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Hi Jennifer,
Great lesson plan, one thing you can do is get the children to predict what they think will happen to shape of the moon before they record it. That way they have something to compare their observations too. They could also have a lesson where they compare notebooks with each other and hopefully observe very similar findings.Hi Jennifer,
Thats a very cohesive lesson plan as seems like it may be best split over a few periods. Creating a space station is an excellent role play activity where you can introduce the idea of different gravities and ask the children how that might change their day to day. What would be easier, what would be harder. Nasa has a page here about what it takes to be an astronaut: ESA – Space for Kids – Would you like to be an astronaut?Hi Irene,
Lovely lesson plan. Splitting them into groups to learn about their planet and then share with the class builds up on their research skills and confidence in delivering that information to others.
Hi Helen,
Fab idea to extend the lesson out to the super moons and invite the families to join in. Another great topic to discuss is the so called blood moon or strawberry moon: https://science.nasa.gov/moon/eclipses/
Hi Grace,
Using baby bear as an anchor point for the childrens understanding of the conditions of other planets is a great idea. Especially when you begin to talk about proximity to the sun and how that might effect temperature. What could baby bear wear on the colder planets to keep warm? Which is the best planet?Hi Fiona,
Great lesson plan. I particularly like your idea of showing them the plate, half plate and ball. They might all have different ideas of the shape of the moon from their own observations or from media. So this is a great way to introduce the idea of it changing shape.
I also think your flour and paint idea is a great way for them to make craters and emulate the bumpiness of the moon. Thanks for sharing your ideas!Hi Eleanor,
I think hands-on activities are a fantastic approach, especially if they work well with your group. If the weather doesn’t allow for outdoor shadow investigations, torches, paper and a few classroom objects can work just as well indoors. You could challenge the children to make the longest shadow possible and then ask them to share how they achieved it. This gives them a chance to explore and discover for themselves how changing the position of the light or the object affects the shadow. It keeps the activity active, engaging and accessible while introducing some great science concepts.
Hi Eimear,
Great lesson plan, really follows the inquiry framework. The mosaic is a great way to also communicate gravity, and why we dont fall of the earth! https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/what-is-gravity/en/
Hi Deidre,
I really love the cyanotype flower idea. It’s unfortunate that not all of them worked, but its a very good alternative way to explore the idea of the sun.
For your second idea, you could place a few objects outside and trace their shadows every couple of hours. Afterwards, the children could colour in the different shadow outlines and compare them. It would be a great way to explore how the Sun’s position affects the length and direction of shadows, and why they change throughout the day.
Hi Dean,
The prompts to ask them how they know are a great inclusion and will massively help them to build confidence with formulating their own ideas.
Hi Darren,
Sounds like a very tactile lesson plan. Making craters is alot of fun for children. You can show them what the surface of the moon actually looks like with this tool, taken by the lunar reconnaissance orbiter camera! <span class=”TextRun Underlined SCXW241118309 BCX0″ lang=”EN-US” xml:lang=”EN-US” data-contrast=”none”><span class=”NormalTextRun SCXW241118309 BCX0″ data-ccp-charstyle=”Hyperlink”>LROC QuickMap</span></span><span class=”EOP Selected SCXW241118309 BCX0″ data-ccp-props=”{"134233117":false,"134233118":false,"335559685":0,"335559737":0,"335559738":0,"335559739":160}”> </span>
Hello Clodagh,
This is a great lesson plan to help children build on any existing knowledge they have already. You could extend this to a quiz format after learning about the planets and have the photos places in different parts of the classroom. You could ask them for example ‘which planet is red?’ or ‘which planet is the coldest?’ and maintain the activity while retaining knowledge.Hi Claire,
Great ideas. Another fun way to extend shadow detectives it to challenge them to make specific shapes with their shadows! That shows they really understand and keeps them engaged trying to figure out the answerHi Ciara,
Wonderful lesson plan, i love the links between art and science too! You can go on to experiments with dropping objects to demonstrate gravity. Resources from Nasa for children for Gravity: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/search/gravity/
Hi Bernie,
Great lesson plan overall. I love the integration of recyclable materials. I think you could also use this lesson as a chance to talk to the children about what a unique planet ours is to be able to support life. We exist in the so called goldilocks zone https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ready-get-go-goldilocks-or-not/goldilock-or-not-ready-jet-go/
