TEACHING LITERACY IN TENNESSEE: UNIT … TABLE OF CONTENTS Guidance for Educators 3 Unit Overview and Content Goals

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TEACHING LITERACY IN TENNESSEE: UNIT STARTER GRADE 3

DRAFT 10/24/17

Important Note: The unit starter provides the foundation for unit planning. In addition to thoughtful preparation

from these resources, there are additional components of the literacy block for which educators will need to plan and

prepare. See page 5 for more guidance on planning for other components of the literacy block.

This unit starter is being released in draft form to be pilot tested in classrooms across Tennessee. The Tennessee

Department of Education is committed to improving this resource to meet the needs of Tennessee educators and

students and welcomes feedback on the design and usability of the unit starter. Please share your feedback through

our online feedback form here. The department will use this feedback to improve this resource and inform the

development of future resources.

https://stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/unit_starter_feedback

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Guidance for Educators ................................................................................................................................................ 3

Unit Overview and Content Goals ........................................................................................................................... 8

Standards ........................................................................................................................................................................... 11

Texts for Interactive Read Aloud & Shared Reading .................................................................................. 13

Suggested Resources for Small Group & Independent Reading .......................................................... 14

Unit Vocabulary .............................................................................................................................................................. 15

Daily Tasks & Question Sequences

Day 1: Boy, Were We Wrong About the Solar System ....................................................................... 16

Day 2: Our Planet Earth; And Then There Were Eight ....................................................................... 20

Day 3: The Sun, Yellow Dwarf Star at the Heart of the Solar System ............................................ 25

Day 4: Gravity .................................................................................................................................................... 29

Day 5: Gravity; What is an Orbit? ............................................................................................................. 33

Days 6-8: Planets Around the Sun; The Planets ................................................................................... 37

Day 9: The Planets .......................................................................................................................................... 42

Days 10 and 11: Solar System Forecast ................................................................................................. 45

Day 12-14: Our Solar System ...................................................................................................................... 54

Day 15: Galaxies, Galaxies ........................................................................................................................... 64

Days 16 and 17: End-of-Unit Task ............................................................................................................ 67

Appendix A: Unit Preparation Protocol .................................................................................................................. 68

Appendix B: Vocabulary Instruction Examples .................................................................................................... 72

Appendix C: Dash Facts on the Planets for Grade 3 .......................................................................................... 73

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GUIDANCE FOR EDUCATORS

1. WHY IS THE DEPARTMENT PROVIDING UNIT STARTERS?

The research is clear: reading proficiently—especially reading proficiently early—prepares students for life-long

success. To support greater reading proficiency among all students in Tennessee, Governor Haslam, the First Lady,

and Commissioner McQueen kicked off the Read to be Ready campaign in February 2016 with a goal of having 75

percent of Tennessee third graders reading on grade level by 2025. Together, we are making progress. High-quality

texts that meet grade-level expectations are increasingly making their way into classrooms. Students are spending

more time reading, listening, and responding to texts that have the potential to build both skill-based and

knowledge-based competencies. However, the first year of the initiative has revealed a need for strong resources to

support the growing teacher expertise in Tennessee.

Earlier this year, the Tennessee Department of Education released Teaching Literacy in Tennessee. This document

outlines the types of opportunities students need to become proficient readers, writers, and thinkers and includes a

literacy unit design framework describing the ways that teachers can create these opportunities. This includes

building rich learning opportunities around meaningful concepts within the English language arts block where

students listen to, read, speak, and write about sets of texts that are worthy of students’ time and attention. The

department is committed to providing continued support to teachers and leaders in implementing this vision for

literacy, which is why we are excited to release our Teaching Literacy in Tennessee: Unit Starters for grades K-3.

The resources found in the Teaching Literacy in Tennessee: Unit Starters are intended to support planning for one

full unit aligned to the vision for Teaching Literacy in Tennessee. They are intended to serve as a model to reference

as educators continue to design units and compare the alignment of lessons to the vision for Teaching Literacy in

Tennessee.

2. WHAT RESOURCES ARE INCLUDED IN A UNIT STARTER?

The unit starters include several of the key components in the framework for Teaching Literacy in Tennessee. These

components serve as the foundation for strong unit planning and preparation.

Content Goals: Each unit starter begins with content goals that articulate the desired results for learners.

Universal Concept: A concept that bridges all disciplinary and grade-level boundaries. This concept provides

educators and students with an organizational framework for connecting knowledge across disciplines into

a coherent view of the world.

Universal Concept Example: Interdependence

Unit Concept: The application of the universal concept to one or more disciplines. This concept provides

students with an organizational framework for connecting knowledge within the disciplines into a coherent

view of the world and provides educators with a focus for unit planning.

Unit Concept Example: Interdependence of living things

Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions: The ideas we want students to understand, not just

recall, from deep exploration of our unit concept and the corresponding open-ended questions that will

guide students’ exploration of these ideas. The enduring understandings reflect the abstract, easily

misunderstood, “big” ideas of the discipline. They answer questions like “Why?” “So what?” and “How does

this apply beyond the classroom?” to support deep levels of thinking. These questions spark genuine and

https://tn.gov/assets/entities/education/attachments/rpt_teaching_literacy_in_tn.pdf

http://www.tn.gov/readtobeready/section/educators-main-page

http://www.tn.gov/readtobeready/section/educators-main-page




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relevant inquiry and provoke deep thought and lively discussion that will lead students to new

understandings. [Adapted from McTighe, J. & Seif, E. (2011), Wiggins, G. & McTighe (2013).]

Enduring Understanding Example: People, plants, and animals depend on each other to survive.

Essential Question Example: Why do human’s need to preserve trees?

Disciplinary Understandings and Guiding Questions: Disciplinary understandings are the specific ideas and

specialized vocabulary of the discipline. These ideas will focus instruction, build disciplinary knowledge, and

provide the schema to organize and anchor new words. Student understanding of these content-related

ideas is critical to investigation and understanding of the more abstract and transferable ideas outlined in

the enduring understandings. Guiding questions are open ended and guide students’ exploration of the

disciplinary understanding. These questions prompt ways of thinking and support knowledge building

within the content areas.

Disciplinary Understanding Example: The structure of plants and the function of each part

Guiding Question Example: Why are roots important to plants?

Texts for Interactive Read Aloud & Shared Reading: Each unit starter includes a collection of 10-12 complex

texts to support strong interactive read aloud and shared reading experiences. These texts have been selected to

regularly expose students to rich academic language and build the desired understandings for the unit. Given the

complexity of these texts, teachers should revisit them with students after the initial read(s) to deepen knowledge.

Teachers also may analyze and select additional suitable texts based on instructional goals and student needs. See

page 38 in Teaching Literacy in Tennessee for the three-part model for determining text complexity: quantitative

dimensions of text complexity; qualitative dimensions of text complexity; and reader and task considerations.

The concepts for the first set of unit starters were derived from the vertical progression of Tennessee’s Earth

Science Standards and focus on Earth’s place in the universe:

Kindergarten: There are common, predictable weather patterns associated with each season, and people,

animals, and plants respond to these changing weather patterns.

Grade 1: Celestial bodies in the solar system are in motion, resulting in patterns like day and night, the

seasons, and the moon’s phases.

Grade 2: Some changes in the Earth's surface happen slowly, due to natural processes on the Earth's

surface. Others happen suddenly due to incredible forces deep inside the Earth.

Grade 3: Each of the planets in the solar system has its own special path—or orbit—around the sun,

resulting in specific characteristics.

Suggested Resources for Small Group & Independent Reading: The unit starters include a list of suggested

resources (texts, videos, online resources) to support a volume of reading on the unit concepts. These materials may

be used during small group instruction and/or independent reading and writing activities to support knowledge

building for students and to meet students’ diverse learning needs.

End-of-Unit Task: Each unit starter includes an end-of-unit task that provides an opportunity for students to

demonstrate their understanding of the unit concept and to answer the essential questions for the unit in an

authentic and meaningful context.

Daily Tasks & Question Sequences: Each unit starter includes a daily task and question sequence for


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approximately three weeks of instruction. The question sequences support students in accessing the complex texts

during interactive read aloud or shared reading by drawing students’ attention to the challenging elements in the

text and guiding students toward the desired understandings.

The daily tasks provide a discussion or writing opportunity for students to demonstrate their new understandings

using details from the texts read across the daily literacy block. The texts and tasks have been carefully sequenced

to support students in building disciplinary understandings over the course of the unit, so they are able to

successfully engage in the end-of-unit task.

3. WHAT RESOURCES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN A UNIT STARTER?

These resources provide the foundation for unit planning but are not intended to be a comprehensive curriculum

resource. Instead, educators must thoughtfully prepare from the resources that are included in the unit starter and

plan for other components of the English language arts block. The unit starters do not include instructional

guidance to meet the diverse and unique needs of your students, including:

▪ Instructional guidance for small group and independent reading and writing

o Students should be grouped flexibly and resources selected to meet specific and unique needs of

students, which may change over time.

▪ Instructional guidance and resources for explicit foundational skills instruction and foundational skills

practice in and out of context

o Reading foundational skills instruction should follow a year-long scope and sequence and be

responsive to the unique needs of your students.

Please refer to Teaching Literacy in Tennessee for definitions of new or unfamiliar terms used in this document.

4. HOW SHOULD I USE THE RESOURCES IN THE UNIT STARTER TO PLAN MY UNIT?

The unit starter provides the foundation for unit planning. In addition to thoughtful preparation from these

resources, there are additional components of your literacy block for which you will need to plan and prepare.

Interactive Read Aloud and Shared Reading Experiences

To prepare for the unit, start by thoroughly reviewing the resources that are included in the unit starter. These

resources are designed to support students in thinking deeply about complex text through interactive read aloud

and shared reading experiences and in expressing their understanding through speaking and writing. To support

this step, a preparation protocol is included in Appendix A.

Small Group Reading and Writing

In addition to interactive read aloud and shared reading experiences, plan small group instruction to support the

diverse needs of students in your classroom. Group students flexibly and select texts to meet your students’ specific

needs, which may change over time, so they can meet grade-level expectations:

Accuracy/word analysis: Some students may need additional practice with foundational reading skills that

have already been taught and now are applied to reading authentic texts.

Fluency: Some students may be strong decoders but still struggle to read fluently, which holds them back

from successful comprehension.

Comprehension: Some students may lack the knowledge and vocabulary needed to make sense of what

they are reading, struggle to navigate complex sentence structure, or struggle with a particular

comprehension strategy.

The unit starters include a list of suggested resources (texts, videos, online resources) that can be used to support


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small group instruction.

Modeled, Shared and Interactive Writing

To prepare students for success on the daily and end-of-unit tasks in the unit starter, plan for modeled, shared and

interactive writing opportunities. Modeled writing is an instructional strategy where the teacher explicitly

demonstrates the writing process for different forms and purposes. Shared writing is an instructional strategy where

the teacher and students compose a text together with the teacher acting as the scribe. Interactive writing is an

extension of shared writing in which the teacher and students compose a text together with the teacher strategically

sharing the pen during the process.

Independent Reading and Writing

The Tennessee English Language Arts Standards call for students to read a range of literary and informational texts

and engage in a high volume of reading independently. Plan for how you will use the suggested resources for small

group and independent reading to engage students in a volume of reading. Consider setting up systems for

accountability during independent work time such as one-on-one conferences, center assignments, and/or

accountable independent reading structures.

See pages 41-43 in Teaching Literacy in Tennessee for a description of these instructional strategies and their purpose

within the literacy block.

Explicit Foundational Skills Instruction

It is recommended that educators consult the

Foundational Literacy Standards and use a

systematic phonics sequence (often found within a

phonics program) for foundational skills instruction

in conjunction with the resources in the unit starter.

Strong foundational skills instruction follows an

intentional, research-based progression of

foundational skills that incorporates phonological

awareness, phonics, and word recognition.

Foundational Skills Practice Out of Text and In

Text

Strong foundational skills instruction includes

opportunities for students to practice their newly

acquired skills out of text and in text.

Out-of-text instruction may take the form of

minilessons and hands-on application through

activities, such as word sorts or the use of

manipulatives.

In-text instruction provides opportunities across the literacy block for students to further apply their new learning in

authentic reading and writing texts. Foundational skills assessments should be ongoing and should be used to

determine when students have mastered the skill and are ready to move on to the next skill.

See pages 78-79 in Teaching Foundational Skills Through Reading and Writing Coach Training Manual for more

information about the relationship between out of text and in-text teaching.

Structures for Academic Talk & Collaboration

The unit starters include suggestions for questions and daily tasks, but they do not include guidance on how to


http://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/readtobeready/attachments/FoundationalSkills_ParticipantTrainingManual.pdf

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structure sharing/discussion time. Consider planning how your students will engage with you and each other when

responding to complex text orally or in writing by incorporating things like expectations for talk time, sentence

starters, hand signals, etc.

5. WHAT MATERIALS DO I NEED TO ORDER AND PRINT?

Texts for Interactive Read Aloud & Shared Reading

Each of the texts included in the unit starters can be purchased or accessed online. A list of these texts is included in

the unit starter materials. Educators will need to purchase or print one copy of each text selected to support

interactive read aloud experiences and one copy per student of each text selected to support shared reading

experiences (Note: unless you plan to project the text for students to read or purchase a big book option).

