Star Stuff Third Grade©*

Note to the Teacher

In second grade the Virginia SOL's in Social Studies focus on the ancient cultures of Egypt and China. In third grade that focus shifts to ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Therefore, the first lesson in this series will spotlight Greek and Roman contributions to the study of astronomy. The review lesson will appear as lesson two. Additional lessons will provide supplemental information on the phases of the Moon and the effect of the Moon on our tides.

An Internet lesson has been added to this curriculum as technology not only motives but instructs as well. By the third grade using technology as a logical extension of a lesson will broaden students' understanding (horizontal integration) or give them a deeper understanding of the topic (vertical integration).

The final lesson in the 3rd grade series details a nighttime field trip to an observatory.

Lesson One
Greek and Roman Contributions to Astronomy

Objectives
The student will:
- discuss and distinguish between Greek and Roman contributions to the study of astronomy
- create a diorama of ancient Greek beliefs
- be encouraged to research a topic, person, or ancient belief

Materials
shoebox, cardboard, pencils, crayons, clay, etc (for dioramas)
books, computers, and visuals to help in preparation of research reports

Procedure
Begin the lesson by having students recall what they remember about ancient Egyptian and Chinese beliefs regarding the shape of the world (see Lesson Two for details). Try having them evoke the memory of their sketches.

Begin discussion of the Greek belief of a model of the world by eliciting ideas as to what they might have believed. Once discussion has begun, provide students with the information that most ancient Greeks believed that the Earth floated in the ocean, sort of like a cork floats in water. They assumed that the sky surrounded the Earth, and that beyond the Earth was a region of hot fire. They thought that the sun, moon, and stars were holes in the sky through which the fire could be seen. Have students create a diorama of this ancient Greek model. This assignment can be done at home if classroom time is limited.

From their studies in Economics, 3rd graders should understand that Greece was the center of trade routes, where many people from different countries came and often exchanged stories and ideas about the Earth and the sky. Some ancient Greeks listened carefully to these stories and began to realize that all these stories could not be true. Many, many Greeks questioned these theories (Greeks had a great love of learning) and set out to prove which theory was correct.

Here is a brief list of some of the major contributions of Greek astronomers:

Aristotle
believed that the idea of a flat Earth was wrong and that the Earth was sphere-shaped because stars appeared to change heights on the horizon according to where the person seeing them was standing on the Earth. For instance, a certain star might be seen from Alexandria but not from Athens. He reasoned that things could only be this way if the earth was a globe. He also realized that when there was an eclipse of the Moon, the shadow of the Earth was visible on the Moon and one could see that it was curved.

Eratosthenes
measured the size of the Earth using an old Greek measurement. He believed that the Earth's circumference was about 28,000 miles. Actually, it is 24,902 miles but he came very close. This was considered a great breakthrough because it was achieved by careful scientific reasoning, not just by guessing.

Hipparchus
prepared a star catalog in 134 BC. This catalog described 850 of the brightest stars. He catalogued them according to how bright they were. Ptolemy
added some improvements to Hipparchus' catalog into a book of his own which was an encyclopedia of ancient science. He also made the first map of the world. His nickname was "Prince of Astronomers."

Anaximander
believed that the Earth was suspended in space.

Pythagoras
was a Greek mathematician who knew the Earth was globe-shaped.

Anaxagoras
believed the Moon had mountains and valleys.

It is not necessary for students to remember the names of these astronomers but it is important to address why their contributions were so important. For instance:

What might have made Anaxagoras believe that the Moon had mountains and valleys? (ability to speculate, question, and observe)

Why was Ptolemy known as the "Prince of Astronomers"? Did he deserve that title? (we know about ancient science as a result of his work)

How important was Aristotle's discovery about the stars?

Discussion should continue and students be encouraged to ponder which one of these scientists might have made the greatest contribution to the study of astronomy. Ask if there is more they would like to know about any one of these incredibly brilliant men. This will set them to thinking about a topic for their research reports.

