouped in pairs:
Heather & Ashley
Christine & Robert
Kathleen & Brock
Kathryn & Nic
Amanda & Elizabeth
Sarah & Lori
Ricky & Joelle
Suyun & Brittany
2.Following the Bellwork, an instructor
(Amy) will use an attention getter. She will
then correctly identify the planets in order
and write them on the whiteboard. Instructor
will then ask each team to tell the class the
acronym they created.
3.An instructor (Jennie) will introduce the
learning endeavour. Each pair has been
assigned a planet. along with a brief
description of their planet (which were
covered more in depth in prior lessons and
they should be able to recall some of this
information). Students will have 10 minutes
to construct physical representation of this

space available to lay

planets and toilet paper out
in the hallway without
disrupting other classes.
Intentional groupingStudents will be grouped in
pairs:
Heather & Ashley
Christine & Robert
Kathleen & Brock
Kathryn & Nic
Amanda & Elizabeth
Sarah & Lori
Ricky & Joelle
Suyun & Brittany
If a student is absent an
instructor will help them
complete their planet.
Because of the class size
and missing participants,
i.e., the instructors, we
prepared Earth beforehand
and identified an external
participant to act as the role
of the Sun.
Differentiation
A variety of multiple
intelligences will be used
throughout this lesson:
Verbal/linguistic
Visual/spatial
Interpersonal
Naturalistic
Musical
Logical/mathematic
al
In-Class Support
It would be helpful for inclass support to circulate
the room while students are
participating in-group work
to ensure that all students
remain engaged.
Any students who have
difficulty with fine motor

planet using the materials provided (see

Required Materials, Tools and Technology
section). The styrofoam ball they will be
given is representative of the relative size of
their planet. As an example, the instructors
have created the planet Earth using blue and
green paint and cotton ball pieces for texture.
After they create their planet, we will
reconvene as a class together to lay the
planets down and represent their distances
from the sun.
4.An instructor (Cara) will provide an
explanation of how we will represent the
distances from the sun. First, the instructor
with activate students' prior knowledge by
having them think about familiar distances,
progressively moving further away. For
example, start with the distance between the
school and the beach, the move to the
distance from NB to Quebec, from Canada to
China, from the Earth to its moon. Finally,
give the distances between the sun and each
planet, writing the numbers on the white
board. Explain that to help students
understand these distances better, we will use
sheets of toilet paper. One piece of toilet
paper will equal 50 000 000 km. Students
can calculate how many sheets of toilet paper
their planet is away from the sun by dividing
the real distance by 50 000 000km. This
instructor will also check for students'
understanding (C4U) by asking a minimum
of 3 students.
Physical Characteristics of Planets that are
given to the students:
Mercury resembles nothing so much as a
larger version of the Moon. This planet is so
close to the Sun that it is actually difficult to
observe. The Hubble Space Telescope cannot
look at it because it would permanently
damage the lens.
Venus atmosphere of thick, toxic clouds
hides the planets surface from view.
Scientists and amateurs alike used to think
that the planet was covered with thick forests
and flora like tropical rainforests on Earth.
When they were finally able to send probes
to the planet, they discovered that Venus
surface was actually more like a vision of
hell with a burning landscape that is dotted

skills may need assistance

with the making of the
planets.
Cross-curricular
Connections
Grade 6 Fine Arts Use
observational and memory
skills to record and create
recognizable images of the
real world; Demonstrate
skill in organizing the
elements of art to create
images that convey a
personal message and
provide evidence of
observation skills;
Grade 6 English Language
Arts Students will be
expected to communicate
information and ideas
effectively and clearly, and
to respond personally and
critically; Students will be
expected to speak and
listen to explore, extend,
clarify, and reflect on their
thoughts, ideas, feelings,
and experiences; Students
will be expected to
interpret, select, and
combine information, using
a variety of strategies,
resources, and
technologies.
Reflection
We believe we have
created a very effective
lesson that is directly
useful for the specific
science outcomes. One
weakness of this lesson is
that the students may not
develop a thorough
understanding of the
characteristics of all the
planets, and may only have
a thorough grasp of the
planet they create. Perhaps
this lesson would be best
suited for a multiple-day