Suggested Texts for Small Group & Independent Reading

Additionally, each of the texts suggested for small group and independent reading can be purchased or accessed

online.

Materials to Be Printed

The unit starters can be accessed digitally here. Student handouts are included in the appendices for printing.

Educators may also consider printing:

• Question Sequence – Teachers may want to print question sequences or write the questions on sticky

notes to have them available during interactive read aloud and shared reading experiences. Even where

page numbers are not indicated in the question sequence, questions are intended to be asked throughout

the reading of the text, during the relevant portions of the text.

• Daily Task – Teachers may want to print the teacher directions for the daily task.

• End-of-Unit Task – Teachers may want to print the teacher directions for the end-of-unit task.

6. WHERE CAN I SHARE MY FEEDBACK ON THE UNIT STARTER?

The Tennessee Department of Education welcomes any feedback you have on the design and usability of the

Teaching Literacy in Tennessee: Unit Starters. Please share your feedback through our online feedback from here.

https://www.tn.gov/readtobeready

https://stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/unit_starter_feedback

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UNIT OVERVIEW

This unit starter is organized around three questions: (1) What are the desired results for learners? (2) How will

students demonstrate these desired results? (3) What learning experiences will students need to achieve the desired

results?

The diagram on the next page provides a high-level overview of the unit.

Guidance for the central text and lead strategy for each day of instruction has been provided in the unit starter. It is

important to note that this guidance does not reflect a comprehensive literacy block. Educators should support

students in developing their expertise as readers and writers by flexibly utilizing a variety of instructional strategies

throughout the literacy block.

Educators are also encouraged to use the guidance from this unit starter flexibly based on the needs, interests, and

prior knowledge of students. For example, teachers may decide to re-read a text, pull in supplementary texts, or

provide additional scaffolding based on their knowledge of their students. Teachers are encouraged to be strategic

about how many instructional days to spend on this unit.

This unit starter is organized around three questions: (1) What are the desired results for learners? (2) How will

students demonstrate these desired results? (3) What learning experiences will students need to achieve the desired

results?

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UNIT OVERVIEW

WHAT ARE THE DESIRED

RESULTS FOR LEARNERS?

By the end of this unit students will

understand …

Universal Concept: Differences in

scale/proportion impact systems.

Unit Concept: Distance from the

sun affects planets’ distinguishing

characteristics.

Enduring Understandings: Each of

the planets in our solar system

receives light and heat from the sun

as it travels on its own special path –

or orbit. Each planet has specific

characteristics based on its position

in relation to the sun.

Essential Questions: Why is it

important to understand the special

path – or orbit – of each planet

around the sun?

Disciplinary Understandings:

The universe is a vast space that

extends beyond the imagination.

Within the universe there are

planetary systems that are made of

working relationships between

planets, other objects, and a star.

Planets, including Earth, and other

celestial bodies make up our solar

system – one planetary system in the

universe.

Guiding Questions: How big is the

universe? What is in the universe?

Where are we in the universe?

HOW WILL STUDENTS

DEMONSTRATE THESE

DESIRED RESULTS?

Students will synthesize their learning

from the unit texts and demonstrate

understanding in the following

authentic and meaningful context …

End-of-Unit Task:

Imagine you are a NASA scientist

and the president has asked you if

we can relocate people to other

planets. Prepare a brief for the

president on why Earth is ideally

suited for life but the other planets

are not.

When you are finished with your

brief, practice presenting the report

to the president’s advisors.

WHAT LEARNING

EXPERIENCES WILL STUDENTS

NEED TO ACHIEVE THE

DESIRED RESULTS?

Students will build the desired

understandings with deep exploration

of complex texts through interactive

read-aloud (IRA) and shared reading

(SR) experiences …

Day 1 (IRA): Boy, Were We Wrong

About the Solar System

Day 2 (IRA, SR): Our Planet Earth;

And Then There Were Eight

Day 3 (IRA): The Sun, Yellow Dwarf

Star at the Heart of the Solar System

Day 4 (IRA): Gravity

Day 5 (IRA, SR): Gravity; What is an

Orbit?

Days 6-8 (SR): Planets Around the

Sun; The Planets

Day 9 (SR): The Planets

Days 10 and 11 (IRA): Solar System

Forecast

Days 12-14 (IRA): Our Solar System

Day 15 (IRA): Galaxies, Galaxies

Day 16-17: End of unit task

Note that even though days and

instructional strategies are listed above

to lead the day’s instruction, teachers will

normally couple multiple instructional

strategies in concert (see page 13 of

Teaching Literacy in Tennessee). It is also

assumed that teachers will re-read a text

on subsequent days as needed, pull in

supplementary texts, or provide

additional scaffolding based on their

knowledge of their students. Teachers

are encouraged to be strategic about

how many instructional days to spend on

this unit.

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UNIT CONTENT GOALS

By the end of this unit, students will have achieved the desired understandings outlined below.

Universal Concept: Differences in

scale and proportion impact

systems.

Unit Concept: Distance from the

sun affects planets’ distinguishing

characteristics.

Enduring Understanding: Each of the

planets receives light and heat from

the sun as it travels on its own special

path – or orbit.

Enduring Understanding: Each planet

has specific characteristics based on

its position in relation to the sun.

Essential Question: Why is it important to understand the special path – or

orbit – of each planet around the sun?

Disciplinary Understanding: The

universe is a vast space that

extends beyond the imagination.

Disciplinary Understanding: Within

the universe there are planetary

systems that are made of working

relationships between planets,

other objects, and a star.

Disciplinary Understanding: Planets,

including Earth, and other celestial

bodies make up our solar system –

one planetary system in the

universe.

Guiding Question: How big is the

universe?

Guiding Question: What is in the

universe?

Guiding Question: Where are we in

the universe?

3.ESS1.1: Use data to categorize the planets in the solar system as inner or outer planets according to their

physical properties.

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UNIT STANDARDS

The questions and tasks outlined in this unit starter are aligned with the following Tennessee English language arts

and science standards.

ALIGNED STANDARDS: INFORMATIONAL TEXT

3.RI.KID.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as a

basis for the answers.

3.RI.KID.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.

3.RI.KID.3 Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in

technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

3.RI.CS.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.

3.RI.CS.5 Use text features to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.

3.RI.IKI.7 Use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of a

text.

3.RI.IKI.9 Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same

topic.

3.RI.RRTC.10 Read and comprehend stories and informational texts at the high end of the grades 2-3 text

complexity band independently and proficiently.

ALIGNED STANDARDS: LITERATURE

3.RL.KID.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as a

basis for the answers

3.RL.KID.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central

message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

3.RL.CS.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from

nonliteral language (e.g., feeling blue versus the color blue).

3.RL.CS.5 Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe

how each successive part of a text builds on earlier sections.

3.RL.CS.6 Distinguish reader perspective from that of the narrator or the perspectives of the characters and

identify the point of view of a text.

3.RL.IKI.7 Explain how illustrations in a text contribute to what is conveyed by the words.

3.RL.RRTC.10 Read and comprehend stories and poems at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band

independently and proficiently.

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ALIGNED STANDARDS: WRITING

3.W.TTP.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information. a. Introduce

a topic. b. Group related information together, including illustrations when needed to provide clarity to the

reader. c. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details. d. Provide a conclusion. e. Use linking words and

phrases to connect ideas within categories of information. f. Use precise language to inform about or explain the

topic. g. Apply language standards addressed in the Foundational Literacy standard

3.W.PDW.4 With guidance and support, produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,

organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade specific expectations for writing

types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)

3.W.PDW.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by

planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–

3 up to and including grade 3.)

3.W.RBPK.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources, with

support; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.

3.W.RW.10 Write routinely over extended time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and

audiences; promote writing fluency.

ALIGNED STANDARDS: SPEAKING & LISTENING

3.SL.CC.1 Prepare for collaborative discussions on 3rd grade level topics and texts; engage effectively with varied

partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own ideas clearly.

3.SL.CC.2 Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text presented in diverse media such as visual,

quantitative, and oral formats.

3.SL.CC.3 Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and

detail.

3.SL.PKI.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant,

descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.

3.SL.PKI.6 Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested

detail or clarification.

ALIGNED STANDARDS: SCIENCE

3.ESS1.1: Use data to categorize the planets in the solar system as inner or outer planets according to their

physical properties.

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TEXTS FOR INTERACTIVE READ ALOUD & SHARED READING

These texts have been selected to regularly expose students to rich academic language and build the desired

understandings for the unit. They have been vetted for quality and complexity to support strong interactive read

aloud and shared reading experiences.

While preparing for instruction, educators are urged to carefully consider the needs and interests of the readers and

to be strategic about the types of tasks that will support readers in deeply engaging with these rich texts. Teachers

should also consider how they will make connections to students’ prior knowledge and students’ cultural and

previous academic experiences. Teachers need to consider the vocabulary demands of the text and the level of

support readers will need to deeply understand the text. As teachers consider the reader and tasks, additional texts

related to the unit concepts, or re-reads of unit texts, will likely need to be added. Some texts are suggested for one

read, while others are recommended for multiple or subsequent reads. It is assumed that teachers will make

connections across texts as they work through the unit, including during the production of tasks.

TITLE AUTHOR

Boy, Were We Wrong About the Solar System Kathleen V. Kudlinski

Our Planet Earth Core Knowledge, Grade 3 Domain 7: Astronomy

And Then There Were Eight: Poems about space Laura Purdie Salas

The Sun, Yellow Dwarf Star at the Heart of the Solar System

(740L)

NewsELA

Gravity 5A Core Knowledge, Grade 3 Domain 7: Astronomy

What is an Orbit? (560L) NewsELA

Planets Around the Sun Seymour Simon

The Planets Gail Gibbons

Solar System Forecast Kelly Kizer Whitt

Our Solar System Seymour Simon

Galaxies, Galaxies Gail Gibbons

https://www.coreknowledge.org/free-resource/ckla-domain-07-astronomy-solar-system-beyond/read-aloud-anthology/

https://newsela.com/read/lib-nasa-sun-overview/id/22005/

https://newsela.com/read/lib-nasa-sun-overview/id/22005/

https://www.coreknowledge.org/free-resource/ckla-domain-07-astronomy-solar-system-beyond/read-aloud-anthology/

https://newsela.com/read/lib-nasa-orbit/id/24068/

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SUGGESTED RESOURCES FOR SMALL GROUP & INDEPENDENT READING

These resources can be used to support a volume of reading on the unit concepts. These materials may be used

during small group instruction and/or independent reading and writing activities to support knowledge building for

students and to meet students’ diverse learning needs.

TITLE (TEXTS, VIDEOS & ELECTRONIC RESOURCES) AUTHOR

Destination Space Seymour Simon

Journey Through Our Solar System Mae Jemison

Here Comes the Sun Crash Course Kids

Weather in Space (Rocky Planets) Crash Course Kids

Gas Giants Weather Crash Course Kids

Sun, Moon and Stars Stephanie Turnbill

National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Space Catherine D. Hughes

Next Stop Neptune: Experiencing the Solar System Alvin Jenkins

Discovery Spaceopedia: The Complete Guide to Everything

Space

Discovery

Smart Kids Space: For Kids Who Really Love Space Roger Priddy

Oxford First Book of Space Andrew Langley

What is a planet? NASA.gov, adapted by Newsela

Space Songs Myra Cohn Livingston

Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and

Paintings

Douglas Florian

The Planets in Our Solar System Franklyn Branley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FB0rDsR_rc&index=1&list=PL0Xx2-Ve48VWtFwE74PQl6cEvA9QkiQ_T

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvhl891zGqU&index=7&list=PL0Xx2-Ve48VWtFwE74PQl6cEvA9QkiQ_T

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoPtsnIcSv8&list=PL0Xx2-Ve48VWtFwE74PQl6cEvA9QkiQ_T&index=8

https://newsela.com/articles/lib-nasa-what-is-a-planet/id/21976/

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UNIT VOCABULARY

The following list contains vocabulary words from the interactive read aloud and shared reading texts that warrant

instructional time and attention. Teachers should attend to these words as they are encountered in the texts to

build students' vocabulary and to deepen their understanding of the unit concepts. Educators are encouraged to

identify vocabulary that might be unfamiliar to students and to determine how they will teach those words (implicit,

embedded, or explicit instruction) based on knowledge of their students. See Appendix B for an example routine for

explicit vocabulary instruction.

Educators are also encouraged to dedicate a space in their classrooms to record unit vocabulary. This will provide a

reference point for the students as they read, write, and talk about the unit topics. Through repeated exposure

throughout the unit, students will develop their understanding of these words and will begin to use them in

speaking and writing activities.

