Why is Pluto not considered a planet?

Introduction

You may have heard your parents say, “When I was your age, Pluto was a planet!” with a little bit of anger. In 2006, the International Astrological Union deemed that Pluto would no longer be considered a planet. Now, it’s your job to research why and explain to your parents why Pluto just isn’t a planet anymore! You will create an easy to read brochure that a parent can read through and then have a thorough understanding of why Pluto is just not a planet.

Task

Research the planet Pluto and create a brochure explaining to your parents why Pluto is no longer considered a planet. Your brochure should explain why Pluto is not a planet, have pictures of Pluto, and should list some facts about Pluto.

Process

The class will break into groups of 4 to complete this Webquest and create a brochure. You will take one of four roles within your group.

Student Roles:

Recorder/Note taker- This person will write down what will information will go in the brochure. They will handwrite the notes on a provided paper.
Graphic designer- This person will design the brochure. They will be in charge of choosing photos for the brochure and in charge of the design and layout.
Chief Researcher- This person will be in charge of pulling up each website and making sure that the recorder and note taker takes notes on what will go in the brochure. They will also be responsible for handwriting some on the information.
Group Leader- This person will oversee the project, make sure all group members are doing their jobs and will assist all group members when necessary.

Then you will work together to create a brochure. First you will read through all the websites and you will watch the YouTube video about making a brochure. Then you will decide as a group which information needs to be included in the brochure. The recorder/ chief researcher will handwrite the information. The designer will design the brochure and then the recorder and the chief researcher will type up what information goes in the brochure. The group leader will make sure everyone stays on task, will assist where needed, and will review the final product before it gets handed in.

Your brochure must include:

Three reasons why Pluto is no longer considered a planet
Five facts about Pluto
Three pictures of Pluto
One additional resource where someone could find information about Pluto

Evaluation

Evaluation Rubric:


	Beginning (60%-80%)	Developing (80%-90%)	Accomplished (90%-100%)	Score:
Working Together as a Group	* Group doesn’t always get along * Group disagrees * Group “tattles” on each other * Group members do not follow roles	* Group has limited arguments * Group agrees on most things * Group members follow roles * Group members do not “tattle”	* Group works well together Group gets along with each other Group can reach consensus * Group members follow roles * Group members do not “tattle”
Final Product (Brochure)	* brochure has limited reasons why Pluto isn’t a planet * brochure does not list facts about Pluto * Brochure is not neat and organized	* Brochure contains one or two reasons why Pluto is not a planet * Brochure contains three to five facts about Pluto * Brochure contains one or two pictures of Pluto * brochure could be better organized	* Brochure is neat and organized * Brochure contains three reasons why Pluto is not a planet * Brochure has 3 pictures * Brochure has five facts about Pluto	Score:

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve done it. You’ve created a Brochure that has convinced your parents that Pluto really is not a planet. Great job. Now you can prove Pluto is not a planet anytime someone says “When I was your age, Pluto was a planet!” You have also learned how to create brochures on your Chromebook and will be doing this more times throughout the year.