Unit Plan Overview

Unit: Solar system

Teacher: Stella Jang

Stage 1- Desired Results

Connections to Context:
School Standard
- Developing curiosity and awe about
creation
- Approach scientific knowledge with
discernment in a rapidly changing
world
Established Goals:
Michigan Science Standards:
E.ST. 04.11
Identify the sun and moon as
common objects in the sky
E.ST. 04.21
Describe the orbit of the Earth
around the sun as it defines a year
E.ST. 04.22
Explain that the spin of the Earth
creates day and night
Common Core Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.1
Ask and answer questions to
demonstrate understanding of a
text, referring explicitly to the text
as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7
Use information gained from
illustrations and the words in a text
to demonstrate understanding of the
text.

Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to
Use their knowledge to remember the order of the planets
Understand basic facts about each planets
Explore rotation and revolutions
Understand basic facts about the sun, moon, and stars
(What kinds of long-term independent accomplishments are desired?)

Meaning
UNDERSTANDINGS
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Students will understand that
Students will keep considering
Earth is orbiting the Sun through rotation and How would life be without night and day?
revolutions
How does enormous of solar system shows
Each planets has different size, structure,
about God?
appearance and distance from the Sun
How characteristics of each planets are
What causes day and night (24 hours = 1
different?
day)
Can people live on other planets?
What causes 4 seasons (365 days = 1 year)
(What specifically do you want students to
understand?
What inferences should they make?)

(What thought-provoking questions will foster inquiry,

meaning- making and transfer?)

Acquisition of Knowledge, Skill and Values/Commitments/Dispositions

Cognitive Objectives
Physical Development
Socio-emotional Objectives
Objectives
Students will be able to know
Students will be able to
Students will be able to
vocabulary terms related to
discuss how they could use
solar system
complete their work using
scientific knowledge to
different materials.
joyfully serve God and His
Students will be able to
community.
Students will be able to
describe the distance
Students will be able to
between sun and identify
make their own models of
characteristics of each
solar system using play
communicate and work with
planets
dough.
their peers when they are
making a poster.
Students will be able to know Students will be able to
Students will be able to
characteristics of each
create a flap book and
planets
decorate it using different
interact with their peers
materials.
when they are presenting
Students will be able to
their work.
Students will be able to look
demonstrate rotation and

(What content standards and programor mission-related goal(s) will the unit
address?
What habits of mind and crossdisciplinary goal(s)- for example 21st
century skills, core competencies- will
this unit address?
Include source and identifying number)
Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

revolution.
Students will be able to relate
their learning into Gods
creation.
Students will be able know
what causes day and night/ 4
seasons.
Students will be able to
define solar system.
Students will be able to lists
planets in order
Students will be describes
and present their own solar
system to the class.
Students will be able to
discuss and compare their
solar system to the real one.
Students will be able to
describe the characteristics of
Mercury.
Students will be able to
discover various facts of
Mercury
Student will be able to
expand their thinking about
solar system as they answer
to questions.
Students will be able to
summarize and tell their
thoughts with their peers.
Students will be able to
compare Mercury with other
planets.
Students will be able to know
the characteristics of each
planet.
Students will be able to
distinguish differences of
each planet.
Students will be able to
explain characteristics of
planets.

at pictures and books to find

out the characteristics of
planets.

(What discrete skills and processes

should students be able to use?)

Students will be able to work

in group to learn about
planets.
Students will be able to
discuss and share their ideas
when they are doing group
project.
Students will be able to work
collaboratively with their
group, doing their assigned
job.

(What values and commitments and

attitudes should students acquire or
wrestle with?)

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

Students will be able to

prepare their presentations
with their groups.
Students will be able to
compare differences of
planets.
Students will be able to relate
planets to solar system unit.

(What facts and basic concepts

should students know and be
able to recall?)