Airless

Anchor

Appearance

Asteroid

Astronomers

Atmosphere

Attract

Axis

Blur

Broadcast

Bulge

Channels

Characteristics

Clarity

Classify

Cluster

Comet

Constant

Countless

Criteria

Dense

Descent

Detect

Discovered

Dwarf

Earth

Eclipse

Voyagers

Electrifying

Environment

Eternal

Evidence

Exploration

Force

Forecast

Galaxy

Gravity

Greenhouse effect

Heavens

Hemisphere

Impact

Innermost

Jupiter

Magnify

Mars

Mass

Matter

Mercury

Meteor

Neptune

Odd

Orbit

Ordinary

Raging

Rotate

Satellite

Saturn

Solar

Spectacular

Sphere

Spiral

Surface

Sustain

Telescope

Temperature

Transmit

Universe

Uranus

Vast

Venus

16

DAY 1: QUESTION SEQUENCE AND DAILY TASK

TEXT COMPLEXITY ANALYSIS

QUANTITATIVE COMPLEXITY MEASURES

740L

QUALITATIVE COMPLEXITY MEASURES

TEXT STRUCTURE LANGUAGE FEATURES

The text structure is slightly complex. The text explores

misconceptions about the solar system that have been

corrected as new information has become available.

The ideas in this text are explicitly connected, and the

pictures support readers in understanding what is

written in the text.

The language features are moderately complex. The

vocabulary is mostly contemporary, though there are

some academic words and abstract words as well

(heavens, early people, special wonderers, craters,

probes, orbit). There is a mixture of simple and

complex sentences.

MEANING/PURPOSE KNOWLEDGE DEMANDS

The purpose of the text is slightly complex. The

purpose, to understand early misconceptions and

more recent understandings of the solar system, is

clear and narrowly focused.

The knowledge demands for this text are moderately

complex. To fully understand the text students will

need to bring background knowledge on basic

components of the solar system and of scientific tools

such as a telescopes, photography, and satellites.

Additional knowledge students need to access the

text is revealed within the text.

TEXT

Text: Boy, Were We Wrong About the Solar System by Kathleen V. Kudlinski

Iteration: First Read

Instructional Strategy: Read Aloud

DESIRED UNDERSTANDINGS FOR THIS READ-THROUGH

As we make observations about the world around us, we may question our current thinking. As we learn new

things, we may change the way we think about our world and universe. Over time, people made observations

about our world that made them question whatever the current thinking was at that time. As new tools and

instruments were created or improved, people learned information that changed the way they thought about

the Earth, our solar system, and our universe.

17

DAILY TASK

Graphic Organizer:

This text introduces several concepts we will go deeper in throughout the unit. The purpose of this text will be

to plant seeds about content and set the stage for students to think about their thinking and how it might

change as they learn new information.

The teacher and students will complete a graphic organizer together that demonstrates examples of what the

current thinking was at that particular time, why they thought that, what evidence led people to challenge that

thinking, and what the new understanding was as a result.

Writing Task:

In your journal, write a paragraph explaining one incorrect idea people had about our solar system. Include

specific evidence that led people to change their minds, and explain what new understanding people had. In

your paragraph, be sure to introduce the topic, include facts, definitions and details, provide a conclusion, and

use linking words and phrases to connect ideas. You may use the information from the graphic organizer as we

thought through some examples together, or you may choose another example from the text.

Optional: As an ongoing task throughout the unit, students may be given opportunities to discuss and record

their own new learning in a rolling journal entitled "I Learn, I Think, I Wonder."

EXEMPLAR STUDENT RESPONSE

Writing Task:

A long time ago people didn’t know that much about the solar system. People used to think the Earth was the

center of universe, because all they knew about the universe was based on what they could see from Earth.

When the first telescope was created, people were able to see things they were not able to see before then.

They learned new things such as how Venus changed shape like the moon. They inferred that this must be

happening because the sun was shining on it from different angles. This would mean Venus must be circling the

sun. Once they learned this new information, they inferred the other planets must also be circling the sun

including Earth. Their new understanding was that the Earth was not the center of the universe. The more

people discovered about the solar system, the more they learned they had been wrong.

The purpose of this read-through is for students to understand that people have been modifying their

understanding of the universe for thousands of years, and we will continue to adjust our thinking as we

continue to learn more.

18

PAGE/PART

OF TEXT

QUESTION SEQUENCE EXEMPLAR STUDENT RESPONSE

…flat, steady

Earth. Boy,

were they

wrong!

What does the word “heavens” mean in this

context? (Provide the definition if needed.)

What did people think was true about the Earth,

long ago?

Heavens means in outer space.

A long time ago, people thought the world

was flat and everything in outer space

moved around the earth.

…the earth

must be

round too.

What did people realize about the Earth? What

evidence did they have that this was true?

The early Greeks realized the Earth was

round too. Their evidence was that the earth

cast a round shadow on the moon.

…maybe the

heaves

weren’t

unchanging.

What did people realize is true about the planets?

What evidence did they have that this was true?

People realized that things in space aren’t

unchanging. They knew this was true

because they saw new stars appear.

…they found

Neptune.

What made scientists think there might be a

planet near Saturn?

Scientists thought there might be a planet

near Saturn because Saturn looked like it was

shifting, and they knew gravity made planets

shift when they passed each other.

…they found

Uranus.

What does channels mean in this context?

(Provide the definition if needed.)

What created the channels on Mars? How is this

similar or different from how people thought the

channels were made?

Channels are deep cuts or ditches in the

ground where water may have flowed.

People thought martians created the

channels, but they were really created by

ancient rushing rivers.

…boy were

we wrong

about Pluto.

How were we wrong about Pluto?

We thought Pluto was a planet, but Pluto is

no longer considered a planet.

…a whole

solar system

circling

another star.

Is our solar system the only solar system?

How do you know?

No, there are other solar systems.

In the text it says a telescope has sent back

pictures of a whole solar system circling

another star. This tells me there are other

solar systems.

19

…visit other

solar

systems

we’ve seen.

What causes people to change their minds about

the solar system?

Do you think we will keep changing our minds

about the solar system? Why do you think this?

People change their minds about things, like

the solar system when they learn new things.

I think we will keep changing our minds as

we learn new things too.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS

Optional Rolling Journal: Create a chart that includes the resource. For the new learning students gain from the

resource, label it "I Learn;" for what connections or new thinking students now have about the new learning label

it "I Think;" and for what new questions this new learning has sparked label it "I Wonder."

These are questions that could be used to create a class graphic organizer as well as prompting questions for

students that need extra support when writing their paragraph.

• What was their current thinking at the time?

• What evidence led people to challenge that thinking?

• What was their new understanding?

20


TEXT COMPLEXITY ANALYSIS: OUR PLANET EARTH


1050 L



The text structure is moderately complex. The text is

written in second person and includes questions for

the reader to consider.

The ideas in this text are explicitly connected, and the

text features (bullets, photographs) support readers in

understanding what is written in the text.


vocabulary in this text is largely explicit, and many words

are defined in the text. The text is written in using

conversational language. There is a mixture of simple and

complex sentences.


The purpose of the text is slightly complex. The

purpose, to convey information about planets and the

sun, is clear and narrowly focused.


complex. To understand the beginning of the text,

students will need to know how to address a letter. To

fully understand why earth is the perfect distance from the

sun, students will need to understand what would happen

to life on earth if Earth’s water was boiling or freezing.

Students will also need to understand the reference to

Goldilocks’s porridge.

TEXT

Text 1: Our Planet Earth 1A-1 through 1A-3 from the Core Knowledge Language Arts Curriculum, Grade 3 Domain

7: Astronomy



Text 2: “Just Right” from And Then There Were Eight: Poems About Space by Laura Purdie Salas


Instructional Strategy: Shared Reading

21

TEXT COMPLEXITY ANALYSIS: “JUST RIGHT” FROM AND THEN THERE WERE EIGHT


N/A



The structure of this poem is slightly complex. Though

there is no punctuation, the bold words and the layout

on the page will assist students in navigating the two

stanzas of the poem.

The language features are slightly complex. Most of the

words will be familiar to students. The last phrase may be

a challenge due to the author’s word choice. Students

may need support identifying the point of view of the

author.


The meaning of the poem is moderately complex. his

poem reinforces the idea that the earth is just the right

distance from the sun, though it is not explicitly stated.

The knowledge demands for this poem are moderately

complex. To fully understand the text, students will need

to understand what would happen if the Earth was too

close or too far from the sun.

DAILY TASK

Anchor Chart: Teacher will chart and post five characteristics of a planet for reference during the read aloud.

Writing Task: In your journal, write a paragraph explaining why earth is just the right distance from the sun.

Describe both the sun and the earth in your answer. Be sure to introduce your topic, group related information

together, add details and facts from the text, use linking words and phrases, and end with a concluding statement.

Share your response with a partner. Partners should provide feedback about content in the paragraph.


On this day, students will read an excerpt from a text called “Our Planet Earth.” Students will also read the poem

“Just Right” by Laura Purdie Salas. The purpose of reading these two texts is for students to understand that earth is

a planet and is the perfect distance from the sun.

22


Writing Task:

Earth is just the right distance from the sun for life to exist. Living things on Earth need the light and heat from the

sun. If the earth was any closer to the sun, all the water would boil. If it was farther away, the water on Earth would

freeze. Ninety-three million miles from the sun is the perfect distance for Earth to keep it not too hot or too cold.

The temperature on the earth allows life to exist.

PAGE/PART

OF TEXT


A planet is a

sphere or

nearly round

object in

space that

has a large

mass.

(After reading the five important qualities of a

planet, show each on a sentence strip and post in

the classroom.)

Who can give me an example of something that is

a sphere?

“Large mass” means something is made up of a lot

of material, like rock or gas. In your own words,

describe this first quality of being a planet.

A basketball is a sphere.

A planet is made of a lot of material and is

round or nearly round.

A planet

travels (or

wanders) in

a path –

called an

orbit –

around a

star.

What is an orbit?

In your own words, describe this second quality of

being a planet.

An orbit is a path that a planet travels around a

star.

A planet orbits a star.

A planet has

cleared out

most other

objects from

its path as it

orbits

around the

sun.

This tells us there are no other objects in a

planet’s orbit.

A planet is

mostly made

of rock or

gas or a

What are planets made of?

Planets are made of rock or gas.

23

combination

of both.

A planet

does not

make its

own light,

but shines in

the sky

because it

reflects the

light of the

star it orbits.

Based on this statement, what do we know is true

of planets?

Turn to a partner, and summarize the five

important qualities of a planet.

They reflect light.

1. A planet is a sphere or nearly round.

2. A planet orbits a star.

3. A planet has a clear path in its orbit.

4. A planet is made of rocks or gas.

5. A planet reflects light but doesn’t make light.

Earth is one

of eight

planets that

orbit the

sun.

What kind of space object is our sun? What are

some characteristics of the sun?

What kind of space object is Earth? If earth is a

planet, it must have the five qualities of a planet.

What are some characteristics of the earth? Refer

to the five important qualities of a planet as you

come up with your response.

Why is the sun not classified as a planet?

Our sun is a star. The sun is made of gas. It is

bright and hot.

The Earth is a sphere with a large mass, it orbits

the sun, it has cleared most objects from its

path, it is made of rock, and it does not make

its own light.

The sun does not orbit around a star; the sun

makes its own light.

Where we

know life

exists…

What would happen if the earth was closer to the

sun? What would happen if the earth was farther

away from the sun?

Work with your partner to explain why conditions

on Earth “just right” for humans, animals, and

plants to live. Be sure to include how the earth’s

distance from the sun affects the planet.

If the earth was closer to the sun, it would be

too hot and all the water on earth would boil

away. If the earth was farther from the sun, it

would be too cold and all the water on earth

would freeze.

The earth is just right for humans, because it is

the perfect temperature. The earth’s distance

from the sun keeps the earth from being too

hot or too cold. The temperature of the earth

allows life to exist.

Poem: “Just

Right”

Who is ‘we’ in this poem?

Who is ‘you’?

What positive things are provided by the sun?

What does the phrase ‘eternal night’ mean?

The ‘we in the poem are humans on Earth.

‘You’ is the sun.

The sun provides the warmth and light we

need.

‘Eternal night’ means there is loss of light.

24

Why is the title of the poem ‘Just Right’?

Because Earth’s distance from the sun is “just

right” for life to exist.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS

Part 1: Prior to reading the text, students will reference their rolling journal entries and share anything they already

know about astronomy and outer space. After the first read, discuss what they learned and are still wondering

about and have them add to their journals.

25




740L



The text structure is moderately complex. The ideas

are mostly explicit and clear; however, the text is not

chronological or sequential. The text does contain

headings to help students organize information. There

is a single picture of the sun that is simple and not

essential to understanding the written text.

The language features are moderately complex. The text is

largely explicit but has several opportunities for more

complex meaning such as comparing the sun to an anchor

and the use of million and billion for distance and size.

The sentence structure is mostly simple in order for

students to take on the print work while also making

meaning.


The meaning is moderately complex. This text's

purpose is to help students understand that our sun is

the center of our solar system and everything revolves

around it. While the ideas are explicitly stated, the

concept of the space and distance that the text refers

to is very abstract.


complex. The text talks about the sun being responsible

for Earth's seasons and weather. Students will have

learned about those concepts in previous grades. Also, the

text talks about the sun's gravity and ocean currents,

which is explained in our text set with the “Gravity” (CKLA)

text. Students will need some discipline-specific content

knowledge about orbit and rotation.

