Blended Learning Lesson Plan

Lesson Title: Building Our Solar System

Objectives:
Students will be able to display knowledge of the location of our planets
Students will be able to identify the material that makes up the planets
State Standards:
8.E.4A.1: Obtain and communicate information to model the position of the Sun in the universe,
the shapes and composition of galaxies, and the measurement unit needed to identify star and
galaxy locations.
Context: I am deciding to teach this lesson as I believe it will allow for better understanding of
our Solar System than just the typical lecture. Before this lesson would be the previous unit. I
want to open the astronomy unit with this lesson so the base understanding my students will have
comes from the activity. The previous knowledge will be whatever they have learned either from
different grades or themselves. After this lesson we would move into the finer points of space.
This is meant to be a broad introduction not a mastery of the Solar System.
Data: I will open the lesson with giving a brief slide show of our Solar System (the outline,
planets, etc.). From there I will allow them to explore the interactive app at their own pace to
learn and experience as much as they can. From there I will separate the students into groups of
3-4 for each planet where they will construct the planet on a smaller scale. I will collect data by
looking at the rate each group preformed the task, the quality, and how they worked together for
further notes of groups.
Materials: For materials I will be using a power point to first display the information. I will also
be using the NASA interactive Solar System website which can be found here:
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/interactives/. Also, I would use different sized Styrofoam balls that
the students would use marker/paint to color the same as the original planets themselves.

Detailed paragraphs from here on down.

Procedures:
Introduction (5 minutes): The students will walk into a dark classroom with small glow in
the dark lights illuminating. I will explain the layout of the classroom and what the entire class
period will look like. I will go over how the fact that we are discussing our Solar System and the
eight planets themselves. I will introduce the materials that we will be using that being the
website and the physical materials in class that the students will be using to construct their
planets.

Teacher Directed (10 minutes): To begin the class that day I will open up with a pre
made slide show. This will introduce the topic at hand, that being our Solar System. I will start
by listing the planets, bodies, and layout. From there I will talk about the composition of said
planets. I will use this to introduce everything they would need in order to understand what they
are looking at during the interactive experience. I will also provide a video that will give a
similar outline to convey the lesson a bit more. Nearing the end of the presentation I will talk
really quick about what the app itself entails. I will go into the different components of the app,
what all the features are, and how to use it.

Independent Digital (15 minutes): The website provided above will be an interactive
learning experience for the students. They will be able to take a look at our Solar System as a
whole and learn more about each individual planet, some asteroids, the moon, and other exciting
features present. I want the students to focus on the planets however; begin to be able to identify
them based off of color and the matter that makes them up (being gas giants or solid planets).
The student will be able to click links to go more into depth about which ever planets they would
like. Nearing the end of the time (about 5 min) I will separate the students into different groups
of 3-4 and assign them a planet for the following activity. From here they will gather together
and discuss the process in which they will go about constructing the planet they were assigned.

Collaborative (30 minutes): Once the collaborative begins, the students will be split into
redecided groups at random. From there, the students will begin their construction on the chosen
planet. They will have the option to choose from different sizes of Styrofoam balls present. Once
the size they believe to be the best fitting is chosen, the students will begin the painting process to
color their planets in a similar manner to that of the real one. All the students will take the time
to design their planets as well as being able to spend the time communicating with each other if
help is needed or even about the interactive, they just did.

Closure (15 minutes): Nearing the end of the class period I will allow the students to
choose which of their group's art will be used to hang in the classroom (all will be taken up and
graded as a part of participation). After the person is chosen, we will hang these planets in the
correct order before heading out the door. These planets will continue to hang throughout the
rest of the unit at which then I will take them down and redecorate for the next section.

Rationale: You must have at least two paragraphs (one for each mandatory piece of multimedia)
(Multimedia 1= App or website): Media #1:
https://eyes.nasa.gov/apps/orrery/#/home?time=2022-12-05T01:06:54.839+00:00
This is a piece of multimedia due to it being more than one way of the students learning.
Instead of me being up there lecturing it allows the students to travel at their own pace
and explore whatever they may want to. When it comes to supporting the objectives, this
piece allows the students to gain a stronger understanding of the solar system in it of
itself. The reason I chose this site is due to it being directly derived from NASA
themselves. I believe this application is an excellent example of what the LORI criteria
entails. Lastly, this application allows for the students to go at their own speed and
research what they would like/are interested in.

(Multimedia 2= App, website, video, educational game, song, podcast, etc.): Media #2:
Solar System 101 | National Geographic (video in slideshow)
This is a piece of multimedia because it is a different way of learning than that of the
typical lesson. This video will engage students differently than a lecture, this can be
either in a positive or negative way. I believe this video supports the standards and
objectives because it helps the students gain a fundamental knowledge of the solar
system. This video is of high quality due to it being written and produced by NASA. I
believe this application follows the eight evaluations of LORI that has been developed.
Finally, this application allows for the students to learn in a different manner than the
way some would typically be taught in. It also promotes a different type of learning which
may help some students learn better than just the teaching.