What changes between night and day? Children demonstrate what they know and understand in this open-ended activity through their diagrams of observations made during the day and night which are annotated with captions and labels. They conference with the teacher who prompts for further elaborations and demonstrations of understanding. Suggested conditions: open/supervised. Teaching and learning Supportive learning environment Teaching strategies and learning experiences Adjustments for needs of learners Resources This unit overview has been developed using the 5E inquiry model for teaching and learning science. The 5E model follows a sequence of: Engage — begin with a lesson that captures children’s interest through an activity or question. Explore — organise hands-on activities where children explore a concept or skill. Explain — guide children to develop explanations for the experience after they have explored a concept or skill. Elaborate — encourage children to apply what they have learnt to a new situation. Evaluate — provide an opportunity for children to review and reflect on their learning. Engage Establish a purpose for investigating the observable changes occurring in the sky and landscape and establish the inquiry questions. Discuss answers to the questions: What can you observe in the night sky and landscape? What can you observe in the sky and landscape during the day? Set a real-life context by discussing personal experiences which prompts children to respond with their own experiences, e.g. When I looked up at the sky last night I … Why do you think that was? Investigate the observable changes occurring in the sky and landscape by collaboratively creating a class concept map using what children know about the night/day sky and landscape: Section 6 of the Disability Standards for Education (The Standards for Curriculum Development, Accreditation and Delivery) state that education providers, including class teachers, must take reasonable steps to ensure a course/program is designed to allow any student to participate and experience success in learning. The Disability Standards for Education 2005 (Cwlth) is available from: <www.ag.gov.au> select Human rights and anti-discrimination > Disability standards for education. Web websites for factsheets, interactive worksheets websites to explore the sun, moon and stars Print worksheets word wall range of literary and nonliterary texts to read and view newspapers Equipment paper, crayons, pencils
the expanse of the night sky. Monitor the changes in the landscape by establishing a monitoring framework and timetable where the children will record drawings and annotations of observable changes in the landscape and how changes are felt through the senses e.g. colour, temperature, wind, rain, cloud cover; what I see, hear, smell, touch. Explore the animals we see at night and during the day and begin to investigate why some animals only appear at night. Explore how plants behave during the day and at night. Predict why flowers may fold at night and confirm predictions using a range of sources. Discuss common daily routines that are predictable to the sun rising and the moon setting. Create stories about how the stars form particular shapes, e.g. using stories from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples about the changes in the phases of the moon. Explain Review initial questions created in the “engage” phase of learning to explore focused explanations. Answer the questions: What can you observe in the sky and landscape during the night/day? Use: discussion circles — arrange children into two circles (inner and outer) so that each child has a partner. Pose a question. Nominate who speaks first and who listens first and then, on a signal, have them swap roles. Children report back on what they or their partners have said. Move to another partner and pose another question. Explain and listen again and report back to the group explanations in children’s own words reading texts and YouTube videos that answer the question/s online inquiries to answer the question/s. Elaborate Explore and discuss how generations of people have been interested in the sky. Read and view a range of texts. Investigate how to demonstrate the phases of the moon using a tennis ball as the moon and a torch as the sun. Children demonstrate their understanding to the
Reflection on the unit plan At the conclusion of the unit, all teachers who have been involved in planning, teaching, learning and assessment come together to reflect on the successes and challenges of the unit. They come with their personal reflections through answers to the following questions: What worked well in this unit? What was a stumbling block? How would you refine it? What trends and gaps in learning have you identified? How will you build on these learning experiences next term and beyond?