|
California Science Framework |
|
Earth Sciences
ASTRONOMY
|
"What kinds of objects does the universe contain and how do these objects relate to one another?" |
|---|
K-3 Unit Concepts and Activities
|
|---|
CONCEPTS
| ACTIVITIES
|
|---|
Lesson 1:
The shadow of an object in sunlight can be used to determine the position of the sun. Changes in the length of the shadow relate to important changes in the day and in the seasons of the year.
|
Measure the shadow of a stick in sunlight; record data and telecommunicate to other students around the state.
|
Lesson 2:
When the sun is up, it is daytime; daylight comes from the sun. When the sun is down, it is nighttime and the stars can be seen.
|
Simulate action of rotation of the earth to illustrate day and night.
Record observations of sunrise/sunset over time and telecommunicate to other students.
|
Lesson 3:
Everyday, the sun rises somewhere along the eastern horizon, moves higher until about noon, and then moves lower until it sets somewhere along the western horizon.
|
Make a sundial using a paper plate or flower pot and a "gnomon."
|
Lesson 4:
Ancient cultures created stories (myths) to explain physical phenomena, including the sun and its movements.
|
Create a myth about the sun's origin.
Design a sun mask to wear in a Sun Dance for a celebration of the sun.
|
Lesson 5:
An eclipse occurs when the earth, moon and sun are exactly aligned in space. A solar eclipse occurs when our moon, passing between the earth and the sun, casts a shadow across a portion of the earth's surface.
|
Demonstrate the orbit of the moon around the earth and illustrate its position during a solar eclipse.
|
Lesson 6:
The phases of the moon are caused by the moon's position relative to the sun. Also, as the moon moves farther from the sun in the sky from night to night, the lighted portion increases from crescent to full phase.
|
Demonstrate how the daily motions of the sun, the earth, and the moon affect the appearance of the moon.
Use a model to explain the moon's cycle of phases.
|
Write poetry about shadows