Elementary Science

Science Focus LessonMisconceptions 2

Polk County Public Schools

Essential Question:How can science concepts help to clarify misconceptions?

Vocabulary:constellation phase orbitellipse tiltphotosynthesis carnivore

GalileoGalileo Galilei was born in 1564 in

Pisa, Italy.

Galileo developed an early explanation of tides. He was one of the first

scientists to believe in the importance of collecting evidence to support a theory.

Galileo was best known for his invention of a powerful telescope that helped to

understand the secrets of the solar system.

What is the shape of the Earth’s orbit?

The Earth completes one revolution around the Sun in 365 ¼ days, this is called a year. The Earth’s path around the Sun is called its orbit.

Earth’s orbit is NOT a circle, it’s shape is called an ELLIPSE. An ellipse is like a flattened circle that is longer than it is wide.

Earth’s orbit is in the shape of a flattened circle called an ELLIPSE.

Like all planets in our solar system, the Earth is in an elliptical orbit around our Sun. In Earth's case, its orbit is nearly circular, so that the difference between Earth's farthest point from the Sun and its closest point is very small.

Here is a helpful link http://www.universetoday.com/61202/earths-orbit-around-the-sun/

What causes the seasons?

Watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuiQvPLWziQ

Earth is tilted on its axis. Because of its tilt, different parts of Earth have different amounts of daylight and darkness at the same time of the year. Sunlight strikes different parts of Earth more directly in some places and at a lower angle in other places.

These differences cause Earth’s seasons!Seasons are opposite in the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.

On the first day of spring and fall, Earth isn’t tilted either away from or toward the Sun, day and night are about equal in length.

Seasons are caused by Earth’s TILT and how directly sunlight strikes the Earth.

A constellation is a group of stars that appears to form a pattern or picture. The stars in a constellation appear to be in the same plane because we are viewing them from very, very, far away. Stars vary greatly in size and distance from Earth.

Do the stars and constellations move in the night sky?

As Earth spins, the stars appear to move across our night sky from east to west, for the same reason that our Sun appears to “rise” in the east and “set” in the west. If observed through the year, the constellations shift gradually to the west. This is caused by Earth’s orbit around our Sun. In the summer, viewers are looking in a different direction in space at night than they are during the winter.

Watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXeEAQtC75g

Stars and constellations APPEAR TO MOVE across the night sky! Different constellations are visible in different seasons.

You can see the Moon in the daytime because it is big and brightly lit by the Sun. When you look at the Moon, you are seeing the light which reflects off it. This is not nearly as bright as the Sun, but it is up to 100,000 times as bright as the brightest nighttime star.

When can the moon be seen?

During the day, the brightness of the sky washes out the light from the stars; a region of the sky including a bright star is only very slightly brighter than a region of the sky without a bright star, so your eye cannot notice the difference. However, the region of the sky containing the Moon is much brighter, so you can see it.

When the moon is in the right location, you can see it reflecting the sun’s light, even in the daytime!

Here are some moon facts http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/time/moon/facts.htm

What causes the phases of the moon?

The moon rotates on its axis and revolves around Earth. One rotation and one revolution both take about 28 days. Because of this, the same side of the moon always faces Earth.

The shape of the moon looks different from night to night. The changes in how the moon LOOKS to people on Earth are called phases.

The moon’s shape doesn’t really change, it is always a sphere. What changes is the part of the moon that reflects light from the Sun to Earth. The moon doesn’t have any light of its own, the light we see is sunlight that hits the moon and is reflected to Earth.

The shape of the part of the moon that reflects light to Earth depends on the moon’s position in its orbit around Earth and the position of the Sun.

For a better understanding go to http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases.phtml

Summarizing3- List 3 facts about the Earth’s

revolution around the Sun2- List 2 things that can be seen in the

night sky1- Explain why the moon can

sometimes be seen during the daytime

Gregor Mendel

Gregor Mendel grew up on a farm in Austria during the 1800s. He conducted many investigations on the hereditary traits of plants and animals.

Most of Mendel’s work was with pea plants and then later with honeybees.

How do plants get energy?