TEXT

Text: The Sun: Yellow Dwarf Star at the Heart of the Solar System (740L) by NewsELA



26

DAILY TASK

Graphic Organizer:

A Picture of Knowledge - The students will take a piece of paper and fold it two times: once across and once top to

bottom so that it is divided into four quadrants. Students will draw these shapes in the corner of each quadrant: 1.

Square 2. Triangle 3. Circle 4. Diamond. Next, students will write in each quadrant to answer these questions about

the text:

• Square – What did you learn about the size of the sun?

• Triangle – What did you learn about the position of the sun in our solar system?

• Circle – What did you learn about the temperature of the sun?

• Diamond – What did you learn about the life cycle of the sun?

Students may then find at least one classmate and talk to each other about what their answers in each quadrant.

Give students time to edit their writing or add to their notes after discussing with a partner.

Writing Task:

In Boy, Were We Wrong About the Solar System, people thought “earth was the all-important center of everything.”

In your journal, explain why this is incorrect using information you have learned about the sun.

Be sure to include information about the size, location, temperature, and life cycle of the sun.

Be sure to introduce your topic, group related information together, add details and facts from the text, use linking

words and phrases, and end with a concluding statement.


• Square: The sun is not the largest star in our galaxy but is still far bigger than Earth. It would take 1.3 billion

Earths to fill up the sun.

• Triangle: Our sun is part of the Milky Way galaxy and orbits the center of the galaxy. Our sun is the center of

our solar system, and everything in it orbits the sun.

• Circle: The sun is really hot! The core, or very center, of the sun is 27 million degrees, and the surface of the sun

is 10,000 degrees. That is hot enough to boil diamonds.

• Diamond: The sun will not last forever. The sun will start to die in around 6.5 billion years from now.


The purpose for reading this text is for students to develop an understanding of key features of the sun (size,

location in the solar system, temperature, and life cycle).

• Our sun is a ball of hot gases called a yellow dwarf star.

• Our sun is the center of our solar system, and everything orbits around it, including Earth.

• Our sun is far bigger than Earth and is 93 million miles away.

• The sun's importance to life has long been recognized by many groups of people on Earth. (Connection

back to first text: Boy, We Were Wrong About the Solar System)

27

PAGE/PART

OF TEXT


Introduction

What does the author call our sun? What does the

author say our sun is responsible for?

The author refers to the sun as a "big anchor."

How is the sun like an anchor?

Where is the sun in our solar system? How do the

planets move relative to the sun?

Our sun is a yellow dwarf star. Our sun is

responsible for Earth's seasons, weather, ocean

currents, and life.

The sun is like an anchor because it creates

gravity and pulls everything towards it and

keeps the planets in orbit.

The sun is at the center of our solar system,

and everything in our solar system rotates

around it.

Earth to Sun:

93 Million

Miles

How does the size of the Earth compare to the

size of the sun?

How does the sun’s size compare to other stars?

How do you know? (Think-Pair-Share)

It would take 1.3 million Earths to fill the space

the sun takes up.

The text says our sun is not an especially large

star, and that there are other stars several times

bigger.

Part of the

Milky Way

Galaxy

How does the size of the sun compare to the size

of the Milky Way galaxy? What details in the text

tell you this?

There are at least 200 billion other stars and

around 100 billion planets in the Milky Way.

The text says it would take our sun (solar

system) around 230 million years to orbit the

center of the Milky Way.

The Sun is

4.5 Billion

Years Old

Will the sun exist forever? How do you know?

What will happen to the sun when it starts to die?

(Support students in understanding the word ‘eat’

in this context if needed.)

How might this impact life on earth? (Think-Pair-

Share)

No, the text says the sun will live for around

another 6.5 billion years.

When the sun starts to die, it will first grow very

large and eat up, or consume, Mercury and

Venus and possibly Earth.

As the sun gets bigger, the temperature on

Earth will increase significantly and become too

hot for humans to live.

6 Parts of

the Sun

What is the temperature of the surface of the sun?

What is an average temperature on Earth during

summertime?

The surface of the sun is 10,000 degrees

Fahrenheit.

An average temperature on Earth in

summertime may be around 75 degrees

28

How do those temperatures compare? What

example does the author give that can happen in

10,000-degree heat?

Fahrenheit.

10,000 degrees is way hotter than 75 degrees

and not something humans could live through.

That is hot enough to boil diamonds!

After

reading

Why is this article titled, The sun, yellow dwarf star

at the heart of the solar system?

The title lets readers know the focus of the

article is to name our sun and that it is the

center of the solar system.

Reread

pages 6-9 of

Boy, Were

We Wrong

About the

Solar

System.

What did people believe was true about the sun?

What would you tell them based on what you now

know about the sun? (Think-Pair-Share)

People used to believe that Earth was the all-

important center of everything, and they

laughed at the idea of a sun-centered system.

The sun is the center of our solar system, and

everything orbits around it, including Earth.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS

National Geographic video:

Watch a video on National Geographic to see the sun up close and in action. The following link will take you up

close and personal to the sun. Students will have an opportunity to better understand what the sun actually looks

like in real time.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/sun-101-sci

Watch the Birth of the Sun by clicking on the link below. Have students create a 3D model of the sun after watching

the video. Provide materials for students to create models depicting the sun.

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/videos/space/solarsystem.html

After reading:

The author describes the sun as the center of our solar system. The words that the author uses shows that he thinks

that the sun is a spectacular thing. What makes the sun spectacular in the author’s eyes?

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/sun-101-sci

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/videos/space/solarsystem.html

29




850L



The text structure is moderately complex. Connections

between ideas are mostly explicit; however, the text is

not chronological or easy to predict. The text contains

headings for each section, and the graphics enhance

the reader's understanding content.


language is mostly explicit and easy to understand with

some occasions for more complex meaning. Vocabulary is

mostly contemporary and conversational with few Tier 3

words. The text has some simple sentences and complex

constructions, but mostly compound sentences.


The purpose is very complex. The purpose of the text

is to introduce students to the concept of gravity and

the larger role it plays in the universe. The concept of

an invisible force pulling everything together is an

abstract idea.

The knowledge demands of the text are moderately

complex. Knowledge of gravity and its relationship to all

the parts of our solar system are essential for students to

understand the system. The text requires some common

practical knowledge as well as discipline-specific content

knowledge about force and weight. The text has a mix of

simple and abstract ideas.

TEXT

Text: Gravity (5A1 – 5A3) from Core Knowledge Language Arts Curriculum, Grade 3, Domain 7: Astronomy




The purpose of this read through is for students to build an understanding of what gravity is and how gravity

impacts objects in the universe.

30

DAILY TASK

Pre-Reading Task:

Prior to reading: In order to establish what their current understanding of gravity is, have students write the answer

to the following question: Why is gravity important to us and the universe? They can use this to redefine their

current thinking after exploring gravity in the universe for their optional rolling journal.

Speaking Task:

Think/Pair/Share: If you were able to live on another planet, how would the effects of gravity affect your everyday

routines? Pick a planet. Describe to your partner how gravity will affect how similar or different your activities

might be and why. (You may also assign each pair a planet to discuss together and then share out with the group

so all planets have been represented to the whole group.)

Writing Task:

Write a paragraph explaining what gravity is and what would happen if there was no gravity. Be sure to introduce

your topic, group related information together, add details and facts from the text, use linking words and phrases,

and end with a concluding statement.


Speaking Task:

During the Think/Pair/Share, student responses should demonstrate that living on a planet with a larger mass would

increase the gravitational pull, making it more difficult to move while living on a planet with less mass would have

less gravity therefore affecting how things would move in a different way. Some students may also make the

connection to the effects of gravity related to their location to the sun.

Example: Gravity is an invisible force that pulls between any object that has mass in the universe. Life would not be

able to exist on Earth without gravity. The gravitational pull of Earth is what keeps us and everything else on the

surface of the Earth. The atmosphere we have is also pulled toward Earth by gravity. If there was no gravity to hold

our atmosphere on Earth, we would not be able to breathe. Everything would float out into space, and life would

not be able to exist.

31

PAGE/PART

OF TEXT


5A1 starting

in the

second

paragraph

at “we live

on planet

earth.”

What holds stars and planets into groups and

clusters?

Gravity is what holds everything in the universe

together.

5A2

A force is a push or pull on an object or system.

Who knows that attraction means? (Provide

definition if needed.)

What is gravity?

Matter is the stuff objects and people are made of.

What is mass?

What are some examples from the text of how

gravity pulls things toward the earth?

How does mass impact the gravitational pull

between two objects? Provide an example from

the text to support your response.

Attraction is an invisible force that pulls

between two objects.

Gravity is the force that draws all objects

toward each other in the universe. Gravity

keeps us firmly planted on Earth.

Mass is the amount of matter in an object.

Gravity keeps our house, our bed, a ball you

throw up into the air on Earth. It also keeps our

atmosphere and the oxygen we breathe on

Earth.

The larger the mass, the larger the gravitational

pull. We have less mass so we would have less

of a pull than an object with a large mass such

as a planet. Because Earth has so much more

mass than anything on its surface, its

gravitational pull keeps those smaller things

from flying out into space.

5A3

Why do we feel the gravitational force from the

earth but not between each other?

Is the gravitational force on the moon stronger or

weaker than on Earth? Why?

Why do astronauts on the moon not get pulled

back to the earth if Earth has a stronger

gravitational pull than the moon?

What are the two factors that affect how strong

the gravity is between two objects?

Objects with less mass such as ourselves have

less gravitational force, so we will not feel it

between each other.

The gravitational force of the moon is weaker

than the gravitational force of Earth, because

the moon has less mass than Earth.

Even though the gravitational force of Earth is

stronger, when an astronaut is on the surface

of the moon, its gravitational force has more

effect because he is closer to the moon and

farther from Earth. The farther away you are,

32

the less effect the gravitational force will have.

The mass of the object and the distance

between them.

33


TEXT COMPLEXITY ANALYSIS: What is an Orbit?


560L



The text structure is slightly complex. The article

connects ideas clearly. The images and diagrams help

support what the text says.

The language features are slightly complex. There are

domain-specific words in the text; however, they are all

defined in the text (satellite, orbit, perigee, apogee,

period, momentum, geosynchronous). The text uses

mostly simple sentences.


The purpose of the text is slightly complex. The title

provides the question students will be able to answer

after reading the article.

The knowledge demands for the text are slightly complex.

Though the text discusses domain-specific content, the

knowledge required to access this text can be found

within the text.

TEXT

Text 1: Gravity (5A1 – 5A3) from Core Knowledge Language Arts Curriculum, Grade 3 Domain 7: Astronomy

Iteration: Second Read


Text 2: What is an Orbit? from NewsELA (560L)



34

DAILY TASK

Writing Task:

The last line of the text says, “we can’t see gravity, but we can see its effects all around us – on earth, in our solar

system, and throughout our galaxy. Write a paragraph explaining why this statement is true, using examples from

the text. Be sure to provide at least one example of gravity’s effect on earth, in our solar system, and in our galaxy.

As you write, be sure to introduce your topic, group related information together, add details and facts from the

text, use linking words and phrases, and end with a concluding statement.

When you are finished writing, share your response with a partner. Ask questions if needed to clarify your

understanding. Revise your writing if needed based on questions from your partner.


Writing Task:

Gravity is an invisible force that exists in the universe, and we can see its effects all around us on Earth, in our solar

system, and throughout the galaxy. It keeps people and everything else on Earth from floating out into space. In

addition, it holds our atmosphere on Earth. This includes the oxygen we need to breathe. The gravity of the moon

affects the ocean tides on Earth as well. Gravity is what keeps objects with less mass orbiting around objects with

more mass. If this force didn’t exist, the planets would not stay in orbit around the sun. They would float out into

space. The moon would also not orbit around Earth. Gravity is key to holding our solar system together. Sometimes;

black holes are formed in our galaxy. Because the gravity around some objects or areas is so powerful, anything

that gets close enough cannot escape its gravitational pull. Light cannot even escape! Astronomers are able to

identify black holes by observing the movement of objects around them. The stars, planets, and all of the other

things in the universe are held together in groups and clusters by gravity. It is like the wind. We can’t see gravity,

but we know it is there.


The purpose of the second read-through is to deepen students’ understanding of the effects of gravity (making

objects stay in orbit, black holes, tides).

35

PAGE/PART

OF TEXT


5A3-5A4

Which has a stronger gravitational pull: the earth

or the sun? Why is this?

Why don’t we all get pulled into the sun?

The sun is the largest celestial body in our solar

system and, therefore, has the strongest

gravitational pull. This keeps all of the objects

in our solar system orbiting it. However, the

farther the distance from the sun, the less the

gravitational pull the sun has on the object.

The distance between two objects affects the

gravitational pull between them. The effect of

an object’s gravitational pull lessens as you get

farther away from it. Because we are closer to

Earth, its gravitational force has a greater effect

on us. We are far enough away from the sun

that we will not get pulled into the sun.

