Solar System Grade 3 Unit Study

Contents of kit to be returned to HCOS:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Arty Facts: Space and Art Activities Usborne Spotters Guide: The Night Sky Stars and Planets Parent Guide The Sky is Full of Stars Astronomy Fact Cards

Student pages are available on the HCOS library website for download, along with the parent guide with live links. http://www.onlineschool.ca/rooms/library/resource_kits/index.php Ask your online teacher for the username and password for: www.discoveryeducation.ca

This is the link to the videos referenced throughout the unit.

Psalm 19 says that the heavens tell about the glory of God. Start each lesson with prayer that God would teach your family about His glory as you complete this study. You may want to have your child keep a solar system journal for recording their observations of the night sky and their findings in the different daily experiments and activities. Digital photos or handdrawn pictures could be accompanied by 2-3 sentence explanations of the days activities. You can also create a lapbook see following page. One ongoing activity is to create models of the planets that are used in later lessons. Choose to do this activity or choose others from the Arty Facts book. A visit to a local observatory could help make your Solar System study come alive.

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Here are some options to use to record your childs learning and to submit for portfolios. There are many websites and yahoo groups which have a lot of information as well as free resourcesjust do a search!
Big Book of Books and Activities: an illustrated guide for teachers, parents, and anyone who works with kids! by Dinah Zike is available from the HCOS library

http://www.dinah.com/

About Lapbooks and Lapbooking

Lapbooking is the term for taking a paper file folder and refolding it so that there are two covers on the front. It is held vertically, with the 11 inch long side being held in a vertical position. It is refolded so that one cover opens to the left and the other cover opens to the right. This lapbook is dedicated to one topic of study. The child then makes miniature books and little folded flaps about content of that subject area. Those little books are glued to the inside of this lapbook. Extensions can be made, with card stock paper or tag board paper, to make the lapbook have more surfaces in which to place books. The cover can be decorated.
About Notebooks and Notebooking

The big difference between notebooks and lapbooks is that in lapbooking the information is made into tiny books which are glued inside of a file folder. With notebooking a child may make little books but they are glued into pages which are 3 hole punched and put inside of a 3 ring binder notebook. With notebooking, regular pages can be added as well as pressed leaves or other objects. In other words the notebook pages might just be flat and not have "mini books" in them. Also some people use notebooks like scrapbooks and can add in things like pressed flowers, real dried leaves, photographs your family took, et cetera. Notebooking can cover a whole subject such as Ancient History and may hold an inch thick stack of papers, while lapbooking is smaller/thinner and holds less information. Subjects for lapbooking may cover smaller topics such as Ancient Egypt or Pyramids. Sites for lapbooks & notebooking: Homeschoolshare has many free resources! http://www.homeschoolshare.com/lapbooking_resources.php
www.knowledgeboxcentral.com Lapbooking 101

http://lapbooking.wordpress.com/ Lapbook lessons http://www.lapbooklessons.com/ Flapbooks http://www.unitstudies.com/books/index.aspx

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Solar System Unit Study Day 1: What can you observe in the sky?
Daily devotion: read and discuss Genesis 1. o On what days of creation did God create things important to the solar system? o What reason does Genesis 1 give for why the sun, moon, and stars were created? o What day of creation did God create in the sun, moon, and stars? When do you think He created the planets Read: The Sky is Full of Stars Begin night sky observation journal Read Stars and Planets pages 4-5 Watch The Solar System: A First Look on unit study DVD. On the first clear night of the unit study, try to identify as many stars and constellations as you can. Use The Usborne Spotters Guide: Night Sky and other resources to assist you. On black construction paper with gel pens or stars of yellow construction paper, make pictures of four of the constellations youve observed.

Day 2: What is the sun like?

