Earth v Mars Earth Science Space Comparing Planets Winners! teacher notes adhere to the following format: A general introduction to the book A table of article information for the main articles Text Type Science Concepts Vocabulary Not Glossarized Visual Literacy Features High-Frequency Words Phonics Revision A table of outcomes, activities, and assessment for the main articles Language Mode Outcome Demonstration Materials Student Task Assessment A suggested teaching sequence for each article. The teaching sequence for the main articles has sections for before, during, and after reading. Within these, there are opportunities for you to demonstrate and teach, and for the students to apply learning. The notes also contain overhead transparencies for demonstration and blacklines for the students to complete. A wrap-up of the book Earth v Mars
Earth v Mars Introduce the Book Read the title to the students and have them look at the cover photo. Explain that v is short for versus, and means against. The word versus is used to name court cases, to show that the people going to court are on different sides. It can also be used in a title like this, to show comparison between two things. Discuss the cover photo as it relates to the title. Introduce the discussion by asking questions such as: What can you see on the cover? Which planet is Earth? Which planet is Mars? Which planet do you think is bigger? Why? What looks different about Earth and Mars? What could be the reason? Is this a good cover photo for a book with this title? Why or why not? Ask the students to share ideas about what the differences between Earth and Mars might be. Have the students turn to the contents page. Revise the purpose of the table of contents by asking questions such as: What does the table of contents tell you about what is in the book? Which page would you turn to if you wanted to find out who Percival Lowell was? Which article is the longest? What is the name of the first article in the book? Ask the students to share all the information they already know about Mars and other planets in the solar system. Fill in the brainstorm map graphic organizer OHT (on page 18) with their responses. Have the students turn to pages 2 3 to establish a purpose for reading. Read the questions with the students. If they answer yes to any of the questions, invite them to share their information and add it to the brainstorm map. If they answer no to any question, explain that as they read the book they need to add their new knowledge to the brainstorm map. Ask the students to read aloud the words at the bottom of the page. Demonstrate how to use the pronunciation guide. Have the students read chorally the words five times to become fluent with the pronunciation. Invite the students to turn to the glossary on page 30. Have them look at the photos and read the glossary words and definitions. Write on the board any words in the glossary definitions that students do not know the meaning of, for example: gases, telescopes, force, poles. Tell the students that they need to reinforce the meaning of these words as they read. Earth v Mars
What If You Lived on Mars? Article Information Text Type Science Concepts Vocabulary Not Glossarized Visual Literacy Features High-Frequency Words Phonics Revision Feature Article Planets in the solar system orbit around the sun. The planet orbits are at different distances from the sun. The planets have different days, years, and seasons. The planets have different atmospheres, temperatures, and forces of gravity. carbon dioxide, craters, desert, diameter, distance, Earth, Mars, mountains, oxygen, planet, seasons, volcanoes Diagrams with labels Photos Comparison chart about, around, different, live, many, other, them, think, would, year Double vowels: areas, carbon dioxide, diameter Outcomes, Activities, Assessment Language Mode Outcome Demonstration Materials Student Task Assessment Vocabulary Understand and use suffix -er to form comparative adjectives. Word web graphic organizer OHT Fill in word web graphic organizer. Word web graphic organizer Reading Comprehension Demonstrate comprehension by answering questions using comparative forms. Comparison chart OHT Fill in comparison chart. Comparison chart Writing Strategies/ Applications Write an email inviting a friend to visit Mars. Email OHT Write an email inviting a friend to visit Mars. Appropriateness of email Speaking and Listening Use volume, phrasing, and pace to enhance meaning. Email written as writing demonstration Students act being the friend on Earth reading the email. Quality and appropriateness of presentation Earth v Mars
Before Reading Introduce the Text and Build Background Have the students turn to pages 4 5 of the book. Read the title of the article. Look at the illustration on page 4 together. Have the students share what they know about Mars and how it is different from Earth. Invite students to share ideas about whether an astronaut has ever landed on Mars. Look at the diagram on page 5 together. Students share their ideas about why the diagram is there and what they know about planets in the solar system. During Reading Demonstrate Reading Outcome Use the comparison chart OHT (on page 19). Tell the students they are going to learn about the differences between Earth and Mars. After they have read the article, you will ask them questions, such as: Look at Earth and Mars in the diagram on page 5. Which planet is bigger? Which is smaller? Earth Mars Tell the students they will compare Earth and Mars to give their answers. Demonstrate writing the following sentences on the comparison chart: Earth is bigger than Mars. Mars is smaller than Earth. Review Glossary Vocabulary Have the students leaf through the article, finding the