Name: Abby Straszheim

Grade Level: 3rd Grade Level

Science Topic: Sun, Moon, Earth

Instructional Sequence Chart for a Lesson:

EPE Function and Rationale.

Lesson Name
& Timeframe

Brief Description of What the Teacher

Does and Says and What Students Will Be Doing

Setting
Behavior
Expectations

Review of Miss Straszheims Expectation. Take a look at our

poster that we created together. Have students read through
each expectation (follow directions, ask questions, respect and
help others, participate, quiet hands and learning minds)
This unit will be focused on characteristics and movement
patterns. We are going to be focusing on the sun, the earth, and
the moon. We will be doing lots of activities and hands on
exploring to learn about these two categories.

Introduction to
the unit

Lesson 1
[30 minutes]

The first lesson is about size and distance. Students will begin by
predicting the sizes of the sun, earth, and moon using play
dough. They will then write down a quick write explaining their
predictions of this observation. After they are explaining their
predictions we will explore the differences. Teacher will model the
relationship between objects with an 8 ball, a peppercorn, and a

Establishing a driving question

and eliciting students initial
ideas
Experience with patterns
Students Identifying patterns
Students explaining patterns
Comparing student
explanations to scientific
explanations
Students applying explanations
in new/different contexts

Establishing a driving question:

The introduction is to introduce
students to the concepts and
vocabulary words that will be
learning about. This will establish
a driving question in students
minds on what is the ultimate
goal and question we will be
answering as we learn these new
concepts.
Eliciting students initial ideas:
Following students preassessment task, it was clear that
not all students understood the
size relationship between these
objects in the sky. To begin this

pinhead to show how much bigger the sun is than the other two. I
will use a couple students to demonstrate the incredible distance
between the sun and the Earth and show the moon close by the
Earth.

Lesson 2
[30 minutes]

Lesson 3
[45 minutes]

lesson, students will be predicting

what the size order is which
provokes students initial ideas.
This gives me a chance to then
teach and address ideas that are
inaccurate and agree with those
initial ideas that are accurate.
This lesson is about heat and light. We will conduct an experiment Experience with patterns
to determine. A student will Take the temperatures of two cups of This experiment is a chance for
cold water. Cover one with aluminum foil and leave the other
students to work with small
uncovered. Put them in the sun (or under a light) for 15 minutes
groups to create their predictions,
and take the temperatures again. We will continue the lesson by
observations, and results.
doing a quick write of this prompt: Does the sun give off light,
Students identifying patterns
heat, or both? Why do you think so? We will see that the foil
As we gather back together to
reflects the radiation while water absorbs it.
take the new temperature after
awhile, students will be able to
identify patterns when every
group expresses their results.
This lesson is about rotation and revolving. Teacher will
Experience with patterns
demonstrate spinning around with a finger on head. This motion
This activity provides students
represents the Earth rotating. Teacher will explain how long it
with the opportunity to actively
takes for the Earth to rotate. Students will demonstrate how the
experience the concept and
Earth moves around an axis for 24 hours. Students will partner up movement patterns of the sun
and work with a flashlight. One partner will hold a flashlight while and Earth. As we experienced
the other partner rotates around showing how day and night
how the Earth rotates around an
happen. The moon does the same rotational movement but a lot
axis students experienced a
slower. Have students practice this. One partner remains the
pattern when we talked about
Earth by rotating in 24 hours while the moon partner takes 27
how the moon also has an axis
DAYS to rotate fully around.
that it rotates around.
Comparing students explanations
to scientific explanations
Students were able to see and
engage in the process of rotation
and revolution which we then
give scientific explanations to by
explaining how long it takes for
the Earth to rotate around its axis

Lesson 4
[30 minutes]

Lesson 5
[45 minutes]

Lesson 6
[30 minutes]

This lesson is also about rotating and revolving. Students will

spend time today working on creating a 2D model of the Earth,
sun, and moon. As teacher asks to show a motion students will
show with their model what that movement looks like. Students
will complete a summary writing after watching a Bill Nye video
Reasons for the Seasons https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=KUU7IyfR34o
This lesson is about waning and waxing. We will be learning the
lunar phases. To show the phases of the moon using Oreo
cookies. Pull cookie carefully apart so the frosting stays on one
cookie and looks like a full moon. The side without frosting
represents a new moon. Carefully with a toothpick, frosting is
scraped off to show the phases. Students can lay out the cookies
and draw the other pictures of the phases of the moon. We will
also start a class moon graph observation. Students will take
turns drawing the picture of the moon on each day of our
observations.

