Space and the Solar System Pre Assessment Lesson

This is an example of the pictures that students, in groups of four, are given to put in order from smallest to largest,  nearest to farthest, and oldest to youngest.  This was used as a pre assessment for our unit on Space and the Solar System.  I wanted to become aware of any misconceptions about size, distance, and age that students had about the universe as well as activate  prior knowledge.  I always have a few students that have advanced knowledge because overall students are most interested and motivated about the topic of space.

The next activity involves having students predict sizes and distances based on a two-inch scale.  This helps students to visualize the sizes and distances spatially.   The comparisons are made between the following: the Earth and the Moon, the Sun and the Earth, the Solar System and the Galaxy, the Galaxy and the Universe. For example, starting with the comparison between the Earth and the Moon, you hold up a two-inch Earth.  Then ask students if the Earth was two inches, how big would the moon be at this scale?

Here is an example of one group's work.  This is the organizer where groups record their answers that place various objects from our universe in order based on size, distance, or age.  In groups of four, students receive seven pictures that they will put in order.  Each group comes to a a consensus on the order and should be able to explain why they choose the order that they did.  They record this on the graphic organizer on your first idea.  Then I use questioning prompts to guide students to a class consensus that is correct .  This is the second idea where they record the order that the class came up with the teacher's guidance.

All students complete a KWL chart so I can see where each student is on an individual basis.    Students fill out the know and want to know at the beginning of the lesson.  Then after activity one and two are completed, I have them fill out three new things that they learned.

The lesson went really well.  Based on the class discussions, group discussions, and completion of the KWL, I am able to move forward with my unit on Space in the Solar System with an idea of where students are.  This was my main goal of the lesson.  I now know which students are knowledgable on the concepts of size, distance, and age of objects in the Universe.  I also know which students will need extra time or peer tutoring.  I think students were positively influenced by the structured inquiry lesson because they were very enthusiastic and engaged and really liked the activity.  This is not always the case in middle school science.  I also noticed many of the KWL's had meaningful learned concepts in that column.