SETON HILL UNIVERSITY

Lesson Plan Template

TOPIC
Name
Subject
Grade Level
Date/Duration
Big Ideas
Essential
Questions
PA/Common
Core/Standards

Objective
Bloom's
Taxonomy
Webb's Depth of
Knowledge
(DOK)
Formative &
Summative
Assessment
Evidence

DETAILS
Miss. Gallen
Earth and Space Science
Fourth Grade
One Class/Sixty Minutes
The solar system is made up of many planets, moons,
and stars
What is the order of the planets following the sun?
Which planets are hot?
Which planets are cold?
3.3.4.B1
Identify planets in our solar system and their basic
characteristics
Describe the Earths place in the solar system that
includes the sun (a star), planets, and moons
Recognize that the universe contains many billions of
galaxies and that each galaxy contains billions of stars
Individually, fourth grade students will successfully
label and place the nine planets in our solar system
three out of five times.
In small groups, fourth grade students will successfully
complete an interactive bulletin board three out of four
times

ISTE Standards
for Students

Framework for
21st Century
Learning

Accommodation
s, Modifications

Formative Assessment: Observe students as they

complete the interactive bulletin board and mark down
any correct answers to the questions provided
Summative Assessment: Provide an end-of-unit test on
all aspects of our solar system
Standard 1b
Students leverage technology to take an active role in
their choosing, achieving and demonstrating
competency in their learning goals, informed by the
learning sciences
Students build networks and customize their learning
environments in ways that support the learning process
Students will choose one of the nine planets and
provide extensive information on that planet taken from
the website planetsforkids.org
Johnathon will receive a study guide with most of the
notes filled in
Johnathon will receive extra time to complete projects
and tests
Johnathon will only half to research basic information
about the planet he chooses

CK

SUPERVISING
TEACHERS
SIGNATURE

Seton Hill University Lesson Plan Template Step-by-Step

Procedures
RATIONALE for
the Learning
Plan

This lesson will be taught after the students show their

understanding of standard 3.3.4.A6-Identify basic landforms
using models and simple maps. This unit will provide
information on the Earth and the landforms that are found.

Introduction

Activating Prior Knowledge

Students will describe different aspects of the Earth
Hook/Lead-In/Anticipatory Set
Watch clip from Bill Nye the Science Guy-Planets (4:179:13)
Ask students if they can name all nine planets
Big Idea Statement
There are nine planets in our solar system that revolve
around the sun
Essential Questions Statement
What is the order of the planets? Which planets are hot?
Which planets are cold?
Objective Statement
Students will label and name the planets in our solar
system
Students will complete an interactive bulletin board
Transition
Students will be grouped by planets and asked to move
from one area to another based on their planet
Students will revolve around the classroom to move
from one station to another
Key Vocabulary
Planets
Dwarf Planets
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Pluto
Hot
Cold
Sun
PreAssessment of Students

Explicit
Instructions

CK

1)

 KWL Chart
Discuss answers on the KWL chart to begin class
Modeling of the Concept
List the planets
o Write the names of the nine planets on the board
in red and blue markers
Group the planets into red and blue planets
o State that the red planets are hot planets and the
blue planets are cold planets
o Have the students follow along with a note guide
o Hand out red and blue crayons so the students can
write the planets in different colors
o Talk about the planets that are closer to the sun
and why they are hotter
o Talk about the planets that are further away from
the sun and why they are colder
Putting planets in order
o Group students by planets
o Have them transition into their planets groups by
moving to different areas in the classroom
o Have students guess the planet order based on
the information they have just learned about the
planets
o Hand out planet cut outs and have students
arrange them in the correct order
Write order of planets on board
o Have students write their predicted planet order
on the board
o Have students compare their predicted orders
o Write the correct order of planets on the board
Planet Pneumonic
o Have paper and markers at each table grouping
with brief information about each planet
o Have students rotate in their planet groups to
each station
o Students will copy the information with the
pneumonic onto a foldable
o My Very Excited Mother Just Served Us Nachos
Group students by hot and cold planets
o In the planet groups have students stand in the
correct planet order
o Have students, in planet groups, group into hot
and cold planets
o Discuss why the planets are either hot or cold
Interactive bulletin board/Planet search
o Split class into three groups
o Have two groups research the planet they want to
study on planetsforkids.org
o Have third group complete the interactive bulletin

Reading
Materials
Technology
Equipment
Supplies

board
o Rotate groups so all three are able to complete
bulletin board
Guiding the Practice
Putting planets in order
o How are you deciding where the planets are being
placed?
o What is the easiest way to group the planets?
o Look Fors-Groups working together and talking,
rationale for planet placement
Write Order of planets on board
o Which groups had the same ideas?
o What were the biggest clues you looked for to
figure out the planet order?
o Look Fors-Students have similar planet orders
Planet Pneumonic
o Do you have a different pneumonic that you can
think of?
o Look Fors-Students understand how the
pneumonic works
Group students by hot and cold
o How do you know if your planet is hot or cold?
o How close is your planet to the sun?
o Look Fors-Students are agreeing with each other;
students understand where their planet falls in the
order of planets
Interactive bulletin board/Planet search
o Are you using the pneumonic for the bulletin
board?
o Why did you choose the planet for your project?
o Look Fors-Students understand and can show the
planet order
Providing the Independent Practice
Students will prove they know the planet order by
completing different activities throughout the lesson
There is a small rubric outlining the students progress in
mastering the planet order
Transition
Students will be grouped by planets and asked to move
from one area to another based on their planet
Students will revolve around the classroom to move
from one station to another
Bill Nye the Science Guy-Planets
Computers/iPads for planetsforkids.org
Crayons
Paper
Planet cut outs
Bulletin board

 Note guide
Evaluation of
Formal Evaluation
the
Students will show their mastery during the interactive
Learning/Master
bulletin board
y of the
It will be recorded how many times they are able to
Concept
place the planets into the correct order and which
students helped in the process
These records will be added into their final grade for
their Earth and space science grade
Informal Evaluation
Notes will be taken during the small group discussions
Students will be given participation points for the
information they share with their group
Closure
Summary & Review of the Learning
Ask students what they learned in class that day
Use white boards to write planets in correct order
Students share where they struggled in the lesson and
where they succeeded
Students brainstorm other ways to teach the lesson
Homework/Assignments
Homework: one sheet paper for students to group the
planets into hot and cold and put them into the correct
order
Teacher

Self-reflection