Developmental Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Rachel Serfass Date: 11/10/2020

Group Size: Whole Class (20) Allotted Time: 40 minutes Grade Level: 4

Subject or Topic: Planets

Common Core/PA Standard(s):

Standard 3.3.4.B1

Identify planets in our solar system and their basic characteristics.

Describe the earth’s place in the solar system that includes the sun (a star), planets, and
many moons.

Learning Targets/Objectives:
The fourth grade students will be able to name and describe the characteristics of the other
planets in the solar system by exploring whether or not other planets could support life.

Assessment Approaches: Evidence:

1. Inquiry sheet 1. Students hand in inquiry sheet
2. Group presentations of information 2. characteristics of planets presented, and
3. Exit ticket reasoning for life explained
3. Lists planets in order and gives
characteristics of each planet

Assessment Scale:
Rubric for Planet Presentation

Subject Matter/Content:
Prerequisites:
- Know what a planet is.
- Know what is necessary for living things to survive
- Understand states of matter
Key Vocabulary:

Content/Facts:
- There are eight planets in our solar system (not including Pluto).
- Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
- The first four are solid planets, and the last four are made up of gases.
- Mercury
- Mercury is the smallest planet
- made of a solid core
- because it is so close to the sun, its surface temperature can reach 840
degrees F, but since it doesn't have much of a real atmosphere to entrap any
heat, at night temperatures can plummet to minus 275 degrees F,
- scientists think that there may be icy pockets in some areas of the surface
- the planet gets hit with asteroids a lot, because of the lack of atmosphere.
- Venus
- it is similar in size to Earth
- metallic iron core
- hottest planet in our solar system due to it being so close to the sun and
having a thick atmosphere that traps the heat inside
- there is no liquid water on the surface of Venus.
- Earth
- solid planet
- heated by the sun
- has an atmosphere that keeps some sunlight and heat inside, but not too
much that it’s too hot
- the sun gives energy to plants, which feed other animals
- there is abundant liquid water on the surface of the planet
- axis tilted slightly
- Mars
- solid planet with a rocky surface,
- has a similar atmosphere to Earth’s, but it’s thinner
- Mars is cold
- Because it is so cold, liquid water cannot exist, if there is water on the surface,
it would be frozen
- has the largest mountains and volcanoes in the solar system
- Jupiter
- largest planet in the solar system,
- is a gas planet
- has strong winds that cause the stripes of color
- clouds in the atmosphere contain frozen ammonia or other chemicals rather
than water, and because of this it may rain diamonds instead of water
droplets.
- Jupiter has no water that we know of.
- Jupiter has a giant storm, called the Great Red Spot that has lasted hundreds
of years.
- has 79 moons
- Saturn
 - gas planet
- no liquid water
- less dense than water
- has rings made up of ice and rocks
- has at least 62 moons
- Uranus
- gas planet
- first planet to be discovered by scientists
- axis is tilted almost completely sideways
- blue-green color caused by gas called “methane” in its atmosphere
- much of its composition is water, which is why it is sometimes called an “ice
giant”
- coldest planet
- also thought to have diamond rain
- Neptune
- bright blue color
- very cold because of its distance from the sun
- ice giant because of water in its composition
- has a large storm on its surface
- 14 known moons
- Earth is the only planet that does sustain life that we know of.
- There could be other planets outside of our solar system that do, but we can’t
know this for sure.
Introduction/Activating/Launch Strategies:
- Good morning, scientists! Are we ready to be astronomers again today?
- Well, remember the questions I asked you yesterday about whether or not other
planets could support life? Has anyone had any conversations since yesterday that
may have changed your opinion?
- Allow time for discussion
- These are all really good thoughts! Let’s find out what the scientists at Crash Course
have to say.
- Watch Crash Course Video “Life on Other Planets: Crash Course Kids #45.1”
- Have a discussion about what the kids thought after the video. Did their opinions
change?

