Integrated Unit - The Sun and the Moon

Overview
This unit is about the beginning exploration of the sun and the moon. Students will explore the sun and moon through many content areas.
• Literature - Students will discuss the characteristics of the sun and moon through oral discussion and KWLQ charts. Students will also read folk tales, non-fiction, and fictional stories, and write their own story on the sun and the moon.
• Math – Students will discuss and watch (through a movie) the days and months of a moon cycle, as well as the weight, distance, and degrees of the sun and moon.
• Science – Students will discuss and explore the characteristics of the sun and moon, the phases of the moon, and what the sun and moon do for the Earth and mankind.
• Art/Activities – Students will create a moon journal and record what the moon looks like during the night, plant flowers, and make shadow puppets.
• Technology – Students will watch an animation of the phases of the moon online.
• Movement – Students will imitate the moon phases with an activity using an orange and a flashlight, as well as go outside and observe the sun and moon.
• Geography – Talk about the sky and space.

Objectives
Students will:
o Discover the basic characteristics of the sun and moon
o Learn that the sun provides heat, energy, and nutrients to the Earth
o Learn that the sun produces shadows
o Learn about the phases of the moon and how the sun changes them
o Write a fiction, non-fiction, or folk tale story on the sun and moon

Lesson #1 - What is the Sun?
Grade: Second Grade
Time: 30-45 min
Space: Meeting area/outside/desks

Goals/KUD’s:
o Know: The sun is the big, bright gaseous star in the sky
o Understand: The sun is a hot, burning star that is the Earth’s energy source
o Be able to do: Discuss what the sun provides for the Earth and mankind

Prior Knowledge:
• Where it is located
• It provides us light and heat
• It is big and very hot
• It rises and sets

Main Content Standard:
• S:ESS2:2:2.1 Recognize that the light and heat the Sun provides to the Earth is necessary for life.

Additional Content Standards:
• S:ESS2:2:4.2 Recognize that as the position of the Sun changes in relation to the Earth it creates shadows of varying length and direction.
• S:ESS2:2:4.3 Explain that people should not look directly at the Sun because it is dangerous and may cause injury to the eyes.

Materials:
• Large paper
• Marker
• Book “The Sun” by Seymour Simon
• Flower pots
• Soil
• Seeds
• Thick paper
• Craft sticks
• Tape
• Scissors
• Sheet

Procedure:
1. Start out by informing students that we will be talking about the sun and moon this week. First we will talk about the sun.
2. Get out a big piece of paper and marker and create a KWLQ chart with students on what students know, want to know, what they learned, and any questions they have about the sun.
3. After creating this chart, read the non-fiction book “The Sun” by Seymour Simon.
4. Using the information from this book, discuss with students what they learned, noticed, and questioned in this story. Add these facts, questions, and answers to the KWLQ chart.
5. Next talk about what the sun does for the Earth and plants. Inform students that they will plant flowers and place them in the window sill under the sunlight. Over the next couple weeks they will observe what the sun does for the plants.
6. Next transition outside in a sunny area and have students stand in the sun. Discuss what the sun does for humans. Ask students what they notice and how the sun feels.
7. Discuss shadows and how the sun makes different shadows. Make shadows with students’ bodies.
8. As an extra activity or center choice, have students make shadow puppets out of paper or using their hands and put on a puppet show.

Assessment:
• Students discussing and sharing information on the sun
• Making shadow puppets with their body in the sunlight


Lesson #2 - What is the Moon?
Grade: Second Grade
Time: 30-45 min
Space: Meeting area/outside/desks

Goals/KUD’s:
o Know: About the moon and where it is in the sky
o Understand: The moon changes shape
o Be able to do: Discuss the different phases

Prior Knowledge:
• Where it is located
• It changes shape
• Sometimes out in the daytime

Main Content Standard:
• S:ESS2:2:1.2 Recognize the basic patterns of the Moon, including its appearance sometimes at night and sometimes during the day; and how it appears to change shape through the month.

Additional Content Standards:
• S:ESS2:2:4.1 Recognize that the Sun, Moon and stars all appear to move slowly across the sky.

Materials:
• Large paper
• Marker
• Book “The Moon Seems to Change” by Franklyn M. Branley and illustrated by Barbara and Ed Emberley
• Computer
• Projector
• Projection Screen
• Orange/Styrofoam ball
• Stick/Pencil
• Flashlight
• Construction Paper

Procedure:
1. Inform students that today we will be talking about the moon.
2. Get out a piece of paper and marker and create a KWLQ chart on the moon (just like for the sun).
3. Read the non-fiction book “The Moon Seems to Change” by Franklyn M. Branley and illustrated by Barbara and Ed Emberley.
4. Using the information learned in this story, discuss with students what they learned, noticed, or questioned in this story. Add the facts, questions, and answers to the KWLQ chart.
5. Inform students that we will watch an animation of the phases of the moon. This will allows students to see the moon change in action. Use the links: http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es2503/es2503page01.cfm?chapter_no=25 and http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/moon_phases/index.html
6. After watching the animation, discuss with student what they saw, noticed, questioned, learned, etc.
7. Inform students that, as a class, we will now try to imitate the phases of the moon using the activity mentioned in the story “The Moon Seems to Change” by Franklyn M. Branley and illustrated by Barbara and Ed Emberley. Have activity out at center activities for students to explore.
8. Finally, inform students they will create and keep a moon journal. Providing construction paper, white paper, and markers, students will create their own journals. Once they are created, invite students to the window or outside and look out it to see if they can find the moon. If found, record the phase it is in. Continue this at home for one week.

