Lesson Plan Title:

Date: 02/15/17
Subject: Science 9 Grade: 9
Topic: Earth and Space Science; Exploring our Universe Solar System Modelling
and Development Essential Question: can the student create a modeled
representation of the solar system and its relative size?

Materials:
Project Proposal Outline Science 9 handout
Research Project Outline handout

Stage 1- Desired Results you may use student friendly language

What do they need to understand, know, and/or able to do?
Students need to understand the components and construction of the solar system,
along with relative sizing of these components as detailed on the handout. Students will
need to know what mediums of creation are available for their inquiry project and how
they can work individually or as groups to effectively demonstrate their understanding.

Broad Areas of Learning:

Developing Lifelong Learners: through the processes of inquiry based learning
students are developing a deeper understanding of their natural world and the resultant
solar systems. This gives them a foundational understanding of their place in the
universe and relative significance when scaling the model.

Cross-Curricular Competencies:
Developing Thinking: students are using inquiry to expand their scientific
understanding of the solar system and larger universe. They are considering other
means by which to holistically represent their knowledge and understanding of course
materials.
Developing Literacies: scientific literacy is engaged through students interaction with
text and digital media in order to research materials pertaining to the solar system in
order to develop their projects. Other literacies include, written, reading, creative
(through processes of project creation), and possibly oral or presentative by which they
present their project to the group.

Outcome(s):
EU9.2 Analyze scientific explanations of the formation and evolution of our solar system
and the universe.
a. Pose questions about the characteristics of and relationships between astronomical
bodies.
b. Observe and identify movement patterns of the major visible bodies in the night sky.

PGP Goals:

1.2 ethical behavior and the ability to work in a collaborative manner for the good of all learners
3.1 the ability to utilize meaningful, equitable, and holistic approaches to assessment and evaluation

3.2 the ability to use a wide variety of responsive instructional strategies and methodologies to accommodate
learning styles of individual learners and support their growth as social, intellectual, physical and spiritual
beings

Stage 2- Assessment

Assessment FOR Learning (formative) Assess the students during the learning to help
determine next steps.
- Formative assessment for this lesson takes the form of the Project Proposal
Science 9, as during the lesson students are asked to critically develop project
criteria based on their prior knowledge of the solar system/universe from previous
lessons. The completion of this outline will give students direction in the
development of the latter summative assessment project creation and determine
the atmosphere for completion (i.e. individual or group).

Assessment OF Learning (summative) Assess the students after learning to evaluate

what they have learned.
- The assessment OF learning for this lesson is the projects created by students
that reflect the criteria outlined in the Research Project Outline Science 9
handout. This summative assessment creation will be evaluated on the four-point
scalar system used by Prairie Spirit School Division.
Stage 3- Learning Plan

Motivational/Anticipatory Set (introducing topic while engaging the students) (~5-10

min)
- As a co-taught lesson (Colton Hope, and Megan Sorsdahl), instructors will do a
read with students of the Research Project Outline Science 9 handout. This
read through is designed to get students excited about the project and begin
engaging them to start developing criteria for which they will be graded on the
submission of their summative assessment pieces.

Main Procedures/Strategies: (~30-40 min)

- Students will be asked to develop a list of ten criteria that must be included in the
projects completed for their summative assessment. They will be allowed time for
brainstorming these criteria as well as developing on the concept of whether they
would like to complete the projects individually or in groups no larger than three
persons. (~15-20 min)
- Students will complete the Project Proposal Science 9 handout, detailing their
proposed idea for the summative assessment creation either individually or in
their project groups. They will identify how their project will be represented, and
what materials they will need for completion. (~15-20 min)

Adaptations/Differentiation:
- We could restrict the project more definitively giving a smaller and more concise
list of project choices.
- We could give students a criterion for how to complete the project rather than
having them self-construct the criteria.
- We could pre-define student groupings to avoid negatively influential student
groupings. This may also be beneficial for the two students with AD/HD present in
the class, and/or the English Language Learners (ELLs) in the classroom who may
find it easiest communicating in their native language.
- As we have an EA in the classroom, we could have her work specifically with one
student who has low comprehension or the students with AD/HD who may
otherwise have trouble staying on task.

Closing of lesson: (~5-10 min)

- Students will be given a verbal reminder by the instructors of the time restraints
associated with the project (i.e. students given three class hours, due the
following Friday end of day). The students will be reminded of the requirements to
achieve a positive result on the project and to keep in mind the materials they will
need to acquire to complete their project.

Personal Reflection:
This lessons reflection also took place during an after school professional conversation
with my partner teacher (Carmen Pauls). In reflecting on this project proposal with Carmen
and my co-teacher Megan, we came to the consensus that allowing for the students to
construct their own criteria for evaluation of the summative assessment was a large
positive. It was agreed on however that before the imposition of this lesson, we as
educators should have pre-formed assessment criteria that we had wished to see a part of
the evaluation so that when and if the students should encounter a road-block. Then we
could begin pushing for deeper comprehension with thought-provoking questions or cues
to lead them toward these criteria. During the actual outlining of students project
proposals, we saw a large diversity in grouping sizes; twos, threes, and even one
individual. There was also a wide array of project ideas coming from the students which
intern means that when evaluating we must creatively orient the criteria they selected to
outline a grading scheme for them based around the four- point system. As a group, we
reflected on our work with the ELLs and how best to adapt for their learning should we
teach in a similar situation again. Allowing for the use of their native language during the
lesson and their planning of the project was conventional. We discussed at length though if
allowing for them to speak their dialect and interpret during the presentation of the
projects. I assumed it unfair to the students if we as teachers were expected to assess
them based on an interpretation however on the other hand it is also unfair to expect
them to present in a format that makes them uncomfortable. It was agreed that in giving
the students the option to present we had forgone the need to create this differentiation.

*Adapted from Understanding by Design (McTighe and Wiggins, 1998)