Explain that the Romans had little interest in Science and most did not share the Greek love of learning. As far as astronomy goes, however, the Romans did take the time to reform the calendar. They realized that a true year is 365 and 1/2 days, not 365. Julius Caesar, a Roman, instructed a Greek astronomer, Sosigenes, to create a more accurate calendar. He then invented the leap year to keep the calendar accurate. This is the Julian calendar and is the one we use today.

In addition, all of our planets are named after Roman gods:

Assign a research report. Students who have their own ideas on what/who they wish to become more familiar can use their own judgment (with your input so the subject is focused). Others can choose what to research in conjunction with you. These reports need not be lengthy but should focus on a central idea, revised for clarity, and edited. Final copies could be bound into a class book. Suggest to children that these reports should represent the "Greek love of learning!"

Lesson Two
Review

Objectives
The student will:
- review second grade information.

Materials
Bill Nye the Science Guy video "Earth Seasons/Climates"
Dogs in Space by Nancy Coffelt

Procedure
The Bill Nye video from Disney Educational Products runs 26 minutes. It provides an excellent review of material presented in 2nd grade and includes:
- why a sundial works
- how the Earth's tilt determines seasons
- the way hot air rises

To complete the review, read Dogs in Space, a humorous book which includes the planets, their locations and their simplest attributes.

Objectives
The student will:
- list attributes of the Moon
- recognize the Moon as part of the solar scenario
- associate the moon with its phases
- illustrate a moon phase worksheet

Materials
chart paper
marker
worksheet identifying phases of the Moon
What's Out There: a book about space by Lynn Wilson

Procedure
Begin the class with the reading of the poem "The Moon" by Lillian M. Fisher.

Using chart paper, create a Moon Fact Sheet asking students to list facts about the moon gleaned from the above poem.

The Magical Moon

1. The Moon has no light of its own. ­ (Question: If the moon has no light of its own, why does it shine? Hint: see line 3 of the poem

Answer: The moon shines by reflecting sunlight. Like Earth, the sun's direct rays always light half the moon, and the other half is always in shadow. Without the sun, there would be no moonlight.

2. The Moon is cold and dark and dead as stone ­ (Question: We now know the Moon is dark and has no light of its own but how cold would you guess the Moon might get? Would there be a difference in temperature when the Sun was shining on the Moon and when the Moon was in shade?)

Answer: The Moon is 248 degrees Fahrenheit when the Sun is shining on it and ­256 degrees Fahrenheit when it is in the shade. Discuss the extremes in temperature.

Continue to solicit facts (from prior learning) to list on the chart. For example;

The Moon travels around the Earth approximately every 29 and 1/2 days.
The Moon's orbit is shorter than the Earth's orbit
The Moon is our closest neighbor.
The Moon is smaller than the Sun.
The Moon has craters, mountains, and valleys.
Craters on the Moon can be seen with the naked eye.
The Moon is always shining, but easier to see at night.
Astronauts have traveled to the Moon.

Continue the list until ideas are exhausted. If no one suggests that the Moon has different shapes at different times, you might want to ask questions about the phases of the moon so information on that topic can be communicated. It is important to remember that phases of the Moon is a very difficult concept so should be presented in an easy- to- understand format. Questions might include:

Does the moon always remain round and full?
What other shapes do we see?
Why do you think the shape of the moon changes?
How often do you think it changes?
Does anyone know what the changes are called?

At the second grade level, most children know few of these answers. To explain and illustrate the phases of the Moon, eight circles can be drawn on the chalkboard. Then, using the following information, the phases of the Moon can be explained, illustrated, and labeled:

New Moon (lst circle-invisible because the sunlit part of the Moon is turned away from the Earth and the Moon looks dark)

Waxing Crescent (2nd circle, Moon looks as if it is getting bigger-thin edge of the Moon is lit up)

First Quarter Moon (3rd circle, Moon has traveled half of its orbit of Earth and we see a half moon)

Waxing Gibbous (4th circle, more of the Moon's face seen, looks like a half Moon)

