Exploring Space
by Melissa Donald
Please press the right arrow to continue.
To begin you journey click on a link
Introduction
Tasks
Process
Resources
Assessment
Teacher
Page
Introduction
Through the course of this Web Quest you will
have the opportunity to explore our Solar
System and beyond.
Tasks
Throughout this web quest you will find
information you will need to complete a
project, of your choice, about one of the nine
planets, one of the many moons, or
something beyond our solar system.
Process
•An example of a project you might select
would be to plan a menu for the first team
at the Lunar Mining Site.
•You would have to research the FDA
recommendations for a nutritionally
balanced meal, the calorie requirements for
astronauts, and a favorite meal of members
of the team from different countries.
•Then you would prepare a menu for five
crew members for three days,(including
Breakfast, Lunch , and Supper)
Resources
• All of the resources you will need to
complete your project have been
included in this presentation. Some of
the information comes directly from the
presentation, other information can be
found by following the links provided.
• Everything you need is here. It is your
assignment to collect it, use it to make a
project, and present your project.
Assessment
• Your project will be graded according to a
rubric, similar the the one used to grade the
Mississippi Writing Assessment.
• You will be given a score between zero and
four for each of several aspects of your
project and presentation. The overall score
will be determined by averaging these
smaller scores together.
This is our Solar system
Click on a planet or
Click here to take a tour!
The Sun
The Sun
The sun is the star closest
to the Earth, and is
responsible for all life, as
we know it.
NASA
For more information click here
Mercury
Mercury is the planet
closest to the sun. It takes
88 days to obit the sun
and is one of only 2
planets in our solar
system without any
moons.
To learn more click here
Venus
Venus, called Earth’s twin
planet, is the second planet
with no moon. One year on
Venus is measured as 288
Earth days.
To learn more click here.
Earth
Earth is our home planet,
and the only planet
known to sustain life.
For more information
click here.
The Moon
The moon is essentially a
large rock in space, but it is
the only “rock”, not on Earth,
that has the boot-print of a
human.
The moon is also responsible
for the movement of the tides
on Earth.
For more information click
here.
Mars
Mars is the fourth
planet from the sun,
and our closest
neighbor.
For more information
click here
Jupiter
Jupiter is the largest planet
in our solar system and has
at least 28 moons.
Click here for more
information.
Saturn
Saturn, known as the
ringed planet has 30
moons.
Click here for more information.
Uranus
Uranus, the sixth planet from
the sun, and yes it is covered in
a dense cloud of methane gas.
Click here for more information.
Neptune
Neptune, named for the
Greek god of water,
because of its blue color,
has nine moons
Click here for more
information.
Pluto
Pluto is the furthest planet
from the sun, and takes 270
years to orbit the sun.
Click here for information.
Earth Projects
Make a Time line
It’s One Big Science Fair
Design an Experiment to go to space
Make a Timeline
• Prepare a time line showing the
history of space exploration.
Include major advancements
made by the United States and
other countries. Also, include
breakthroughs in technology
that directly contributed to
major studies in space
exploration. You may use
photographs and drawings or
whatever you wish to make
your timeline look creative
• Links you will find
useful:
• Exploration
• Interactive Tour
through history
• NASA
• Rockets
• Milestones
• Pictures
It’s One Big Science Fair
• Construct a Planetarium
Exhibit. You can either
design it on paper or make
a model using cardboard
or paper mache. Label the
parts of your exhibit
clearly.
• Prepare an information
sheet to hand out to
visitors to your exhibit.
Write a brief summary of
what your exhibit
includes.
• Size of the solar system
– Build a Solar System
• Life cycle of a star
• Make a constellation and
tell the story behind it’s
name.
– Constellations
• How did ancient people
use the stars to guide
them?
Design an Experiment to be
completed in Space
• In this project you will write a
proposal to NASA of an
experiment to be performed on
either the Space Shuttle or the
Space Station. Be sure to
address all steps in the
Scientific Process.
• Also, write a cover letter,
business style, to introduce your
experiment, and define what
you would hope to discover by
completing your experiment in
Space.
• Ideas for Experiments
• The Scientific Method
• More ideas
Moon Projects
• Design a Moon Base
• Build a Balanced Menu for the Moon
Design and build a Moon Base
•
•
Of course this will only be a model,
but your assignment, should you
choose this project, will be to
design a lunar mining base. You
will begin by drawing a floor plan
for the base. Be sure to include
living quarters, work-space,
recreational area, kitchen, and bath
areas, as well as a “storage” area
for the oxygen and water tanks as
well as a generator for power.
Once you have the floor plan
drawn build a scale model, using
cardboard, paper mache, or other
material.
• International team
ideas.