glossary words in bold. Review the meaning of the glossary words. Have the students read the words to reinforce the pronunciation. Then invite the students to give the meaning of the words or refer back to the glossary to refresh their memories. Demonstrate Vocabulary Outcome Use the word web OHT (on page 20). Tell the students that adding the word ending or suffix -er to a describing word or adjective adds the meaning more. For example, small plus -er makes smaller (more small). Smaller is the comparative form of the adjective small. Tell the students that as they compare Earth and Mars and answer questions, they will often need to use words that end in -er (the comparative form of adjectives), such as bigger and smaller, in their answers. When they have answered all the questions, they write in more of these words that end in -er on their word web. Earth v Mars
Teach Reading Outcome Hand out the comparison chart (on page 19). Have the students read pages 4 5. Look at the comparison chart together. Ask questions, such as: Which planet is the third planet from the sun? Which planet is the fourth planet from the sun? Which planet is closer to the sun? Which planet is further away from the sun? Explain that far changes to further/farther instead of adding -er. Have the students write a sentence each about Mars and Earth on their charts, using closer and further away, for example: Earth is closer to the sun than Mars. Mars is further away from the sun than Earth. Apply Reading Outcome Ask the students to read the rest of the article for themselves, thinking about how they can compare Earth and Mars. After Reading Apply Comprehension Outcome Ask the students to share what they learned from reading the article. Go through the article again together, spread by spread. Ask questions to elicit answers using comparatives, such as: Which planet is faster/slower? Which planet s path around the sun is longer/shorter? Which planet s diameter is bigger/smaller? Which planet s seasons are longer/shorter? Which planet s day is longer/shorter? Which planet is warmer/colder? Students answer orally, then work together to write the answers on their comparison chart. Apply Vocabulary Outcome Hand out the word web (on page 20). Tell the students to write the word ending -er in the centre bubble. Brainstorm describing words that end in -er and have the students write them on their word web. Earth v Mars
Demonstrate Writing Outcome Use the email OHT (on page 21). Tell the students that you are going to show them how to set out an email. You are going to have them send an email to a friend on Earth, inviting them to come and visit you on Mars. Point out the features of an email: your friend s email address, the subject or why you are writing, the greeting, what you want to say, a friendly ending, your name, and how to add anything you forgot to say in a P.S. (postscript). You will add your address at the end of the email, so your friend will know where you are. Tell the students that a real email program fills in their name and the date automatically. Think aloud as you start to fill in the worksheet, for example First I need to write in my name. I ll write it here. Then my friend s email address. Let s say it s dan@earthlink.com.au I need to fill in the subject line: Come and stay with me on Mars Now the greeting and my friend s name: Dear Dan Please come and stay with me on Mars in the holidays! Mars is different from Earth. But I m sure you will like it here. Mars is colder than Earth. So bring your warmest spacesuit. Continue to model writing the email in this way. Tell the students that now they will write their own email from Mars inviting a friend from Earth to come and stay. Remind them to include one or two sentences to give their friend some idea of how different life is on Mars. They can refer to their comparison charts and to the book to help them. Apply Writing Outcome Hand out the email sheet (on page 21). Have the students use the worksheet to help them write an email to a friend on Earth, inviting them to come and stay on Mars, and telling their friend some of the ways Mars is different from Earth. Demonstrate Oral Language Outcome Use the email that you wrote to demonstrate the writing outcome to the students. Tell the students that you are going to act being the friend on Earth who receives the email. Read the email aloud, using volume, phrasing, and pace to enhance meaning. Apply Oral Language Outcome Have the students swap emails with a partner. Then act being the friend on Earth reading the email aloud. High-Frequency Words and Phonics Teach or revise high-frequency words and phonics as necessary. Earth v Mars
Interview with a Space Scientist Article Information Text Type Science Concepts Vocabulary Not Glossarized Visual Literacy Features High-Frequency Words Phonics Revision Interview Planets in the solar system orbit around the sun. The planet orbits are at different distances from the sun. The planets have different days, years, and seasons. The planets have different atmospheres, temperatures, and forces of gravity. data, diagram, dust, Earth, force, Mars, metal, outer space, poles, robotic explorers, scientist, spacecraft, storms, temperatures Photos Diagrams with labels about, around, give, just, long, mean, move, over, read, than, time, would, year Double vowels: diagram Outcomes, Activities, Assessment Language Mode Outcome Demonstration Materials Student Task Assessment Vocabulary Use a dictionary to learn the meaning and other features of unknown words. Use a dictionary and write words in a sentence to show the meaning. Appropriateness of sentences Reading Comprehension Extract information from factual text. Read article and answer questions. Appropriateness of answers Writing Strategies/ Applications Write an email saying what life is like on Mars. Email OHT Write an email as a visitor from Earth, saying what life is like on Mars. Email with all the features and appropriate information Earth v Mars
