5^th Grade Astronomy Unit Blueprint

Pacing Suggestions:
1 to 2 days

Teacher Resources:
Tips	Days and Years Assessment Adobe® Reader® (PDF) Days and Years Assessment (Microsoft Word Format) Assessment Rubric Adobe Reader (PDF) Assessment Rubric (Microsoft Word Format)

What causes day and night?

What causes a year?

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

Class discussion of activity and Days and Night worksheet

Class discussion about planets orbiting the sun

(Suggested journal entry: What orbits the sun?)

• Are students able to accurately define day and year? Do they understand the scientific meaning of the words? (See Guiding the Activity Steps 1 and 2 on page75 and Step 11 on page 79 in Teacher's Guide.)
• Do students understand that rotating the sphere simulates day and night? Do students understand that the lit part of the model represents day and the dark part represents night? (Addressed in Question 3 on Days and Years Activity Sheet 9)
• Do students know that the nine planets orbit the sun? (Students tend to be aware of the existence of planets. Do they understand that they orbit the sun?)

Formal Assessment:

Days and Years Assessment

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

Days and Years Assessment

Use rubric available on the electronic blueprint under "Teacher Resources."