In this lesson, learners will look at the planets in the solar system and features of planets. They will listen to and sing a song, then watch a story about features of different planets. They will practise describing planets using 'there is/are', and as an extension activity can work together to invent their own planet.
Learning outcomes
Develop and practise:
- vocabulary: words connected with the solar system
- structure: there is/are
- curricular work: the solar system
- integrated skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing
Age/ Level
Aged 9–12 (CEFR A2)
Time
55-85 minutes
Materials
- Lesson plan
- Presentation
- Worksheet
Downloads
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Language Level
Comments
Help Children get the senses of distance and volume ratio
1. Comparing the distances among those planets in solar system with the real distances among some objects which they can see, hear and even touch - this point would give them a true feelings about the multiple.
'If the Sun–Neptune distance is scaled to 100 metres, then the Sun would be about 3 cm in diameter (roughly two-thirds the diameter of a golf ball), the giant planets would be all smaller than about 3 mm, and Earth's diameter along with that of the other terrestrial planets would be smaller than a flea (0.3 mm) at this scale' (Referenced from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System )
I think: if teachers made out this kind of sentences, then integrating it with their body language, and making some similes such as:
My children, if Sun–Neptune distance can be compared with the distance from you family to our piano room, then the diameter of sun itself is only half of my palm, you can see - here ...
and some others as ...
After the information processing, children would get a practical senses of the distances
2. Then, it comes to mass, I think the direct visual senses of what they looked like would give children a imagery impression. Thanks goodness!
I have found this picture for us - commons and our children, in Wikimedia commons -
( Referenced from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Planets_and_sun_size_comparison.jpg )
Meanwhile, I heard that: if we compared sun with a huge Sport stadium, then earth would be compared with a lemon in hand.
In my opinion, this type of descriptions would give children , in their age, the senses of definition and ratio, which are very important for the cultivation of their multiple-intelligence. Natural sciences need it, while, music and painting also need it.
3. Yes, this plan has also given some good points for multiple-intelligence's' exploitation - language-training, such as 'there is, or there are' ; team-working& operational abilities, such as drawing planets together and matching names with their images in pairs
In my opinion, if we join the three points together - keeping the original part, meanwhile, making the new development - growing the scientific seeds for cultivating creative thinking patterns.
This course plan would be all-inclusive and leave a 'can be touched and can be seen' impression in children's minds. This is the new developmental tendency in our education in the globalization.