Before Reading Introduce the Text and Build Background Have the students turn to page 12 and read the title of the article. Have them look at the photo and discuss with the students what they already know about people who study outer space. Ask questions such as: What is the name for a scientist who studies the stars in outer space? What is the astronomer using in the photo? What does a telescope do? Review Glossary Vocabulary Review the glossary words gravity, iron, orbit, planet. Have the students read the words to reinforce the pronunciation. Then invite the students to give the meaning of the words or refer back to the glossary to refresh their memories. During Reading Demonstrate Vocabulary Outcome Tell the students that many English words come from words in other languages. Show the students how to use a dictionary to look up a word. Show them where to find the meaning, how to find out which language the word comes from, and what it means in that language. Tell the students you are going to check the meaning of the word diagram. Point out to the students where to find what this word means today, and that diagram comes from a Greek word meaning mark out with lines. Show the students how to write a sentence that shows what diagram means, such as: The diagram shows the orbit of Mars around the sun. Tell the students that after they have read the article, they will look up some more words in a dictionary and write sentences to show the meaning. Teach Reading Outcome Have the students read pages 12 13. Tell them that when they have read the three questions and answers you are going to ask them some questions. They need to read carefully and also look at the other features on the page to help them with comprehension. After they have finished reading, ask questions such as: Who do you think is asking the questions? What is the shape of Mars s orbit around the sun? What is the shape of Earth s orbit around the sun? How is an oval different from a circle? How do you say the number 54,500,000? How old would you be on Mars? Earth v Mars
Discuss with the students how they used the information in the text and the illustrations to help them work out the answers. Apply Reading Outcome Ask the students to read pages 14 17. Then ask questions such as: Where are the poles on Earth? What is freezing point (when water turns to ice) in degrees Celsius? Is there ice on Mars? What about water? Where is gravity stronger, Earth or Mars? Have any people landed on Mars? Why does Mars look red? After Reading Apply Comprehension Outcome Discuss with the students what they have learned about differences between Earth and Mars. Have the students add more sentences comparing Earth and Mars on their comparison chart, using what they have just learned. Apply Vocabulary Outcome Write up the words data, gravity, orbit, and Mars. Have the students find these words in the article and look them up in a dictionary. Students identify the meaning in the dictionary that matches the meaning in the text. They find out which language these words come from and note the meaning of the original Latin words. Students write a sentence for each word that shows what it means. Demonstrate Writing Outcome Use the email OHT (on page 21). Tell the students that you are going to ask them to write another email. This time the email is from the friend from Earth who is visiting Mars. The friend is sending an email to their brother or sister, telling them how life is different on Mars. Remind the students to use all the features of an email: the brother or sister s email address, the subject or why you are writing, the greeting, what you want to say, a friendly ending, your name, and how to add anything you forgot to say in a P.S. (postscript). You will add your address at the end of the email, so your brother or sister will know where you are. Talk through writing the email as much as necessary to provide a model for the students. Earth v Mars
Apply Writing Outcome Hand out the email sheet (on page 21). Tell the students to pretend they are the friend visiting Mars from Earth. They are sending an email to their brother or sister back on Earth, telling them how different it is on Mars. High-Frequency Words and Phonics Teach or revise high-frequency words and phonics as necessary. Earth v Mars 10
Biography Percival Lowell Article Information Text Type Science Concepts Vocabulary Not Glossarized Visual Literacy Features High-Frequency Words Phonics Revision Biography Planets in the solar system orbit around the sun. The planet orbits are at different distances from the sun. Photos Outcomes, Activities, Assessment Language Mode Outcome Demonstration Materials Student Task Assessment Vocabulary Know common roots derived from Greek or Latin and use this knowledge to analyze complex words. Use a dictionary and write words in a sentence to show the meaning. Appropriateness of sentences Reading Comprehension Extract information from factual text. Read article and answer questions. Appropriateness of answers Writing Strategies/ Applications Write a talk about Mars. Paragraph graphic organizer OHT Write a talk about Mars for Percival Lovell. Appropriate information included Speaking and Listening Use volume, phrasing, and pace to enhance meaning. Imagine you are Percival Lovell and give a talk about Mars to other space scientists. Quality and appropriateness of presentation Before Reading Introduce the Text and Build Background Have the students turn to page 18 and read the title of the article. Have them look at the photos and discuss with the students what they already know about people who study outer space. Ask questions such as: Look at the photo of Percival Lowell. What do you notice about his clothes? When do you think the photographer took this photo? Why? What information would you expect to find in a biography? What is the name for a scientist who studies the stars in outer space? Earth v Mars 11
