Lesson Plan: Astronomy (easier version)

The original version proved too hard for some classes, This version was written to be simpler for those classes.

Lesson Level:       Senior 1                 Duration:  45

Lesson Title:     Astronomy (Easier Version)

Grammar and Vocabulary

Mercury, Venus, Earth,Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto

Constellation

year, day (technical definitions) .

Lesson Objectives

Students will learn the names (in English) and sequence of the planets using a mnemonic sentence

Students will discuss and answer questions about planets

Students will use imaginations to identify constellation patterns.

Materials Required

A3 size pictures of following constellation patterns (with some lines joining the stars to suggest the correct interpretation)

Eagle (Aquilla), Great Dog (Canis Major), Lion (Leo), Harp (Lyra), Hunter (Orion),

Scorpion (Scorpio), The Big Dipper/The Plough (section of Ursa Major)

Same pictures but with outline of the design added. 

Question sheets about planets (enough to give one per group)¹

Preparation

Prepare all images 

Procedure

1 Write “Astronomy” as lesson title.

Write My

Very

Educated

Mother

Just

Served

Us

Nine Noodles

Pizzas

at left of board

Draw a sun in the corner and nine small circles at various distances along a line away from it.

(Best if each aligns with one of the words in the above mnemonic .

Elicit meaning of astronomy

Ask what the sentence has to do with it.

If no one knows ask what the first planet is abd write Mercury next to the correct dot. Underline the M in Mercury and in My. Explain that the first letters of the words in the sentence are the first letters of the planets in order.

Elicit Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupitr, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune (NOT Pluto) and add names to board.

2

Ask how many planets there are. (eight)

Explain that there used to be nine but Pluto was reclassified in 2006 and is now not a planet. Write “Pluto is not a planet” on board but add Pluto to the appropriate position in the diagram. 

Explain that technically a year for any planet is the time it takes to go once around the sun and that a day is the time it takes to revolve once. Tell them to keep this in mind during the next part of the lesson.

3

Put students into groups. Tell them you have a quiz. There are fifteen questions. Each answer is one of the planets or Pluto. They must WRITE their answers.

Hand out question sheets.

Tell them they can use any books they have but MUST discuss and answer in English.

Give ten minutes for answering.

While they are doing this draw the star pattern for the Big DIpper/Plough on the board.

4

Go through the answers. The following may need explaining.

Venus is hotter than Mercury because its high CO₂ atmosphere has a greenhouse effect.

Venus’s day is 243 Earth days long but its year is only 225 so its year is longer than its day.

Scientists aren’t sure why Uranus is colder than Neptune but believe it is because Neptune has internal heat and the gas of Uranus reflects more heat than the more solid Neptune.Venus is called the morning star because it is sometimes visible to the naked eye in the morning.

Olympus Mons on Mars is 3 times bigger than Mount Everest.

5.

Check scores and applaud the winners.

6

Ask them to look at the star pattern for the Big Dipper.

Explain “Constellation”

Give the name “Big DIpper” and explain that it looks like a spoon. Draw the spoon around the pattern. (Optionally explain also that in the UK it is called “The Plough”)

7 Tell them you will show them some more patterns of stars. Each group must guess what picture it is claimed to represent.

Put all the star maps on the board.

Give students two minutes to think of seven answers. (They already know one.)

8.

Depending on time

EITHER

Elicit answers and get groups to give themselves two points for exactly right or one point for almost right, then add points to the scores.

OR

Just elicit suggestions.

Show picture with the outline after each answer. 

Notes

1. Questions

Which is the biggest planet? (Jupiter)

Which is the smallest planet? (Mercury)

Which is the hottest planet? (Venus)

Which is the coldest planet? (Uranus)

Which planet has the longest year? (Neptune - 165 Earth years)

Which planet has the shortest year? (Mercury - 88 Earth days)

Which planet has the longest day? (Venus - 243 Earth days)

Which planet has the shortest day? (Jupiter - 10 Earth hours)

Which planet has a day longer than its year? (Venus - 243/225Earth days respectively)

Which is the only planet we know to have life? (Earth)

Which one isn’t a planet? (Pluto)

Which planet is also known as “the Morning Star”? (Venus)

Which planet has the famous “red spot”? (Jupiter)

Which planet has the biggest mountain? (Mars)

Which planet has the most NAMED moons? (Uranus or Jupiter depending on what you count as a moon)