The Sun, The Moon, The Earth, and The Stars!

Science Resources for K-3 Classrooms

By Yvonne Dixon Graphics!Scrappin’Doodles For Personal Use Only

The Sun, The Moon, The Earth, and The Stars!

Science Resource Contents 1. Essential Question Cards

2. Vocabulary Cards for Science Word Wall

3. Vocabulary Color and Match

4. Space Mystery Word (Making Words)

5. Scrambled Space Sentences

6. Earth, Moon, and Sun Pre-Test or Summative Test 7.Let’s Explore the Sun! (Comprehension

Questions) 8. Let’s Explore the Earth! (Comprehension Questions) 9. Measure My Shadows/Sidewalk Shadows

10. What Causes Shadows?

11. Sun Dial Fun!

12. Shadow Measuring Homework!

13. Favorite Season Class Survey and Tally Graph 14. Seasons KWL

15. Seasons Flip Flap Book

16. The Season Tree!

17. Reasons for the Seasons Graphic Organizer 18. Moon Web!

19. The Moon (Comprehension Questions)

20. Charting the Lunar Cycle

21. Phases of the Moon Cut and Paste

22. Cookie Moon Phases

23. Make a Model of the Moon/Earth/Sun Rotation! 24. The Stars (Research and Facts)

25. STARburst Graphing!

26. Be a Night Sky Watcher!

27. Constellation Books

28. Astronaut Writing!

29. “Star Light! Star Bright”… Writing!

30. Coffee Can Constellations!

31. Out of this World Celebration Snacks!

32. Shoot for the Stars Math Facts Bar Graph!

The Sun, The Moon, The Earth and The Stars! Teaching Guide The resources in this packet are designed to promote student understanding of the relationship between Science and our world around us. Included are hands-on, student-centered, inquiry-based activities to enhance instruction. Students will investigate and explore the following Earth Science topics: 1. Students will investigate the position of the sun

and moon to show patterns throughout the year. *Students will explore the position of the sun in relation to a fixed object on earth at various times of the day. *Students will determine how shadows change through the day by using a sundial. *Students will relate the length of the day and night to the change in the seasons. *Students will observe and chart the shape of the moon over a period of time (a month).

2. Students will investigate and understand the reasons for seasons. *Students will explore the relationship between the earth and sun and why seasons occur and change.

3. Students will investigate and understand that stars have different sizes, brightness, and patterns. *Students will describe the physical attributes of stars. *Students will research and explore stars and constellations.

Essential Question

How do the Earth, Sun, and Moon interact?

Essential Question

What are the seasons and what

makes them change?

Essential Question

What

causes day and night?

Essential Question

Why does it look like the Sun moves during the

day?

Essential Question

Why does the Moon appear to change shape?

Essential Question

What are the phases

of the Moon?

Essential Question

What causes

shadows?

Essential Question

What is

a constellation?

Star

Sun

Earth

Moon

Orbit

Season

crater

rotation

Shadow

planet

Constellation

Milky Way

Astronomer

Astronaut

Autumn

Winter

Summer

Spring

Solar System

Solar Energy

Moonlight

The Solar System Vocabulary

Star: a big ball of hot gases that give off light

Constellation: a group of stars that form a star picture

Sun: the closest star to Earth-has eight planets that move around it

Planet: a large ball of rock or gas that travels around the sun

Solar System: the sun and its eight planets which move around the sun

Solar Energy: light and heat from the sun

Rotation: the spinning of the Earth

Season: a time of year (the four seasons: fall, winter, spring, &summer)

Orbit: the path around something

Moon: the object that appears the largest in the night sky

Moonlight: light from the sun that bounces off the moon

Crater: a hole that has the shape of a bowl

Astronomer: a person who studies planets, stars, and galaxies

Astronaut: a person trained to pilot, serve, or ride on a spacecraft

Name__________________________ Vocabulary Color and Match

Color the word to match the definition by using the same colored crayons.

constellation:

A big ball of hot gases that give off light

orbit: The closest star to Earth which has eight planets that move around it

sun: The object that appears the largest in the night sky (The moon takes about 1 month to orbit Earth.)

season: Light from the sun that bounces off the moon

moon: A group of stars that form a star picture

crater: The sun and its eight planets which move around the sun

solar energy:

Someone who studies planets, stars, and galaxies

moonlight: The spinning of the Earth (One complete Rotation takes about 24 hours.)

star: A large ball of rock or gas that travels around the Sun

rotation:

A person trained to pilot, serve, or ride on a spacecraft

Solar System: The path around something

planet: A time of year (the four seasons: Spring, summer, fall, and winter)

astronomer: Light and heat from the sun

astronaut: A hole that has the shape of a bowl

Name:_________________________________________________________

Solar System Making Words/Mystery Word

Use the letter tickets to move and make real words. Write the words below. Consonants:___________________ vowels: ______________

Two letter words Three letter words Four letter words Five letter words ___________ __________ __________ _________ ___________ __________ __________ _________ ___________ __________ __________ _________ ___________ __________ __________ _________ ___________ __________ __________ _________ ___________ __________ __________ _________ Now use all the letters to find the mystery word: __________________________

Write a sentence with the mystery word:

c o n s

t e l l

a t i o

n

Students move these letter tickets around in a pocket chart center to see how many two-letter, three-

letter, four-letter and five-letter words they can make. They then try

to figure out the “mystery word”…which is constellation.

Name: _________________________________________________________

Scrambled Space Sentences! Use the word cards to unscramble the sentences.

Write the sentences beside the picture or symbol that matches each set.

I

There is a full moon tonight.

The rocket is blasting

into space.

I want to be an astronaut.

An astronomer

studies the stars.

Stars are balls of

hot gases.

The sun is the closest star

to earth.

Name:__________________________________

Earth, Sun, and Moon Test Write a T for TRUE and F for FALSE in the blank.

____1. The Sun rotates around the Earth. ____2. The Moon revolves around the Earth. ____3. The Sun is a planet. ____4. The Sun is the closest star to the Earth. ____5. Air can be found on the moon. ____6. An astronomer pilots spacecraft. ____7. An astronaut studies stars and space. ____8. Luna is the name of Earth’s moon. ____9. Seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth on its axis. ___10. Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. ___11. The sun makes its own light and heat. ___12. Our four seasons are fall, winter, spring, and autumn. ___13. The Earth rotates around the Sun. ___14. A star is a planet.

Name:__________________________________

Write a word in the blank to complete each sentence. 1. The moon has large ____________ or holes. 2. A _____________is a group of stars that form a star

picture. 3. The closest ________ to Earth is the Sun. 4. The sun’s light and heat is called ____________. 5. The spinning of the Earth is called ___________. 6. When a solid object blocks the light of the sun we see a ____________. 7. The object that appears the largest in the night sky is the _________. 8. Earth is a __________ that follows a path around the

Sun. 9. We have four __________ that happen due to the tilt of the Earth on its axis. 10. The sun and the planets make up the _____________. 11. To _________ means to move in a path around

something. 12. It takes the Earth one ________ to orbit the Sun. craters orbit shadow rotation star constellation solar energy moon planet seasons Solar System year

NAME: ________________________________________

Let’s Explore the…SUN! Did you know that when you are looking at the Sun you are looking at a star? A star is a big ball of hot burning gases. The Sun is the closest star to Earth and the only star in our solar system. The Sun is really big! It is over 100 times wider than our planet Earth. The Sun is very hot. It puts off solar energy and makes the light that travels to Earth. All living things need the Sun. The Sun helps melt ice that provides water for us. Plants need the Sun to grow and animals eat the plants to get energy. We can use the Sun’s energy to make electricity. We know a lot about the Sun. The Sun is good for us but it also has rays that can harm living things. When we are out in the Sun, we should protect our skin by using sunscreen and clothes that cover most of our bodies. 1. Is the Sun a planet or a star?____________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

2. How big is the Sun?_____________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________ 3. How does the Sun help Earth?___________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

4. How does the Sun harm Earth?__________________________________

NAME:________________________________________

Let’s Explore the…EARTH! Did you know that Earth is a large planet that circles around the Sun. It takes one full year for the Earth to follow a path, or orbit around the Sun. Earth is always tilted on one side. This is what causes our four seasons. When the North Pole is closer to the Sun than the South Pole, it is the season of summer in the north and the season of winter in the south. When the South Pole is closer to the Sun, it is the season of summer in the south and the season of winter in the north. As Earth is in orbit around the Sun, it is also spinning on its axis. Each spin takes 24 hours. This is what causes day and night. When our side of Earth is facing the Sun, it is daytime. When Earth turns farther around, it is nighttime. 1. What causes the seasons?_______________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

2. What causes day and night?_____________________________________

__________________________________________________________________ 3. What does “orbit” mean?________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

4. How long does it take the Earth to orbit around the Sun?__________

__________________________________________________________________

Sidewalk Shadows! What Happens to Shadows?

