School Demographics
I teach second grade on an elementary school campus on the north side of Houston. The majority of my students have never been able to go out of the city to see the stars. And I venture to say that most of my students have never given it a second thought either. Durkee Elementary is a Title I school with an enrollment of over one thousand students in grades Pre-K to fifth. We are in the process of being downsized and this coming year our enrollment should be between 650 and 750 students in K to 5 th grade. Approximately 90% of the students receive free or reduced lunch. The majority of our students come from homes where Spanish is their home language and some are introduced to English for the first time when they enter school. They are escorted to and from school by a relative, usually their mother, and have been cared for only by a member of their immediate family. Very few get to experience the world outside their family unit except for the time they are at school. Vacations are spent at home with family or with family in Mexico. Some of my students seem to think that Mexico is a part of Texas, and vice versa. Although they know that the teachers at school speak English they are surprised when told that the majority of people in the United States speak English. When asked where they are born most of my students answer "Houston". I also get the answer "Houston" when I ask, "What is the name of our state?" and "What is the name of our country?" Our students come to school with very limited prior knowledge of our community, our state, our United States and almost non-existent knowledge of our Solar System.
The goals of this unit are to give students the understanding of the vastness of our Universe, the complexity of our Galaxy, and the wonderment of exploring our Solar System. It is my goal that they start asking themselves: Do you think I could travel into space? Do you think I could discover a new galaxy or planet? Do you think if I become an astronomer or an astronaut could I explore a new world in our Solar System? My goal is to instill the desire to want to learn more and perhaps one day they will be able to fulfill their dream to be an astronomer, astronaut, or an aeronautical engineer.
Lesson plans will revolve about the central theme, Our Universe. Lesson one covers the history of astronomy, important astronomers and their contributions. Lesson two draws on the prior knowledge of our Solar System and includes learning about the planets and their place in space. One activity for this lesson includes using astronomical unit equivalents to make a model of our Solar System along the perimeter of the school grounds by placing markers at specified increments along the fence to represent each planet. Lesson three includes an activity to track the movement of the Sun across our sky for one day and includes enrichment to extend the activity for the entire school year. Lesson four includes an activity to show why the planets take different lengths of time to orbit the Sun. Lesson five is an activity whereby students use the information they have learned about the planets to make their own game. Lesson six is a lesson on celestial navigation and how it was used by early explorers. Included in this lesson are directions for finding the Big Dipper, the Southern Cross, compass directions, and how they were used by participants of the Underground Railroad and the Lewis and Clark expedition. Lesson seven will be centered on information from NASA. My students will use facts pertaining to the economics of space travel, the importance of space travel, and jobs related to the space industry, such as astronomers, engineers, and astronauts. This lesson will also include writing a story about an imaginary trip to the planet of their choice.
Lessons will be taught cross-curriculum with specific emphasis on writing. To bring this unit close to home a field trip to NASA and/or the Houston Museum of Natural History's planetarium, as well as a visit from an astronomer, an astronaut, or an engineer from NASA, will be included. Parents will be encouraged to extend the enrichment by taking their family to the George Observatory, which is outside the city, to observe the night sky.
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