Unit 3 - Where We Are In Place and Time

Central Idea - Exploring outer space has deepened our understanding of our experience on Earth.

Grade 4 looked at the world outside of our planet during this unit. It was a great opportunity for them to think about their lives in the context of outer space, and understand the value of thinking about and exploring the frontiers of our knowledge. We concentrated on interactions between the Sun, the Moon, the stars and Earth. We learned about how we use various celestial bodies to measure the passing of time including the rotation of the Earth, the orbit of the Moon, and how sundials work, and how the planets in our Solar System have very different environments that help us to understand our own. Finally we made non-fiction books to explain different aspects of space and how it relates to exploration and discovery to the rest of the school.