1. Pick a partner to trace each other’s shadows on the sidewalk. 2. Go out on a sunny morning and ask your partner to trace around

your shadow on the ground with sidewalk chalk. 3. Use a yardstick to measure your shadow. Write down how long

it is. 4. Several hours later at lunchtime, go back out and do it again.

What happened? Which shadow was longer and why? 5. Do the same activity with your school flagpole or some other

object outside at school. Did the shadows change? Why or why not?

Sidewalk Shadows!

Ticket Out the Door Question Card Partners: _________________________________________ 1. How long was your shadow in the morning? What unit of measure are

you using?_____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

2. How long was your shadow at lunchtime? What unit of measure are

you using?_____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

3. Did the shadows change? Why do you think so?___________________

_________________________________________________________________

How to Make a Sundial History: As the Earth rotates around the Sun, it seems the Sun appears to move across the sky. People say that the Sun is rising in the east and setting in the west. Years ago people used the position of the sun to tell the time of the day. They watched shadows from a sundial the way we tell time today on a clock. The markings from the shadows would tell them the time of the day.

Materials Needed: *Stick or pencil

*Twelve small stones or markers *modeling clay or playdough

*paper to record your findings

Procedures and Observations: Make a ball with the modeling clay and place your pencil or stick in the clay standing upright. Choose a sunny area to set up your sundial. Look for the shadow of the stick and place your first stone there. Each hour check the shadows and mark the shadows with another stone. Place the stones exactly where the shadows fall. At the last hour of the school day, what did you notice? Why did the shadows move? What times would it be if the shadows were between the stones?

shadow Math!

Name:______________________________ HOMEWORK

We are learning why shadows change sizes and positions during the day. We’ve made a sundial to tell time with shadows and we’ve measured sidewalk shadows. At home measure your shadow again with your family. Tell how many inches/feet long your shadow is. Then measure yourself standing up and tell how many inches/feet tall you are. Compare the shadows. My shadow was ________ inches/feet long. I am _________ inches/feet tall. Who is longer/taller? ME or MY SHADOW? Here are things around my house that are the same length as my shadow: 1.________________________________ 2.________________________________ 3.________________________________ 4.________________________________ 5.________________________________ 6.________________________________

Name:________________________________________

Seasons KWL

What I Think I Know…

What I Think I Want to Learn…

What I Have Learned…

Let me tell you about the seasons…____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Seasons Flip Flap Book Make a flip book with flaps that allow students to match up the name of each season with facts. Students illustrate pictures to

show understanding of the seasonal changes.

Seasons Flip Flap Book

1. Take a long rectangular sheet of white construction paper and fold it in half.

2. On the front section only, cut four slits up to the fold.

3. Students write/label the names of the four seasons on the front of each section.

4. They then lift the “flaps” and write three sentences (facts) about each season.

5. Underneath the flap there will be another section for coloring illustrations to show what that season looks like.

“The Seasons Tree” Each year we learn how the seasons change and the effects on plants and animals. We

talk about the life cycles of plants and trees. Students enjoy making

this…”Seasons Tree” to show the changes that occur to a tree throughout the four

seasons.

In the spring… ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the summer… ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the fall… ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In the winter… ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name:____________________________ Reason for Seasons

What are the four seasons? _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________

What makes seasons What season is change?___________ it for the part __________________ of Earth that is _____________ tilted toward ____________ Seasons the Sun?______ _____________ _______________ __________________ _________________ __________________ ___________________ ______________________ ______________________

What season is it for the part of Earth that is NOT tilted toward the Sun? _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Name:____________________________

Favorite Season Class Survey and Tally Table

1. What is YOUR favorite season and why?________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. List three things you like to do during this season? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Survey your classmates with the tally table below to see which season is your class favorite.