Development/Teaching Approaches
- Direct students to take out a piece of paper and take notes on the powerpoint, so that
they have information to use for the activity that they will be doing after the
powerpoint.
- Use the “Life on Other Planets?” powerpoint to review what is needed to support life
-- an energy source, water, and food (which also comes from the energy source)
- Still using the powerpoint, teach the names of the other planets in our solar system.
- Name each planet one by one in order, explaining that this is the order of the planets
from the nearest to the sun to the farthest.
- Tell the students that the first four planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, are solid
planets, meaning they are made up of rock and other solid materials such as metals.
- Then, talk about how the outer four planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune,
are made up of gases.
- Ask the question: Do you think that a planet made up of gases could support life?
Why do you think that?
- Allow them to discuss their ideas.
- On the slide that says “What planets do you think could support life?” move onto the
inquiry activity. Hand out the inquiry sheet for the planet activity, and then split the
class into eight groups, and assign each group a planet.
- Emphasize that while the students are filling out the inquiry sheet, they need to
explain why they think that the planet could support life, and not just give a yes or no
answer. For example, for the group that has Earth, they already know that their
answer is going to be a definite yes, but they need to give reasons why it can support
life. Ask the question: “What specific characteristics of Earth make it able to support
life?”
- Each student will get a computer or an iPad to do research on their planet with their
groups.
- While the students are doing research, walk around and visit each group, asking them
questions about their planet such as, “Is it warm enough for life?” “Is it too hot?”
“Where would the living things get their energy or food?” “Where would it live?”
“What adaptations would it have to have to survive on this planet?” The last question
gets them thinking for the activity that they will do for the last activity of the day.
- After the students have done their research on their assigned planet, and created a
powerpoint using the information, each group will present what they have learned
about their planet, including characteristics of it.
- While the groups are presenting, the other students will be filling out a foldable with
8 flaps, one for each planet, to keep track of the characteristics of each planet to use
for future reference in the final activity and to study for the summative test at the end
of the unit.
- Have the students present the planets in the order that they are from nearest to the
sun to farthest from the sun, giving the information that they found while their peers
fill out a foldable with characteristics of each planet. Add any necessary
characteristics that they students were not able to find, but should know. Use the
second half of “Life on Other Planets?” powerpoint to make sure that all relevant
information is covered.
- After the presentations and filling out the foldables, the students will move into the
final independent activity.
- For the final activity, they will choose a planet randomly, by picking the name of a
planet out of a hat. Using their foldables, they will consider the characteristics of that
planet and create a creature that could live there. Ask questions like: “how would
they survive without water?” “would they survive with a different liquid?” “Would
they breathe something other than oxygen?” “What about the planets that have too
much radiation, like Venus?” They can give their creature any attributes that they
 want, and name it whatever they like.
- Their creations will be hung up and displayed in the classroom, and I will look at them
to check that the students had a correct understanding of the characteristics of the
planet that they based their creature off of.
- After hanging their creature, the students will complete the exit ticket. They may use
their foldable to complete.

Closure/Summarizing Strategies:
- Scientists, you have all done a great job exploring the solar system over the past
week! Who wants to share the creature that you created with the class?
- Allow some students to show their creatures, leaving them where they are hung, and
why they gave them the attributes that they gave them based on the characteristics
of the planet that they had.
- Say: Tomorrow, we are going to be reviewing for the unit test, so come with your
thinking caps ready.

Accommodations/Differentiation:
- Student with visual impairment (not completely blind)
- larger text for powerpoint and inquiry sheet
- larger sheet of paper for foldable
- 3D planets they can hold in their hands
Materials/Resources:
- Crash Course Video
- Life on Other Planets Powerpoint
- Inquiry Sheet
- Exit Ticket

References:
Choi, C. Q. (2017, October 14). Planet Mercury: Facts About the Planet Closest to the Sun.
Retrieved from https://www.space.com/36-mercury-the-suns-closest-planetary-
neighbor.html#:~:text=Mercury is the second densest,500 to 600 km) thick.
Choi, C. Q. (2019, February 07). Mars: What We Know About the Red Planet. Retrieved from
https://www.space.com/47-mars-the-red-planet-fourth-planet-from-the-sun.html
Choi, C. Q. (2017, May 12). Planet Neptune: Facts About Its Orbit, Moons & Rings.
Retrieved from https://www.space.com/41-neptune-the-other-blue-planet-in-our-
solar-system.html
Choi, C. Q. (2019, May 13). Saturn: Facts About the Ringed Planet. Retrieved from
https://www.space.com/48-saturn-the-solar-systems-major-ring-bearer.html
Choi, C. Q. (2019, July 10). Uranus: The Ringed Planet That Sits on its Side. Retrieved from
https://www.space.com/45-uranus-seventh-planet-in-earths-solar-system-was-first-
discovered-planet.html#:~:text=Physical characteristics,water, methane and ammonia
ice.
Choi, C. Q. (2019, August 09). Jupiter: Our Solar System's Largest Planet. Retrieved from
https://www.space.com/7-jupiter-largest-planet-solar-system.html
Choi, C. Q. (2020, January 16). Venus: The hot, hellish & volcanic planet. Retrieved from
https://www.space.com/44-venus-second-planet-from-the-sun-brightest-planet-in-
solar-system.html#:~:text=Venus' crust is mostly basalt,greenhouse effect that warms
Earth.
Crash Course Kids. “Life on Other Planets: Crash Course Kids #45.1.” YouTube, 17 Feb. 2016,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gHDCOSI5Es. Accessed 19 Feb. 2019.

Reflective Response:
Report of Student Learning Target/Objectives Proficiency Levels

Remediation Plan (if applicable)

Personal Reflection Questions

Additional reflection/thoughts