Characteristics of planets

23/05/08 (Thursday)

a) Colouring and individual assessment
We started with Corner Playing. Some preferred to colour. Thus, they went to the notice board to search for their unfinished colouring papers. ZY, JS, LX, XR, JN, SJ were among those who coloured. Today, SYu, ZJ, JW, JH, EG and J preferred playing. In fact, M, SY and YZ were talking about the planets from the Planet Chart. Meanwhile, I did assessment on the kids. Today I called upon WY, EG, YP, J and JN.

b) Characteristics of planets
After tidying the class, we gathered at the front of the class. I asked them some questions. “What are we learning? How many planets are there in our Solar System? What is the name of our planet?” Then, I drew them accordingly from the sun. The kids learnt that each planet spins around the sun. They learnt that the circle ring is called orbits. It is the orbit that holds each planet at its position; thus avoiding any planet accidents.
Then we talked about the different characteristics of each planet. Mercury, Venus and Mars are made of rocks. Venus has thick yellow clouds surrounding it and volcanoes on its surface. Mars is covered with red rocks and also huge volcanoes. Mars has got 2 moons. Meanwhile, planet earth has got water, air and ground which is needed by living things.
Jupiter and Saturn are made of liquid and gas. Jupiter has 60 moons while Saturn has 31 moons. Saturn is the biggest planet with a beautiful ring around it. Uranus and Neptune is the 7th and 8th planet and they are made of gas. Uranus has thin rings and is by greenish-blue clouds. Meanwhile Neptune is surrounded by blue clouds.Uranus has 11 moons while Neptune has 21 moons. The kids learnt to identify the planet with the least moons and the most moons.
Then, we sang “The Space” song to the tune of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. They loved it and learnt to recognize the words too. The lyrics:

“Here are eight planets that we know.
Round and round the Sun they go.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars,
These are the planets near our star,
Planets, planets, oh planets;
How I wonder what you are.

Jupiter, and Saturn too.
Uranus and Neptune, we can't see you.
These are the eight planets that we know.
Round and round the Sun they go.
Planets, planets, oh planets;
How I wonder what you are.”

c) Video clip: Solar System
Next, the kids gathered to watch a video clip. They looked at the surfaces of the planets. They also watched the Interactive Solar System. They were amazed to see that the planets spin by themselves. They went round the Sun just as what the lyrics said. They saw how the planets spinned on their orbits without hitting one another. They also saw a comet which flew into the space.. They realized that the comets have chances of falling into the planet. In the next few lessons, they will make a solar system craft.