Daily devotion: Read Psalm 136. o What is the sun like? Why is it important to us? o How does Gods creation of the sun show us His love for us? How does the creation of the moon and the stars show His love for us? Read Stars and Planets pages 6-9 Read Arty Facts: Space & Art Activities pages 8 and 9. Watch Scale Models of our Solar System on Discovery Education United Streaming. Using the Calculator at http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/ solar_system/ , decide on a size for the sun to determine the size of the planets in your model of the Solar System. Consider how to construct each of the planets according to their size.

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 Make a model of the sun using the scale from the site above. An idea for how you could make the sun is found on page 9 of the Arty Facts book.

Day 3: What causes day and night?

Daily devotion: Read Genesis 1:1-19. o Describe what God called day and what He called night in Genesis 1: 3. o What does the creation of day and night show us about Gods character and love for us? Read Stars and Planets pages 10-11 Begin Look at the Moon AIMS activity (ongoing activity) using the activity guidelines in the parent activity guide. Watch Day and Night (about 2 minutes) on Discovery Education United Streaming Go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/ earth_sun_moon.shtml to explore how the earth and moon move around the sun.

Day 4: Why are there different seasons?

Daily devotion: read Psalm 19 o What do the heavens tell us about Gods glory? Read Stars and Planets pages 12-13 Watch Seasons of the Year on Discovery Education United Streaming and/or The Four Seasons (about 15 minutes long) Read Usborne Spotters Guide: Night Sky p. 10-13. Why are the constellations that we can see different from one month to the next?

Day 5: What is the moon like?

Daily devotion: Read Ephesians 4:26.

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o How can the sun help us remember to forgive one another? Why is it important to forgive one another daily? Read Stars and Planets pages 14-17 Read Arty Facts: Space & Art Activities pages 10, 11 Read Usborne Spotters Guide: Night Sky pg. 46- 49 Watch A Closer Look at the Moon on Discovery Education United Streaming. Go to http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/vplanet.html to use the earth and moon viewer.

Day 6:

What is the Solar System?

Daily devotion: Weve been talking about the solar system, which involves the planets in relation to the sun. Revelation 21 tells us of what the new heavens and the new earth will be like. Read Revelation 21, paying particular attention to verse 23. How will it be different? Watch A Closer Look at the Planets on http:// www.discoveryeducation.ca/ Read Stars and Planets pages 18-21 Read Arty Facts: Space & Art Activities pages 4-5, 30-31, 34-35 Find information about Mercury and Venus and read about them. Construct them according to the scale model size and information found in your research or do activities in Arty Facts. Record in your learning log three facts about the two planets studied today. Find and memorize an easy way to remember the names of the planets in order from the Sun. For example, you could make up a silly sentence where each word in the sentence begins with the first letter of a planet, in order from the sun, such as: My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.

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Day 7: What are the Inner Planets?

Daily devotion: Read Psalm 147 and discuss Gods goodness Read Arty Facts: Space & Art Activities pages 16-17; Find information about Earth and Mars and read about them. Construct the models according to the scale model size and information found in research or do activities in Arty Facts. Record in your learning log three facts about the two planets studied today. Play Planetary Who Am I? game with the cards included in the student activity packet. If time and interest permits, watch Above and Beyond on Discovery Education United Streaming. http:// www.discoveryeducation.ca/.

Day 8: What are the Outer Planets?

Daily devotion: Read Jeremiah 31:35-40 o When does the Lord say he would reject his people? o Would it ever happen? Read Arty Facts: Space & Art Activities pages 12-13 and 22-23 Find information about Jupiter and Saturn and read about them. Construct them according to the scale model size and information found in research or do activities in Arty Facts. Record in your learning log three facts about the two planets studied today. Learn the Planet Song found in the parent activity guide Play Astronomy card game

Day 9: What other objects are in the Solar System?

