NASA Cadet Mission: The Solar System

Introduction

Introduction


Exploring the Planets  


Greetings Earthlings! I'm Captain Kiddo, and we are about to embark on a journey into space. We have been given a mission by the head astronaut that we need to complete. We need to learn about the planets in our Solar System. We need to learn the names of our planets in order, their place in space, and various facts about each planet.  This mission is very important because it is information we need to know for future missions. Well, there's no time to lose so buckle up and prepare for blast-off!

3... 2... 1...

 

 

Blast-Off!!!

Task

Our Mission

 

Our mission for the next five days is as follows:

You will be paired with a fellow astronaut cadet and Captain Kiddo so you can explore space and learn all about what is in our Solar System. You will use your Solar System Workbook to remember everything you discovered.

Day 1:  You will explore Mercury and Venus.

Day 2: You will explore Earth and Mars.

Day 3: You will explore Jupiter and Saturn.

Day 4: You will explore Uranus and Neptune.

Day 5: You will explore Pluto and the Sun.

Click on the link below and download your Solar System Workbook! You will need to open and print it so you can keep track of your discoveries.

Solar System Workbook!

To get you started on this mission, here is a video about our amazing Solar System:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQrlgH97v94]

Process

Process

Mission: Discovery

Okay Cadets! Now that we have your mission, Let's get started. This week's mission is vital to space exploration so we better buckle in and get to work.  Each day you will be given a mission to complete. You must go to the website provided and read the articles for the planets. While you are gathering your information, you should be writing it down in your workbook so you don't forget your newly found information.So check what today's mission is and click the link below and go to the outer Space section and click on Solar System. Once you are there click on the assigned planet in the left side margin to gather your required information!

Houston, We Have Lift-Off!

Day 1:

  

Welcome Aboard! Today we start our trip at the first and second planets from the Sun. We will be exploring Mercury and then Venus. We will be learning all about the atmosphere and the brightness of mercury. Also, we will be learning about how much Venus are Earth are alike.

Day 2:

 

Today's mission brings us to the planet we call home. We will learn all about the planet we live in as well as Mars.  Mars has interesting qualities that we need to find out and report back to NASA.

Day 3:

 

Good Day Explorers! I hope your prepared for the adventure in store for you today! We will be traveling to Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter is the largest planet there is and it can get very stormy so make sure your prepared because things may get bumpy. Saturn has a lot in stored for us also, because it is very interesting rings we will discover.

Day 4:

 

Today's adventure is going to be good. We are visiting Uranus and Neptune. We will learn about the theory behind why Uranus spins on it's side, and we will learn what planet is the most like Uranus. We learn also learn a lot of facts about Neptune.

Day 5:

 

On our last day of space exploration we will visit Pluto, which is no longer considered a planet because of its size. However, we will also visit the Sun which is what all of our planets orbit and is the source of our light.

Evaluation

Evaluation

 

 

 Beginning
1		 Qualified
2
 Exemplary3
 Score
Time Management   
Groups did not use their time wisely, veered off course, and did not complete their objectives each day.
Group used their time wisely, but did not finish their objectives each day.		 Group used their time wisely.  Finished objectives on time each day.
Evaluation Completed the worksheets but scored lower than a 60%. Completed the worksheets but scored between a 61% and an 80%. Completed the worksheets and scored above a 81%.
Partnership Did not show good team work qualities/ did not participate much in the  space exploration. Worked decently in the partnership and helped with the assignment. Worked well in the partnership and complete at least half of the assignment.

Conclusion

Well Done Cadets!

 

Cadets, I had an awesome time with you on our galactic mission this week. I hope you did too. You did an amazing job this week exploring our Solar System. You gathered a lot of information that we will be able to use at the Space Station for future missions. On behalf of the head astronaut and NASA, I want to thank you for all of your hard work this week. Here is your last assignment. Take your completed information and turn it in to your teacher.  Then she can send it to us here at Cape Canaveral and  we can enter all of your information into our database. Thanks again for your help Earthlings. I hope to see you again, somewhere in this universe.

Credits

Credits

This WebQuest was made with the help from KidsAstronomy.com and QuestGarden.com.

Teacher Page

Teacher Page

In order to make this lesson as effective as possible the teacher should:

  • Brush up their own personal knowledge about the Solar System so he or she feels more confident and is prepared for questions from the students.
  • Make sure to teach this lesson in a computer lab. It is important for each pair to have access to the computer. There should also be a printer hooked up so that the students can print out their workbook and assessment. 
  • Browse the websites that are given for the Web Quest before having the students go on them. This way he or she understands how the websites work and where the information is found.
  • Contact the school librarian and see if he or she has books about the Solar System.
  • Before teaching this lesson the teacher should check the students prior knowledge on the subject.
  • This lesson was designed in order to give students a hands-on activity to understand the phases of the moon. It will give the knowledge and the skills to teach the information to other classmates, family, and friends. This lesson also gives them other resources to gain better understanding of the planets, their position, and general facts.