Objectives
The principal objective of this unit is to develop creative, critical thinkers who are able to understand the importance of the sun as the fundamental energy source for our planet. This unit will provide elementary school teachers with hands-on activities that will integrate science and mathematics. This unit will be used in a sixth grade classroom in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but it may be adapted to other grade levels and/or geographic regions. The unit will commence with an introduction on the chemistry of the Sun; it's position in relationship to the Earth. Next, the unit will investigate the types of energy produced by the Sun. Students will be able to define energy and describe different types of energy from solar to mechanical and beyond. Students will be able to give examples of how energy is transferred from one source to another. The next lesson within the unit will be for students to understand the role of light energy in the process of photosynthesis and from here students will learn about how energy is transferred through the food chain.
Standards and Strategies
The activities and lesson plans for this unit will be based on the New Mexico Science Standards and Benchmarks which are aligned with the National Science Standards. The unit will cover elements of Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, and Life Science.
The primary focus of all of the investigations will be for students to understand the processes of scientific investigations and use inquiry and scientific methods to develop questions, design and conduct experiments using appropriate technologies, analyze and evaluate results, make predictions, and communicate findings. Students will use graphic representations such as charts, graphs, tables, models, and diagrams to present data and produce explanations. Students will all use mathematical tools and unit systems to calculate and analyze data.
Science needs to be experiential. Younger students, such as the ones I teach in sixth grade, are still very engaged in learning and are willing to try anything new. The motivation to learn is still ingrained in the mind of these students. Our job is to make meaning out of the content we are teaching and allow discovery to assist us in this process. We all would like to help our students become self-directed, life-long learners and one way we can do that is to continually engage our students with relevant subject matter and make connections for them. Before starting this unit, I will give my students a pre-test to assess their knowledge of solar energy. This will enable me to guide and focus my instruction. This assessment will be given at the end of the unit to determine how much the students will have learned.
Since at least half of my students are second-language learners, it is important that vocabulary acquisition happen in the presence of a hands-on activity or scientific investigation. When the word is paired with an object, it is easier for the students to understand its meaning and remember it; learned out of context, the word holds no meaning for the student. So, throughout this unit wherever possible, I will use models or give demonstrations to help students visualize the concept being taught. My students will work with partners or in small groups throughout the unit. This will allow for collaboration and exchange of ideas and theories throughout the learning process.
This unit will take 5 weeks to teach in its entirety. I plan on teaching it starting in early September so that we can observe the transition of seasons. I plan to spend about three hours a week on the lessons I provide here as well as others that I will add to the culminating activity of designing and constructing a model solar car. Some lessons can be taught in isolation, but many of the lessons associated with constructing a model solar car are connected to one another and the success of the lesson is dependent on data or materials gathered in earlier lessons. The unit will begin with Earth and Space Science. Students will learn about the Sun's composition and its role in our solar system. The students will learn about the seasons and how the tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation creates them. Students will learn about the Earth's atmosphere and discuss the greenhouse effect. From here the lesson will move into Physical Science and focus on the concept of energy. Students will define energy and be able to explain the physical processes involved in the transfer, change, and conservation of energy. Next, the focus will be on Life Science and students will understand the role of light energy in the process of photosynthesis. Students will learn that plants are the producers and that all food chains and food webs are interconnected and dependent on solar energy. Finally, the unit will discuss science and society and the current state of our Earth's climate and the need for renewable energy. Students will design and construct a model solar car.
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