This is a pretty simple fact. It is easy to research the accuracy of this fact and determine that if the orbit of Uranus around the sun is 84 years, then "summer" or 1/4 of that time, would be 21 years. But to me, there's so much more to ask and so much more to explore.
This is also an ideal way to encourage students to use background knowledge to build a "case" for the accuracy of this fact and then confirm their answers electronically.
Note: As a special addition below, I included some ideas for interdisciplinary connections!
Grade Level: Middle School
Course: Pre-Algebra
Standards: Science: 5-8 Standard D, 9-12 Standard B (Though math is involved, I don't think this relates to specific standards.)
SMP: SMP.1, SMP.2, SMP.3, SMP.6, SMP.8
Skills: Critical thinking, research, questioning, Algebra, Computation
How to use this as a mad minute:
You have 60 seconds. Outline your immediate reaction to this and back it up with either scientific or mathematical knowledge.
How to use this as a warm up:
You could ask the students to consider one of the following:
1. If "summer" on Uranus lasts 21 years, what do you know about it's period of rotation about the sun?
2. Based on what you know about Uranus, what do you think "summer" looks and feels like?
3. The Earth is tilted on its axis by 23º. Uranus is tilted by 82º. What does that tell you about seasons on the planet?
4. The length of a day on Uranus is -0.718 Earth days. What does the number tell you? What does the negative mean?
How to use this as a mini-lesson:
Given 20 minutes, I would focus on discovery, exploration, and discussion. For this mini lesson students will need access to the internet.
0:00--Let's look at this image! (Show the graphic.) Take a minute to think about it and discuss your immediate reaction with a friend.
1:00--What did you see or say to your partners?
2:00--Let's brainstorm. What do you already know about seasons, Earth and Uranus? Talk with a partner, write down everything you can think of, you have two minutes!
4:00--Partner up with another group and share your lists. Add anything you don't have on your own. Put a ? mark next to anything you are unsure about or disagree with.
5:00--Repeat combining two more groups.
6:00--Let's share out what you know!
8:00--Let's share items you were unsure of or to which you put a ? mark. (Remember, you don't want them to ask, "Is this true?" just yet. This is a valid question, but we are trying to build and confirm background knowledge. Students WILL check out the validity of this number, but not quite yet. Explain to them that they can answer this question shortly, but we are focusing more on things like, "Seasons are caused by the tilt of a planet on its axis." or "Uranus is tilted much more on its axis." These are items that will help students answer the question on their own, eventually.)
9:00--You are going to have 3 minutes. I want you to research anything you listed EXCEPT the length of summer on Uranus! Make sure you find valid sites and make sure you document your sources!
12:00--Everyone had different questions. Did everyone find their answers? Were there any questions you were unable to answer? Can anyone help them or tell them the answer?
14:00--Let's see if you can use your knowledge to answer the following questions. I'm going to ask 2 questions and then give you and your team 3 minutes to answer them. You should NOT use the Internet to answer. 1. If summer is 21 years on Uranus, how long is a year? 2. Does the length of summer (or a year) relate to how big Uranus is or how far away it is from the Sun?
17:00--Confirm your answers using any resources you prefer!
19:00--So this simple graphic is TRUE! Awesome! What other questions would you like to explore now that you've seen this?
How to use this as a full lesson?
I really feel this is ideal for an EQUATE Lesson. (Click link for explanation.)
I can see the students wanting to know if this is true, but that is far too simple and can be answered easily by Google. It will require some fantastic questioning strategies from the teacher to guide students to more challenging or deep questions. Off the top of my head, I would want to explore the following questions:
- Which planet has the longest and shortest "summers"?
- Which planet has the longest and shortest days?
- Does the size of the planet relate to the length of the "summer" or "day"?
- Do other planets have seasons like summer? Why or why not?
- What does "summer" look like on other planets? (For example, Earth is tilted on its axis as it rotates, creating seasons, but other planets are not tilted or are tilted nearly 90 degrees, this causes great variation. Also, gas planets don't heave "seasons" in the same way as others, and in some planets, though the temperatures vary, there's not what we would consider a season!)
I found this site to be useful. (NASA--Planetary Seasons)
How to use this as an assessment?
I don't feel this is appropriate for an assessment. (You may feel otherwise and of course, feel free to use it!)
Interdisciplinary Connections
Ray Bradbury's short story "All Summer In A Day" is a great connection. However, it can be a bit disturbing and you should definitely preview it before using it with students.
There is also a short (30 min) movie version of "All Summer In A Day"
I would definitely work with your team to, perhaps, have students read the story, watch the movie, research seasons on planets and, it's up to you, then assess their understanding. My first thought is to separate students and hold a debate about how accurate the story/movie are, and whether or not this is a fair representation. Students would need to back up their arguments with scientific evidence about the seasons on various planets as well as other items of "accuracy" such as life on another planet.
Please feel free to use any of these ideas and modify them to meet your needs. However, please acknowledge the original source of the items and my own lesson outlines. ©NatalieRSprigg 2013
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