Observing the stars and space exploration, light years, telescopes...

Observing the stars and space exploration, light years, telescopes, probes, landers. Complete KS3 lesson. ‘Observing and exploring’ is number 5 in a series of 6 high quality lessons that fully and expertly delivers all the points within BOTH the NEW KS3 Department for Education ‘Space Physics’ National Curriculum and the AQA KS3 specification / syllabus sections ‘3.7.2 Universe’ and ‘3.1.2 Gravity’.

COMPLETE AND READY TO USE:
All resources are included in this excellent powerpoint lesson, there is nothing for you to do but deliver it. Zero preparation time, project and go !

‘OBSERVING AND EXPLORING’ - STUDENT OUTCOMES:
By the end of the lesson students will be able to:
* Understand what a ‘light year’ is.
* Explain how large the universe is compared to the earth.
* Apply understanding of the ‘speed of light’
* Describe ways of discovering the universe from the earth.
* Explain how probes can be used to explore the universe.

STARTER
Pupils will start the lessons by thinking and working in pairs in a race to solve a picture puzzle and work out what today’s lesson is about. After discussion that leads to revealing the title and lesson outcomes, students then self assess against their current understanding of this lesson.

MAIN and MAIN and MAIN…
This lesson is chunked into discrete sections to support learning and engender positive behaviour by keeping students interested and focused. All points of the specification are addressed.
There are various student activities such as: gap fills, matching, paired work, literacy activities, focused questions with answers and differentiation (“challenge missons”), picture puzzle, homework, carefully selected video, self-assessment opportunities, peer assessment opportunities etc. This good variety of activities keeps pupils focused and happily learning.

PLENARY:
In the plenary activity pupils complete a matching activity and then peer assess it to uncover how much they have learnt during the lesson. They then self-assess themselves against the lesson outcomes. Students who need further support set themselves additional homework to enhance learning of today’s lesson.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:
These are provided just in case any group requires them.

THANK YOU FOR LOOKING:
Thank you for taking the time to look, your positive feedback would be very much appreciated :)

THIS IS ONE OF A SERIES OF 6 LESSONS:
1. Solar system, stars and galaxies and the universe.
2. Geocentric and heliocentric solar system models
3. Seasons.
4. Gravity, weight and mass.
5. Exploring and observing the universe.
6. The moon’s phases.

MORE HIGH QUALITY LESSONS:
For more lessons that meet the new KS3 and KS4 specifications please type Barclayfox into the tes resources search engine to see all my lessons.

Happy teaching !
Barclayfox.