E328 Unit and Lesson

Abby Adams, Whitney Harlan, Katie Russell
11/30/15
EDUC-E328
Science Unit and Lesson
Introduction
Theme: Earth’s Moon and Its Cycles
Grade: Kindergarten
Outline: One Week Unit with 4 Lessons (Shortened school day on Wednesday, so no
science)
1. The moon orbits the Earth.
2. Moon shapes
3. Special kinds of moons (blood moon, lunar eclipse)
4. Earth’s moon’s cycles (how the moon orbiting, shapes, and special kinds of moon
fit together; culminating lesson)
By the end of this unit, children will be able to:
➔ Describe the motion of the moon (Orbits the Earth, rotates)
➔ Create the phases of the moon using art materials
➔ Identify phases of the moon cycle
➔ Identify and describe special “moons” (Blood moon, lunar eclipse)
Nature of Science:
Crowther et al. argue that a way to embody the nature of science is to show
students that there are other ways to conduct science besides the standard
scientific method, which this unit incorporates throughout (2005). The article
explains that teachers need to show students that, “Different disciplines conduct
investigations in different ways,” which evident in the integration of writing,
speaking/listening, and art content (Crowther et al.,. 2005. p. 51). This unit on
moons shows that we are still doing science, even though we are not
experimenting--it shows we are doing science through observation! (Crowther et
al., 2005).
Process Skills:
● Observing - The students will be observing the moon throughout the unit in a
variety of ways (through photographs, through websites, through books, etc.), but
the clearest example of observation is in lesson one. In lesson one the children

were asked to look at and take notes/pictures of the moon’s changes for a month
prior, and this task of watching the moon is an example of observing. Having the
students look and take pictures/notes on the moon is observing because we are
asking them to take notice to and measure/record the amount of change over the
course of a month.
● Hypothesizing - The students will be displaying hypothesizing most clearly in
lesson three. During lesson three the children are expressing their hypothesis in a
whole group when they are share their thinking on what causes a lunar eclipse.
● Predicting - The students will be displaying predicting most clearly in lesson
three. During lesson three the children are expressing their thoughts/predictions
about their thinking on what causes a lunar eclipse to occur.
● Planning and carrying out investigations - The students display planning a
carrying out an investigation while they are attempting to recreate the phases of
the moon with a flashlight and cardboard in lesson three.
● Interpreting information obtained - The best example of the students
interpreting their information is when the class as a whole discusses their findings
and the teacher is guiding the discussion to have the students discover what a
lunar eclipse is in lesson three while the teacher is guiding their thinking.
● Communicating - The students will be displaying communication throughout the
unit, but especially in the last lesson. In the final lesson, children will have the
opportunity to share their ideas and findings of their physical, artistic, or written
representation/explanation of the moon cycle with their classmates.
Specific Content Knowledge, Terminology, and Models:
● Lesson1: The moon orbits the Earth - In this lesson, the students will learn the
term “orbit” in relation to the moon orbiting the Earth and the Earth orbiting the
sun. It can be explained to them as the moon moving around the Earth in an oval
shape, and the Earth moving around the sun in an oval shape.
● Lesson2: Moon shapes - In this lesson, the different terms related to the shapes
of the moon will not be introduced, but the children will still observe the different
shapes that the moon appears to be. The children will also gain the knowledge
that even though the moon appears as different shapes, it still remains the same
shape and the shadow cast on the moon by the Earth is what causes it to look like
different shapes over time.
● Lesson3: Special kinds of moon (blood moon, lunar eclipse) - In this lesson,
the children will be learning the terms “blood moon” and “lunar eclipse.” They
will first learn about what a lunar eclipse is, and then they will learn that a blood
moon is when there is a total lunar eclipse.
● Lesson4: Earth’s moon’s cycles - In this lesson, the children will be drawing on
all of their previous knowledge gained, which is described above in order to
understand the moon’s cycles.

