The Interactive Science Classroom
Grades 4-6
Grade 6 Understanding Earth and Space Systems:
Space
LEGEND:
Individual Activity
Group Activity
Demonstration
Outdoor Activity
Building Sundials
For this activity, it is easy to fall into the trap of having students build something without truly understanding it.
To avoid this problem, have students research which type of sundial they want to build. In order to create a functional sundial, they will have to understand how their model uses the Earth's rotation around the Sun to tell time.
Additionally, have your students test out each others' sundials and write a review explaining why and how the sundial tells time.
To scaffold students who have specific learning needs or learning difficulties, provide them with a template to work from.
Expectations Addressed: 2.2
Who Am I?
In this unit, students must learn the characteristics of the components of the solar system. This can be a challenge for students, as it not only requires an understanding of what each component is like, but also an ability to distinguish between them.
As a fun review, play the "Who Am I?" game with your students. Give each student a card that is folded in half. On each card, write the name of either a planet or another component of the solar system (ie: "Mercury" or "an asteroid"). Have your students build simple headbands using construction paper and tape their card to their forehead.
Once the game begins, your students will ask their partner questions in order to try to guess what is written on their card. Once both have guessedcorrectly, they can move around the room and help other pairs determine theirs. Begin the game again with a fresh set of cards until the students have had a good review of the components.
Expectations Addressed: 3.1
Online Resources
It is hard to wrap our mind around what life is like on the International Space Station. The online resources below give students the experience through infographics, videos, and more.
Expectations Addressed: 2.3, 3.3
The Canadian Space Agency Youtube channel offers many educational videos on the topic of space exploration and current research. One of its most well-known series of videos features astronaut Chris Hadfield performing demonstrations about what life is like in space. In this series, he answers questions students have such as "What happens to tears in space?".
The Nasa Education website offers many wonderful resources for both teachers and students. Educators can explore their own section, which has activity ideas and lesson plans for each grade level. On the student page, visitors can browse by grade as well, and are exposed to videos, articles, games and much more! The experience is both interactive and educational.
."esa kids" offers ideas for hands-on activities and student-friendly platforms for learning. Its section on astronauts features articles and videas on everything from training to life after space. It is a great resource for teaching your students about life in space and beyond.
