Science UNIT PLANNER

Topic: Science/ Day and night Year Level: 3 Term: 4 Week: Date: 20/11/16
Key skills to develop and practise Key equipment / resources: Key vocabulary
Describe the difference between day and night Whiteboard - Moon
Describe the cause of night - Earth
Paper - Sun
Describe the movements of the sun earth and
moon to cause night and day Chalk - Planet
- Orbit
Describe changes in size and direction of
Scissors - Axis
shadows during a day
- Rotation
Describe apparent movement of the Sun across Split pins - Revelation
the sky from East to West each day - Shadow
Describe how shadows are made. Science journals
- Day
Observe light and shaded sides of objects in Access to internet - Night
sunlight. - Light
Describe the spherical shapes of the Sun, Earth - Dark
and moon Links to other contexts:
- Mathematics
Compare relevant sizes of the sun
- Literacy
Demonstrate that the Earth spins on its axis - Geography
causing day and night.

Possible misconceptions: Key probing questions Assessment overview:

The Earth is flat What makes you say that ? - Observations
How do you know? - Work sample
What could we explore to find out? - Rubric assessments
 Science TUNING IN INVESTIGATIONS REFLECTION & MAKING CATERING FOR ASSESSMENT
FOCUS (WHOLE CLASS FOCUS) SESSION CONNECTIONS DIVERSITY STRATEGIES
(a short, sharp task relating to the (INDEPENDENT LEARNING)
focus of the lesson; sets the scene/ SESSION
(what you want students to (extended opportunity for students to (WHOLE CLASS FOCUS) - Enabling prompt (should relate to mathematical focus
come to understand as a context for what students do in the work in pairs, small groups or (to allow those experiencing difficulty to of the lesson (learning intention);
independent aspect. e.g., It may be a (focused teacher questions and
result of this lesson short, individually. Time for teacher to probe summary to draw out the mathematics engage in active experiences related to includes what the teacher will listen
succinct statement; in some problem posed, spider diagram, an childrens thinking or work with a small the initial goal task) for, observe, note or analyse; what
open-ended question, game, or and assist children to make links. NB.
schools this could be the group for part of the time and to also This may occur at particular points - Extending prompt evidence of learning will be collected
learning intention) reading a story) conduct roving conferences) (questions that extend students and what criteria will be used to
during a lesson. Use of spotlight,
strategy, gallery walk, etc.) thinking on the initial task) analyse the evidence; in some
schools this may be articulated as
success criteria)
Come back to the floor and Diagnostic
Session 1 Display images of day and Introduce an enlarged copy discuss what where some assessment-
Students will be night scenes in the board. of Where is the Sun? on main themes in each Enabling prompt: In this lesson you will see
able to represent Have a T-chart and ask the board. Read through students drawings. Student can would what students already
their current students to write on a post- and discuss with students. collaboratively if they are know and understand
understanding as it note, the differences they What are some things having trouble. about:
they ; notice between night and Students will work student want to find out How the Earths rotation
Describe the day. independently to complete about day and night? on its axis causes regular
difference their own sheet of Where changes, including day
between day Could watch this video on is the Sun?. Stick their work in there and night.
and night day and night instead of book.
Describe the pictures: Once they have finished Extending prompt:
cause of night https://www.youtube.com/w they are able to work in Early finishes can create a
Describe the atch?v=gXh8t6iqKhc groups of two, to come up page to introduce the new
movements of with some reasons for their topic of day and night in
the sun earth Discuss and ask questions answers. their science books.
and moon to from their findings:
cause night
and day How do we know it Extended task:
is day? Discuss annotated
What may we see drawing and ask
students to create their
if it is day? own two scenes of day
How do we know it and night, by annotating
is night? their pictures.
What might we see
if it is night? Why do we use an
annotated drawing?
- to show an idea or
and object

