INSTRUCTIONAL

PLAN

Teacher Candidate: Aubrey Curran Date: August 10th 2017

Grade/Subject: 1st grade Science Time Frame: 1 hour 30 minutes with additional time for
Lesson Title: Interactive Moon Phases transitioning

DESIRED RESULTS

Big Idea/Concepts:
Summarize the big idea(s) (overarching concepts that transcend all grades) and key concept(s) that the lesson will
address. What do you want students to understand about the topic?

By the end of the lesson students will be able to describe, observe, and identify the eight moon phases by
the use of hand signals. They will be able to state the type of moon, and throughout the week they will
learn how they orbit, and relay information as to how the sun affects the phases.

State-Adopted Content Standards or Common Core Standards:

What content or common core standard(s) are you addressing?

NGSS Content Standards:
1.Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles

1-ESS1-1. Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted. ESS1.A: The
Universe and its stars. Patterns of the motion of the sun, moon, and stars in the sky can be observed, described,
and predicted. (1- ESS1-1) Make observations (firsthand or from media) to collect data that can be used to make
comparisons. (1-ESS1-2)

Common Core State Standards:

SL.1.1.A Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time
about the topics and texts under discussion).

SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or
through other media.

Academic Objective:
What specifically do you want the students to be able to know and/or do by the end of the lesson?

After completing this lesson, students will be able to discuss facts about the moon, recognize different phases of
the moon, and understand why the moon has phases through investigation.

Purpose: To observe, describe, and predict the phases of the moon.

Language Objective for English Learners:
Based on identified student language needs

By the end of this lesson ELLs will be able to demonstrate their knowledge of moon phases by the use
of their hand signals. Additionally, they will complete CCD charts for more practice with vocabulary
words, definitions and pictures: moon, phase, waxing, waning, sphere, counterclockwise, gibbous, crescent,
quarter moon, full moon, new moon, orbit.

ASSESSMENTS
What evidence will you gather at the beginning of the lesson, during the lesson, and/or at the end of the lesson that will
show the extent to which the students have made progress toward the academic learning objective(s)? Attach rubric or
scoring guide as appropriate.

Assessment: Students prior knowledge was assessed using the Cognitive Content Dictionary (CCD) on the
moon, phases of the moon, and craters.

During the lesson: students ability to recognize vocabulary, the attention getter, the moon phases hand signals
and the moon phases worksheet will help the teacher assess student understanding.

Prior Knowledge: The students have been taught the terms celestial, constellation, and astronomer through
CCD charts. Throughout the unit, the teacher will put a spin on the attention getter, Teacher: Class, class, class
Students: Yes, yes, yes.

Instead the teacher will say one of the following:

Teacher: celestial, celestial. Students: is everything in space.
Teacher: constellation, constellation. Students: a picture formed by stars.
Teacher: astronomer, astronomer. Students: is a person who studies the solar system.
Teacher: crater, crater. Students: a large hole on the moons surface.
(10 minutes)

ADAPTATIONS, REMEDIATION AND EXTENSIONS

How will you differentiate or adapt your lesson to meet the diverse needs for EL, special needs, and academically
underachieving or high achieving learners?
All students are given a moon phases booklet to use as a reference to aid in filling out their charts.
While students are working on their charts, the teacher will walk around to the EL students to help
guide them. Once students have filled out their charts, the teacher will fill in her copy and display it on
the projector for students to look at and compare with their own work.
Students with special needs will be partnered with a teacher-selected buddy to help them complete their
reading, highlighting, and discussion of information. If further assistance is needed past the ability of the
assigned buddy, the teacher will be closely monitoring to step in when needed.
For students who are generally underachieving, the teacher will assign them a buddy that will not only help
them finish their work, but will additionally motivate them to finish. The teacher may choose one of these
students and ask them to be a helper handing out the materials because this usually gets the students
engaged.
For those students who are academically high leaners, the teacher will give them extra worksheets that she
had printed for those who finished early. The teacher will also ask these students to be mini teachers and
walk around the room to see if any classmates need additional help.

RESOURCES

What materials will you use for this lesson? (technology and/or resources)
1 poster boards (Astronomer Bugaloo), post-it notes, pens, 25 moon charts, 25 pencils, 25 yellow
crayons, internet access, overhead projector, 25 moon phases booklets, 9 moon phases print-outs,
language frames, 8 moon balls, and 25 blank diagrams of the moon phases.
Moonconnection.com

References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCweccNOaqo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4ZHdzl6ZWg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhhSmpFtg7k
 (20 minutes)

INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY

Instructional Plan Rationale

Astronomer Bugaloo
(During this song the children use hand movements that go along
with the words so they gain a better understanding of what the
chant is about. Repeated the beginning of the lesson throughout the
week.)

Im an astronomer and I am here to say, (point to the ground)

I study the stars and planets nearly every single day! (hold up an
ENGAGE/ANTICIPATORY SET (hook): imaginary telescope)
Motivation for Lesson: Communicating Sometimes I watch a video, sometimes I read a book, (fold hands
the academic learning goals and out to look like a book)
activating prior knowledge/interests of Sometimes I get a telescope to take a look! (hold up an imaginary
telescope)
students.