Progression:
The progression of these lessons were determined by deciding which terminology
and concepts kindergarten-aged children would need to have first before
understanding the moon cycle. The first lesson begins with addressing the
movement of the moon. Many children have misconceptions about the movement
of the moon and the amount of moons Earth has. This first lesson will address the
rotation, revolution, and orbit of the moon around the Earth. This will lay the
foundation for children to understand that there is one moon for Earth and that it
orbits the Earth. In the second lesson, children will explore the appearance and
“shapes” of the moon. This allows children to apply knowledge about the Sun and
Earth’s shadow in the shape of the moon. In the third lesson, children will explore
“special moons,” including the lunar eclipse and blood moon. They will be able to
apply knowledge gained from the previous lesson about the shadows to this one.
In the final, culminating lesson, children will have the opportunity to apply all the
concepts they have learned in the unit to create a physical, artistic, or written
representation/explanation of the moon cycle, including the orbit, rotation,
revolution, shapes/phases, lunar eclipse, and blood moon. Children will be able to
share their ideas and findings with their classmates in this culminating project.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
Along with science content, the children will also be working on
English/Language Arts content and Art content. The English/Language Arts
content will be integrated through reading, writing, and illustrating ideas
connected to the science content. Art content is incorporated into several lessons
that require visual representations.
Justification for Book Used in Lessons:
The Moon Book by Gail Gibbons is the book being used in this unit. This book
was selected because it gives accurate facts about the moon in relation to the
topics being taught in this unit. It also has many illustrations to help explain the
text. This will provide the children with accurate information and help them to
more easily comprehend the concepts.
Lesson1: Earth’s Moon’s Orbit
Lesson Model: 5E Model - Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate
Indiana State Standards:
Science

❏ K.2.2 Describe and compare objects seen in the night and day sky.
Speaking/Listening
❏ K.SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations about grade-
appropriate topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger
groups.
❏ K.SL.2.3 Listen to others, take turns speaking, and add one’s own ideas to
small group discussions or tasks.
❏ K.SL.2.4 Ask questions to seek help, get information, or clarify something
that is not understood.
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, children will be able to:
➔ Describe the moon’s orbit around the Earth
➔ Describe the moon’s revolution and rotation
Lesson Description: Before this unit begins, children will spend a month discussing the
shape and visibility of the moon at calendar/morning meeting. They will be shown
images and children will be encouraged to collect data through photographs and drawings
at home. During this lesson, children will explore the moon’s movement. Children will
discuss the movements of Earth, Sun, and Moon and will have time to experiment with
different modes of representation (Ex. Possible option 1 and 2). Key vocabulary that will
be introduced include orbit, rotation/rotate, and revolution/revolve.
Lesson2: Earth’s Moon’s Shapes/Phases
➔ Create the phases of the moon using play doh
➔ Identify that the moon stays the same shape, just the shadow on the moon changes
Lesson Description: The children will participate in an interactive reading of The Moon
Book by Gail Gibbons, where the focus will be on the phases of the moon. After
discussing the phases of the moon and how they are caused by shadows on the moon, the
children will be given some play doh to create a sphere that will represent the moon. The
children will then use flashlights and cardboard circles to cast a shadow on their “moon”
to recreate the different phases of the moon.
Lesson3: Lunar Eclipse and Blood Moon

Science
Writing
❏ K.W.3.3 Use words and pictures to narrate a single event or simple story,
arranging ideas in order.
Speaking/Listening
❏ K.SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations about grade-
appropriate topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger
groups.
❏ K.SL.2.3 Listen to others, take turns speaking, and add one’s own ideas to
small group discussions or tasks.
❏ K.SL.2.4 Ask questions to seek help, get information, or clarify something
that is not understood.
Art
❏ K.8.2 Create a work of art using subject matter, concepts, or sign systems,
such as words or numbers, of another discipline.
➔ Order the phases of a lunar eclipse
➔ Describe the causes of a lunar eclipse
➔ Create an artistic representation of a lunar eclipse
➔ Contribute to a class writing about lunar eclipses
Lesson Description:
Engage (10 minutes) - Children seated with partners on the floor
● Give each pair a set of printed moon cards (Lunar eclipse and Blood
moon)
● Ask children to put the photos in order
● Children can ask the teacher for a self-check sheet to check theirs. They
will check mark which ones they got in the correct order.
Explore (10 minutes) - Children arranged in the groups
● Provide groups of 3 or 4 students with a flashlight and models of the earth
and moon that are to scale relative to one another.
○ With the lights out in the classroom, the students will try recreating
the stages of the lunar eclipse that they see in the pictures.
○ Students will also try to discover what causes a lunar eclipse.