What does an
annotated drawing
include?
- a picture
- words or

Session 2 Review the previous
Students will be lesson. Discuss students
able to; experience of how they
Describe the have travelled around the tennis ball ( earth ) and a
spherical Earth, such as flying or
shapes of the sailing.
Sun, Earth and
moon Ask students to think of
Compare objects that they think are is the Earth, they hold a
relevant sizes the same shape as the
of the sun Earth, for example a
basketball. Ask students to
name the shape ( a
sphere) and discuss how a
sphere is different from a
circle or a disk.
Record in their science
journals.
descriptions about
the idea of object.
Give students and
example. ( discuss that
movement may be
indicated by lines with
arrows or turning arrows.
Share their drawings with
a partner.
Students will work in Students will come back
groups of four to conduct and record their findings in Enabling: Work sample:
an experiment. This their science book. Students are working (Formative assessment)
involves a ball ( sun), Students can draw an collaboratively, and are
annotated picture with their able to work together to Assessment will be
marble ( moon ). One measurements. solve problems. collected through work
student is the sun, they samples. This is an
stand with their back Show students an image of Extending: ongoing aspect of the
against a wall. One student the planets. Students are able to give Explore phase.
an estimation on distance
tennis ball, and then walk between each. This lesson you will
backwards with one eye monitor students
closed until the Earth developing understanding
appears to be the same of the shape and relevant
size. One student is the sizes of the Sun, Moon
moon, they hold a marble and Earth.
and walk backwards from
the earth until the moon
appears the same size.
The fourth student is the
measurer. They record the
distance between the sun,
and the earth and the earth
and the moon. Students
will take in turns to swap
roles. Students can use
ipads to take photos to
help them visualise.
 Review lesson one on Students will watch the Students will discuss their Enabling prompt: Anecdotal record:
Session 3 night and day and the video below on shadows. annotated picture with a Students are able to use - You will observe
Students will be differences and focus partner. their science journal to help students
able to; attention on answers https://www.youtube.com/w them. Group discussions understanding of
Describe referred to light and atch?v=1SN1BOpLZAs ( at the end of the day go in students get stuck.
how shadows are
changes in shadows. and revisit their drawing
of their object ). formed and how
size and
direction of - What is a shadow? Students are to write down they change.
shadows - What is needed to in their science journals
during a day make a shadow? their ideas of shadows.
Describe - How do shadows
apparent change? They are able to create an
movement of annotated picture of a
the Sun across Take students outside to shadow.
the sky from play Shadow tag
East to West
each day
Describe how - does your shadow
shadows are move in the same
made. direction as you?
Observe light - Are you and your
and shaded shadow smaller or
sides of larger?
objects in - What do you think
sunlight.
causes a shadow?

Looking around the school,

and observe sunny and
shady places. Different
objects that have one side
shadow and one light.

- Are places or
objects always in
sunlight or shade
throughout the
day?

Students can use

chalk to outline
and object.
Students use the
 ipad to take
photos of their
findings.

Review activities from the Ask the students what they Enabling prompt: Work samples and
Session 4 previous lessons, using remember from the video. Students will come Using the word wall and observations:
Students will be science journals and word together and review there images created on the
able to: wall. Write down the important work and the main words board, try to prompt Work samples will be
Demonstrate - What do we know words from the video. explored in todays lesson, student. collected. Students need
that the Earth about the Sun and adding to the word wall. to be able to identify the
spins on its the Earth? -Axis Extending: concepts o:
axis causing - What do shadows -Rotation Students are able to role Student can add detail to -day and night
day and night. -Revolution play what happens with their annotated picture/ and - Rotation
tell us about the
-Orbit using the objects used in show their deep -Revolution
movement of the the experiment. understanding through roll
Earth? As a group, do the playing.
experiment using the globe
and the lights.
Watch video of the
earth rotation. As a group/ independently
depending on how much
https://www.youtube.co they were able to take in.
m/watch? Students can draw and
v=l64YwNl1wr0 annotate a picture of what
happens for day and night
into the science journals.
( as seen on page 15 ).
 Students will revisit the Students will come back Extending: Formative assessment:
Session 5 concept from the previous Introduce the enlarged together and discuss their Students can create their In this lesson you will
lessons: copy of The spinning drawing and reasons for model monitor students
- Who remembers Earth. As a group discuss; their thinking. developing understanding
what happens Enabling: of:
when it is day and - Which is the sun Update the word wall with Students will work - How the Earths
Which is the words and images. collaboratively. rotation on its axis
night?
- How does the Earth? causes regular
- Why do you think Explore
earth move? changes,
- What did we find that? including day and
from our previous - Are the sun and night.
lesson/ what were earth that close
some of the words together?
we found?

Students will then complete

Students will watch another
their own copy of the
video of day and night to
spinning earth.
try and spark previous
Once students have
knowledge.
completed it/ if there is
time:

Student will create a model

of day and night, showing
their understanding of how
the earth moves. ( see
appendix ).