5A5

What force keeps objects in orbit from being

pulled into the sun?

The planets’ own speed keeps them from being

pulled into the sun.

5A6-5A7

As I read these next paragraphs, be listening for

examples of the effects of gravity.

How are our everyday lives affected by

gravitational pull of Earth? The moon? The sun?

The galaxy? (Think-Pair-Share)

(This question should be revisited and explored

more toward the end of the unit during the

reading of Galaxies. This text only introduces

some ideas to be explored more deeply later.)

Earth: People and objects on Earth stay on

Earth. It keeps the atmosphere including the

oxygen we breathe on Earth. The atmosphere

is able to trap heat, which also makes life

possible on Earth.

Moon: The moon's gravitational pull affects

the ocean tides on Earth.

Sun: The sun's gravity holds Earth in its orbit

around the sun keeping it the right distance for

life to exist.

Galaxy: Sometimes black holes are formed

because gravity is extremely strong. The stars,

planets, and all of the other things in the

universe are held together in groups and

clusters by gravity. Without gravity, everything

would go flying out into space.

Shared

What is an orbit?

An orbit is the path an object takes around the

36

Reading of

“What is an

Orbit?”

What is a satellite?

What are some examples of things that are in

orbit?

What does gravity do to an object orbiting the

earth?

When we say an object orbiting the earth has

momentum, what does that mean?

Why is there ‘always a tug-of-war’ between a

satellite’s momentum and gravity’?

Why do objects stay in orbit?

sun. It is a repeating path that has a certain

shape.

An object (natural or man-made) in orbit is

called a satellite.

The International Space Station is in orbit

around earth.

Gravity pulls objects toward earth.

The object with momentum is moving in a

straight line.

Gravity is pulling objects down, and

momentum is pushing objects forward in a

straight line.

Objects stay in orbit because gravity and

momentum push objects in different directions,

which makes the objects move around the

earth in an oval shape.

37

DAYS 6-8: QUESTION SEQUENCE AND DAILY TASK

TEXT COMPLEXITY ANALYSIS: THE PLANETS


AD 580L



The structure of the text is slightly complex. It is

organized in sequential order of the planets from the

sun. There is a clear introduction, followed by pages

dedicated to exploring more specific details about

each planet. The text also has a clear conclusion. The

graphics add information to the information provided

in the written material of the text. The text concludes

with an additional facts page that, if used, would add

more knowledge about the content.

The text is moderately complex. It is mainly composed of

simple sentences. It is mainly explicit; however, there are

some complex concepts that would require deeper

thinking to develop an understanding. There is moderate

use of domain-specific vocabulary as well as an

abundance of Tier 2 vocabulary words.


While the primary purpose of this text is moderately

complex. The purpose is explicitly stated within the

text, and there is the ability to infer deeper meaning in

relation to the unit concept and enduring

understandings.

The knowledge demands are moderately complex. The

subject-matter relies on common practical knowledge as

well as some discipline-specific knowledge. There is also a

mixture of simple and complicated ideas presented in the

text.

TEXT

Text 1: The Planets by Gail Gibbons

Iteration: Multiple Reads


Text 2: Planets Around the Sun by Seymour Simon

Iteration: Multiple Reads


38

TEXT COMPLEXITY ANALYSIS: PLANETS AROUND THE SUN


NC 580



Text structure is slightly complex. Connections

between ideas are clear and explicit. Sequence of

information allows for students to have implied

meaning as planets are described in the order of its

distance from the sun. This informational text includes

text features such as diagrams of the solar system and

phases of the moon. The illustrations are real-life

pictures made from telescopes. This helps to further

identify the different characteristics of each of the

planets.

The language features in this text are moderately

complex. The language is largely conventional and

straight forward. Text is predictable in that when a planet

is labeled, physical attributes of that planet follow. Both

simple and compound sentences are presented with

descriptive clauses included. Placement of clauses at the

beginnings and endings of sentences varies sentence

length and has students focus on meaning.


This meaning of the text is slightly complex, as the

topic is narrowly focused on planets that surround our

sun. Details are provided about each planet as well as

other celestial bodies. Students are able to identify

the placement and differences of each.

The knowledge demands are moderately complex. The

text provides clear descriptions of the sun, moon, planets,

and asteroids. While the illustrations are highly

supportive of the text, there is the overarching concept to

stretch students’ thinking of how all of these planets are

connected to form the solar system. This is seen within

the bigger understanding of how our solar system fits

within the universe.


Students will gain knowledge that planets, including Earth and other celestial bodies, make up our solar system.

1. Students will learn the difference between a star and a planet.

2. Students will identify the planets in our solar system using specific characteristics as identifiers.

3. Each planet has its own special path, or orbit, around the sun.

Students will gain insight to the idea of a larger system, called the solar system.

The purpose of these read-throughs is for students to understand the special path, or orbit, of each of the planets

in our solar system.

39

DAILY TASK

Graphic Organizer:

Part one: As we read sections of the text, you will complete the Dash Facts collection page for Planets Around the

Sun. Record three key words from sections of the text, then write a dash fact (sentence) using those keywords. After

reading the entire text, you will have collected facts on each planet. (See the template included in the appendix.)

Part two: After we read The Planets, complete the Dash Facts collection page for The Planets. Record three key

words from sections of the text, then write a dash fact (sentence) using those keywords. After reading the entire

text, you will have collected facts on each planet. (See the template included in the appendix.)

Writing Task:

Part three: To synthesize your learning and apply higher level thinking, compare and contrast the information

presented through illustrations and words within each text to determine which text best supports the learning

target. You will convey this knowledge by completing a written response.


Writing Task:

Both texts give information about planets. In the book, Planets Around the Sun, the illustrations are real

photographs of planets and show what each planet actually looks like. In the other book, The Planets, the

illustrations are drawn, not real. However, this text does give more information about each planet. For example, the

author of this text tells us that Mercury is made of metal and rock, which helps us know what the planet looks like.

In the other text, Planets Around the Sun, the author only tells us about the temperature of Mercury. As a reader, I

learned more from the illustrations in Planets Around the Sun and more from the words in the text in The Planets.

PAGE/PART

OF TEXT


The Planets

Page 5

If solar means “connected to the sun,” and our

system is called a solar system, why is the sun an

important part of our solar system?

[Provide an opportunity for students to have peer

discussion through a Turn & Talk structure.

Partner A could give a response to the posed

question. Partner B could offer Partner A feedback

using an accountable talk stem (i.e., I agree

because _______, I disagree because _______).]

All of the planets in our solar system circle the

sun and are connected to the sun. The sun is

the center of our solar system.

40

Page 6

How does the illustration and the text help you

know the difference between a planet and a star?

The illustration shows that the sun is bigger

than a planet and shines brightly. The

illustration also shows that not all stars are as

big as our sun. The text tells us that a planet is

different from a star, because a planet doesn’t

give off heat and light like a star.

Pages 8-9

Using text evidence, what are some key

characteristics of Mercury? Turn & Talk with a

partner.

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and the

smallest planet in our solar system. Mercury

doesn’t have an atmosphere. Mercury is made

of rock and metal.

Pages 16-17

Using the illustration and the text, what are some

key differences between Jupiter and the inner

planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars)?

The illustrations show that Jupiter is

significantly larger than the inner planets, and

Jupiter has rings. The text says that Jupiter is

made of mostly gases, which is different from

the inner planets that have a surface.

Planets

Around the

Sun

Page 24

This book was published in 2002. Since then, we

have learned new information about Pluto.

Re-read pages from Boy, Were We Wrong About

the Solar System that reference Pluto. Is Pluto

classified as a planet? How is Pluto classified?

“Photography changed everything…Boy, were

we wrong about Pluto.”

Pluto used to be considered a planet. Now we

know Pluto is considered a dwarf planet.

After

reading

Planets

Around the

Sun

Using illustrations only from the book, Planets

Around the Sun, describe the visual characteristics

(terrain and atmosphere) of each planet using as

much detail and expressive language as the

picture conveys.

With a thinking partner, now read the book and

cite specific evidence of how the author's word

choice matches the visual description you

identified.

In the book, Planets Around the Sun, how did the

use of telescopic photos, as opposed to sketches,

help you understand of the text?

What information about the planets’ physical

characteristics were you able to gain from the

illustrations or photographs in both texts?

As I look at the picture of Neptune it is colored

like an ocean with clouds. The color makes me

imagine that it is cold and the clouds make me

think of wind and movement.

The telescope helped me see the real picture of

the planet and what it actually looks like. This

helped me understand the author's word

choice of words like freezing and giant.

The photographs allowed me to see what the

planets actually look like, because they were

taken with a telescopic lens. I could see more

41

How did the information in the illustrations or

photographs in each text support the most

important ideas and details about the planets in

our solar system?

How was the information in the illustrations or

photographs different between the two texts?

(Ask these additional questions if necessary.)

What information were you able to gain from the

words of the texts? How were the key ideas of

each text alike and/or different? Consider what

planet information was provided. Which text

offered you more information about planets in the

words of the text? Why is this text more

informative? How did the author’s organization of

information help you learn about the

characteristics of planets?

detail in these photographs.

The illustrations in The Planets were drawn

pictures that showed a small amount of detail. I

am not sure if they are accurate illustrations of

what the planets look like. The pictures in this

book did use labels and captions, which added

to my understanding as a reader.

The information provided in The Planets was

detailed. It gave us many facts about each

planet including its size, distance from the sun,

orbital path, and more. The words in this text

are more informative because they not only

gave us facts and definitions but also details

related to those facts.

In Planets Around the Sun, there was limited

information. The information was given in

short, simple words. We learned some facts

about each planet, but not much detail related

to the facts.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS

The following Tier 2 or Tier 3 words could be supported through instruction (embedded, explicit, or implicit):

discovered, connected, orbiting, rotates, atmosphere, environment, surface, gravity, astronomers.

These words will appear across multiple text within the unit. Student understanding of these words will aid in overall

conceptual understanding of the unit.

To support students in understanding that Pluto is no longer considered a planet, conduct a shared reading of the

poem “Then There Were Eight” from the book And Then There Were Eight: Poems about space.

Here are some questions you can use to guide your discussion.

● What are some characteristics of Pluto?

● What has happened to ‘undo the past’?

● Has Pluto disappeared? So why will Pluto be ‘missed’?

42


DAILY TASK

Speaking Task:

Step One: Using a table discussion or talking chips, talk with your group members about why the sun plays an

important role in our solar system. Use accountable talk stems to provide your group members with feedback (I

agree with ____ because _____, or I’d like to add on to what _____ said, or I politely disagree because ______.).

*Teacher Note: If talking chips is the talk structure you choose to utilize, there could be two variations of the

activity: (1) Each student takes two chips and provides the group with two ideas or talking points. (2) Each student

takes two chips. One chip is used to contribute an idea or talking point, while the other chip is used to provide a

group member with feedback.

Writing Task:

Step Two: In The Planets, author Gail Gibbons explains that the word solar means “connected to the sun.” In your

journal, explain why our planetary system is called The Solar System. Connect your learning from our first read of

this text as well as the new thinking we gained in our revisit of this text.

Be sure to introduce your topic, group related information together, add details and facts from the text, use linking

words and phrases, and end with a concluding statement.


Speaking Task:

Each table discussion will vary. Discussion topics may include students saying:

“The sun is the center of our solar system. All planets orbit the sun. The gravitational pull from the sun keep it as the

center of our solar system.”

TEXT

Text: The Planets by Gail Gibbons

Iteration: Repeated Read



Identify and understand the specific characteristics of each planet in the solar system.

43

Writing Task:

Our planetary system is called the Solar System because all of the planets in our system are connected to the sun.

The sun is the center of our planetary system. Each planet follows an orbital path around the sun. The sun has a

gravitational pull, keeping each planet in orbit. The sun plays a very important role in our solar system. Without the

sun, our planetary system would not work properly, or even exist.

PAGE/PART

OF TEXT


Page 2

What is the difference between a star and a

planet?

A star is made from burning gases and

produces its own light. Most stars are also

much bigger than planets. We can see planets,

because the sun shines on planets.

Page 3

What do we now know about Pluto?

In 2006, Pluto was designated as a dwarf

planet.

Page 5-6

What is the path called? Why is each planet’s year

different?

Are days the same length on every planet? Why or

why not?

The path a planet travels around the sun is

called an orbit. Each planet’s year is different,

because it takes each planet different amounts

of time to travel around the sun.

Each planet’s day is different, because it takes

different planets different amounts of time to

rotate, or spin.

Page 9

How long does it take Mercury to orbit the sun?

How long is a year on Mercury? (Note to students

how the answers here are the same.)

It takes Mercury 88 Earth days to orbit the sun.

One year on Mercury is only 88 Earth days

long.

Page 11

How long is a year on Venus? What does that

mean?

How long is a day? What does that mean? How

can a day on Venus be longer than a year?

(Consider using a talk structure here to promote

student talk and engagement. Consider a Turn &

Talk opportunity.)

A year on Venus takes 225 Earth days. That

means on year on Venus is more than a year on

Mercury, but it is less than a year on Earth.