Explain (5 minutes)
● Class comes together for students to share and discuss their findings.
○ Each group will share their thinking on what causes a lunar eclipse.
○ The teacher will guide the students in discussing their findings to
discover what causes a lunar eclipse.
○ During discussion, the teacher will help the children define “lunar
eclipse”.
Elaborate (15 minutes)
● After discussion, students draw representation of what causes a lunar
eclipse.
○ The students will be given art materials to create a representation
of what causes a lunar eclipse.
○ The teacher will monitor and provide guidance where needed.
○ The students will share their drawings with the other students at
their tables.
Evaluate (10 minutes)
● Class comes together to write a shared poem about a lunar eclipse.
○ The teacher will guide students in writing a poem about a lunar
eclipse.
○ The students will be asked to share information they know in order
to create a poem from the information.
Differentiation:
● Gear Up: Students who are grasping the material very well will be asked to write
a sentence or two along with their artistic representation of the lunar eclipse. They
will also be asked to represent the blood moon within their artistic representation.
● Gear Down: For students who struggle during group work, the teacher can pull
those students into a group where she will give more direct guidance on how to
complete activities. For example, with the activity during the explore phase of the
lesson, the teacher can guide one student to hold the Earth while another student
holds the flashlight shining on the Earth, and the other student moves the moon
around the Earth.
Assessment:
● Assessment During Lesson (Formative)
○ Monitor children’s ordering of the lunar eclipse. Were the children able to
place the phases of the lunar eclipse in a logical order? (Obj. 1)

○ Listen to the children’s explanation of the lunar eclipse during the Explain
phase. Were children able to verbally describe the phases of the moon?
(Obj. 2)
○ Monitor children’s creative representations of a lunar eclipse as they
create them. Were they able to create an accurate visual representation of a
lunar eclipse? (Obj. 3)
○ Did a majority of children actively participate in the creation of the shared
writing? [Evidenced by hand-raising, body language, etc.] (Obj. 4)
● Assessment After Lesson (Summative)
○ Collect the phase self-check sheets from children. Were the children able
to place the phases of the moon in a logical order? (Obj. 1)
○ Collect children’s representations of a lunar eclipse. Were they able to
create an accurate visual representation of a lunar eclipse? (Obj. 3)
Artifact
(Morgan, 2015)
References:
Morgan, L. (Sep. 27, 2015). Blood moon (supermoon) lunar eclipse 2015 live stream, feed:
NASA, Slooh coverage online. Retrieved from
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/09/supermoon_lunar_eclipse_2015_l.html
Lesson4: Earth’s Moon’s Cycle
Science

Art
❏ K.8.2 Create a work of art using subject matter, concepts, or sign systems,
such as words or numbers, of another discipline.
Writing
❏ K.W.3.2 Use words and pictures to develop a main idea and provide some
information about a topic.
❏ K.W.3.3 Use words and pictures to narrate a single event or simple story,
arranging ideas in order.
➔ Logically order the phases of the moon
➔ Describe causes of lunar eclipse and blood moon
➔ Create a representation of the moon cycle (including the moon “shapes”/phases)
Lesson Description: In this lesson, children will be able to apply the knowledge gained
from the three previous lessons to create a physical, artistic, or written
representation/explanation of the moon cycle, including the orbit, rotation, revolution,
shapes/phases, lunar eclipse, and blood moon. Children will be able to share their ideas
and findings with their classmates in this culminating project.
Resources
Crowther, D., Lederman, N., & Lederman, J. (2005). Understanding the True Meaning of Nature
of Science: Teaching suggestions to help you highlight nature of science. Methods &
Strategies: Ideas and Techniques to Enhance Your Science Teaching, 50-52.
Harlen, W. (2001). Primary science: Taking the plunge. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Morgan, L. (Sep. 27, 2015). Blood moon (supermoon) lunar eclipse 2015 live stream, feed:
NASA, Slooh coverage online. Retrieved from
http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/09/supermoon_lunar_eclipse_2015_l.html

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