Sun, moons, and stars its true! (jazz hands in the air)
Doing the astronomy bugaloo! (everyone dances)

Every single day the sun rises in the east, (one arm goes from east
(10 minutes) to west)
Once the sun comes out, the night has ceased. (put both hands
together to form a circle, then wave good-bye with one hand)
Patterns of motions can be observed and predicted. (hold up an
imaginary telescope)
Celestial movements can be depicted. (jazz hands in the air)

Sun, moons, and stars its true! (jazz hands in the air)
Doing the astronomy bugaloo! (everyone dances)
EXPLORE: Prior Knowledge: The students homework is to look at the moon
Student Inquiry: Describe how students each night and observe what they see and during the morning
will explore problem or activity. routine, students tell the teacher using language frames their
observations. Every morning the teacher pulls up a picture of the
AND/OR moon from the previous night on moonconnection.com and the
children recorded what they see in their journal. As of now, the
DIRECT INSTRUCTION: Describe the concept students have 2 weeks of observations in their charts. Now we will
or skill development strategies (including begin learning about the specific phases, what causes them, and
modeling). Describe your plan for some common misconceptions.
instruction in the order in which it will be
implemented (with approximate times for Instruction: Eight stations in a circle will be formed that represent
each step). the phases of the moon (First Quarter, Waxing Crescent, New
Moon, Waning Crescent, Third Quarter, Waning Gibbous, Full
Moon, Waxing Gibbous, and First Quarter). At each station, there
will be copies of each phase and a white ball (the moon.) The
(40 minutes) teacher will be the sun with a flashlight. Students will be divided
 into their 8 groups. In each group, one student will be moon and
one will be the Earth. The teacher will turn the lights off and the
moon student will hold their moons up in the designated spots,
created by the teacher. The student that represents the Earth and the
third students in the group will look at printed out cards of the
phases of the moon and pick which moon phase they see. Students
will use the moon phases chart to help guide them fill in a blank
diagram of the moon phases.

Guided Practice: Students will ask questions about the moon and
its phases. They can see their own observations on their moon chart
and ask questions they would like more information on. The
children will raise their hands and the teacher will call on them and
GUIDED PRACTICE: write their question on sticky notes. The sticky notes will be placed
Guided practice of concept or skill on the board next to the drawing of the moon that will later serve as
development strategies: What will the an input chart. These questions will be used during tomorrows
students do? How will they be grouped? lesson.
What explicit questions will be posed to
students? What misunderstandings are Grouping: Students are grouped in 8 groups of 3, one group of 4
anticipated? (1 middle, 1 low, and 1 high). This is because each table has been
What is the teacher response and named as a phase of the moon, and students will be creating moon
guidance? phases that will be hung from the ceiling about their group by the
last day of the lesson.

Common Misconceptions to discuss: The moon makes its own
light, instead of reflecting sunlight. The moons phases are caused
(20 minutes) by the earths shadow. Clouds cause the moons phases. The
moons phases are caused by earths rotation on its axis. The moon
takes one day to orbit the earth. The moon orbits the sun instead of
the earth.

Explain: At the beginning of each lesson we will use hand signals

to learn each of the moon phases. Students will use sentence frames
to describe their observations. Using their moon journal as
evidence, students will predict what they think the moon will look
EXPLAIN/ASSESS: like at night tonight and tomorrow night.
Student/Teacher instructional support:
How will students share ideas? Students will join teacher to learn hand signals:
How will you determine that the students New Moon (hands down)
understand the concept or skill well Full Moon (both arms in the air making a circle)
enough to complete it independently? Waxing Gibbous (hands 4 inch apart to the right side)
Waning Gibbous (hands 4 inch apart to the left side)
First Quarter (left arm straight in the air and the right arm making a
half circle)
(10 minutes)
Waxing Crescent (hands 1 inch apart to the right side)
Waning Crescent (hands 1 inch apart to the left side)
Third Quarter (right arm straight in the air and the left arm making
a half circle)
 Students will answer the following: (for independent
assessment)
-Students will return to their seats and answer the following:
ELABORATE/INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (in
class): Last night I observed that the moon looked like ______.
Student practice of a learned skill or There was more/less light than the night before.
concept: I think the moon will have more/less light tonight.
How will students generalize their
Independent group practice:
understanding beyond the problems
Students will switch stations around 5-10 minutes. During this
posed and discussed?
time, the teacher will walk over to each group and make sure they

are standing in the proper spots and fully understand what they

should be doing. Students will have 10 minutes to complete the

first rotation. Rotations 2 and 3 will be 8 minutes long and rotations
(40 minutes/under instruction)
4 and 5 will be 5 minutes.

Assessment:
The teacher will grade the students responses from the above
CLOSURE: independent assessment and grade for understanding. Students will
Formal check for understanding: How will be pulled into small groups tomorrow for smaller instruction for
you assess whether your students met those who show low understanding.
your academic objective?
Additionally, before leaving each day the teacher will prompt the

students to demonstrate phase knowledge with the hand signals:

During the lesson, students learned different hand signals to
represent each phase. The teacher will call out the phases on
(10 minutes) the carpet before going home: new moon (hands down) and full
moon (both arms in the air making a circle.)