Green plants are able to create energy from sunlight. The process by which plants turn light into energy is called photosynthesis

Photosynthesis can only begin when sufficient amounts of water are available, it must have direct sunlight on its leaves, these leaves must have access to carbon dioxide in the air, and these leaves must be green.

Mr. Greenthumb tells us how plants make energy http://www.ehow.com/video_4774755_do-green-plants-energy_.html

Green plants turn sunlight into energy in their leaves in a process called PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

How do plants get food?Plants make most of their food through the process called photosynthesis. Plants make photosynthesis happen with carbon dioxide, water and sunlight.

.These three ingredients and a natural substance in plants called chlorophyll create a starch (glucose) that gives a plant the food it needs to grow.

In order for a plant to grow and thrive, it needs a number of different chemical elements. They can include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and many more depending on the type of plant. These nutrients in the soil are absorbed through the root systems of plants after they are dissolved in water.

Green plants MAKE their food in their leaves by combining different ingredients in a process called PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

For more information go to http://www.biology4kids.com/files/plants_photosynthesis.html

Can a carnivore live in an environment where there are no plants?

Read more about carnivores http://www.slideshare.net/schippst/the-eating-habits-of-animals-ppt-project

Some animals eat plants and some animals eat other animals. A food chain always starts with plant life and ends with an animal. Plants are called producers because they are able to use light energy from the Sun to produce food (glucose) from carbon dioxide and water.Animals cannot make their own food so they must eat plants and/or other animals. They are called consumers.

Animals that eat only plants are called herbivores. Animals that eat other animals are called carnivores

This interdependence within a food chain helps to maintain the balance of plant and animal populations within a community.

Carnivores eat animals that eat plants, ecosystems MUST have an ample supply of plants in order for all of the animals to survive.

SummarizingDraw and label a diagram to show

how energy flows from the Sun to a plant to an herbivore and finally to a carnivore

Guided Instruction:

1. During the phases of the Moon, the Moon appears to change shape. This change in appearance is due to the Moon   

a.physically changing size and shape.b.moving closer and then farther away from

Earth.c. reflecting a different amount of light due to

alignment with Earth and the Sun.d. turning on its own axis.

The answer is…

CThe phases of the moon only change the way that the moon appears. These phases are due to the amount of reflected light that we can see from Earth based on the moon’s position in its orbit and the position of the Sun.

Guided Instruction:

2. The paths of the orbits of planets around the sun are ________________.   

a. ellipticalb. circularc. semi-circulard. identical

The answer is

AThe Earth’s orbit is an ellipse, a shape like a flattened circle.

Guided Instruction:

3. Earth revolves around the Sun. Which of the following changes occur as a result of a tilted Earth revolving around the Sun?

a. day and nightb. the changing seasonsc. high and low tided. moon phases

The answer is BThe Earth’s seasons change during the Earth’s revolution around the Sun; because the Earth is tilted on it’s axis the sunlight reaches different parts of the Earth at different angles. Direct light result in warmer summer months, indirect light results in colder winter months.

Guided Instruction:

4. Plants use energy to make their own food. Where do plants get this energy?

a. waterb. soilc. Sund. food

The answer is

CPlants use the Sun’s energy to undergo a process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis allows plants to create energy and food called glucose.

SummarizingHow can science help us to correct

our misconceptions?

Check Your Understanding1. As Earth rotates on its axis, the moon orbits

Earth. The combination of these two movements causes which of the following to occur?

a. day and night

b. seasons

c. weather changes

d. phases of the moon

Check Your Understanding2. A food chain in an ecosystem has several levels.

What level are the herbivores?

a. the base level

b. the first level

c. the second level

d. the third level

Check Your Understanding3. What is the name of the part of the root that

allows water and minerals enter?

a. root hairs

b. epidermis

c. phloem

d. phyla

Check Your Understanding4. How long does it take the moon to move

completely around Earth so that people on Earth can see each moon phase once?

a. 365 days

b. 24 hours

c. 29.5 days

d. 1 week

Check Your Answers1. d2. b3. a4. c

Discuss with your partner…

What was the most interesting science fact you learned from this mini-lesson? Why?

Summary Question