Lesson Planning

Waynesburg University

Writing the lesson plan:

Translating thoughts into a plan of action
_____________________________________________
Pennsylvania Academic Standard(s) addressed during this lesson:
(Provide Standard number and statement)

Science Standard 3.4.4 D. D. Describe the composition and structure of the universe and the earth’s place in it.
• Identify planets in our solar system and their general characteristics.
Lesson Objective(s)
(Stated in observable and measurable terms)

Given access to books and internet students will be able to locate 8 specific facts about an assigned planet in the
solar system with 100% accuracy measured by teacher review.

After locating facts and given access to the internet and the Prezi web 2.0 application the student will be able to
create an slide presentation that includes the facts along with a title. The slide presentation must consist of 5-7
slides with no more than 1 inaccuracy as measured by teacher review using a rubric.

Assessment Plan
(What will be done to determine if lesson objectives have been met?)

Using information obtained from books and/or the internet the student will create an online presentation that
includes 8 accurate facts about a specific planet on 5-7 slides which will be reviewed by the teacher using a
rubric.

Materials:

Books, computers, internet access, Prezi account

Inclusion Techniques for Students with Special Needs:

Possible inclusion techniques may include: special seating near teacher, having a peer partner to aid the student
or others depending on the special need of the particular student.

Enrichment Techniques:

Possible enrichment techniques may include: creating additional slides, creating a Microsoft Excel chart based of
off data from the student’s or classmates’ data, working in groups to create a Jeopardy-like game using
information from each group member or going on a class field trip to a local science museum.
Lesson Differentiation (What modifications/accommodations will be made to ensure that ALL students have access to and are able
to participate in the lesson):

Modifications and accommodations for this lesson would depend on the students in the class. A possible
modification may be giving students the option of choosing their preferred method of obtaining the required
information, be it through a book or various online sources.

Lesson Presentation
Introduction/Motivational Activities/Anticipatory Set:

“Most of you celebrated your 10th birthday this year. Did you know that if you lived on the planet Mercury you
would actually be 44 years old! Since Mercury orbits the sun more quickly than Earth its years are shorter. In
the time it takes the Earth to go around the sun 10 times Mercury would have gone around about 44 times. Each
of the planets has their own unique characteristics and today we are going to have the chance to discover some
information about those other planets in our solar system.”

Detailed Teaching Sequence:

(Provide sufficient detail that would enable a substitute to effectively present this lesson. Bulleted statements are preferred)

-Introduce the objective to the students

-Give examples of possible information they could include
-size, location, discovery, # of moons, # of rings, composition, rotation, orbit, etc.
-Assign each student a planet on which to complete the assignment
-Allow students to use internet/book resources to locate the required information
-Once all information is found it will be submitted to teacher for review
-After student has successfully completed the first objective they will create the slide presentation
-Students will be familiar with Prezi application from previous lesson
-Once presentation is complete it will be submitted to teacher for review (see rubric)

Guided Practice/Independent Practice/Assessment Activities

Teacher will go around the room monitoring student work. Students will be working independently to locate
information, then to create informative slide presentation.

Closure:

“Today you got the chance to explore the characteristics of other planets, you were able to find information and
display it on a slide presentation for others to view. Tomorrow we will have a chance to present our work to
each other and learn about the planets your classmates researched as well!” (The next lesson may consist of
students presenting their slide shows to classmates and discussing what they learned).