Review Glossary Vocabulary Review the glossary words observatory, planet, polar icecaps. Have the students read the words to reinforce the pronunciation. Then invite the students to give the meaning of the words or refer back to the glossary to refresh their memories. During Reading Demonstrate Vocabulary Outcome Remind the students that many English words come from words in other languages. Write up the word biography. Tell the students that this word is made up of two parts, or roots, that come from Greek words that mean life (bio) and writing (graphy). Show them how to find this information in a dictionary. Tell the students that after they have read the article they will use a dictionary to help them find out more about the meaning of another word from the article which comes from a Greek word. Teach Reading Outcome Have the students read page 18. Tell them that when they have read the page you are going to ask them some questions. They need to read carefully and also look at the other features on the page to help them with comprehension. After they have finished reading, ask questions such as: When was Percival Lowell born? How old was he when he died? How do you know? How old was Lowell when he built the observatory? Why do you think he decided to build it in Arizona? Discuss with the students how they used the information in the text and the illustrations to help them work out the answers. Apply Reading Outcome Ask the students to read page 19. Then ask questions such as: What did Lowell use to look at space? What did he think the lines on Mars were? Why do you think Lowell thought there had been life on Mars? Earth v Mars 12
After Reading Apply Comprehension Outcome Discuss with the students what they have learned about the life and ideas of Percival Lowell. Ask questions such as: Can you have a biography about someone who is still alive? Can you think of more things you would like to know about Percival Lowell? How could you find these things out? Apply Vocabulary Outcome Write up the word telescope. Have the students find this word in the article and look it up in a dictionary. Students find out what the word means, and the meaning of the root tele-. They find out which language this root comes from. Students write a sentence using the word telescope that shows what this word means. Tell the students that the second part of the word, -scope, comes from a Greek word that means target. Tell the students to use the dictionary to find more words that start with the Greek root tele-. Students choose some of these words to write on a list, then write each of them in a sentence to show the meaning. Demonstrate Writing Outcome Use the paragraph graphic organizer OHT (on page 22). Title: Tell the students that you are going to ask them to write a talk for Percival Topic sentence: Lowell to give to other space scientists. Lowell is going to tell them about the Supporting facts and details: lines he has seen on Mars, say what he thinks they are and what he thinks they mean. Tell the students to write two or three short paragraphs for the talk. Remind them to give the talk a title, and write a topic sentence for each paragraph. Remind them to think carefully about the tense they will use. Talk through writing a paragraph as much as necessary to provide a model for the students, for example, Now, how might Percival Lowell start his talk? First, he would want to greet the audience, so he might say something like, Good afternoon, fellow scientists. I have some exciting news for you today. I believe there was once life on Mars! Let me tell you why Apply Writing Outcome Hand out the paragraph graphic organizer (on page 22). Tell the students to use it to help them write a talk for Percival Lowell to give about the lines he has seen on Mars. They can use the book to help them, but they need to think about what changes they need to make so that they write the words that Lowell says. Apply Oral Language Outcome Have the students act being Percival Lowell giving the talk to other space scientists. Earth v Mars 13
Multimedia Information Explore the multimedia pages with the students. FAQS Discuss with the students how they use the Internet to access information. Have them read the FAQS page. Invite the students to formulate further questions that they think may be frequently asked about the planet Mars and its features. List these questions and discuss the keywords that they would use in an Internet search for the answers. Assign the students the task of finding the answers on the Internet. Discuss the answers and also the process they used. Use questions such as these to start the discussion if necessary: How many sites did you have to visit in order to find the answers? Could you have refined your search better at the outset? Are there some sites, for example, Wikipedia, that you go to first? How can you check that information you find on the Internet is correct? Take a Trip to Mars Ask the students to look at page 21. Read the title and subheadings and ask the students to tell you what sort of text they think this is. Invite them to share ideas about where people might see an advertisement like this. Have the students read page 21, then discuss the text with the students. Use questions such as these to start the discussion if necessary: Do you think this is a real advertisement? Would you like to go on this trip? Why or why not? What other things can you think of to put in an advertisement like this that would make people want to take a trip to Mars? Can people really pay money to take a trip into space? Invite the students to use the Internet to find out about real opportunities for people to travel into space as space tourists. Work together to make a list of questions such as the ones below, and have students find the answers. Where can people travel to today as space tourists? What do they need to do to get ready? How much does it cost? Who organizes the trip? Earth v Mars 14
