earthandspacescience

Reality Education

Bringing the Real World into the Classroom

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Earth and Space Science

“Earth science is the study of the planets, Earth’s composition, processes, environments and history, focusing on the solid Earth, and its interaction with air and water.” (NAEP 2000) Earth and Space Science provides the foundation for students to develop an understanding of the Earth, its history, composition, and formative processes, the solar system, and the universe. Students study the regularities of the interrelated systems of the natural world. In doing so, they develop understandings of the basic laws, theories, and models that explain the world (NSES, 1995). By studying the Earth from both a historical and current time frame, students can make informed decisions about issues affecting the planet on which they live

Properties of Earth Materials



Objects in the Sky	How far are the planets? Materials: Sidewalk chalk, measuring stick Draw a line on the sidewalk representing the sun. Using relative distance draw the planets in order. Use the chart below to help with the relative distance. Mercury 1.0, Venus 1.9, Earth 2.6, Mars 3.9, Jupiter 13.4, Saturn 24.6, Uranus 49.5, Neptune 77.5, Pluto 101.7. Students draw the planets on each line.
	Moon Surface Materials: Sturdy plates , beans, foil. Glue on dried beans & other assorted things to provide texture for the moons surface. When it dries, cover it with foil and tuck the edges over. Press down gently to reveal the craters.
	Night Sky Material: A large box, black spray paint, pins Spray paint the inside and outside of the box black. Poke several small pin holes into the box. The children can sit inside the box and look at the “stars” through the box. Name the “constellations” and tell a story about them.
	Paper Airplanes Materials: Paper Help the children fold paper airplanes, then have them decorate them any way they would like.
	Paper Roll Stars Materials: paper towel rolls, black construction paper, Cover the end of the paper towel roll with black construction paper, making sure to not let any light in. Carefully poke small holes in the end of the construction paper. You might want to cover the construction paper with tape to keep it from tearing. Look into the tube, to see the stars.
	Straw Rocket: Cut a piece of paper so it fits around a straw. Wrap it around a straw> and tape it in place, the paper should slide off the straw easily. Slide it off the straw and fold one end into a point to form a nose of a rocket. Hold the point in place with tape. Cut two triangle shaped fins for the bottom of the rocket. Put the paper rocket between the fins and glue them together. Blow the finished rocket off the straw.
	Viewers Materials: Paper towel rollers or rolled up paper. Explain to students that the section of the planet the rover is viewing is very small considering the size of the planet. Give each child a rolled up paper and let them look through the little section at something in the ground. What can they tell about that small section? You can also let them look at a “landscape” that was created before. You could also place a magnifying lens to the end of the tube to see the items in more detail.
	Comets Materials: Bio Color, circle painters, combs Paint comets in circles on black paper. Use a comb to pull the tail across the page.



Changes in the Earth and Sky	Gravity Parachutes: Materials: plastic garbage bag, string, washers, permanent markers, paper cups, foil Create parachutes by cutting out a square from the plastic garbage bag. Tie the string to each corner and then to a washer. Decorate the bags with the markers or stickers. Tap the washer to the bottom of the cup. Drop the parachute from high.
	Wind Socks Materials: Tissue paper, lids, sticks Tape the tissue paper to a lid. Cut a hole in the center of a lid and place it on the stick so that the tissue paper falls down. Take the wind socks out side. The tissue will blow in the direction of the wind.

Kindergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

Concept 1: Properties of Earth Materials

Identify rocks, soil, and water as basic earth materials.
Compare physical properties (e.g., color, texture, capacity to retain water) of basic earth materials.
Classify a variety of objects as being natural or man-made.
Identify ways some natural or man-made materials can be reused or recycled (e.g., efficient use of paper, recycle aluminum cans).

Concept 1: Properties of Earth Materials

Describe the following basic earth materials: rocks, soil, water.
Compare the following physical properties of basic earth materials: color, texture, capacity to retain water.
Identify common uses (e.g., construction, decoration) of basic earth materials (i.e., rocks, water, soil).
Identify the following as being natural resources: air, water, soil, trees, wildlife.
Identify ways to conserve natural resources (e.g., reduce, reuse, recycle, find alternatives).

Concept 2: Objects in the Sky

Identify evidence that the Sun is the natural source of heat and light on the Earth (e.g., warm surfaces, shadows, shade).
Compare celestial objects (e.g., Sun, Moon, stars) and transient objects in the sky (e.g., clouds, birds, airplanes, contrails).
Describe observable changes that occur in the sky (e.g., clouds forming and moving, the position of the moon.

Concept 3: Changes in the Earth and Sky

Identify the following aspects of weather: temperature, wind, precipitation, storms.
Describe observable changes in weather.
Give examples of how the weather affects our daily activities.

Concept 3: Changes in the Earth and Sky

Identify the following characteristics of seasonal weather patterns: temperature, type of precipitation, wind.
Analyze how the weather affects our daily activities.

Concept 3: Changes in the Earth and Sky

Measure weather conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation). (see M02-S4C4-05)
Record weather conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation).
Identify the following types of clouds: cumulus, stratus, cirrus.
Analyze the relationship between clouds, temperature, and weather patterns.