(*Key: 1 tally for each vote)

SPRING SUMMER WINTER FALL

Which season does your class like best?______________

Name:____________________________ What Causes Day and Night? As Earth is in orbit around the Sun, it is also spinning on its axis. Each spin takes 24 hours. This is what causes day and night. When our side of Earth is facing the Sun, it is daytime. When Earth turns farther around, it is night.

To help explain the idea of what it means to orbit…

Have students stand and orbit their chairs.

To explain what it means for the Earth to spin

on its axis, have students spin at the same

time(This is cute to watch).

Use a large yellow ball for the Sun. Use a class

globe or blue ball for the Earth. Use a small

white ball (golf ball) for the moon. Model for the

students how the Earth orbits the Sun. Make

sure that you are spinning the Earth on its axis

as it orbits around the Sun.

Name:____________________________ Use this “Moon Web” graphic organizer as you learn facts about the Moon.

The Moon

NAME: ________________________________________

Let’s Explore the…MOON! When you look up into the sky at night what do you see? The Moon is Earth’s constant companion. It is always with Earth. It orbits Earth about every 28 days. During this time it seems to change shape or go through phases. The light we see from the Moon is actually the reflection of light from the Sun. The Moon does not produce light the way the Sun does. The Moon has craters or big holes that look like dark spots from Earth. As the Moon orbits Earth, its gravitational pull creates our tides in our oceans. Gravity is the force that pulls things toward it. The name of our moon is Luna. The first man to walk on the Moon was Neil Armstrong in 1969. The Moon also keeps the Earth’s tilt on its axis. That is why we have seasons on Earth. When the North Pole is tilted towards the Sun then it is warmer seasons like summer in the North. When the South Pole is tilted towards the Sun, then it is warmer seasons like summer in the South. 1. How long does it take the moon to orbit the Earth?________________

__________________________________________________________________

2. What does the Moon look like?__________________________________ __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

3. How does the Moon help Earth?_________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Charting the Lunar Cycle As the moon moves around the Earth, we can see the different phases of the Moon. Be a “moon watcher” for a month to see for yourself.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

What observations did you make during this cycle?

Moon Phases Cut and Paste You will need:

Blue, yellow, and black construction paper. Take a 12x18 longer sheet of blue construction paper. Divide it into fourths. Provide students with either stencils or pre-cut circles and half circles. Each student will need three whole yellow circles, one whole black circle, and two black half circles.

Students will cut out the four stages of the moon’s cycle. They will match up the stage or moon phase with the construction paper circles as shown below:

New Moon

No sunlight lights up the surface of the Moon facing Earth. It is completely dark.

First Quarter

Moon Sunlight lights up the

right half of the surface of the Moon facing Earth. Light is on the right side.

Last Quarter

Moon Sunlight lights up the left

half of the surface of the Moon facing Earth. Light is on the left side.

Full Moon

Sunlight completely lights up the surface of the

Moon facing Earth. It is completely full with light.

Cookie Moon Phases

Materials for each student!

8 chocolate or vanilla cookies (Oreos are good!) Paper plate or template below

Plastic knife or spoon (Hint: Vanilla cookies look more like the moon!)

If you use the template below…laminate and use each year! STUDENTS SCRAPE THE ICING OFF TO SHOW EACH MOON PHASE! YUM!

Students used a web site that displayed the phases of the lunar cycle. They compared each cookie with the phase on the board. After making the phases with the cookies they colored the phases on their sheets.

Cookie Moon Phases

Third Quarter

Waning Gibbous Waning Crescent

New Moon Full Moon

Waxing Gibbous Waxing Crescent First Quarter

MAKE A… Model of The… Moon/Earth/Sun Rotation!

This is the easiest way to show what “orbit” means to students. All you need is construction paper and brads. Turn the earth on the brad as it orbits the sun (to show a year of seasons). At the same time have a student turn the moon in orbit around the earth.

