The Solar System

Teaching plan for Science and Art & Craft

5th grade students at Konnerud School

Description

For students in elementary school grades 4 to 7 (ages 9 to 13) 

We take the students on a journey beyond the Earth's atmosphere and into our solar system, where they become explorers. 

The goal is to investigate the various planets in our solar system and their properties. They will be accompanied on this journey by their own developed robotic assistant. 

The robotic assistant can measure: 

  • Planet number
  • Size
  • Gravity
  • Type (Gas/Solid) 
  • Temperature (Kelvin) 
  • Year (how many days) 
  • Day (how long does a rotation take) 
  • Number of moons
  • Distance from the Sun or center of the solar system

Introduction

Bubble:bit is the most educational tool for a good understanding of both coding and what you can achieve with a micro:bit. 

By building and coding Bubble:bit, students learn to control an LED light, a servo motor, and a DC motor. 

Estimated time: approximately 8 hours

1. With the Bubble:bit, you first connect the LED light, turn it on and off with the buttons on the micro:bit. You can then automate this by using either brightness or sound to control the light. 

2. The next step is to connect the servo motor, learn to control it with the buttons, control the angles of the arm. The students can then automate this movement and combine movements of the arm with the LED light. 

3. The next thing the students have to do is learn to control the DC motor (electric motor). Switch it on and off with the buttons, then automate this movement as well. 

4. Then we can let the bubbles come. The last step is to put all the elements together so that Bubble:bit can make soap bubbles. 

By doing this, students learn to control the various components. These are now building blocks that the students can use for their own inventions, or their own robot. It is this robot that students can build in this project about the solar system. 

Educational program:

This interdisciplinary project can combine the subjects: Mathematics, Art and Crafts, Science, Norwegian, and English. 

Estimated time: approximately 28 hours

In this project, students will study and explore the various planets in the solar system in addition to using and explaining key concepts from astronomy. The coding project is part of an interdisciplinary theme in 5th grade. During this theme period, the solar system is a recurring theme in most subjects. Over several weeks, teachers in the grade have collaborated on, among other things:

  • Creating a film about the solar system with iMovie. In Norwegian class, students read articles from the Mylder 4 textbook about the solar system, use online articles and tasks on Salaby and open web resources to develop individual scripts. Since the films will not be published, the students are free to find images and videos on the internet, with the only requirement being good image resolution and citation of sources. Then the students practice reading and intonation before recording sound and choosing images that support the message. In Music class, students create their own music to be used in the film, as well as an intro vignette. They use Garageband and select sounds from Soundscape that create a space atmosphere, as well as a Robot vocal in the intro, and more. The students receive a criterion list for writing and film at the start of the project.
  • Writing and reading about the solar system in English. Students write stories and facts in English related to space.
  • Creating 3D planets in Art and Crafts using papier-mache and balloons that are painted.
  • Studying Roman mythology. In Religious and Ethical Education (KRLE), students work with Roman mythology and its background for many of the names of the planets, as well as the calendar.
  • Exploring large numbers. In Mathematics class, students work with large numbers like thousands, millions, billions, and trillions. They calculate distances and amounts of large values.. I faget matematikk jobber elevene med store tall som tusen, millioner, milliarder og billioner. De regner avstander og mengder av store verdier

The coding project is divided into sessions in the various subjects with relevant competence goals throughout the period.

Building and Programming Robots

In collaboration with Make:kit, we are developing an educational project where students will end up building a robot together with a learning partner and a 3D solar system with their class. The robot will be able to explore the different planets in the solar system via radio signals. Make:kit is developing codes for each planet that will send out signals about gravity, size, temperature, gas, hours per day, length of a year, and number of moons.

Equipment

You'll need: 

Codes

Educational videos

not available

Skills development

At MakeKit, we have extensive experience in skills development for schools, science centers, libraries, and businesses. 

We offer courses, workshops, and team building sessions. 

Please contact us, and we will tailor a program so that you get the most out of it. 

make@makekit.no 

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