HOW THE WORLD WORKS
An inquiry into
the natural world and its
laws; the interaction
between the natural
world (physical and
biological) and human
societies; how humans
use their understanding
of scientific principles;
the impact of scientific
and technological
advances on society and
on the environment.
Central Idea:
The Earth’s conditions
and position in space
affect our lives.
Grade 3 – 5th Unit of Inquiry Newsletter
Lines of Inquiry:
The Earth, moon and sun
are parts of the Solar
System.
The Earth, moon and sun
interact as part of the Solar
System.
The relationship between
the Earth, moon and sun
has an effect on human life.
Teacher Questions:
What are the similarities and
differences in the structure of
the Earth, moon and sun?
Is there an interrelationship
between the Earth, moon and
sun?
How does the relationship
between the Earth, moon and
sun affect human life?
PYP Attitudes:
What attitudes do we want to foster?
Independence – Students will be working on their presentation
independently. They will have to make sure they understood the content
and all the information included are accurate and relevant to the topic
assigned.
Commitment – Students will show commitment to their own learning as
they work on various learning stations and on their research. They will
reflect on the activities and the whole process using the science log sheets.
It is also their responsibility to come up with ways to present their research
work successfully.
IB Learner Profile
Attributes:
Concepts:
What key concepts will we explore?
Form – The structure of the
Earth, moon and sun; their
similarities and differences.
Function – How the Earth,
moon, and sun relate to each
other within the Solar System.
Causation – The effect of the
relationship between Earth,
moon and sun on human life.
Inquirer – Students will develop
their natural curiosity as they acquire
skills needed to conduct inquiry
through their research and
experiments. They will be actively
engaged in working together as a group
and independently in various learning
and research stations.
Knowledgeable – Students will
become more knowledgeable as they
explore concepts and issues concerning
the Earth’s position in space and the
Earth, Moon and Sun system as a
whole.
Skills:
What transdisciplinary skills will students apply in
this unit?
Thinking Skills
 Analysis - Students will analyze the
process and information gathered
when working in various learning
stations. They will have to identify
characteristics of the Earth, Moon
and Sun system and recognize
relationships between them.
Social Skills
Success Criteria for this Unit of
Inquiry:
Students will understand that:
The sun, Earth and moon are approximately
spherical.
The position of the Sun appears to change
during the day, and shadows change as this
happens.
Day and night are related to the spin of Earth
on its axis.
The Earth orbits the sun once each year.
 Cooperating - Students will be
working in a group and have to take
turns and share the materials
provided in each learning station.
 Group decision-making - Each group
will also be providing feedback on
their learning after each activity. They
will then have to communicate to
each other and come up with a
combined knowledge of the topic to
be presented.
The moon takes approximately 28 days to
orbit the Earth.
Students will be able to:
Explain the earth’s relationship with the
sun and moon.
Identify regular and irregular events that
occur in the solar system.
Examine the impact of events that occur in
the solar system on earth.
Investigate how the sun appears to move
across the sky.
Research Skills
 Collecting and Recording Data - Students
will gather information from a variety of
resources and record them in their UOI
notebook or use the note-taking template.
The information will be used in preparing
for their summative task.
 Vocabulary:
Asteroid
Atmosphere
Axis
Earth
Eclipse
Equinox
Galaxy
Gravity
Greenhouse Effect
Horizon
Leap Year
Light Year
Lunar Phases
Meteor Showers
Meteors
Moon
Natural Phenomenon
Orbit
Outer Space
Ozone
Periodic Changes
Planets
Revolution
Rotation
Satellite
Seasons
Solar Flares
Solar System
Solstice
Spherical
Sun
Tides
Universe
How can parents help at home?
 Read with your child some books about the
Earth, moon and sun or the solar system.
 Discuss with your child some ways in caring
for our planet.
 Talk about ways in being ready for any
natural disasters.
 Assist your child with his/her research and
presentation.
 Allow your child to explore websites for
added information relevant to the topic.
 Websites:
o http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/
o http://www.brainpop.com/science/space/
o http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/ac
tivity/the-reason-for-the-seasons/?ar_a=1
o http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/
earth_sun_moon_fs.shtml
o http://resources.woodlandsjunior.kent.sch.uk/time/index.html
o http://www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm
o http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/videos/space/thesun.ht
ml
o http://www.earthsunmoon.co.uk/