Make a Menu for the Moon Base
• In this assignment you will
create a menu for 5 people
stationed on the Moon. The
people represent the following
countries: USA, England,
France, Germany, and Russia.
• It is your task to complete a
balanced diet totaling 3500
calories per day for each of the
5 people, for five days.
• You will need to include at least
one meal that would be
considered a favorite in each of
the countries represented.
Example: Americans eat
hotdogs and tater tots.
• What is a balanced
diet?
• Favorite foods of
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USA
England
France
Germany
Russia
Other Projects
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You’re a Hero
Travel the Solar System
Martian Colony Laws
Map It Out
Hello, My Name Is…
Introducing Planet (Insert Name Here)
You’re a hero!
• After a successful space
exploration venture you are
asked to appear on several talk
shows. However you decide to
tell your story to a major
newspaper instead. In 500
words, write the exciting story
of your space exploration.
• To help you get started, click
here to get some questions you
should answer in your story
• For more information click on
any of the questions.
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Who were your crewmates?
What did you see and do?
Where did you explore?
When did you leave and
return?
– What was the purpose of your
mission?
– How did you accomplish your
mission?
Travel the Solar System
• You are an advertising writer
for one of the largest travel
agencies on Earth. The agency
has designed a tour of the solar
system. Your job is to write and
design the travel brochure for
this outstanding trip.
• Design a travel brochure that
promotes this tour of the solar
system. Include photographs,
drawings or computer graphics.
What else can you do to make
the brochure appealing?
Remember, your brochure
should get people excited about
this extraordinary trip.
•
Before you begin writing consider
these points.
– What areas will the tourist visit?
All the planets? Just a few?
– How long will the tour be? Are
different tour packages available,
such as for seven days, two weeks,
or even a month.
– How much will the tour cost?
– What special exhibits or places of
interest will be visited?
– What type of space craft will be
used to transport the tourist? A
luxury space cruiser? A supercharged turbo space jet? How fast
do they go?
Martian Colony Laws
• Since colonist from Earth began
to settle on Mars its population
has grown steadily. You have
been elected to the law-making
body for the new settlements.
Write a set of proposals for the
governing of the Mars colony.
• Write a set of proposed laws for
the colony.
• After you’ve written your
proposed laws display them
neatly on poster board.
• Think about these questions
while making up your laws:
– How should the laws be
written so that people from
different countries on Earth
con live together peacefully on
Mars?
– What special laws might be
needed that are not used on
Earth?
– How would you the lawmaking body use the laws?
– Are there currently any “space
laws” that might help lead you
to make your laws?
Mapping it Out
• Suppose a futuristic
“League of Mars
Colonies” is planning an
atlas. A map is needed of
the city that you and your
space crew have founded.
• Draw a map of your city
for the atlas. Include a
scale, symbols, and a key.
Get ideas for your map by
checking existing maps,
atlases, and textbooks.
•
Think about these points before
you draw your map:
– What is the name of your city?
Where on Mars is your city
located? What are the city
boundaries?
– How will you show the
contours of the planet surface
that are included in your city’s
landscape-mountains, craters,
and ridges?
– What scale will you use for
you map?
– What is the population of the
city?
– What buildings or points of
interest will you include in you
map?
Hello My Name Is…
•
•
•
Your space exploration group has just
landed on planet Xyrus, in the solar
system Varca. A group of Xyrus
inhabitants has approached you ship. It
is impossible to tell whether they are
friendly or whether they are likely to
attack. They just stand there, watching
and waiting. You don’t’ speak the same
language. Therefore, you must think of
a way to communicate with them.
Using signs and symbols, develop a
system of language that will enable you
to communicate with the inhabitants.
Develop a list of key words and phrases
that are essential for communication.
Include the numbers 1 through 20.
Base your signs and symbols on the
base 10 system. Design a sign or
symbol for each key word or phrase.
You may act out your communications
with the Xyrus’ to demonstrate how you
would attempt communications with a
“new “ species.
• How Egyptians
represented numbers
• Example of modern
pictograms
• Some common
phrases for nonEnglish speaking
people.
Introducing Planet (insert name
here)
• Suppose while observing the
sky one night with a telescope,
you notice something very
strange. Could it be another
planet?
• Give your planet a name, and
write a news story about your
discovery. Include a sketch of
the new planet, as seen through
a telescope. Include features
such as craters and mountains
you observed.
How does NASA look for a planet?
Some drawings of familiar planets
as seen through telescopes.
How are stars named?
How the nine planets of our solar
system got their names.
Conclusion
• We have reached the end of our journey.
• To return to the main page of planets click
the button with the picture of the house.
• To view the projects again click the other
arrow.
• I hope you enjoyed your voyage, and as the
Vulcans say, “May you live long and
prosper.”