Jupiter Lesson Plan: Produce a Travelogue

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

In this lesson plan, adaptable for grades 3-12, students watch the BrainPOP movie Jupiter to learn all about the largest planet in the solar system, from the mysterious substance at its core to the dozens of moons that orbit it. Students will demonstrate their understanding by producing a video travelogue of Jupiter.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:

  1. Brainstorm and share their knowledge of Jupiter.
  2. Complete a chain diagram graphic organizer identifying the conditions at each level of Jupiter’s atmosphere.
  3. Produce a video travelogue describing a trip through Jupiter.
  4. Present travelogue to the class.

Materials:

  • Internet access for BrainPOP
  • Interactive whiteboard
  • Class set of the Jupiter Graphic Organizer (if working offline)
  • Paper and markers
  • Picture of Jupiter (optional)

Preparation:

Lesson Procedure:

  1. Display a picture of Jupiter on the board and/or write "Jupiter." Ask students what they know about Jupiter. If necessary, you can prompt students by asking what the planet is made of, how it compares in size to the other planets, whether people can live on the planet, etc.
  2. Tell students that today they will learn all about Jupiter, including its size and mass, what it’s made of, its strong gravitational pull, and more.
  3. Now show the movie Jupiter on an interactive whiteboard or other large display, pausing as needed to explain or review key terms and concepts, such as gravity, atmosphere, liquid metallic hydrogen, zones, bands, Great Red Spot, Galilean moons.
  4. Next, divide the class into pairs and, if possible, have them open the Jupiter Graphic organizer on one computer or device and the movie Jupiter on another. If not possible, you can distribute the graphic organizer to complete offline. As they watch the movie together, have pairs imagine they’re traveling through Jupiter with Moby and identify what the planet is like at each level: clouds, 600 miles, 1,000 miles, 12,000 miles, and at the core. Circulate as pairs work together, listening in as they discuss their findings.
  5. After watching the movie, encourage students to review the Related Reading articles and add any further information to their notes.
  6. Using their notes, have pairs open Make-a-Movie and produce a video travelogue describing what they’d see, feel, hear, etc. on a trip through Jupiter.
  7. Invite pairs to share their video travelogues with the class.

Extension Activities:

Invite students to play Time Zone X: Jupiter and put their Jupiter smarts to the test.

Related:

    Filed as:  3-5, 6-8, 9-12, BrainPOP, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.7, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.11-12.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.11-12.5, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.4