Lesson plan to go with the earth golfball PowerPoint

Beth Harper
4th grade science
Title of Lesson: “If Earth were a golf ball…”
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
• Compare and contrast star sizes.
GPS
S4E1. Students will compare and contrast the physical attributes of stars, star patterns, and planets.
a. Recognize the physical attributes of stars in the night sky such as number, size, color and patterns.

Preparation: To prepare for this lesson, I will introduce the students to the concept of a solar system, and introduce them to the planets. The students will also be told about the objects within a solar system (stars, planets, meteor, etc.) I will also explain how stars are the only celestial bodies that produce light and they make patterns in the sky as well.

Materials:
• A golf ball
• PowerPoint with slides containing a picture of the Sun; the stars Mu Cephi, Betelgeuse, and Canis Majoris; a school bus; the Golden Gate Bridge; Mt Everest; and the Empire State Building
• White drawing paper
• Writing paper
• Pencils, crayons, markers

Procedures:
Introduction: I will get the students thinking by asking them to recall some of the information we have been discussing about the solar system.
Activities: I will begin the PowerPoint with a picture of Earth and show them where we are on the planet. I will then pull out of golf ball and get them to pretend the earth is the size of the golf ball. I will put a tiny dot on the ball to represent where we are. I will then go through the slides, explaining how big some of the featured stars are in comparison to the earth sized golf ball.
Closing: The students will choose one of the featured stars to compare and contrast. For example, they can choose the star Mu Cephi and tell how many suns could fit into it. They can also tell about how many Mu Cephis it would take to equal Canis Majoris.

Assessment: The students will be informally assessed with a formative assessment on their ability to compare and contrast the sizes of three stars.

Modification/Enrichment: For students who finish early, they can draw a picture to go along with their comparison.