with volcanoes.
Mars has very diverse terrain. One of the
planets most famous features is its canals,
which early astronomers believed were
man- made and contained water. These
huge canyons were most likely formed by
the planets crust splitting. Mars is also
famous for its red color, which is iron oxide
(rust) dust that covers the surface of the
entire planet. The surface of Mars is covered
with craters, volcanoes, and plains. The
largest volcanoes of any planet are on Mars.
Jupiter is a gas giant, so it has no solid
surface just a core of liquid metals.
Astronomers have created a definition for the
surface the point at which the atmospheres
pressure is one bar. This region is the lower
part of the atmosphere where there are
clouds of ammonia ice.
Saturn is also a gas giant so it has no solid
surface only varying densities of gas. Like
Jupiter, almost all of Saturn is composed of
hydrogen with some helium and other
elements in trace amounts.
Uranus and Neptune are also gas giants, but
they belong to the subcategory of ice giants
because of the ices in their atmospheres.
Uranus surface gets its blue color from the
methane in the atmosphere. Methane absorbs
light that is red or similar to red on the color
spectrum leaving only the light near the blue
end of the spectrum visible.
Neptune is also blue due to the methane in
its atmosphere. Its surface has the fastest
winds of any planet in the Solar System at up
to 2,100 kilometers per hour.
Pluto's surface is dark orange and charcoal
black. It is very rocky and coated in nitrogen
ice
5.While students complete their planet
models. All instructors should circulate the
classroom - answering questions, managing
behaviour, keeping students on task,
reminding students of their remaining time.
6.1 minute before the allotted time has
passed, an instructor will alter students to
begin cleaning up their tables. They should
return all of their supplies and dispose of any
garbage.

lesson or a longer class

(30+ mins) could allow for
a more in-depth project for
students. Students would
likely benefit from more
time to create and present
their planet to their
classmates.
In creating and developing
this lesson we work very
well as a team - all work
was divided equally,
including the lesson plan
preparation and the
construction/gathering of
craft materials.
We did realize that this
lesson would be difficult in
certain classrooms due to
the pairing of groups and
the possibility of absences.
(If the class size is bigger,
than we would suggest
creating groups instead of
pairs)

7.When students are finished their models

and seated again an instructor (Emily) will
use an attention getter.
8.The instructor (Emily) will explain to
students that we will be lining the planets up
on the catwalk. Once we are at the catwalk
students will place their planet one pair at a
time and be expected to provide a description
of their planet to their fellow students.
Students will be reminded to be quiet on the
way to the catwalk as not to disturb other
classes. Instructor will C4U and lead the
class to the catwalk.
9.Instructor will ask the assigned "Sun
student" (Stacie) to take her place. Pairs of
students will place their planet one by one in
order of distance from the Sun and provide
their brief description of their planet.
10.Once all of the planets are in the
appropriate position (Amy) will go over the
outcome once again stating how we have met
the outcomes and giving an overview of
what we've learned.
Opportunity for individual/small group
instruction
-Students will work in pairs to create
miniature replications of their planets based
on the information provided to them in class.
-We will gather as a class at the end of the
session to combine all the planets and
demonstrate their relative size and distance
from the sun.
After
7m
Each pair of students will present their
handmade planet to their classmates,
explaining the unique characteristics of their
assigned planet. The teacher will identify
groups one-by-one in the order of the planets
based on their distance from the sun. the
teacher will serve as a facilitator to maintain
order.

Resources
Mercury: 46.0 million km - 69.8 million km = 6 sheets
Venus: 108 million km - 109 million km = 11 sheets
Earth: 146 million km - 152 million km = 15 sheets
Mars: 205 million km - 249 million km = 23 sheets
Jupiter: 741 million km - 817 million km = 78 sheets
Saturn: 1.35 billion km - 1.5 billion km = 140 sheets
Uranus: 2.7 billion km - 3 billion km = 290 sheets
Neptune: 4.46 billion km - 4.54 billion km = 450 sheets
Pluto: 4.437 billion km - 7.376 billion km = 590 sheets