Subject: Science

Objective: After a review of constellations, the students will make

their own Big Dippers out of marshmallows and toothpick according to
the requirements of the rubric below.
TEKS:
111.3. Grade 1, Adopted 2012.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(8) Earth and space. The student knows that the natural world
includes the air around us and objects in the sky. The student is
expected to:
(B) observe and record changes in the appearance of
objects in the sky such as clouds, the Moon, and stars,
including the Sun;
Materials:
Constellations PowerPoint
Selected student(s) science journals
Marshmallows
Toothpicks
Document camera
Teaching Procedure:
1. Motivation
The teacher will ask the students to share some of the things
they learned about constellations from the previous day.
2. Prior Learning
We learned about constellations yesterday, and we got to
look at constellations using the iPads!
Statement of Objective
We are going to review what we talked about yesterday, and
then we will get to make our own Big Dippers!
Purpose (statement/question):
Because stars and the constellations they make up are
something we see every night, it is important for us to learn
more about them.
Instructional Steps:
a. The teacher will review constellations by revisiting the
PowerPoint from the previous day, spending most of the time
on the Big Dipper.

b. The teacher will then ask the selected student(s) to share

what they recorded in their science journals while using the
iPad app from the previous day.
c. The teacher will explain to the students that they will make
their own constellations using marshmallows and toothpicks.
d. GP: The teacher will explain to the students that they will
each be making the Big Dipper, and the teacher will walk the
students through the process before releasing them to work
on their own.
e. IP: The students will use the materials given to them to make
their own Big Dippers.
Closure:
1. Review
Prior to releasing the students to continue the activity, the
teacher will ask the students to remind her of what a
constellation is.
2. Future Learning
Tomorrow, we will be able to finish up our constellations if
we are not finished. Then, we will get to watch a video about
constellations!
Lesson Extension and/or Modification:
The following day, the students will watch a video about stars
and constellations, reinforcing the information they already
know.
Assessment of Learning:
The students will be assessed based off their final Big Dipper
products. For mastery, each section should have an answer of
YES.
Students
Name:

Circle one:

The students
Big Dipper
has 7
marshmallow
s to
represent the
7 stars of the
Big Dipper
constellation.

The
students
final product
resembles
the
appearance
of the Big
Dipper.

On the back,
the student
wrote one
sentence
about what
he or she
learned
about the
Big Dipper.

YES
NO

YES
NO

YES
NO

Ipad App used for Activity

Constellations: The Big Dipper Activity