Lesson

Plan
Grade Level: Third Grade
Topic

New vocabulary - Telescope

- This vocabulary lesson follows the reading passage about the solar
system (see Appendix A).
- Students are familiar with and able to apply the Think, Pair, Share
grouping strategy.
- Students have already received instruction and have basic knowledge of
how to use a dictionary.
- Students are familiar with how to use the Word Map graphic organizer
(see Appendix B).

Lesson Goals

- This lesson will teach students which technology scientists use to explore
the solar system.
- Students will use new vocabulary that is introduced and taught directly.

Student Objectives Students will be able to:

- Identify the meaning of the new term: telescope
- Write a sentence with the term telescope
- Find/draw a picture illustrates the term telescope
Key terms

- Telescope
- Solar System
- Planet
- Sun
- The moon

Instructional Plan
Resources and
Materials

- Whiteboard and dry-erase marker

- Overhead projector

- Toy telescope
- Flashcard with the term and its picture (you can find the flash card here:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B33xuNJ9EXO9OHhvSXlRRzA0Q2M&a
uthuser=0
- Graphic organizer sheets
Introduction
(engagement)
(2 - 3 minutes)
Pre-reading
(3 minutes)

Writing
(5 minutes)

Learning activities
(1st activity: 15
minutes
2nd activity: 30
minutes)

Modeling

Coached practice

Play a song about the solar system and then ask students: Is it possible for
us to see all this planets in the solar system? Lets discover that in this
lesson.
(You can find the song here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLhqWE3kxgQ)
The students will read a short passage about the solar system that
includes the key term that we will focus on in this lesson. Which is
telescope (You can find the passage here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B33xuNJ9EXO9bXlxTFpiQnc4ZWs/view?
usp=sharing)
Each student will be given a card to write an answer for the previous
question: Is there a way we can see the planets in the solar system?
Once students finish writing their sentences, the teacher will have a look
at them and ask students to share what the have written. Then, the
teacher will show them the toy telescope and say: How about using this
tool? Do you think it will help us to see the solar system with the naked
eye? The teacher will show them the flashcard that includes the term.
S/he will ask them to read it loudly three times.
- First activity: The teacher will give students a graphic organizer (you can
find it here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B33xuNJ9EXO9YmNubmhSY2RGZDA/vie
w?usp=sharing) and ask students to do it individually. It is about the
telescope

- Second activity: The teacher will ask students to write a story about the
solar system. They have to use the term telescope in their story. They are
going to work in pairs.
The teacher will go over the graphic organizer to explain to students how
are they going to do it.

The teacher will show students an example of a story s/he designed about
the solar system titled: The Solar System as I see it through my telescope
to show students the end results of the story.
The teacher will ask students to work with him/her on a students-teacher
hand on activity to start designing their stories and selecting a title.

Independent
Activity

Assessment

Students will do graphic organizers individually to seek their

understanding of the word telescope in the diagram.

Students will work in pairs to write their stories. This will give them the
opportunity to share their ideas with their colleagues.
- Students are going to present their graphic organizers and they will be
graded on them.
- All the stories will be graded as well.

Differentiations

- The teacher will spend more time during guided and independent
practice scaffolding to the low-level students.
- Regarding any struggling readers: Those students who are struggling
with defining the words on their own will work directly with the teacher
when using the words in an original sentence. The teacher will provide
scaffolding to enable these students to complete the story.
- Once High-level students will finish writing their stories, they will be
given the opportunity to review their stories to enhance their writing, and
they will be given the opportunity to draw pictures for their stories.

Appendix A: The reading Passage

Taken from: https://www.aiaa.org/uploadedFiles/Education_and_Careers/STEM_K-
12_Outreach/Kids_Place/Solar_System_and_Planets_Activities/Our%20Solar%20System%20-
%20grades%202-5[1].pdf

Appendix B: The reading Passage