Adventure on Mars Article Information Text Type Comic Strip Visual Literacy Elements Illustrations Speech bubbles Outcomes, Activities, Assessment Language Mode Outcome Demonstration Materials Student Task Assessment Reading Fluency Read fluently with expression and intonation. Make a presentation in groups of six. Ability to read fluently with expression Before Reading Introduce the Text and Build Background Read the title with the students and have them predict what the story is about. What kind of adventure would the students like to have on Mars? Invite students to share their experiences of science fiction stories. Explain to the students that they are going to read this comic strip as if it was a play script. The background colour behind the text will help them know which character is speaking. Demonstrate Reading Outcome Read the entire text to the students, changing your voice for each different character. During Reading Teach Reading Outcome Have the students read the text along with you, changing their voices appropriately. Apply Reading Outcome Assign the students different roles. One student can be the narrator, reading the text in the black boxes. Have them practise reading the article until they are fluent. Present readings to the class. Earth v Mars 15
After Reading Discuss the story with the students. Use starter questions such as: How do you think the astronauts feel, as the first people to land on Mars? Do you think people used to live on Mars? Why would one of the astronauts think Martians might be living under the ground? How likely do you think that would be? How do you think the astronaut is feeling when she says that? Why does one of the astronauts say the lava won t flow fast on Mars? Discuss space travel with the students. Earth v Mars 16
Quick 8 Quiz Have the students take the quiz. Choose whether you want them to give the answers orally or write their responses (on page 23). You may want to use this as a formal assessment of science concepts, in which case you will not allow them to refer back to the text. If you are using the quiz as an informal assessment, let the students turn to page 32 of the book for clues that will direct them back to the appropriate page for the information. Learn More Choose whether you want the students to work independently or in pairs, and in ability groups or mixed ability groups to learn more about things that are made from paper. You may need to specifically teach the following: How to use people, and/or books, and/or the Internet to find information How to take notes How to draw diagrams How to order facts How to choose subheadings How to revise a draft How to check spelling, grammar, and punctuation How to present work appropriately Set a time for the research project to be finished. Tell the students the form that the presentation will take. Wrap-Up Refer back to the brainstorm map graphic organizer and review the information on it with the students. Have them add to and or revise the information if necessary. Draw a square around the map. Have the students say where they found the information in the brainstorm map graphic organizer. Discuss the book with the students. Use the following questions as discussion starters if necessary: What do you now know about Earth and Mars that you did not know before you started reading? Why do you think people study other planets and outer space? What made this book easy or hard to understand? Which article did you like the most? Why? What did you like best about the book? Why? Which words did you find hard to pronounce, understand, read? If you had written the book, what would you have included, left out? Why? Do you think the author did a good job of interesting you in the planet Mars? How could you use the strategies that you learned while you were reading this book somewhere else? Earth v Mars 17
What if You Lived on Mars? Earth v Mars Brainstorm Map Name: Permission is given to teachers to reproduce this page for classroom use. Page 18
What if You Lived on Mars? Earth v Mars Comparison Chart Name: Earth Mars Permission is given to teachers to reproduce this page for classroom use. Page 19
What if You Lived on Mars? Earth v Mars Word Web Name: Permission is given to teachers to reproduce this page for classroom use. Page 20
What if You Lived on Mars? Earth v Mars Email Name: Your name New message Send To Subject Permission is given to teachers to reproduce this page for classroom use. Page 21
Biography Percival Lowell Name: Earth v Mars Paragraph Graphic Organizer Title: Topic sentence: Supporting facts and details: Permission is given to teachers to reproduce this page for classroom use. Page 22
Earth v Mars Quick 8 Quiz Name: 1. Which planet is closer to the sun, Earth or Mars? 2. Compare the speeds of Earth and Mars as they move around the sun. 3. Why would you feel light on Mars? 4. What does Mars have at its north and south poles? 5. Why are robotic explorers important? 6. How did the scientist Percival Lowell work out there was a ninth planet? 7. What kind of planet is Pluto? 8. Name the biggest volcano on Mars. Permission is given to teachers to reproduce this page for classroom use. Page 23