Space Adventure

 

Its almost summer! That means its time for vacations to exotic places. Before you start thinking about the amazing places to travel to on Earth, think bigger. Its up to you to plan a vaction to one of the planets in the solarsystem.

Your group is a well renowned vaction company planning the first ever trip to a planet of your choice! Your team consists of a rocket specialist, a spacesuit designer, travel agent, and an astronomer. The goal is to safely deliver your clients to their desination!

Your company's goals include the following:

• Research the planet, identify the challenges it presents to living things, and create solutions to overcome the challenges.

• Produce a vacation package highlighting the special features of the planet.

• Invent a spacesuit that meets the basic requirements for living things on your particular planet and is capable of enduring the trip.

• Generate a travel brochure advertising the vacation in detail.

• Design a rocket that has the ability to support life and special features that would enable it to complete the vacation.

• Present your vacation package to a group of investors interested in providing funding for your project. 

Group Work:

1. Print one copy of the Project Profle and complete each section.

2. Take out a sheet of paper, and as a group, brainstorm the needs of living things. 

3. Investigate the General Sites found in the resource section. Once you have found a site that contains information about your planet complete The Needs of Living Things Framework and complete the Physicsal Charteristics Sheet.

4. Using the Living Things Framework and the Physical Characteristics Sheet, establish a list of challenges your planet presents. Brainstorm a list of solutions. Save these notes for future reference.

5. Based on your destination and the solutions you have proposed, discuss the special features you want to include in the vacation package. Be sure to take notes and save them for future reference.

Individual Task:

6. Print a copy of your job description: Astronomer, Travel Agent, Spacesuit Deisgner, or Rocket Specialist. Read the requirements carefully.

7. Go to the resource section and search under your topic being careful to take notes as needed.

8. Sketch a rough draft of your plan.

9. Occupational Conference: At this point you will attend a meeting with others who share your occupation. The purpose of this meeting is to compare notes, discuss challenges, and offer encouragement. 

10. Company Meeting: Meet with the members of your group to update each other on your findings. Be sure your plan is flowing and that the work you are doing compliments that of the others in your group.

11. Focus and begin creating your final product. Refer your job description and the rubric to determine your progress. Maintain open communication with the rest of your Company to assure that your final project is a package and not separate products.

12. Presentations. Be professional, speak in a clear voice, and use visual aides to help present your idea.

Resources:

General Solar System Information

http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/homepage.html

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level1/solar_system.html

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/solar_system.html

http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/billa/tnp/nineplanets.html

http://www.space.com/

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/solarsystem/

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/index.cfm

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/

http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/

http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov

http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/luceneweb/whatsnew.jsp

http://friends-partners.org/friends/index.html

http://www.imageworksstudio.com/index.php?page=Exhibit_Design

http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html

Sites for Astronomers

 

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa

http://abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s1696218.htm

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/5-8/features

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/index.cfm

http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/special/planets.htm

http://www.solarviews.com/eng/homepage.htm

http://www.windows.ucar.edu

http://www.nineplanets.org/

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/solar_system/

http://www.harmsy.freeuk.com/orrery.html

http://www.seasky.org/solarsystem/sky3.html

http://science.hq.nasa.gov/solar_system/index.html

http://www.kidsastronomy.com/the_planets.htm

Sites for Travel Agents

http://www.travelco.com/theCompany/Pressreleases.asp

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/tips_menu.htm

http://www.budgettravel.com/

http://home.travelsavers.com/

http://www.freetraveltips.com/

http://www.fodors.com/wire/archives/001901.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/wire/archives/001803.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/wire/archives/cat_travel_tips.cfm

http://www.freetraveltips.com/Packing/

http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/tips_1232.html

http://www.freetraveltips.com/Before/

http://ontariotravel.net/TcisCtrl?language=EN&site=consumers&key1=travelTools&key2=travelTips

http://www.lib.uct.ac.za/infolit/brotips.htm

www.brochure-printing-tips.com

http://www.imageworksstudio.com/index.php?page=Exhibit_Design

http://www.speedcolor.com/

 

Sites for Rocket Scientists

 

http://edspace.nasa.gov/earthcrew/news/ecn2/index.hml

http://www.nasm.si.edu

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/kliper.html

http://www.nasm.si.edu/education/cybercenter/

http://science.nasa.gov/realtime

http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/space/teachers/rockets/rocketry.html

http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/home/index.html

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=159

http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/X_Prize.html

http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Russia/Proton300.html

http://economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=6911220

http://the-edge.blogspot.com/2005/08/new-rocket-designs.html 

 

Sites for Space Suit Designers

http://www.fabriclink.com/

http://www.vibrationdata.com/space/suit.htm

http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/weight/index.html

http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/models/sovietsp/sovsuits.html

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/

http://www.batnet.com/mfwright/spacesuit.html

http://www.astronautix.com/craftfam/spasuits.htm

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0875382.html

http://www.incredible-adventures.com/space-suits-space-foods.html

http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/articles/SuitSat/

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/chameleon_suit_021106.html

http://quest.nasa.gov/space/teachers/suited/8future.html

 

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Presentation	Well-rehearsed with smooth delivery that holds audience attention.	Rehearsed with fairly smooth delivery that holds audience attention most of the time.	Delivery not smooth, but able to maintain interest of the audience most of the time.	Delivery not smooth and audience attention often lost.
Requirements	All requirements are met and exceeded.	All requirements are met.	One requirement was not completely met.	More than one requirement was not completely met.
Mechanics	No misspellings or grammatical errors.	Three or fewer misspellings and/or mechanical errors.	Four misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	More than 4 errors in spelling or grammar.
Content	Covers topic in-depth with details and examples. Subject knowledge is excellent.	Includes essential knowledge about the topic. Subject knowledge appears to be good.	Includes essential information about the topic but there are 1- 2 factual errors.	Content is minimal OR there are several factual errors.
Organization	Content is well organized using headings or bulleted lists to group related material.	Uses headings or bulleted lists to organize, but the overall organization of topics appears flawed.	Content is logically organized for the most part.	There was no clear or logical organizational structure, just lots of facts.
Originality	Product shows a large amount of original thought. Ideas are creative and inventive.	Product shows some original thought. Work shows new ideas and insights.	Uses other people's ideas (giving them credit), but there is little evidence of original thinking.	Uses other people's ideas, but does not give them credit.
Workload	The workload is divided and shared equally by all team members.	The workload is divided and shared fairly by all team members, though workloads may vary from person to person.	The workload was divided, but one person in the group is viewed as not doing his/her fair share of the work.	The workload was not divided OR several people in the group are viewed as not doing their fair share of the work.

Congratulations, your company is now in business! Write a summary addressing the following questions:

1. After listening to each group's proposal, which planet would you want to visit on vacation, and why?

2. What was the most interesting thing about your planet you learned?

3. What part of your project do your feel went well?

4. What could you or members of your group have done differently? 

5. Offer advice to

 future students who may participate in the project

.

The folder of solar system webquests with worksheet and project ideas.

Worksheet sources:

https://www.asdk12.org/depts/science/RocketSpecialist.pdf

https://www.asdk12.org/depts/science/SpacesuitDesigner.pdfhttps://www.asdk12.org/depts/science/TravelAgent.pdfhttps://www.asdk12.org/depts/science/AstronomerJobDescription.pdfhttps://www.asdk12.org/depts/science/Planet%20Characteristics.pdfhttps://www.asdk12.org/depts/science/LivingNeeds.pdfhttps://www.asdk12.org/depts/science/ProjectProfile.pdf