Dana Goldman

ELED 3221-003
3/15/2015
edTPA Indirect Lesson Plan Template
What is a constellation?

Central Focus/Big Idea: Constellations

Subject of this lesson: Constellations are a group of stars forming a recognizable pattern that is
traditionally named after its apparent form or mythological figure. Constellations have a folklore which
lie behind there meaning. Location of Constellations is also a very important aspect of each constellation.
NC Essential Standard: 3.E.1.2. Earth in the Universe Recognize that changes in length and direction
of an objects shadow indicate the apparent changing position of the Sun during the day although the
patterns of the stars in the sky, to include the Sun, stay the same.
Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Next generation science standard:
5-ESS1-1. Support an argument that differences in the apparent brightness of the sun compared to other
stars is due to their relative distances from the Earth.
5-ESS1-1. Represent date in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction
of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearances of some stars in the night sky.
21st Century Skills:
Creativity and Innovation Students provide concrete examples of science as a way of thinking that
involves both systematic and creative processes that anyone can apply as they ask questions, solve
problems, invent things, and develop ideas about the work around them
Communication Students prepare and interpret a variety of methods for demonstating understanding
and explaining the results of investigations including charts and graphs, diagrams and illustrations,
photographic images, and informational and procedural text.
Academic Language Demand:
Explain: After learning about constellations students will be constructing their own constellation and
explaining the meaning behind their constellation.
Describe: Students will be able to describe why they formed their constellation and location of their
constellation.

Scientific Vocabulary: Stars, Constellation

Instructional Objective: Students will understand the definition of a constellation and the importance of
the location of constellations. They will also be able to understand how constellations are formed and the
folklore that describes each constellation. Additionally, students will be able to answer 4 of the 5
questions at the end of the lesson.
Prior knowledge (student): Students should be able to understand what a star is where stars come from.
Content Knowledge (teacher): The teacher should have a solid understand of constellations as well as
know what a folklore is and why there is a folklore behind every constellation. The teacher should have

Dana Goldman
ELED 3221-003
3/15/2015
already created their own constellation and be able to explain to students the meaning of their
constellation.
Accommodation for Special Needs/different learning styles: Students with learning disabilities will
have a more structured environment with structured guidelines of what to do. Students with learning
disabilities will also be assisted by teacher in constructing their constellations. Visual aids will also be
provided for ESL students, and students with learning disabilities.
Materials:

21 sheets of white copy paper or construction paper

21 sheets of black construction paper
21 pairs of Scissors
11 pairs of Glue sticks
Elmo
Pictures of different constellations
Picture of the different locations of the Big Dipper

Total Estimated time:

Source of your lesson:
http://users.manchester.edu/student/kemorris/Profweb/Constellations.pdf
http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/extra/constellations.html

Safety considerations: Students will be reminded of the proper way to use and hold their scissors since
they are very sharp.

Dana Goldman
ELED 3221-003
3/15/2015

Content and Strategies (Procedure)

Engage: Ask students, Have you ever herd of a constellation? If students have ask, Can you name a
constellation? If students do not know, explain to them that a constellation is a group of stars that is
named after its form or is identified through a mythological figure, which is something that does not exist
in real life. The purpose of constellations are to help scientist know which stars are which. After asking
students questions

To begin the lesson, show students pictures of constellations on the Elmo, these pictures
will only be the stars, do NOT connect them before showing students, connect them with
students to show the pictures they make.
Emphasize to students that one individual star is not a constellation, that there must be a
group of stars together to form a constellation.

