The
Nine Planets
Designed by
Ayisha
Elahi
Introduction
This lesson was originally designed as a web quest assignment for a Computer for Teachers (EDCI 385) class at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
This lesson is about the Solar System. In this lesson the students are encouraged to explore the different planets and the sun in our system and to conduct some research on each planet. They will be required to use the web quest to search the internet for information about their assigned planet and then they will present the information to the class.
Content Area and Grade Level
This lesson is anchored in fourth grade science and involves language arts to a lesser extent. This lesson can be modified and extended for the higher grades such as 5th and 6th grades.
NTEQ Lesson Plan Criteria
Objectives
The students will explore and research information about the solar system.
Matching Objectives to Computer Functions
The students will use the internet to conduct their research on the Solar System. They will also use some of the common software tools such as Microsoft Word or Word Perfect to compile their final report or presentation.
The Problem or Issue
The problem or issue that the students will be researching is exploring the solar system to see what the other planets are like and would humans be able to live on any of these planets? In order to be able to answer this question the students will first have to know what the other planets are and what are their characteristics. In their journey through the solar system they will be asked to thihk about some of the following questions: How are the other planets different from Earth? How are they similar? What do the scientist think about life on other planets? How does their location within the solar system affect their climate? their atmosphere? their landscape?
The information will primarily be collected through this web quest. In this web quest there is information about each of the planets and the sun. There are different links to help the students research and collect the relevant information. The teacher should provide the students with some books on the solar system in the classroom and allow the students to conduct further research in the local/school library.
See the student page for more information.
A selection of books on the solar system should be available in the classroom.
Internet
Kids & Family Yellow Pages
Students
for the Exploration and Developement of Space (SEDS)
Information Manipulation
The students will be required
to use elaboration strategies to organize the information that they gather.
This means that while the students are going through this web quest, they
will be required to answer the questions given to them in the general think
sheet.
The think sheet has guiding
questions about the solar system that is suppose to help the students organize
the information and to take notes on what they learn.
They should print out a copy
of the think sheet before beginning their research
The students will be working in groups of two or three. Each group will be assigned to research one planet. In addition to the general think sheet, each page on a specific planet has specific questions that have to be answered.
Results
To demonstrate their learning,
each group will prepare a presentation about their planet and teach it
to the rest of the class. This way each group becomes an expert in one
planet. They can present their information in a poster format, develop
a model of the planet, a report, or any other way that they feel would
be useful for them to convey the information. In addition to this presentation,
each student will have to submit a typed up summary of what they learned
during their research.
Activities while using the Computer
While using the computer,
the students will be using the web quest to research their information
on their selected topic. As they are navigating through the web quest
they will have to answer the questions on the
think sheet. Each page on a planet has at least three sites that
the students can visit in order to gather their information. The specific
page also has additional questions (besides the ones on the think sheet)
that the students will have to answer. The activities are designed
for group work. In addition to just reading and writing information about
a planet or the sun, the students will also play games/activities that
will help them use the information that they have learned.
They will also have the opportunity
to question NASA scientists through the internet.
Provide examples of materials you will distribute to the students (as linked web pages from this document).
Activities prior to using the Computer
Before using this web quest the students should have had a brief introduction to the solar system. They should already know what the solar system is ,what is space/universe, they should know a little bit about or be familiar with space travel and rockets and satellites that have been launched to learn about the different planets.
A novice teacher should have no problem introducing the solar system and is components briefly to the students.
Activities after to using the Computer
After using the web quest to gather information, the students will work within their groups to generate their projects. At this point they will decide how to present their information to the class.
Support Activities
This lesson can be used in the third grade and higher science curriculum. The study of the solar system can lead to lessons on the history of space travel, how rockets work, space exploration, study of the recent findings on Mars, learning about the stars and what how they are formed. What are the stars that we see at night?
Theory
This webquest and its activities is based upon Vygotsky's educational theory of scafolding and constructive learning.
Conclusion
Through this lesson on the
Solar System, the students will have an opportunity to explore the different
planets and sun that make up our solar system. They will be able
to investigate and explore options on space travel and how we have been
able to gather so much information about our planets.
Template based on: NTEQ
Model developed by Morrison,G., Lowther,D., and DeMeulle,L. (1999)
Integrating Computer Technology into the Classroom. Upper Saddle River,
NJ: Merrill.