Assessment:
• Students discussing and sharing information on the moon and animation.
• Identifying and describing the phases during the orange activity and/or in one’s moon journal.


Lesson #3 – The Sun and the Moon
Grade: Second Grade
Time: 30-45 min
Space: Meeting area/outside/desks

Goals/KUD’s:
o Know: What the sun and moon are
o Understand: Characteristics of the sun and phases of the moon
o Be able to do: Discuss what the sun does for humans and the Earth, and the phases the moon goes through

Prior Knowledge:
Sun:
• Where it is located
• It provides us light and heat
• It is big and very hot
• It rises and sets
Moon:
• Where it is located
• It changes shape
• Sometimes out in the daytime

Main Content Standard:
• S:ESS2:2:2.1 Recognize that the light and heat the Sun provides to the Earth is necessary for life.
• S:ESS2:2:1.2 Recognize the basic patterns of the Moon, including its appearance sometimes at night and sometimes during the day; and how it appears to change shape through the month.

Additional Content Standards:
• S:ESS2:2:4.2 Recognize that as the position of the Sun changes in relation to the Earth it creates shadows of varying length and direction.
• S:ESS2:2:4.3 Explain that people should not look directly at the Sun because it is dangerous and may cause injury to the eyes.
• S:ESS2:2:4.1 Recognize that the Sun, Moon and stars all appear to move slowly across the sky.

Materials:
• KWLQ charts created in previous lessons about the sun and moon
• Books – “What is the Sun?” by Reeve Lindbergh and illustrated by Stephen Lambert, and “Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky” retold and illustrated by Niki Daly
• Students writing journals
• White paper
• Markers, colored pencils, crayons, etc.

Procedure:
1. Read the fictional story “What is the Sun?” by Reeve Lindbergh and illustrated by Stephen Lambert.
2. Discuss with students what the sun and moon do for humans and the Earth. Fill in the KWLQ chart with other facts, questions, and answers.
3. Read the folk tale “Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky” retold and illustrated by Niki Daly.
4. Discuss this folk tale with students. Talk about if this story is true or false, what information it provides, if students found it interesting, funny, or informative.
5. Now that we have explored the sun and the moon, and heard different stories about them, inform students that they now have the chance to write a fiction, nonfiction, or folk story on the sun and moon
Students can write about:
 How the sun and moon got in the sky
 Where the moon goes when it is not showing
 What we would do without the sun and moon
 What the sun and moon provide to the Earth and mankind
6. Have other stories available for students to look at, for example:
 “Catching the Moon” by Myla Goldberg, illustrated by Chris Sheban
 “The Moon was at a Fiesta” by Matthew Gollub, illustrated by Leovigildo Martinez
 “Legends of the Sun and Moon” by Eric and Tessa Hadley, illustrated by Jan Nesbitt
 “Sun and Moon” by Marcus Pfister
7. Have students illustrate their story
8. Share stories another day

Assessment:
• Students discussing and sharing information on the sun and moon
• Students written stories on the sun and the moon


Why these four books serve my lesson plan and objectives
1. “The Sun” by Seymour Simon
The book “The Sun” is a non-fiction book about the sun. This book is very important for my exploration of the sun and the moon lesson plan because it provides students with the facts and characteristics of the sun. This book serves as the basis for the discussion and activities. It also meets my objectives of informing students about the characteristics of the sun and what the sun provides for Earth and mankind.
2. “The Moon Seems to Change” by Franklyn M. Branley and illustrated by Barbara and Ed Emberley
The book “The Moon Seems to Change” is a great non-fiction book about the phases of the moon. This book is very important to my lesson plan because it is a book geared towards children explaining, at their development level, the phases of the moon. This book serves as the basis for the discussion of the phases of the moon and provides lots of explanatory pictures of the different phases. This book meets the objectives of teaching children about the phases of the moon.
3. “What is the Sun?” by Reeve Lindbergh and illustrated by Stephen Lambert
The book “What is the Sun?” is a fiction yet informative book about what the sun, moon, sea, wind, and seasons are in the world.. This book is a simple story that shows the connections all the forces have and how they affect each other. This book helps tie my lessons together and show how the sun and the moon relate and work together to help our Earth. This book helps meet the objectives by providing relative information that the non-fiction books do not provide.
4. “Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky” retold and illustrated by Niki Daly
The story “Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky” is a folk tale about how the sun and moon end up in the sky. This book adds some fun and tradition to my lesson on the sun and the moon and provides students with a different story of the sun and moon’s history. This book helps meet the objective of students writing a fiction, non-fiction, or folk story by providing a different style of writing students can explore and write themselves.