The Solar System
Math Lesson Plan (Relative Distance)
Audience: 7th-9th
grade mild MR classroom. The
classroom contains nine students and is a self-contained classroom.
Materials
Needed: Students will need to bring a paper and pencil to class. The teacher will provide two sheets of
paper and one with scattered labeled planets. The other assignment sheet will have a sun drawn in the
upper corner. Scissors and glue
will also be needed for this activity.
Advanced
Organizer: Before class starts the teacher will place the glue and scissors on the
students desks along with the two handouts.
Review: The
students will review the important ace of distance and how important it is know
how far away they are from something from something.
Instructional
Input: The teacher will explain to students the task they are to
complete. First, they are to cut
out the planets, label them and place them in order from the sun out according
to scale. This will help students
understand how important distance is.
Modeling: The
teacher will cut out one planet, label it and paste it accordingly.
Checking
for Understanding: The teacher will then ask the students if they have
any questions. Then the teacher
should repeat again, “Does everyone understand.” If the students answer,
“Yes.” Then the
teacher should have them proceed with the activity. If the students reply, “No.” Then the teacher should repeat the
modeling process.
Guided
Practice: The teacher will help guide the students
through the first few planets. The
teacher will continue to explain how to transfer the planets off of the
students handout to the students sun handout. The teacher should really emphasize how important it
distance is.
Independent
Practice: Students will be released to finish the
duration of the relative distance assignment on their own assuming they
understand the transferring from the diagram handout to the sun handout the
teacher has created.
Review: The teacher will then ask different
students to explain stages throughout the process. If the students can explain the entire process this means
they understand the concept.
Closure: The teacher will explain in terms of numbers how far away the
Earth is from the sun and then explain how far the rest of the planets are from
the sun. This will explain
auditorially just as the lesson did visually relative distance as it relates to
mathematics.
Modifications:
Environmental Modification: Students may go outside each representing a planet and the
teacher represents the sun allowing them to conceptualize relative distance.
Presentation Modification:
The teacher may want to present this activity orally for auditory
learners or students who are visually impaired.
Materials Modifications:
The teacher may want to draw the planet and label it for students to
better conceptualize the planet with the name.
Guided Practice Modification: The teacher may want to allow students to work with cooperating
friends or parents on this project as homework.
Independent Practice Modification:
Students may want to work on this project over a period of two days
instead of one. This would enhance
success and completion for students with difficultly with mathematical
concepts.