5^th Grade Astronomy Unit Blueprint

How do the patterns of the stars change throughout the night?

Why do patterns of stars in the sky appear to move across the night sky?

How do the patterns of the stars change throughout the year?

If stars are many different sizes, some bigger than the sun, why do they look so small in the sky?

What happens to the position of planets (relative to stars) throughout the year?

What orbits the sun? What orbits the earth?

4B(3-5)#2: Like all planets and stars, the earth is approximately spherical in shape. The rotation of the earth on its axis every 24 hours produces the night-and-day cycle. To people on earth, this turning of the planet makes it seem as though the sun, moon, planets, and stars are orbiting the earth once a day.

4A(3-5)#1: The patterns of stars in the sky stay the same, although they appear to move across the sky nightly, and different stars can be seen in different seasons.

4A(3-5)#5: Stars are like the sun, some being smaller and some larger, but so far away that they look like points of light.

4A(3-5)#3: Planets change their positions against the background of stars.

4A(3-5)#4: The earth is one of several planets that orbit the sun, and the moon orbits around the earth.

Astronomy Review

(Teacher-generated sheet available under "Teacher Resources" on the electronic blueprint.)

The review is critical for determining any remaining misunderstandings or misconceptions students have about unit concepts. If students exhibit difficulty answering and/or understanding the questions, additional review and reteaching must occur prior to administering the End-of-Unit Assessment.