Teacher Help:
*This activity was designed primarily for students in the fourth.
*The purpose of this webquest activity is to get students thinking beyond what we have here on Earth, and focus on what else is out there. The goal of this activity is to get students involved and interested in the solar system, and to help them understand some of the difference among each planet. Students will learn about the different sizes of the planets, where they are located in reference to the sun, whether or not they have moons and the temperatures of each planet. This knowledge can then help aid them in understanding why some planets temperatures are hotter or colder then others what is the order of planets. By having a research portion as well has a hands on section it helps to keep students wanting to learn. By having them do the research they will travel through the websites where they will read about the different planets and are hopes are that they will gain knowledge that will be of use and/or of interest to them now and in the future.
*In order for a student to do this project they will have to be able to read and follow directions. The students will have to have some note taking skills but not a great deal as long as they can follow along with the directions. Students must also have some hand coordination in order to construct the mobile, the balls used for the planets may break apart. (They are cheap at the craft stores in bulk!)
*For the computer portion the students should be given around two hours whether it is all at once or in several slots is at the teachers discretion. It is important to remember that there are two websites and ten planets they will be taking notes on, so allow the students at least five to ten minutes to explore each planet. This will give them time to learn not just copy down what is being asked of them. The mobile portion may only take and hour or so depending on if you have students working on it all at once or in sections with groups.
*When Grading this project it is important to look at what each student has written as well as constructed.
-Not so good work: If a student has not followed the directions and is missing multiple portions of the information they were supposed to find, this would make for a not so good grade. If a student was not able to gain what was asked specifically and did not manage to gather the needed information would not be ok. A not so good grade may have little information and a lacking knowledge of the planets in their mobiles. Look at their mobile, are the planets in the right order, as far as distances from the sun, Did they look at the colors of the planets and correctly match the color to the planet. If a student is lacking a great deal in both areas it may show they don't understand the knowledge we hoped they would gain.
- An OK grade- A student who has only written exactly what you have asked them to look specifically at and who has a model that has shown they understand the placement of the planets, would be a good grade, but not a 100%. A big part of this project is also that they were supposed to mention things they learned and found interesting above what was asked. A student who shows only a small understanding may not have embraced the assignment fully. Another example of an ok grade may be one who has gone above and beyond in the research portion and has made many notes about what they found interesting, but may not have been able to put what was learned in use for the visual. They may have several planets in the wrong order or may have mis-colored a planet or two.
-A good grade- The students who have incorporated all that was asked and have taken it a step further, by including other things they have learned and found interesting, along with a mobile that has been properly arranged and colored would make for a good grade.
When grading this project remember not to judge the student artistic abilities but their understanding of the planets. (Being able to arrange the planets correctly and to color them in a close correlation to the actual planet, are all parts of showing they understood what they were researching.)
