Grade 2 Units of Inquiry    
                   
 

Is Anyone Out There?

How will I engage students' interest and provide a sense of direction for the unit?
Why is Earth the only inhabitated object in space? 

 

     
 
Topics/Content
Activities
Learning Outcomes/Skills
     

1. Space travel (real life)


2. Solar System 

 

1. Brainstorm space terminology and sort and group
2. order or placement of the solar system after an indepth
study of each of the objects found in space
3. utilizing a spotlight and a globe experiment with the phases
of the moon.
4. group research on an individual planet. Project would be
presented to the class.
5. watch and discuss “Apollo 13” to better understand
problems that are encountered while in space and how to
deal with them
6. Make 3-D space vehicle - presented at Science Fair.
7. Field Trip to the Planetarium
8. Field Trip to the Imax Theatre to watch Space Station and
9. play the Swatting Game, prepare facts about the planets on the over-head that the students could the fly-swatter to show the answers
10. write the trip to the planet 


   

1. To assess prior knowledge of space and space terminology
2. To list the things found in space according to the distance from the sun
3. To explain that the moon revolves around the planets and the planets
revolve around the sun
4. To explain each of the planets according to set criteria (working with 6
items)
5. To problem solve using a visual space problem
6. To experiment with space transportation
7. To observe and discuss a simulation of the Solar System