This lesson is also about waning and waxing. We will continue

talking about the different phases of the moon. We will create
another display of the different phases throughout the lunar
cycle. First students will begin by watching a Flocabulary video
about the moon phases to review vocabulary.

and the length of its orbit around

the sun. Comparing gives
students to take a guess as to
how long it takes for the sun to
orbit and then compare to how
long it actually takes.
Students explaining patterns
After we view a video regarding
the seasons, students will explain
patterns they saw in the video
that aligns with ideas we have
been experiencing. They also are
performing a summary writing
where they explain the patterns
of movement the now know.
Experience with patterns
As we are experiencing the moon
phases in this activity students
will begin seeing patterns. They
will understand the patterns of
the phases and the similarities
between waxing phases and
waning phases.
Comparing students explanations
to scientific explanations
Comparing students
explanations of what they see in
the sky at night to scientific
explanations of the actual phases
the moon goes through gives
meaning to students
observations.
Students explaining patterns
The previous lesson was all about
experiencing the phases and
seeing patterns. Todays lesson
will require them to explain the

Lesson 7
[45 minutes]

https://www.flocabulary.com/moon-phases/ Then we will create a

paper plate display of the moon phases. Placing the Earth in the
center of the plate students will see and explain how the moon
rotates as well.
This lesson is about high and low. Students will experience how
shadows are formed and what causes different shadows. Turning
the lights off stand an object up in the center of drawing paper.
Shine a flashlight on the object at different angles. Trace the
shadows that the object shows. Write down the angle of the light
used on the shapes and the length of the shadow. Students will
complete a quick write about the summary of their experiences.

This lesson is about true and false. This lesson focuses on

common misconceptions that people have about the sun and the
moon. Students will work with partners to determine which facts
are true and which are not. Students will have to defend their
answer to the rest of the class whether they feel it is a fact or a
misconception.
Lesson 8
[30 minutes]

Lesson 9
[40 minutes]

This lesson is to introduce students to the project they will be

completing. I will offer students all three-assessment options.
Teacher will model how to plan for a project. We will practice as a
class. Students will begin using this time for planning their
project.

patterns after reviewing specific

vocabulary.
Experience with patterns
This activity begins with students
actively experiencing patterns
without understanding the
meaning, just observation of
patterns.
Students explaining patterns
At the close of the activity
students will be able to take their
experiences to explain why
shadows are the length that they
are and how it differs based on
the time of day.
Students applying explanations in
new/different contexts
This unit is a lot of active, handson activities where student can
experience these sky models. In
this lesson, students will take the
patterns and explanations they
have made from those patterns
to apply it to misconception. This
gives students a chance to
correct their misconceptions from
the pre-assessments and
compare it to their current
understanding and explanations.
Students applying explanations in
new/different contexts
This new context is a projectbased context which is new for
students. Students will be

required to transfer their

knowledge and explanations into
a format to present.
Lesson 10
[30 minutes]

This time will be used to go through all criteria for the project. As
teacher talks with one group about their needs, the other two
groups may work to prepare for their presentation/project.
Presentations! Students will be required to fill out feedback forms
on presentations

Lesson 11
[45 minutes]

Presentations! Students will be required to fill out feedback forms

on presentations
Lesson 12
[45 minutes]

Students applying explanations in

new/different contexts
Not only will students be applying
their explanations in their project
but also seeing explanations in
other students projects which is
a new context for them.
Students applying explanations in
new/different contexts
Not only will students be applying
their explanations in their project
but also seeing explanations in
other students projects which is
a new context for them.