A Scientific WebQuest…

Introduction What is astronomy? It’s the study of outer space and anything in it. So what’s in outer space? The solar system! The solar system is made up of 8 planets, plus a dwarf planet called Pluto. Each planet is very different. They rotate around the biggest star of all the stars… the Sun! Can you name one famous astronomer?

Sir Isaac Newton He is most famous for his Universal Law of Gravity. Gravity pulls you toward the center of the Earth, and keeps you from drifting up toward the ceiling.

Your Task… You’re one in a crew of three Grade 4 Astronauts. Name your crew. (Ex. Apollo 13, Deep Space 9, etc.) Be creative! Your mission is to explore one planet – you and your crew must agree on this, so choose now. Find all the information you would need to know about this planet before your voyage; how big is it, what is it made of, what is the temperature, etc. Write all of these details down in your handy notebook. You’ll need them later! Next, prepare for your journey to infinity and beyond! Remember to keep track of the time – you have 45 minutes per online session to complete this task. You’ll have 2 days to complete your mission. Good luck!

Resources for Your Journey… You’ve just landed. Take a look at images taken by the Hubble Telescope: Now you and your crew begin exploring the planet. Visit these sites and click on your chosen planet:

Resources Use these sites to get a feel for what your planet is like: Sir Isaac Newton wants you to figure out what you would weigh on another planet!

Process With all the facts you’ve discovered about your planet and using the modeling clay given, create a clay model of your planet. Make sure it is sized to scale. Compare the different sizes of each planet in our solar system:

Create your presentation poster It must include: The name of your crew The planet you visited Pictures of things you saw 6 interesting facts about the planet Each member of your crew’s weight on the planet A concluding remark about your exploration; what did you enjoy most? Process Continued

Evaluation You will be evaluated using this WebQuest rubric. How you work with your crew, spell and present your presentation, and how original your presentation is reflects your score. Use your imagination, the Internet resources given, and each other’s minds to create a superb presentation poster and model of your planet! WEBQUEST RUBRICCRITERIA 4321Points Introduction All questions were answered completely and rationales for the answers were clearly stated. All questions were answered completely, but rationales for the all the answers were not clearly stated. Not all questions were answered completely, or greater than 2 rationales for the all answers were not clearly stated. All questions were not answered completely. Task All areas of the task were addressed and handled with a high degree of sophistication. The plan followed by the team demonstrated a great deal of thought. At least one area of the task was not addressed. The plan followed by the team demonstrated a great deal of thought. At least two areas of the task were not addressed. The plan followed by the team demonstrated a moderate level of thought. The task is incomplete and/or it is apparent that little effort went into the development of the task. Process Teamwork It is evident that a mutual effort and cohesive unit created the final product. The team worked well together, but could have utilized each other's skills to a better degree. The team had problems working together. Little collaboration occurred. The final product is not the result of a collaborative effort. The group showed no evidence of collaboration. Process Originality The ideas expressed by the body of work demonstrate a high degree of originality. The ideas expressed by the body of work are mostly original. The group may have improved upon a previous idea. The ideas expressed by the body of work demonstrate a low degree of originality. There were no original ideas expressed in this project. Grammar Format Spelling The final body of work was free of grammar, spelling, and formatting errors. The final body of work had 1 error related to either grammar, spelling, and formatting errors. The final body of work had 3-5 grammar, spelling, and formatting errors. The final body of work had major grammar, spelling, and formatting errors. TOTAL:

Presenting Your Findings When your crew has organized your materials and knowledge of your journey through outer space, quietly raise your hand and hold a conference with the director of NASA (your teacher ). Rehearse your presentation and ask any questions at this time during your conference. If you have extra time while other crews finish their presentations, visit some interactive astronomy sites listed to the right. Explore & play quietly! The ABCs of Observing: Space Sense: Make Your Own Alien!: Solar System Coloring Book: The Space Hopper Game: Design A Space Station:

Exploring the World Wide Web can be an exciting journey, just like traveling to outer space. Remember, sometimes not everything on the Web is factual, and to be careful of what sites you are visiting. Place your model planet along with your presentation poster in the front of the classroom when you’re done with it. Presentations will begin when all crews are ready for blast off!