Evaluative Criteria

(What criteria will be used in each

assessment to evaluate attainment of
the desired results?)(rubric required)

Accuracy - content

Grammar

Label

Title

Neatness
(Regardless of the format of the
assessment, what qualities are most
important?)

Accuracy - content

Stage 2- Evidence
Students will show their learning by (summative assessment)
PERFORMANCE TASK(S):
Students will show that they really understand this unit by evidence of
-

At the end of this unit, I would have students to present their assigned planets to the class. As
they are preparing for their presentation, they could learn facts about their planets through
books, pictures and some research. Also as they are presenting their work, it will provide them
to organize and think thoroughly what they have found out and other peers could learn about
each others planets.
(How will students demonstrate their understanding- meaning-making and transfer- through complex
performance?)

OTHER EVIDENCE:
Completing worksheets, activities, projects, etc. on planets
Defining vocabularies on solar system
Understanding questions and asking critical thinking questions
My observation throughout the unit
(What other evidence will you collect to determine whether Stage 1 goals were achieved?

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

Stage 3- Learning Plan

Students drew mind map in groups to see what they know about solar system from last year.
Pre-assessment- due: April 2nd

(What pre-assessments will you use to check students prior knowledge, skill levels, and potential misconceptions?)
(Toward which goal does
Learning Events
each learning event build?)
Acquisition
Meaning
Transfer

Progress Monitoring

Student success at transfer, meaning, and acquisition depends upon their

participation in these learning events
Lesson 1 :
- Have two students to come up to the front and have them to show
rotation and revolution.
- Students will be making posters on rotation and revolution with their
partner.
(What does rotation and revolution means? What cause rotation and
revolution?)
Lesson 2:
- Recalling students knowledge by doing the play dough activity
students will be working in their groups making their own solar
system. They will be putting planets in order and will be comparing
their solar system to the actual one.
- Building on students answer by making a poster after students
figure out order of 8 planets, they are going to make the poster.
Students need to cut all the images of planets and put them in order
on the poster.
Lesson 3:
- Discuss and share the essential questions ex) Mercury is the closes
planet to the sun, but Venus is the hottest. Why?
- Have students to make a flap book on Mercury after they finish
reading and learning all the facts and characteristics of Mercury so
that they could see how much they learn and know about Mercury.
(Guide students in competing the task, if some of students get to
finish early, give them fun activity sheets such as word puzzle or
word search)
Lesson 4:
- Reading articles and books students will be reading articles and
books of each planet together to learn about the characteristics and
interesting facts of each planet.
- Students will be working on their final projects with their groups
about their planets. (They could make poster, create My Story on
iPads, or make a book)
Lesson 5:

(How will you monitor students

progress toward acquisition,
meaning, and transfer during lesson
events?) (Formative Assessment)
Walking around to see if they
have questions and guiding
them when they are struggling
completing the activities or
worksheet
At the end of every class, I
could summarize what we
have learned and ask them
questions to see how many
students understood lessons.

(How will students monitor their

own progress toward
acquisition, meaning, and
transfer?)(Assessment as
learning)(rubric?)
Understanding questions and
completing the worksheets.

(What are potential rough spots and

student misunderstandings?)

It is hard to see and check

their understanding by just
looking at their
performances (activities,
worksheets, homework,
answering questions)
- There might be certain

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum

Have students to present their final projects to the class.

(Have you included multiple means of representation, multiple means of

action and expression, and multiple means of engagement?)
(Are all three types of goals (acquisition, meaning, and transfer) addressed
in the learning plan?)
(Does the learning plan reflect principles of learning and best practices?)
(Is there tight alignment with Stages 1 and 2?)

students who like to be

called on to answer
questions.
There could be times when I
would not able to answer
questions, because there
would be things that I do not
know about solar system.

(How will students get the feedback

they need?)
Verbally. (I could sit by their
desk and talk or call them to
my desk.)

Based on Wiggins and McTighe (2011) The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units and Van Brummelen (2002) Steppingstones to
Curriculum