A day on Venus is longer than a year, because a

day is how long it takes the planet to spin, or

rotate, on its axis. This is different from an orbit

around the sun.

44

Page 13

How long does it take Earth to orbit around the

sun?

Earth takes 365 days to orbit the sun. This

amount of days equals one year on Earth.

Page 15

Why might a year on Mars be longer than a year

on earth?

A year on Mars might be longer than a year on

Earth, because it takes Mars longer to orbit the

sun.

Page 17

What does it mean that 62 moons ‘orbit’ around

Jupiter?

How long is a day on Jupiter? What does that tell

us about Jupiter?

Moons orbiting Jupiter means that the moons

travel around the planet, or orbit the planet.

A day on Jupiter is 10 Earth hours, which means

it rotates, or spins quickly.

Page 19

How long is a year on Saturn?

Make a prediction about the number of years it

takes Uranus and Neptune to orbit the sun. Do

you expect it to be shorter or longer than Saturn?

Why?

(You may consider using a talk structure to

promote student talk and engagement with these

questions. Consider an opportunity for students to

use accountable talk while having academic

conversations.)

A year on Saturn is equal to 30 Earth years.

I think Uranus and Neptune will have longer

years than Saturn because they are farther from

the sun than Saturn.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS

There is a connection between the material presented in this text and the poetry found in And Then There Were

Eight. You might choose to highlight the poems called “Great Red Spot” and “Saturn.” Students could also use the

structure from the poem “Pluto” as an example to write an acrostic poem about another planet.

Continue to support vocabulary from the first read of this text.

45




AD 890L



The text structure is slightly complex. The text explores

the weather patterns on each planet in sequence of

their closeness to the sun. The structure is generally

simple, following that of a news report, with a clear

beginning and ending to the weather forecast.


conventionality of the text is mainly explicit and easily

understood; however, the high usage of academic

vocabulary increases the complexity of the text. The text

also presents a variety of sentence types, varying from

simple to compound while including small amounts of

complex sentences.


The purpose of the text is slightly complex. Students

are to gain that the different planets have different

weather patterns. However, the connection and

relationship to the sun is a deeper meaning students

can gain with the use of inferring and synthesizing

learning gained from previous texts.

Due to the connection and strong use of domain-specific

academic vocabulary used throughout the text, the

knowledge demands are moderately complex. While

students will have had exposure to the Earth as a planet

and the idea of weather and seasons on Earth, students

have not yet been exposed to the bigger picture of our

solar system as a unit within the larger universe.

TEXT

Text: Solar System Forecast by Kelly Kizer Whitt




Each planet has weather patterns that impact the physical characteristics of that planet. During this read-through,

students will learn the elements of weather and determine how those elements impact a planet.

46

DAILY TASK

Graphic Organizer:

Student Directions: As we finish reading the text Solar System Forecast today, complete the Weather Connection

graphic organizer to describe the weather on each planet. Be sure to use key details from the text describing how

the weather affects each planet. When you have completed collecting information on your graphic organizer, you

will work in a collaborative group to explore the connection weather has with each planet’s characteristics by

participating in a Thinking Web activity. This activity will help you write an informational paragraph together as a

group.

Teacher Directions: Students will work in collaborative groups to complete a Thinking Web activity answering: What

impact does the weather have on each planet's physical characteristics, or traits?

Students will first work independently to write a response to the question in their section of the thinking web

(students should refer back to their Weather Connection task to draw on their previous thoughts). After all group

members have written their responses, students will read their answers aloud to the group. Once all have shared,

the group will have a discussion about the similarities and differences in their response and come to a group

consensus. The group will record their consensus in the center of their thinking web to share with the whole group.

Writing Task:

Write an informative piece that includes a clear introduction. Include facts, definitions, and details to explain the

topic of your writing, as well as using key vocabulary to enhance your explanation. Your writing should include a

proper conclusion that wraps up your thinking.

Extension Task:

Create a weather brief for NASA astronauts considering space exploration of the first three planets in our solar

system. Include evidence from the text to support the information you present in your weather brief.

*Teacher Note: A brief is a short report of information with a targeted audience and purpose. Support student

understanding of this type of writing with teacher scaffolding and support. Consider an anchor chart as a reference

or a shared or interactive writing experience.

47


Writing Task:

The weather impacts each planet's physical characteristics, or traits. The planets that are closer to the sun have

warmer temperatures when the sun's light shines directly on the planet, and the planets farther from the sun are

very cold. The sun has caused Mercury's atmosphere to be blown away by solar winds. Venus has sulfuric acid

clouds that trap heat, making the planet extremely hot, while Earth's distance from the sun helps it to be not too

hot and not too cold. Mars has dust that can spin around like a tornado, and there are storms that brew on Jupiter

all of the time! Saturn has a giant cloud with six sides and can have large lightning storms. Unlike some of the other

planets, Uranus has calm weather, and it goes through different seasons. The wind on Neptune is strong, and the

gas in the air gives Neptune its blue color. The weather conditions on each planet are unique!

Extension Task:

NASA WEATHER BRIEF

NASA astronauts,

After some intense investigation of the weather throughout the solar system, we have prepared for you a detailed

brief explaining what you might expect to see during your space exploration. We advise that you use extreme

caution when making your final decisions about where you will go. Some of the weather conditions support travel

while others do not come highly recommended for travel.

In order to make the most informed decision about the space exploration, we researched the atmospheric

conditions on each of the inner planets. We have provided a brief supporting your decision to explore specific

places due to the weather.

• Mercury experiences extreme temperature swings due to its lack of atmosphere. We do not advice travel

due to high temperatures of 800 degrees Fahrenheit and low temperatures of -279 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Venus is the second planet from the sun with clouds made from sulfuric acid. These clouds trap the heat,

making it very, very hot on Venus. Travel is not advised.

• Earth’s atmosphere is the “just-right” atmosphere for travel. Travel is advised. Consider watching your local

weather for any storm possibilities.

• Mars might be considered for space exploration. We have robots there now. Be cautious of the dust that

can turn into dust tornadoes. We are uncertain of the atmospheric conditions. Oxygen will be necessary.

We plan to conduct future research on the possibilities of space exploration. For now, please only consider those

planets that can support exploration.

*Teacher Note: You may choose to do this extension task as a shared or interactive writing activity to scaffold

student learning and model the thinking and writing expectations. You might also consider this task as an

independent student task based on the needs of your students.

48

PAGE/PART

OF TEXT


Page 1

What is a forecast?

A forecast is a prediction of an event, like the

weather. People predict the weather in terms of

temperature and precipitation.

Page 5

How does the lack of an atmosphere impact the

temperature on Mercury?

What causes Mercury to have extreme

temperature changes?

The lack of an atmosphere on Mercury means

there is no way to trap heat, so there are high

temperatures during the day and very cold

temperatures at night.

The solar winds from the sun have blown away

Mercury's atmosphere, which means there is no

air to trap heat.

Page 7

When we read Planets Around the Sun, we learned

“Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system.”

Why do you think this is? How do the clouds on

Venus impact the temperature?

(Teacher Note: The “greenhouse effect” refers to a

warming of Earth’s surface and the air above it. It

is caused by gases in the air that trap energy from

the sun. These heat-trapping gases are called

greenhouse gases.)

The sun’s heat gets trapped in the atmosphere of

Venus. What is the relationship between the sun

and Venus’ temperature?

(Consider providing an opportunity for students to

have peer discussion with the Turn & Talk

structure.)

The clouds trap the sun’s heat, forcing Venus

into a constant greenhouse effect, making it

extremely hot.

The sun gives off heat, and Venus' clouds and

atmosphere trap the heat from the sun. This

makes Venus very hot. There is a cause-and-

effect relationship between the sun and Venus.

Page 11

What are dust devils?

In the text, it says Mars is “rust-colored.” What is

another way to explain what color Mars is?

The picture makes it look like dust devils are

swirling gusts of wind or small tornadoes.

Rust is an orange-red color. Some might even

say rust has a shade of brown. Mars is also

known as the “Red” planet.

Page 15

Why is Saturn’s weather described as being

“electrifying?”

The text stated that there was a recent

lightning storm on Saturn that covered an area

as big as the United States. It also says that

http://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/air/390607

49

there is a giant cloud hovering over the

planet’s North Pole.

Page 21

Why might you need to ‘hang onto your hats’ on

Neptune?

What type of extreme weather does Neptune

have?

Neptune has very high wind speeds, which

makes it the windiest planet in the solar

system.

Page 23

What important information have we learned in

prior texts about Pluto?

In 2006, Pluto was declassified as a planet and

re-classified as a dwarf planet.

Page 25

If the weatherman were a human, would he be

able to travel to each of these planets?

No, a human would not be able to travel to

these planets because they are too far away,

and the weather would not allow a human to

live anywhere other than earth.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS

Supporting materials:

Weather in Space (Rocky Planets): Crash Course Kids


Gas Giants Weather: Crash Course Kids




50


DAILY TASK

Group Poster: There are two components to this task for students to demonstrate their understanding.

Part one is a collaborative task in heterogenous groupings. You will work in groups to create a visual representation

(poster) of a designated planet.

The criteria for planet posters are as follows:

• classify the planet as inner or outer,

• name its position from the sun,

• describe its weather, describe its orbital path around the sun and how it depends on the sun, and

• include any other unique characteristics of the planet.

Work together to describe whether this planet will support life and, if not, why? As you work together, use both

words and illustrations on your posters. You and your team may draw information from previous tasks to include

pertinent information. Remember, your team should include a picture representation of your planet that illustrates

its physical characteristics as accurately as possible.

Part Two: The final piece to this task is a Gallery Walk. Your team will travel to each of the other posters. While

viewing the other posters, generate feedback and additional thinking on post-it notes. Your feedback will include

whether your group agrees or disagrees with the rationale for why the planet would or would not be suitable for

life. The post-it notes will be left with each poster for the original group to consider for thinking points and

possible revisions.

Writing Task: N/A

TEXT

Text: Solar System Forecast by Kelly Kizer Whitt




The purpose of this read-through of Solar System Forecast is for students (1) to continue to deepen their

understanding of the unique characteristics of the planets and (2) to understand that each planet’s ability to sustain

life is, in part, related to its proximity to the sun.

51


Group Poster:

Earth:

Inner planet

Third planet from the sun

Earth is referred to as the "Goldilocks" planet. It is not too hot and not too cold. Its atmosphere can trap heat from

the sun. The sun allows life on planet Earth. The weather patterns are also determined by the sun and seasons. The

Earth has wind, rain, snow, hail, and sunny weather.

The Earth takes 365 days to orbit the sun. It takes 24 hours to spin on its axis, which equals one day.

Planet Earth is the only known planet with life. It is made up of mostly water, with some land masses. The water on

Earth gives it its blue color seen from space. The Earth can support life because its distance from the Sun allows it to

have the atmospheric conditions to support living things.

Student visual representations should be created with the use of the physical characteristics of the planets. There

will be key traits to capture in the visual for each planet.

PAGE/PART

OF TEXT


Page 3

Why would it be dangerous to travel to the sun?

What specific evidence does this text give you to

support your answer?

Solar winds with shooting gas make

exploration to the sun dangerous. The sun is

also extremely hot.

Page 5

How close is Mercury to the sun?

Would the girl in the picture need the swimsuit or

the snowsuit if she were to visit Mercury?

Would a human really be able to survive on

mercury? What evidence in the text tells you that?

(You might consider a peer discussion structure to

explore these questions. Consider using

accountable talk stems in student responses with

peers.)

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun.

The girl in the picture would need both the

swimsuit and the snowsuit because when

Mercury faces the sun the temperatures are

extremely hot, but when Mercury is not facing

the sun the temperature severely drops to

negative degrees.

No human could survive on Mercury because

there is no atmosphere, which means there is

no air. People need air to breathe. The extreme

temperature changes would eliminate the

possibility of life on Mercury.

52

Page 7

How close is Venus to the sun? How does the Sun

affect Venus’ weather?

What additional information do you see in the

picture that tells you something about the

weather on Venus?

Venus is the second planet from the sun. The

Sun’s heat gets trapped in Venus’ atmosphere,

making it very hot.

The picture has what looks like melted

satellites, which support the idea that Venus is

hot.

In the picture, you can see what might be

lightning, which makes me think there could be

storms on Venus.

Page 9

Why do we consider Earth the Goldilocks planet?

Earth is just the right temperature to support

life. It's not too hot and not too cold like the

porridge in “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.”

Page 11

What do you notice about the surface of Mars?

What are some things the first four planets have in

common? These planets are called the inner

planets. Why do you think that might be?

The surface of Mars is covered in rust-colored

dust and rocks.

The first four planets all have a surface. They

are made from rocky material. The planets have

similar characteristics because of their

closeness to the sun.

Page 13

Jupiter is the first of the outer Gas Giant planets in

our solar system. What does the text say about

the weather on Jupiter?

How does the illustration support the information

the text provided and add to that information?

The text states that Jupiter has been home to a

great storm for over 400 years. This storm is

referred to as The Great Red Spot. The text also

stated that the storm is the size of three Earths.