Full Moon (5th circle, at full Moon, the Moon is halfway around its orbit and the entire face of the Moon is lit up)

Waning Gibbous (6th circle, the Moon begins to wane and we see less of its face)

Last Quarter (7th circle, a week later we see a half Moon again)

Waning Crescent ( Finally, as the Moon completes its orbit, we see one thin edge again)

Distribute the worksheet copy of the Moon Phases to each student. The actual names of the phases of the Moon may simply be too difficult for 3rd graders. It is probably enough for them to understand the concept of the changing faces of the Moon. It might help to add that when the Moon looks as if it is getting bigger, it is called waxing and when it looks as if it is growing smaller, the correct term is waning. The term waxing may also be further understood by suggesting that as one begins to wax a floor they start at one place and wax outward allowing the wax to cover more and more of the surface.

Have students color in each phase of the Moon. They may use your drawing on the board as an example.

Read What's Out There: a book about space. It works as a further review and addresses the phases of the Moon as well.

Lesson Four
Using the Internet

Objectives
The student will:
- research using the Internet
- find pictures of the moon, its surface, and its phases

Materials
Computer with Internet access
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

Procedure
To strengthen understanding of the phases of the Moon, students can research the Moon on the Internet. Using "Yahooligans" is probably the best search engine for this age group. Some suggestions include:

The Moon (http://www.fys.ruu.nl/~zagers/maan/eng/vlekken.html)
Includes pictures of the Moon with the naked eye, with binoculars, and with a telescope.

Lunar Outreach Services (http://www.lunaroutreach.org/) Tells students the phase of the Moon at that exact time. Students can then check the Moon in the evening to double-check the information they obtained.

Leicester University Guide to Space and Astronomy (http://www.star.le.ac.uk/edu/index.html)
Search gallery for pictures of the Moon

There are countless other resources available on the Internet. Theabove are but a few. Having seen the computer images, seeing the actual image from an observatory will be even more dramatic!

Read Owl Moon, a wonderful fiction book which presents Moon images and an unbelieveable picture of mans' relationship to nature.

Objectives
The student will
- describe experiences observing ebb and flow of tides
- learn something about tides
- illustrate a shoreline during high/low tides

Materials
Paper, drawing tools, magazines

Procedure
Introduce the topic of tides by questioning the students about their beach experiences. Have any of them ever noticed how the tide (ocean) moves in and out? How many of them have had to change the place where they have put their towels and shoes as the tide comes in? Does the beach look different when the tide is low and when the tide is high? For this question brainstorm many specific differences and list on board. A sample list might include:

Seaweed can be seen
Fish and other skeletal bones can be found
Mussels and clams abound
driftwood and debris can be seen
small shore birds peck for food
sandcrabs can be seen burrowing into the wet sand, etc.
sand is of a different color and texture

Finally, what do you think causes the tides to change? Can you venture a guess, considering the subject being studied?

Explain that the Moon causes the Earth's oceans to wash up onto the shores and fall back from the shores twice every day. This washing up and falling back is referred to as tides. Tides are caused by the Moon's gravity pulling the ocean and Earth toward it. The Moon's pull forms great swells on the sides of the Earth nearest the Moon and another swell on the opposite side of the Earth. These bulges or water swells move around the Earth, following the Moon, and that is what produces the tides. This process is called the ebb and flow of tides.

The first high tide occurs when the sea is pulled up toward the land. As the Earth turns, the Moon's pull becomes weaker, so the sea level falls and we have the day's first low tide. As the Earth continues to turn and is opposite the Moon, the second swell of water produces another high tide. Finally, the tide goes out as the Earth keeps turning and that creates a second low tide. We know that the Earth spins around causing day and night every twenty-four hours. In a twenty-four hour period, there are two high tides and two low tides.

Have students draw two pictures or collect beach pictures from magazines, the Internet, etc. Divide a bulletin board in half, displaying the pictures of a beach at low tide and the beach at high tide. Make sure their sketches or pictures are very specific as to differences that would be observed. A model of the Moon should be placed at the top of the bulletin board.