Explore:
Activity: Pictures in the Sky
1. Describe the information about the zodiac constellations to students, show them by using
transparencies to enable students to see what they look like.
2. Select 12 students to hold the zodiac constellation pictures. Space them equally around the large
circle. The constellations should be in numerical order, clockwise around the circle.
3. Place remaining students around the inner circle, facing the constellations. Turn on the bright
light and turn off the room lights. Tell them that the bright light is the sun and they are the Earth.
Have them spin slowly in their positions in a counterclockwise direction. Day is when they face
the sun; night is when they face away from the light and see the stars.
4. Explain that if they could go out beyond the solar system, they would see that Earth moves
counterclockwise around the sun. Let them walk slowly in a counterclockwise direction around
the circle, looking at the stars. Point out that the constellations appear to change as they move.
From Earth they see new constellations gradually appearing in the eastern sky as those in the west
gradually disappear below the western horizon. It takes 12 months to get back to the original set
of constellations. Have them walk around the circle until they return to the constellation they saw
at first. Explain that they have just gone through one year.
5. Tell them to turn toward the sunlight and try to see the constellations beyond. Explain that the sun
is so bright we cant see the stars beyond it. Tell the students that the 12 zodiac constellations
correspond to the location of the sun during each of the 12 months. When the sun is in one of
them (e.g. Leo), we cant see that constellation. Only when we go when we go into space where
sunlight is not scattered by Earths atmosphere, can we see the stars and sun together. Even then,
some of the stars near the sun are to see. We can also catch glimpses of bright stars and planets
during a total solar eclipse when the sun is blotted out by the moon and we can see outer space
beyond our atmosphere.
6. Explain that the planets and moons move around the sun on plate, like a huge dinner plate with
the sun in the center. The zodiac constellations lie beyond this plane and appear roughly east-west
across Earths sky. The planets, moon, and sun never appear in the sky north or south of this band
of stars.

Dana Goldman
ELED 3221-003
3/15/2015
7. Describe the history of constellations and the connection between astrology and astronomy. Be
sure to tell them that scientists today know that the movements of the planets, sun, and moon
within the zodiac constellations do not control our lives.
a. At the end of the activity distribute the zodiac constellations and have students look at the
figures the star patterns are supposed to represent. Ask them which ones most resemble
the pictures. These are Leo (the lion), Scorpius (the scorpion), and Tarus (the bull face
and horns only).

Explain: Every constellation holds a different meaning, there is a folklore that explains the story behind
every constellation. Ask students, Can anyone tell me what a folklore is? If students do not know,
explain that a folklore is a body of a mythological figure which as we just talked about is a figure that
does not exist. When looking at constellations it is also very important that we know the location of each.
The location can help us know what season we are in

What is location and why is the location of a constellation so important?

Location is the particular place or position of something. For example the

location of my desk is the back left corner of the classroom
Ask students, Why is the location of a constellation so important? As we
started to talk about earlier location was and still is important for scientist to
know. Before Maps, GPSs, and the internet were invented based off of the
location of constellations people were able to tell which direction they needed to
go as well as know what the current season is.
o Make sure that students understand how important stars and
constellations were in helping people know what direction they were
going.

Elaborate: Activity: Making my own constellation

Explain to students that they are each going to make a constellation; Now each of you are going
to make a constellation. When making your constellation you also need to make up a folklore to
explain the story and/or meaning behind your constellation.
o Show students the teachers example of their constellation and read/explain the folklore
behind what the constellation means.

Evaluate: In three sentences students will tell the folklore behind there constellation which will then be
graded along with their constellation based on a rubric.

Dana Goldman
ELED 3221-003
3/15/2015
Content and Strategies (Procedure)

In your procedure, be sure to include all of the following 5 Es. Your procedure should be detailed
enough for a colleague to follow. If you will be relying on technology (e.g., a YouTube video), describe
your back up plan thoroughly. Imagine your most novice colleague needing to teach from your plan.
Dont just answer the questions. Additionally, I expect you to include possible questions you could ask for
each section. This needs to include higher-order questions.

Engage: How will students attention or interest be captured? How will you identify prior conceptions?

Explore: What common concrete experience will the students have that allows all students access to
materials? What questions will you ask to facilitate exploration?

Explanation: How will you structure student sharing from exploration? How will you facilitate
students conceptual development? How will you help students connect explanations back to their
experience? How will you build on student explanations to help students use appropriate vocabulary to
label concepts and ideas?

Elaborate: What opportunities will there be for students to apply newly learned ideas, concepts, and
skills? (Another activity is ideal)

Evaluate: How will you assess each students progress toward the stated objective(s)? What evidence
will be collected? What type of assessment will be used (formal, informal, formative, summative)?

To be complete after the lesson is taught as appropriate

Assessment Results of all objectives/skills:

Reflection on lesson:

CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________