The illustration supports the text by showing

me the comparison between the size of Earth

and the size of The Great Red Spot. The

illustration also shows the movement of the

storm with the swirling lines used in the

illustration.

Page 17

How is Titan similar to Earth?

Would Titan be a good place for people to live?

Why/Why not?

The main gas in Titan’s atmosphere is nitrogen,

which is a gas found in Earth’s atmosphere.

Titan cannot support life because there is

methane-rain falling from the sky.

53

Page 23

Is Pluto close to the sun or not?

Would Pluto be a good place for humans to live?

Why?

What is happening to Pluto’s atmosphere in this

picture?

Pluto is very far away from the sun.

Pluto cannot support life either because of the

freezing temperatures found there. The

atmosphere on Pluto has frozen and fallen to

the ground. which means there isn’t air to

support life.

The picture shows the frozen atmosphere

falling to the ground.

Page 25

The last line of the text is ‘enjoy the good weather,

keep an eye out for storms, and travel safely!’

Where in the solar system can people safely

travel? What evidence do you have to support

your answer?

People can safely travel to Earth’s moon and

planet Earth. People live on Earth, so we are

aware that life can exist there. Astronauts have

traveled to the moon, so there is evidence that

people can safely travel there.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS

If time permits, read the final pages of the text and explore the question below.

The text provides some additional informational pages; how does the information on these pages describe the

inner and outer planets connection to the sun?

Student Response Expectation: The sun provides heat and light to the planet in its orbit. The farther a planet is from

the sun, the colder the temperature of the planet.

The inner and outer planets are made differently. The inner planets are smaller and made from rock. The outer

planets are larger with rings and made from gases.

Temperatures of planets are affected by their atmosphere, and atmospheres are impacted by the sun.

Supporting materials:

Weather in Space (Rocky Planets): Crash Course Kids


Gas Giants Weather: Crash Course Kids




54




1020L



This text is moderately complex overall. The narrative

format and concrete examples put this text in the

slightly complex range; the ideas are well organized,

and the text provides clear connections between

related ideas. However, the text features and use of

graphics make this text moderately to very complex.

The content specific vocabulary and terminology makes

this a very complex text in terms of language features.

Words such as “planetesimals” and “prominences” will

require more scaffolding than most domain specific words

like “corona.” This vocabulary would receive more

attention in subsequent lessons.


The purpose is slightly complex. Information is

explicitly stated, in a clear and concrete manner with a

narrow focus.

Knowledge demands are slightly complex. Some

knowledge of the sun and solar system will make this text

and the information presented more readily accessible to

students, but no extensive background knowledge is

required.

TEXT

Text: Our Solar System by Seymour Simon




Within the universe, there are many planetary systems. Our ideas about the universe changed over time due to

advancements in technology and thinking. Our solar system is part of the Milky Way galaxy.

Read 1 (Pages 1-23): The purpose of this read-through is for students to identify and deepen their understanding of

the reasons for the specific characteristics of the inner planets.

55

DAILY TASK

Writing Task:

While we read Our Solar System, we heard facts about the characteristics of inner planets. Work to complete an

Inner Planet fact collection. As you work, refer to the texts to record facts about the physical characteristics of the

inner and outer planets. Then, provide a written explanation describing the key differences between these groups of

planets, referring to their facts.


Writing Task:

There are four inner planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Each of these planets has a rocky surface and is much

smaller than the larger outer planets.

1. Mercury has craters, like our moon, making its surface rocky.

2. Venus is the sister planet to Earth because they are similar sizes. Venus has rocks that radiate heat on its

surface, making it incredibly hot.

3. Earth is covered by a layer of rock called the crust, but most of Earth is covered with large bodies of water.

4. Mars is made up of orange-red dusty soil that is blown around by heavy winds. Like Earth, Mars has polar

ice caps made from frozen water that grow when the carbon dioxide freezes out of the atmosphere.

PAGE/PART

OF TEXT


Page 5

According to the text, how did the sun come into

being?

What happened as a result of the sun coming into

being?

Large amounts of dust and gases started to

pull together and formed a globe. As they

pulled in closer, they created a lot of heat. The

heat built up until it got too hot and finally

caused an explosion.

The sun’s heat blasted away the rest of the dust

and gasses, which formed a spinning oval ring.

When these gases cooled, they became the

planets and the rest of the solar system.

56

Page 6

The text describes the sun as an ordinary star and

states that it is not the biggest or brightest star in

the galaxy. Why, then, is the sun so important to

us?

Which four planets form a group closest to the

sun? What characteristics do these planets share?

Why?

Which four planets form a group farthest from the

sun? What characteristics do these planets share?

Why?

The sun is important because it is the star that

is the closest to our planet, and it is the center

of our solar system. Nothing on Earth could live

without the sun. Plants need it to make food

and grow. Animals and humans eat plants, and

humans also eat the animals that eat plants.

We also need the sun for heat and light, and it

is responsible for our weather and climate.

The inner planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, and

Mars are small and rocky, and the outer planets

are much larger and made up of mostly gasses.

The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,

and Neptune. These planets are much larger

and made up of mostly gases.

Page 11

How are the “sister” planets Earth and Venus the

same? How are they different?

Venus and Earth are the same because they are

closer to the sun and similar in size. They both

have clouds and an atmosphere. Venus’

atmosphere is very thick, and the heat of the

sun is trapped on the surface which makes it

much hotter. Because of the heat, the clouds

of Venus are not made of water, they are made

of acid. Earth has an atmosphere that keeps

temperatures steady, which allows water to be

on its surface.

After

reading

pages 1-23

How does a planet’s atmosphere impact its

characteristics?

What are possible effects a planet's distance from

the sun might create?

Temperatures of planets are affected by their

atmosphere, and atmospheres are impacted by

the sun.

The sun provides heat and light to the planets.

The farther a planet is from the sun, the colder

the temperature of the planet.

57


DAILY TASK

Writing Task:

While we read Our Solar System, we heard facts about the characteristics of outer planets. Work to complete an

Outer Planet fact collection. As you work, refer to the texts to record facts about the physical characteristics of the

inner and outer planets. Then, provide a written explanation describing the key differences between these groups of

planets, referring to their facts.


Writing Task:

There are four outer planets called the Gas Giants. They are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Each of these

planets is made mostly of gases.

1. Jupiter is the giant planet of the solar system, making it the largest planet to orbit the sun. Jupiter has

constantly moving, thick clouds.

2. Saturn is made from the gases hydrogen and helium. It also has rings. At first glance, you can see a few

rings, but through telescopic lenses, we know there are thousands of rings. These rings are made of pieces

of ice.

3. Uranus is a ringed planet made up of mostly gas. With the use of the Hubble Telescope, we have been able

to see how Uranus goes through different seasons.

4. Neptune is made from methane ice. It also is a ringed planet. Neptune’s methane absorbs the red light

from the sun and reflects it back as a blue color.

TEXT





Read 2 (Pages 24-41): The purpose of this read-through is for students to identify and understand how the

characteristics of the outer planets are similar and different from the inner planets and why.

58

PAGE/PART

OF TEXT


Page 25

Why is Jupiter the “giant planet” of the solar

system? Does this mean Jupiter is the biggest

planet that exists?

Jupiter is a giant planet that is one and a half

times as big as all the planets put together. It

could be called the largest known planet, but

we don’t know if another larger planet is yet to

be discovered.

Page 26

Is Jupiter an inner or outer planet?

What does Jupiter have in common with the other

outer planets? How could we describe Jupiter’s

surface?

Jupiter is an outer planet.

It is made of mostly gas and has rings similar to

other outer planets. The surface of Jupiter is

unique because it is both extremely cold in

places and very hot.

Page 28 - 29

What makes Jupiter unique? Why does Jupiter

have so many moons? How are Jupiter’s moons

similar to earth? Could there be life on Jupiter’s

moons? Would people be able to live on Jupiter’s

moons? Why/why not?

(You might consider having students talk with a

partner to explore this multi-step question.)

There is another feature about Jupiter that is

different from other planets. It has a Great Red

Spot that is a giant storm surface on the planet.

Jupiter has more moons than other planets

because of its extreme gravitational pull.

Scientists think some of the moons are

asteroids that have been pulled into the force.

Jupiter’s moons have extreme temperature

changes except for one that has a frozen crust

over an ocean. Scientists believe microscopic

life could be here. Humans couldn’t live here

without oxygen in the atmosphere.

Page 30-31

How is Saturn similar to Jupiter? How would you

describe Saturn’s rings using language form this

text?

Saturn has rings like Jupiter.

The rings of Saturn are made of thousands of

smaller rings made of ice particles. Some of

the pieces are small, and some are as big as a

house.

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Page 33

What does the author tell us about Saturn’s

moons?

Could there be life on Saturn’s moons? Would

people be able to live on Saturn’s moons?

Why/why not?

(This may be an opportunity for students to

participate in a collaborative talk structure like

Turn & Talk.)

Saturn has many moons, but only one of them

has an atmosphere.

Scientists discovered what they thought were

rivers on this moon. When they investigated,

they found these rivers were methane gas and

not made of water.

People would not be able to live on this moon

without water and oxygen.

Page 36-37

How is Uranus similar to the other giant planets?

What is unique about Uranus’ rings?

Uranus is similar to the other giant planets in in

its large size and the fact that it is made up of

gas with outer rings.

The rings of Uranus are different from other

planets’ rings because they have arcs. The

black material that spins around them is

different from the material found in other rings.

Page 39-40

How is Neptune similar to the other outer planets?

Neptune has rings like the outer planets.

60


DAILY TASK

Writing Task:

During our reading of Our Solar System, we learned about other celestial bodies found in space. We learned about

comets, asteroids, meteors, meteorites, and dwarf planets. Work together with your team to discuss and classify the

descriptions provided as one of the celestial bodies we learned about. One person in your team will be the scribe as

you work to create a paragraph together explaining how these celestial bodies are found in the space and the

potential impact they may have on Earth.

Teacher Note: Provide the students with the following descriptions. Each team of students will need each

description provided below.

• This celestial body orbits the sun and may appear to have a long tail. Its appearance may change as it gets

closer to the sun.

• This celestial body is also known as minor planets and are found in a common area between Jupiter and

Mars.

• This celestial body is tiny asteroid that burns up in the atmosphere.

• This celestial body is a chunk of an asteroid that falls to the ground. One almost hit the ground near Russia

but exploded in the sky. This caused damage to buildings, but the damage would have been much worse if

it had hit the ground.

• This celestial body is round and orbits the sun. It does not move other celestial bodies as it orbits the sun.

TEXT


Iteration: Third Read



Read 3: (Pages 42-48): The purpose of this read-through is for students to identify and understand the

characteristics of other celestial bodies in our solar system.

61


• This celestial body orbits the sun and may appear to have a long tail. Its appearance may change as it gets

closer to the sun. (Answer: Comet)

• This celestial body is also known as minor planets and are found in a common area between Jupiter and

Mars. (Answer: Asteroid)

• This celestial body is tiny asteroid that burns up in the atmosphere. (Answer: meteors)

• This celestial body is a chunk of an asteroid that falls to the ground. One almost hit the ground near Russia,

but exploded in the sky. This caused damage to buildings, but the damage would have been much worse if

it had hit the ground. (Answer: meteorites)

• This celestial body is round and orbits the sun. It does not move other celestial bodies as it orbits the sun.

(Answer: dwarf planet)

Writing Task:

The universe is made of many things besides the sun and the eight planets. Scientists have discovered other

celestial bodies that have specific characteristics based on where they are located. One example of this would be an

asteroid. An asteroid could be found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. When asteroids enter Earth’s

atmosphere and burn up, they become meteors. If meteors make impact with the Earth’s ground, they are called

meteorites and can cause severe damage.

62

PAGE/PART

OF TEXT


Page 42-43

How long is a year on Charon? How do you know?

How are the criteria for planets listed here

different or similar to the list provided earlier in

the unit? Which criterion did Pluto not meet? Is

Pluto the only dwarf planet?

A year on Charon is around 6 days because

that is how long it takes for it to orbit.

Charon is a moon of the dwarf planet Pluto.

Pluto is called a dwarf planet, because it

doesn’t meet all of the criteria to be labeled a

planet. These criteria are:

1. It must orbit the sun.

2. It must be large enough for gravity to

shape it like a sphere.

3. It must clear other bodies in the

universe out of its way as it orbits the

sun.

Pluto did not meet criteria 3, so it was re-

identified as a dwarf planet. It is not the only

dwarf planet. Other dwarf planets discovered

are Crees, Eris, Quaoar, Varuna, Orcus, Haumea,

and Makemake.

Page 44-45

Where is the asteroid belt? Looking at a diagram

of the solar system (on the first page of The

Planets by Gail Gibbons, for example) where might

the asteroid belt be located?

Why might these asteroids sometimes be called

minor planets?

What is a meteor?

What are some examples in the text of the impact

of asteroids and meteors on earth?

(You might consider using a talk structure to have

student engaged in academic conversations

centered on answering these questions and

providing each other with feedback.)

The asteroid belt is located between Jupiter

and Mars.

Asteroids are sometimes called minor planets

due to their large size.

A meteor is an asteroid that burns up.