Note: If you are within a short driving distance of a shoreline, nothing could be better than to observe the real thing. Therefore, if a fieldtrip is a viable option, by all means, spend a day at the beach!

Objectives
The student will:
- be exposed to an observatory
- study the night sky
- identify craters, valleys, etc. on the Moon
- locate, observe and name planets

Materials
notepad, pencil
binoculars
appropriate clothing for the time of the year

Procedure
We can think of little else to motivate and stimulate interest in astronomy than a nighttime visit to a local observatory. Depending on the facility and its ability to accommodate numbers of people, suggestions are as follows:

If the facility is small and does not have a viewing screen, limit the number of students to half of your class on any given night. That way, waiting time is reduced and chaos kept to a minimum. It does take time for a curator to set coordinates, move the dome, etc. I have found that having two or three pair of binoculars on hand, help a great deal. This way, when students are not actually using the telescope, they can be locating and viewing items in the sky through binoculars. If the facility has cameras which can project images from the telescope onto a screen, an entire class can participate in a one-time field trip.

Try to schedule the field trip on the night of a full Moon (although this is not imperative as a half moon, etc. is just as dynamic). Student reactions will be enough to make everyone in the room want to return time after time. At almost any time of the year, planets can be clearly seen. Observing Saturn and its rings, Neptune and its moons, a star nebula (nursery), a dying star, twin stars, Orion's belt, etc. will make astronomy come alive and develop a love of the nighttime sky forever. Even working with the curator before using binoculars or a telescope can open your eyes to a world many of us have seen but never really observed. We wonder how many of your students have actually seen, with the naked eye, satellites traveling above the Earth or the difference in the colors of stars.

As students complete their fieldtrip, they should record their reactions, responses and emotions in a journal. Have them detail all that they remember.

Virginia SOL Covered in 3rd Grade Curriculum

Science

Scientific Investigating, Reasoning and Logic
3.l The student will plan and conduct investigations in which Natural events are sequenced chronologically

Earth Patterns, Cycles and Change
3.8 The student will investigate and understand basic sequences and cycles occurring in nature. Key concepts include: Sequences of natural events (day and night, seasonal changes, phases of the Moon, and tides

Resources
3.11 The student will investigate and understand different sources of energy. Key concepts include:
- The sun's ability to produce light and heat
- Natural forms of energy (sunlight, water, wind)

English

Oral Language
3.1 The student will use effective communication skills in group activities
- Listen attentively by making eye contact, asking questions, paraphrasing, etc.
- Ask and respond to questions from teachers and other group members
- Explain what has been learned
3.2 The student will present brief oral reports

Reading Literature
3.5 The student will demonstrate comprehension of a variety of printed materials
- Set a purpose for reading
- Make connections between previous experiences and reading selections
- Ask and answer questions
- Use information to learn about new topics
- Write about what is read (or seen)

Writing
3.6 The student will write descriptive paragraphs
- Develop a plan for writing
- Focus on a central idea
- Group related ideas
- Include descriptive details
- Revise writing for clarity
- Edit final copies

Mathematics

Number and Number Sense
3.5 The student will name and write the fractions represented by drawings or concrete materials and represent a given fraction, using concrete materials and symbols
3.16 The student will identify equivalent periods of time, including relationships between days, months, and years

Geometry
3.17 The student will analyze plane and solid geometric figures and identify relevant properties, including the number of corners, the shape of faces, and edges.

Patterns, Function and Algebra
3.24 The student will recognize and describe patterns formed using concrete objects, tables and pictures and extend the pattern.

Computer Technology Standards
C/T 5.2 The student will develop basic technology skills
- Select and use technology appropriate to task
C/T 5.3 The student will process, retrieve and transmit electronic information

History
3.1 The student will describe the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome, etc.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/97/stars/chart/index.html

http://www.skypub.com/resources/links/links.shtml#charts

* This lesson is © 2000 - Institute for Connecting Science Research to the Classroom (http://www.icsrc.org)