Universe Cycle
THIRD GRADE
4 week unit

1. Students should know that galaxies and nebulas are major components of the Universe.
2. Students should know that the Universe is everything, while the Solar System is a subset within the Milky Way Galaxy.
3. Students should recognize that the brightness of stars at night is relative.
4. Students should recognize that rotation means an object spins around an internal axis.
5. Students should be able to define revolution as the orbit of an object around another object.
6. Students should be able to compare revolution with rotation.
7. Students should be able to distinguish the terrestrial planets from the gas planets.
8. Students should understand what an eclipse is and how it occurs.
9. Students should recognize that water, ice, wind, and other surface processes create landforms on the Earth.
10. Students should realize that maps are important.

WEEK 1.
PRE: Contrasting different components of the Universe.
LAB: Comparing and contrasting stars.
POST: Comparing relative and absolute brightness.

SOLAR SYSTEM

WEEK 2.
PRE: Distinguishing between revolution and rotation.
LAB: Discovering the terrestrial planets.
POST: Investigating the gas giants.

EARTH

WEEK 3.
PRE: Comparing lunar and solar eclipses.
LAB: Discovering how landforms are created on Earth.
POST: Exploring the reasons for seasons.

GEOGRAPHY

WEEK 4.
PRE: Describing different types of maps.
LAB: Exploring how to make a map.
POST: Comparing maps and globes.