MercyhurstCollegeLessonPlan

th
School/Grade4
Grade

LessonSubjectScience

TeachingTime4560Minutes

LessonConcept:Telescopes
Standards:
3.3.4.B2Scales:Knowthebasiccharacteristicsandusesoftelescopes

Objectives

Assessments

1.Studentswillbeabletoidentifythepartsofa
telescope.

1.Teacherwilllistenandobserveasstudents
completePartsofaTelescopeworksheet

3.Studentswillbeabletodefinewhatatelescopeis
andlistusesfortelescopes.

2.Teacherwilllistentodiscussionandcollectexit
slips

Materials:
MariasCometbyDeborahTompkinson
Smartboard/Projectorandcomputer
Notecards
Cardboardtubes
Plasticconvexlenses(http://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesaleplasticconvexlens.html)
MaskingTape
TelescopeWorksheet
Galileo,Newton,HubbleTelescopePictures
AnticipatorySet
TheteacherwillplayavideoofimagesfromtheHubbleTelescopewhilestudentsaretransitioningto
thesciencelesson.Theteacherwillexplainthatthesearepicturesthathavebeentakeninspaceand
thatduringthedayslesson,theywilllearnhow.
VideoLink:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svjztVy2GQc(Startat:40)
ActivatingPriorKnowledge:
Theteacherwillguideadiscussionaboutwhatthestudentshavealreadylearnedaboutspaceand
writeresponsesonalistontheboard.
o Whatkindsofthingsareinspace?
o Whatkindofjobshavetodowithspace?
o Whatcanyouseewhenyoulookupatthenightsky?Canyouseeeverything?

o Whatdoyouknowabouthowscientistslookatthesky?
Procedure:
1. TeacherreadsMariasCometbyDeborahTompkinsontotheclass.
a. DiscussionQuestions:
i. WhattoolsdoesMariauseasanastronomer?
ii. ListsomecharacteristicsofthetelescopesthatMariauses.(Partsanduses)
2. Teacher:Inthestory,Mariaexplainedthattelescopesgatherlightandfocusittocreateanimageso
thatwecanseethingsthatareveryfaraway,suchasplanetsandstars.Letswatchthisvideotolearn
moreabouthowthisworks.
a. Howtelescopeswork:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHUSMzcZ8Pg
3. Teacher:Wesawthatthelensesinthefirsttelescopeswerecurvedlikethelensesinmagnifying
glasses.Thisisanexampleofwhattheselensesarelike(passaroundaplasticconvexlens).Thiswas
thekindoflensthatGalileoGalilei,whomadesomeofthefirsttelescopes,used.(Putpictureof
Galileoontheboard)
4. Teacher:YearsafterGalileo,anotherscientistnamedSirIsaacNewtoninventedatelescopethat
usedmirrors,calledarefractingtelescope(putpictureofNewtonontheboardafterGalileo).The
mirrorsallowedustoseeevenfartherandmoreclearly.Thetelescopesthatscientistsusetodayare
refractingtelescopes.
5. Teacher:Sincepeoplehavestartedtoexplorespace,wehavefoundawaytodesignspecial
telescopesthatcanbelaunchedintospacewithsatellitesorputintoorbitwithaspaceshuttle.These
arecalledspacetelescopesorspaceobservatories.Theyallowustoseemoreoftheuniversethan
everbefore.TheHubbleTelescope,whichtookthepicturesthatwesawearlier,isthemostfamous
spacetelescope(putpictureofHubbleTelescopeafterNewton).
6. TheteacherwilldividethestudentsintogroupsoftwoorthreeandpassoutthePartsofa
Telescopeworksheet.Studentswillcompletetheworksheetingroupsastheteachercirculates
throughtheclassroom.Oncecompleted,theteacherwillcallonstudentstoprovideanswerstocheck
forunderstanding.
7. Theteacherwillleadstudentsincreatingtheirowntelescopeusingcardboardtubesandplastic
lenses.Instructions:http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/nature/makeatelescope/(Students
willhavepaintedcardboardtubespriortothelesson).
Closure:
ExitSlip:Onanotecard,eachstudentwillwriteonethingthattheyhavelearnedabouttelescopesor
astronomyduringthelessonandonethingthattheywillusetheirtelescopetoobserve(remind
studentsnevertolookatthesunwithatelescope).
AdditionalConceptRelatedActivity:
FieldTrip:
o Duringschoolhours,studentscanvisitaplanetariumtopracticeastronomyanduse
telescopes.ForalistofplanetariumsintheUnitedStatesvisit:http://www.go
astronomy.com/planetariums.htm

o Afterschoolhours:Classesorfamiliesmayvisitpublicobservationnightswithlocal
astronomyclubs.Localastronomersfromthisclubmayalsobeapotentialsourceforguest
speakers.Foralistoflocalclubsvisit:http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm

Name:________________________
Date:_________________________

Parts of a Telescope

Word Bank
Focus
Primary Mirror
Secondary Mirror
Tube
Eyepiece