A meteoroid is an asteroid that makes it

through the earth’s atmosphere to impact the

surface of the Earth. We have recorded

examples of this happening in Russia as well as

the belief some scientists have that this caused

the extinction of dinosaurs.

Page 46-47

What is a comet made of? In the text it says,

“around a dozen ‘new’ comets are discovered

each year.” Why is the word new in quotes?

How are we part of the universe?

A comet is made of ice and dust and gas

particles from the sun. As the dust and gas

begin to glow, it gives the look of a halo. Many

“new” comets are discovered, because the

universe is constantly changing with orbits and

particles moving. This can create change and

new discoveries.

63

ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS

Teacher Note: Student engagement and inquiry-based learning opportunities could be provided by showing media

coverage of the meteorite that damaged the Russian town of Chelyabinsk. Students will be intrigued by the idea

that shockwaves caused the devastation and not the result of impact. Further discussion of why protecting our

planet from this occurring in the future is valuable to our safety. How does continuing research of the universe help

us?

64




IG880L



The text structure is very complex. Organization of text

provides information on the outside edges of each

page in an expository structure. The inside of each

page consists of short, standalone pieces of text like in

an encyclopedia or glossary. Connections between an

expanded range of ideas contain multiple pathways

and discipline-specific traits. This text includes text

features, such as diagrams of the solar system and

different types of galaxies. The illustrations are

drawings that support the readers’ understanding.

Language features are very complex. Both simple and

compound sentences are presented with clarifying clauses

included. Placement of clauses at various locations

changes the sentence length and has students focus on

meaning. Vocabulary is subject-specific and overly

academic.


The purpose is very complex. Although it is explicitly

stated throughout the text, there are many abstract

ideas that require students to infer meaning.

Knowledge demands are very complex. This text relies on

moderate levels of discipline-specific knowledge and

includes a mix of recognizable ideas and challenging

abstract concepts. There are some references to outside

ideas and theories.

TEXT

Text: Galaxies, Galaxies by Gail Gibbons




The purpose of this read-through is for students to identify the ways our thinking about the universe has changed

due to advancements in technology.

65

DAILY TASK

Writing Task:

Imagine the Hubble Telescope could have a conversation with you about all he has seen in outer space. If you were

able to talk with the Hubble Telescope, what questions might you ask him about the knowledge we have gained

about our universe by looking through his lens? Create how and why questions to interview the Hubble Telescope

that relate back to the learning we have explored in the texts Galaxies, Galaxies! and Our Solar System.

Speaking Task:

Then with a partner, role play the interview. One person will be the Hubble Telescope, and one person will be the

interviewer. Then, switch roles. Provide each other with feedback about the questions that were crafted. (Consider a

Partner A/Partner B talk structure for student use during the role-playing portion of the task.)


Writing Task:

Interview Questions for the Hubble Telescope:

1. How did you help change what people understood about the rings on each of the outer planets?

2. What was it like to look out into space and observe some of the other celestial bodies up close (like

asteroids and comets)?

3. How do NASA scientists use you to examine extreme weather conditions on Earth?

4. What changes did we learn from your view on the shapes and sizes of planets?

5. How did looking inside of galaxies help you learn more about new stars being formed?

PAGE/PART

OF TEXT


Page 6-7

Describe how early understandings and drawings

of what was seen in the sky were instrumental in

naming our galaxy.

Ancient Greeks and other civilizations made

drawings of what they saw in the night sky to

help them understand what a star was. They

noticed groups of stars together that looked

like a band. The Greeks believed the white

band looked like milk and thought it was made

from one of their gods when he was a baby.

They named this group of stars the “river of

milk.”

Page 5

What is the Milky Way galaxy comprised of? How

does it keep its form?

The Milky Way galaxy is made of billions of

stars, clouds of gases, and dust that are held

together in its center. Gravity helps it keep its

shape as it orbits in the universe.

66

Page 12-18

How did discoveries of new stars impact our

thinking?

Scientists have discovered how big the Milky

Way is using telescopes. They know it holds

many other galaxies inside of it. The telescopes

showed them different colored stars.

Page 25-22

Explain how knowledge of gravity from the text,

Galaxies, Galaxies, as well as the connection to a

previous text, Gravity, helps us understand what

creates the physical differences in galaxies. Cite

specific evidence from your source to support

your understanding.

All stars are a part of a galaxy. Some galaxies

have millions of stars, and others have more.

This creates different sizes and shapes of

galaxies with specific characteristics. The

pictures show me what each galaxy looks like.

The text describes how a spiral galaxy, like the

Milky Way Galaxy, has arms. Other galaxies are

the barred spiral, elliptical, lenticular, and

irregular galaxies. Scientists named them these

because of their shapes. As galaxies orbit, they

are held together by gravity.

After

reading

Using the knowledge we have gained from the

texts, Galaxies, Galaxies and Our Solar System,

provide text evidence that supports how the

discovery of new galaxies can help you imagine

our universe in 100 years.

(This would be an opportunity to have students

use the Turn & Talk structure to explore the

answers to this question through collaborative

conversation.)

Telescopes have given scientists more

information about how stars are born and die

off. These stars create galaxies that orbit in the

universe. Some scientists believe that an

irregular galaxy is made when galaxies bump

together. This makes me believe that the

universe will always be changing as celestial

bodies orbit and new stars are made.

67

DAY 16 AND 17: END-OF-UNIT TASK

END-OF-UNIT TASK

Students, imagine you are a NASA scientist and the president has asked you if we can relocate people to other planets.

Prepare a brief for the president on why Earth is ideally suited for life but the other planets are not.

Be sure to do the following when you write your brief:

• Write an introduction.

• Use information from unit texts to explain why earth is ideally suited for life.

• Use information from unit texts to explain why each of the other planets in our solar system is not suitable for

life. In your explanations, be sure to talk about the specific characteristics the planet has based on its position

in relation to the sun.

• Use linking words and phrases to connect your ideas.

• Use vocabulary words from our words of study: climate, patterns, distance, atmosphere, surface.

• Write a conclusion statement.

When you are finished with your brief, practice presenting the report to the president’s advisors.

If you are playing the role of the advisor (i.e., other students), ask clarifying questions. Some possible questions are as

follows:

• What might be some other key facts?

• How could you use the vocabulary words in your writing?

• What is your main message to the president?

• In what ways are you connecting your ideas together?

STUDENT RESPONSE

Mr. President,

After much study, scientists at NASA have concluded that Earth is the only planet where people can live. We have

determined that the sun provides Earth with heat, light, and climate patterns that allow for life to exist. Earth is just close

enough to the sun, but also just far enough away, which means it has the perfect distance from the sun to create the

right conditions for life.

In order to make the most informed decision about the relocation of people, we also researched conditions found on

other planets. We have provided a brief supporting reason as to why the other planets will not be suitable for life.

• Mercury has no atmosphere because of solar winds from the sun. That is why Mercury can't trap heat and has

extreme temperature changes.

• The temperature on Venus is incredibly hot due to clouds trapping in the heat from the sun.

• Mars does not have the oxygen needed for humans to breathe.

• There is no surface on Saturn for people to stand on, because it is made from gases. It is also extremely cold.

• Uranus is also a gas planet and does not have a surface that would support life.

• There is methane gas on Neptune that is below freezing, and the wind speed can reach up to 1,500 miles per

hour.

NASA plans to conduct future research on the idea of life on Mars. For now, Earth is the only planet that can sustain

human life.

68

APPENDIX A: UNIT PREPARATION PROTOCOL

Question 1: What will students learn during my unit?

Review the content goals for the unit, and identify the desired results for learners.

• What are the concepts around which I will

organize my unit (universal concept, unit concept)?

• What will students come to understand through

deep exploration of these concepts (essential

questions, enduring understandings*)?

• What disciplinary knowledge will focus instruction

and provide the schema for students to organize

and anchor new words (guiding questions,

disciplinary understandings)?

• Why is this content important for students to

know?

*Adapted from McTighe, J. & Seif, E. (2011), Wiggins, G. &

McTighe (2013).

Question 2: How will students demonstrate their learning at the end of my unit?

Review the end-of-unit task and the exemplar response to determine how students will demonstrate their

learning.

• How does the task integrate the grade-level

standards for reading, writing, speaking and

listening, and/or foundational literacy in service of

deep understanding of the unit texts and

concepts?

• How does the task call for students to synthesize

their learning across texts to demonstrate their

understanding of the unit concept?

• How does the task call for students to use

appropriate details and elaborate on their thinking

sufficiently?

• How does the task prompt student thinking and

writing that reflects the grade-level expectations?

• What is the criteria for success on this task? What

does an excellent response look/sound like?

69

Question 3: How will students build knowledge and vocabulary over the course of the unit?

Read each of the texts for the unit, and consider how the texts are thoughtfully sequenced to build world and

word knowledge.

• How are the texts sequenced to build knowledge

around the unit concepts?

• How are the texts sequenced to support students

in developing academic and domain-specific

vocabulary?

• Which instructional strategies are suggested for

each text? How will I sequence them within the

literacy block?

Question 4: What makes the text complex?

You are now ready to prepare at the lesson level. To do this, revisit the individual text. Review the text

complexity analysis and read the desired understandings for the read-through.

• What aspects of this text (structure, features,

meaning/purpose, knowledge) are the most

complex?

• What aspects of the text are most critical for

students to comprehend to ensure they arrive at

the desired understandings?

• Where might you need to spend time and focus

students’ attention to ensure they comprehend

the text?

70

Question 5: How will I help students access complex texts?

Review the question sequence, and reflect on how the questions support students in accessing the text.

• How does the question sequence support

students in accessing the text and developing the

desired understandings?

• How does the question sequence attend to words,

phrases, and sentences that will support students

in building vocabulary and knowledge?

• How are the questions skillfully sequenced to

guide students to the desired understandings?

• How will you ensure all students engage with the

questions that are most essential to the objectives

of the lesson? (Consider structures such as turn

and talk, stop and jot, etc.)

• How will you consider additional texts, or

additional reads of the text, to ensure students

fully access and deeply understand the text?

Question 6: How will students demonstrate their learning at the daily level?

Review the daily task for the lesson to determine what students will be able to do at the end of the lesson.

• How does the task require students to

demonstrate their new or refined understanding?

• How does the task call for students to use

appropriate details and elaborate on their thinking

sufficiently?

• How does the task prompt student thinking and

writing that reflects the grade-level expectations?

• How does this task build on prior learning in the

unit/prepare students for success on the end-of-

unit task?

• What is the criteria for success on this task? What

does an excellent response look/sound like?

71

Question 7: What do my students already know and what are they already able to do?

Consider what your students already know and what they are already able to do to support productive

engagement with the resources in the unit starter.

• What knowledge do my students need to have

prior to this unit?

• What do my students already know? What are

they already able to do?

• Given this, which/what components of these texts

might be challenging? Which/what components

of these tasks might be challenging?

• What supports will I plan for my for students (e.g.,

shifting to a different level of cognitive demand,

adding or adjusting talking structures, adding or

adjusting accountable talk stems into student

discussions, providing specific academic feedback,

or adding or adjusting scaffolded support)?

• How can the questions and tasks provided in the

unit starter inform adjustments to upcoming

lessons?

Question 8: What content do I need to brush up on before teaching this unit?

Determine what knowledge you as the teacher need to build before having students engaged with these

resources.

• What knowledge and understandings about the

content do I need to build?

• What action steps can I take to develop my

knowledge?

• What resources and support will I seek out?

72

APPENDIX B: USEFUL PROCEDURAL EXAMPLES FOR EXPLICIT VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION

Example 1:

• Contextualize the word for its role in the text.

• Provide a student friendly definition, description, explanation, or example of the new term along with a

nonlinguistic representation and a gesture.

• Provide additional examples, and ask students to provide their own examples of the word.

• Construct a picture, symbol, or graphic to represent the word.

• Engage students in lively ways to utilize the new word immediately.

• Provide multiple exposures to the word over time.

-Beck et al., 2002; Marzano, 2004

For a specific example, see the shared reading webinar presentation found here.

Example 2:

• Say the word; teach pronunciation.

• Class repeats the word.

• Display the word with a visual, read the word, and say the definition using a complete sentence.

• Have the class say the word and repeat the definition.

• Use the word in a sentence: the context of the sentence should be something students know and can connect

with.

• Add a gesture to the definition, and repeat the definition with the gesture.

• Students repeat the definition with the gesture.

• Have student partners take turns teaching the word to each other and using the word in a sentence they create.

• Explain how the word will be used in the text, either by reading the sentence in which it appears or explaining the

context in which it appears.

- Adapted from 50 Nifty Speaking and Listening Activities by Judi Dodson

https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/readtobeready/attachments/Teaching-Literacy-in-Tn-K-3-Shared-Reading_July_13_webinar.pdf

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APPENDIX C: DASH FACTS

Mercury

Key Words: Dash Fact:

Venus


Earth


Mars


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Jupiter


Saturn


Uranus


Neptune


Documents

TEACHING LITERACY IN TENNESSEE: UNIT … TABLE OF CONTENTS Guidance for Educators 3 Unit Overview and Content Goals