4th Grade Solar System Exploration Webquest

Introduction

Congratulations! Your crew has been selected to become the first astronauts to visit the several planets of the solar system at one time! NASA wants to learn more about the planets and they believe your crew is the perfect team for the job. Your crew will gather information about your destinations. After exploring your planets, you will contact Mission Control (Ms.Watkins) on Earth by cyber postcard to communicate your impressions and data.Your spaceship awaits you! NASA has provided you enough fuel for your spaceship to travel for three weeks, so work quickly! Now it’s time for you to climb aboard, learn about your solar system and all the things that are a part of it and get ready for one of the greatest challenges of your life!

Task

Your mission is simple. Choose four planets to visit, not including Earth. Your job is to collect data about your planet. Your crew of astronauts will work as a team to collect this scientific information. This decision is entirely up to your team. NASA recommends that one of you visit two planets while the other visits another two. Next, find the answers to the questions on the data sheet that NASA has provided for you. This will give NASA the information it needs to further understand the solar system.

Pre-flight requirements: (Click on the hyperlinks)

*Know your destinations (planet)
*Name your mission and design a patch (badge)

Data Collection:

*Namesake (Who is your planet named after?)

*Distance from the Sun (How many kilometers?)

*Diameter (What is the distance across is your planet?)

*Period of revolution (How long is one year on your planet in Earth years?)

*Rotation period (One day on your planet equals how many hours/days on Earth?)

*Moons (How many? What are their names?)

*Atmosphere (What gases are in the atmosphere?)

*Composition (What is your planet made of?)

*Other Interesting facts (Special features. Does it have volcanoes, craters, rings, valleys, etc..?)

Exploration and Communication:

Create a Cyber Postcard using a virtual postcard site (contact Mission Control).

Math Integration:

Packing for a L-o-o-o-ng acking for a L-o-o-o-ng Trip to Mars rip to Mars

Debriefing session:

Present your data as a crew to your peers and Mission Control.

Process

Complete the following tasks as you explore the solar system.

Task 1: Get me excited

Watch the following video that will help to get you all pumped up about this journey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHAqT4hXnMw

Task 2:

Name your mission and design a patch for your crew(badge)

Task 3: The Inner Planets

Did you know that the planets in the solar system are divided into two groups? Click this link to learn more about the inner planets. info

Task 4: The Outer Planets

Now that you have learnt about the inner planets, continue now to the second group of planets. info

Have some fun while testing your knowledge on what you have learnt so far. game

Task 5: What else is out there?

You are probably wondering what else is in space apart from the planets. To find out click here . You may want to find additional facts. Explore each planet on these two web pages: Nasa and National Geographic Kids. These will be your tools for finding the answers NASA needs. Search carefully throughout each planets page, these facts may not be as easy to find!

Task 6: Tie it all in

We are almost at the end of our tour we are going to refresh our memory of all that we have learnt by watching this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd6nLM2QlWw

Task 7

Now you are ready to write the rough copy for your cyber postcard. Using the jot notes you have made write a paragraph to Mission Control. Be sure to include facts about your planet. Share some of your 'adventures' too!

Finally, your crew will share the information you've collected about your planet at a debriefing session back on Earth at Mission Control. As a crew, first practice how you will present your data.

Task 8

Imagine you and your two, three, or four crew mates are planning for a trip to Mars. Assume that all your basic needs for air, food, water, and warmth will be met by the basic design of the spaceship and the supplies that have already been stowed aboard. All you and your mates must do is decide what personal items to take to pass the time and keep yourselves entertained and happy.

All the items your crew takes along must fit into a box 1 meter wide by 1 meter high by 1 meter deep—in other words, having a volume of 1 cubic meter (1 m3 ). (One meter is about 39-1/2 inches).

Click HERE to see your mission.

Evaluation

Your mission patch, data sheets, cyber postcard, and presentation about your planet will be evaluated. Check to confirm that you have completed all the steps. Your teacher will also evaluate your WebQuest.

See Teacher Created Rubric

Conclusion

You have just completed a very difficult mission! Congratulations are in order! During your WebQuest, you have learned many facts about your planet, yet there is much more to learn about our Solar System. The vastness of space has given us many challenges and questions.

Does life exist elsewhere? What are some of the latest scientific findings? How can you use the information gathered in your WebQuest to help others?