Daily devotion: Read Psalm 8. o Discuss how in verses 3 and 4, David thinks about how big and impressive the heavens are and how tiny we are in comparison and still God cares about us. Think of ten ways that God has cared for your life today. Thank Him for His attention to the details of our lives

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o Consider how long stars have been visible in the night sky. What does this show you about Gods creation and His character? Read Stars and Planets pages 22-23 Read Arty Facts: Space & Art Activities pages 32 -33, 40- 41 Read Arty Facts: Space & Art Activities pages 38-39 Find information about Uranus and Neptune and read about them. Construct them according to the scale model size and information found in research or do activities in Arty Facts. Record in your learning log three facts about the two planets and other objects studied today. Review the Family of the Sun song. Can you write a verse about Uranus and Neptune?

Day 10: What are constellations?

Daily devotion: read Job 38 o This is a very humbling passage. In this passage the Lord speaks to Job and challenges him. Notice that the Lord loves Job and in his grace he explains things to him. Do you feel you can talk to the Lord and ask him questions, knowing that he will love you regardless of how tough your questions are? Read Stars and Planets pages 24-27 Read Arty Facts: Space & Art Activities pages 14 and 15 Review constellation cards made from construction paper in Lesson 1. Identify, locate, and make a new constellation card about two more constellations. Find information about Pluto. Construct a model according to the scale model size and information found in research. Record in your learning log three facts about the planet studied today. Visit http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/tonights_sky/ to find out more about what constellations will be visible in the current month. Some information is given about the mythology behind the naming of different constellations. Arrange your planet models in order of distance from the sun. Can you name them all in order? Arrange them in order of size. Can you still name them all?
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Day 11: What are stars like?

Daily devotion: Read Isaiah 40: 25-31. What does it tell us about Gods understanding of the stars? What does that tell us of Gods ability to care for us? Read Stars and Planets pages 28-29 Read Arty Facts pages 18-19, 24-25 Read Usborne Spotters Guide: Night Sky pg. 28-35 Using the scale from Lesson 2, determine the distance of each planet in your model from the sun. Place the sun in your backyard. If it is convenient, go for a walk or drive to place the planets at the appropriate distance from the sun, preferably at recognizable locations. Then take a picture of each planet at its location. If desired, watch Exploring Stars on Discovery Education United Streaming. Play Astronomy card game

Day 12: Why is earth so special?

Daily devotion: read Isaiah 45:18 and discuss. o How is earth different from the other planets? Read Stars and Planets pages 30-31 Read Arty Facts: Space & Art Activities pages 6 and 7. Make a list of ways that Earth is designed for us to live on. http://www.icr.org/evidence/ includes a list that may be helpful. Choose one planet to compare to earth. Create a Venn diagram (two overlapping circles) to compare the two planets. Label one circle Earth and the other circle with the name of the planet you will compare to Earth. List the unique characteristics of each planet in the non-overlapping section of the circle (under the title), and write the shared characteristics in the overlapping section.

Unit closing:
Discuss what you have learned. Why do you think God placed mankind on earth rather than on Mars or another planet? What does this show you about Gods care for us?
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Provincial Learning Outcomes for Grade 3:

Ask questions that foster investigations and explorations relevant to the content Measure objects and events Describe characteristics and movements of objects in our solar system Compare familiar constellations in seasonal skies Demonstrate awareness of the special significance of celestial objects for Aboriginal peoples

Notes: Some lessons include more activities than youll need. Feel free to omit and/or modify as necessary. Not all activities will be suitable for all age levels, so pick and choose the ones that are most suitable for your childs level of understanding. Many of the books and videos used for this unit study are secular and therefore may not reflect a biblical understanding of the formation of the universe.

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Websites that you might find helpful: http://www.solarsystem.org.uk/index.php lots of information and pictures of the planets http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/solar_system/ calculator for creating scale models of the Solar System. http://www.bobsedulinks.com/space.htm worksheets related to the solar system http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/vplanet.html earth and moon viewer http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/tonights_sky/index.php http://solarsystem.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm NASAs website with information about the planets http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html NASA photo journal http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/trading/ directions.html online trading card activity for identifying planets.

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