5-ESS1-2

SCUSD NGSS Curriculum Guide
 * 5-ESS1-2: Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky. ** [Clarification Statement: Examples of patterns could include the position and motion of Earth with respect to the sun and selected stars that are visible only in particular months.] [//Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include causes of seasons.//]

Science Background for the Teacher:
The moon needs to be shown at daytime as well as nighttime so that students understand that it can be seen during the day at certain times of the month and is not only visible at night. Know that the stars and constellations are there year-round, but at certain times of the year they are not visible because they are "up" during the daytime.

Key Vocabulary:

 * seasonal || position || motion || constellation ||
 * solstice || equinox || sun || moon ||
 * planets || axis || rotation || orbit ||

Possible Assessments (formative and/or summative):
Give students a diagram with the sun and a student with his/her shadow. The student must determine what time of day it is based on the position of the sun and what season it is based on the length of the shadow.

Key Student Activity:

 * FOSS sun dial with students' shadows.
 * Pole Experiment- pick a pole on the playground and measure the length of the shadow at the same time throughout the year.
 * FOSS Phases of the Moon Activity- plot the phases of the moon over a 30 day period.

Key Teacher Demo/Activity:
Lessons about longer and shorter days based on seasons. Planetarium field trip if possible. Show pictures of the stars/ sky and how it changes through the year where the pictures are all taken from the same location. Solstice and equinox could be taught as an extension to length of daylight.

Common Student Misconceptions:

 * Everything orbits around the Earth
 * The Earth is not tilted on an axis (they think it sits straight)
 * The moon glows from its own light
 * Shadows are the same lengths
 * Stars disappear during the day

Things to Avoid/Correct:

 * Misconceptions
 * Don't look at the sun directly.

====Other Resources (text, video, simulations, activities, models, etc..): ====

http://ptaff.ca/soleil/?lang=en_CA (shows sunrise, sunset, and daylight hours on graphs).