ALEX Classroom Resources

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

[ARTS] DAN (1) 1 :

1) Respond with movement to a variety of prompts.

Examples: music/sound, artwork, tactile

[ARTS] DAN (1) 4 :

4) Select movements that express an idea or emotion or follow a musical phrase.

[ARTS] DAN (1) 18 :

19) Identify the movements in a dance that communicate an experience and relate the movements to a familiar experience.

Students will describe the way the sun and moon move in the sky. Working in groups, they will create a dance to show how the sun rises and sets in the sky. They will describe the levels in the morning, midday, and sunset. Another group will create a dance to show how the moon rises and sets in the sky and describe the levels that could be seen. The groups will combine their dances to show the complete process.        

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

[SC2015] (1) 9 :

9 ) Observe seasonal patterns of sunrise and sunset to describe the relationship between the number of hours of daylight and the time of year (e.g., more hours of daylight during summer as compared to winter).

Our star, the Sun, is an ordinary star. It is not particularly special compared to other stars in the universe; however, it is crucially important to us. As the massive energy source at the center of our solar system, the Sun is responsible for Earth's climate, weather, and life. In this lesson, students use observations, activities, and videos to learn basic facts about the Sun. Students also model the mechanics of day and night and use solar energy to make a tasty treat.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

Explore real-life and animated views illustrating the daily patterns of motion of the Sun, Moon, and stars in the sky. Students engage with a variety of media such as an interactive storybook, time-lapse videos, and images to identify evidence of motion and predict future appearances of the Sun, Moon, and stars.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

Observe how the Sun, Moon, and stars are visible in the sky at different times of the day and identify predictable patterns in the apparent motion of these objects with this WGBH lesson plan. Students record and analyze data to identify patterns that can be used to predict future appearances in the sky. This lesson plan includes media such as a slideshow, videos, interactive activities, and live-action video clips.

This resource was developed through WGBH’s Bringing the Universe to America’s Classrooms project, in collaboration with NASA.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

Students connect the stars together and learn more about constellations from Mindy. Then, let Mindy tell you more about the myths and legends that inspired the constellations.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

Students use an interactive model to gather evidence about the visible Moon’s changing pattern over 30 days in this resource from Astronomy Education at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. They use this evidence to record and make predictions about the Moon’s appearance in the sky.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 2 :

2 ) Construct explanations from observations that objects can be seen only when light is available to illuminate them (e.g., moon being illuminated by the sun, colors and patterns in a kaleidoscope being illuminated when held toward a light).

[SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

[SC2015] ES6 (6) 2 :

2 ) Construct models and use simulations (e.g., diagrams of the relationship between Earth and man-made satellites, rocket launch, International Space Station, elliptical orbits, black holes, life cycles of stars, orbital periods of objects within the solar system, astronomical units and light years) to explain the role of gravity in affecting the motions of celestial bodies bodies (e.g., planets, moons, comets, asteroids, meteors) within galaxies and the solar system.

Earth’s moon reflects the sun, and so it is visible at night. It also rotates at the same rate that it orbits, 27 days, which means that we only see one side of it. The moon has one-sixth of the gravity of Earth and no atmosphere at all!

The classroom resource provides a slide show that will explain the characteristics of Earth's moon. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

Observe the regular, predictable patterns of the Sun, Moon, and stars in the sky in this media gallery from WGBH. Interact with the animated storybook to observe and predict patterns of the Sun, Moon, and stars over a day and analyze evidence of the apparent movement of the Sun along the arc-like path over a day in a time-lapse video.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

[SC2015] ES6 (6) 1 :

1 ) Create and manipulate models (e.g., physical, graphical, conceptual) to explain the occurrences of day/night cycles, length of year, seasons, tides, eclipses, and lunar phases based on patterns of the observed motions of celestial bodies.

Students observe representational images and use them as evidence to describe the Moon’s appearance at different times of the month. The digital slideshow provides students with the opportunity to observe and use evidence from their observations to predict and record how the Moon appears to follow a regular pattern of change over time.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

Students will observe how the Moon appears in the sky when viewed on different days. The animated interactive storybook is used to give students an opportunity to interact with a character-guided observational experience of the Moon as they observe, analyze, and describe the Moon’s appearance in the sky.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

Students observe representational images and use them as evidence to describe how the Moon is visible in the day and night sky. The digital slideshow is used to provide students with the opportunity to observe and describe how the Moon can be visible in the day sky and night sky at different times and from different locations from our viewpoint on Earth.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

In this lesson, students record the position of the sun in the morning and afternoon and make connections to the directions east and west. They practice moving north, south, east, and west and use cardinal directions to read a map.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

[ELA2021] (1) 22 :

22. Ask and answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts.

The teacher will present an informational text from the website, ReadWorks. The students and teacher can interact with this non-fiction text by annotating the text digitally. The students will answer the questions associated with the article as an assessment. This learning activity can be used to explain why the sun is visible during the day and other stars are visible at night, serve as reinforcement after students have already learned this concept, or be used as an assessment at the conclusion of a lesson.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

[ELA2021] (1) 22 :

22. Ask and answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts.

The teacher will present an informational text from the website, ReadWorks. The students and teacher can interact with this non-fiction text by annotating the text digitally. The students will answer the questions associated with the article as an assessment. This learning activity can be used to introduce students to the different appearances of stars in the night sky, serve as reinforcement after students have already learned this concept, or be used as an assessment at the conclusion of a lesson. This article could be a precursor to students making their own observations of stars at night.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (1) 8 :

8 ) Observe, describe, and predict patterns of the sun, moon, and stars as they appear in the sky (e.g., sun and moon appearing to rise in one part of the sky, move across the sky, and set; stars other than our sun being visible at night, but not during the day).

[ELA2021] (1) 17 :

17. Use content knowledge built during read-alouds of informational and literary texts by participating in content-specific discussions with peers and/or through drawing and writing.

[ELA2021] (1) 21 :

21. Identify the main topic and key details of literary and informational texts.

The teacher will present an informational fiction text from the website, ReadWorks. The students and teacher can interact with this non-fiction text by annotating the text digitally. The students will answer the questions associated with the article as an assessment. This learning activity can be used as an introduction to the lunar cycle, serve as reinforcement after students have already learned this concept, or be used as an assessment at the conclusion of a lesson. This informational fiction text could provide background knowledge before students create their own moon journal to observe the changing lunar phases.