NAME: ________________________________________

Let’s Explore the…STARS! At night there are stars in the sky. What is a star? A star is a ball of hot gases and fire. There are thousands of stars in space. They make their own heat and light. The closest star to Earth is the Sun. There are many stars in the sky that look tiny because they are so far away from Earth. We can look for stars and pictures formed by stars called constellations. You can be a stargazer and look for constellations by using a telescope. Stars can be many different colors. Some stars are white, some are yellow, and some are red. Our Sun is yellow and red. 1. What is a star?_________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

2. Tell about the closest star to Earth.______________________________ __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

3. What is a constellation?_________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Challenge: You are going to be a stargazer. Research one major constellation. On the back of your paper draw the constellation and tell its story.

Starburst Graphing Pick a scoop of Starburst candies and sort them by colors into piles. Count how many you have of each color and graph below. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

yellow

red

pink

orange

1. How many yellows do you have?_______ 2. How many reds?________ 3. How many yellows and reds together?_________ 4. How many orange do you have?_________ 5. How many pink do you have?_________ 6. How many orange and pink candies together?__________ 7. How many Starburst candies do you have in all?_________ 8. Which color did you have the most of?______________ 9. Which color did you have the least of?______________ 10. Which is your favorite color?_________________

Be a Night Sky Watcher

Draw the Moon that you see in the sky. What phase do you think it is in?

Look for a constellation in the

sky. Draw it and write its name.

Check what you see: The moon The Sun Big Dipper Little Dipper Orion’s Belt Polaris Capella Orion Nebula Rigel

Constellation Books

Staple several half pages of black paper together to make a booklet. As

your students research different constellations they can record the

pictures and facts in their booklets.

Wish Upon A Star!

Star Light, Star Bright, Star I Wish Upon Tonight! If I had one wish…

Astronaut Space Story!

If I were an Astronaut…

Coffee Can Constellations!

Materials: empty coffee cans (plastic works fine), nails, a

hammer, permanent markers, a flashlight, colored cellophane (red, yellow, blue, orange), and clear tape.

*Assign each student a constellation to research. Have them make a sketch of their constellation on paper prior to this activity. *Remove the lid from the top of the coffee can. *Draw a constellation with the markers on the bottom of the can by marking a dot for each star. *With a hammer and nail (you will need to do this for your students-plastic coffee cans are easier to work with) make a hole for each star-make different sizes. Tape small pieces of cellophane over some of the holes. *On the side of the can write the name of the constellation. *Students can take turns displaying their constellations by shining the flashlight inside of the coffee can onto the walls or Smartboard screen. Play…”Guess the Constellation” by shining the

stars on the wall in class!

Out of This World… Space Snacks!

Celebrate your space unit with out of

this world space snacks! Try these

yummy treats out during your two

week unit on the Earth, Sun, Moon,

and Stars! Your kiddos will love them!

1. Moon Pies 2. Milky Way Candy Bars 3. Sunshine punch (fruit punch) 4. Starburst Candies 5. Oreos for Moon Activity 6. Drink “Tang” like the Astronauts 7. Moon Balls (round sugar cookies)

Shoot for the Stars Math Facts! I am working on my (addition, subtraction,

multiplication, division) facts in class! Here is a

bar graph to show my progress! My goal is to

shoot for 100%!

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

Score Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

My goal is to graduate from (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) facts.

Examples of student math fact bar graphs Shooting For the Stars

Have your students use different colors to represent addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It helps to see when they “graduate” to the next level. You can see that this student started subtraction on week 6.

This student graduated to subtraction on week 5 as indicated by the change of color from red to orange. He then moved on to practice multiplication on week 8.

“Shoot for the Stars math Facts!”

1. Match the math facts with the correct answer cards. 2. Set a timer. See how many matches you can get in five minutes.

2. Record your score of your timed test each week on your bar graph recording sheet.

Shoot for the Stars… 100%!

__+__=__ __+__=__

__+__=__ __+__=__

__ __

__ __

__--__=__ __--__=__

__--__=__ __--__=__

__ __

__ __

__x__=__ __x__=__ __x__=__ __x__=__

__ __

__ __

__÷__=__ __÷__=__ __÷__=__ __÷__=__

__ __

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Science Resources…

“The Sun, The Earth, The

Moon, and The Stars.”

A I hope you and your students

enjoy this Science Unit!!!

Please check on TPT for

future teaching packets to be

downloaded!

God Bless and Happy

Teaching!-Yvonne Dixon

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