The Sun, the Earth & the Moon:

A WebQuest

Introduction - Task - Process - Resources - Evaluation

Essential Question: How does the position of the Earth in the Solar System affect the conditions of life on our planet?

Introduction:

Picture this: you and a team of your classmates have been chosen by NASA to welcome a friendly group of Space Travelers who are traveling to the earth from another universe. The visitors are particularly interested in how the position of the earth affects life on earth.

In the following WebQuest, you will use the power of teamwork and the abundant resources on the Internet to learn how the position of the Earth in the solar system affects the conditions of life on our planet. Each person on your team will learn one piece of the puzzle and then you will come together to get a better understanding of the topic.

Task:

You and your team will explore astronomical phenomena to answer our visitors' questions:

1) Why is there day and night on earth?
2) How can the solar system be described in terms of the orbits of the planets?What are lunar eclipses?
3) Why does the moon look different as it orbits around the earth? Describe the different phases.
4) “Who helped you to understand about your planet and the solar system?”
5) What are the reasons for our seasons?

You and your group will examine and research one of the above questions. Each group will present their conclusions, observations in an oral presentation with a choice of a visual.

NASA and the Space Visitors are sure to be impressed.

Process:

1. The entire class will explore the background resources, do the activity and complete the quiz from BBC Science Clips .

2. Each group will then be assigned one of the specific questions to research in-depth.

3. The group will research, explore and observe each of the sub-topics represented by their question using the resources provided. Other resources including books, encyclopedias and periodicals will be provided for the groups to use by the media specialist.

4. Notes will be taken using the graphic organizer provided for each question. Each group member will have a role including a note-taker, researchers and graphics leader. Every member will share the responsibility of the oral presentation and completing the visuals.

5. Students will choose from a variety of possible visuals to explain and illustrate their oral presentation. Available technologies and possibilities will be presented by the classroom teacher and media specialist.

6. The culminating project will include a final oral presentation with an accompanying visual (team decides on what visual will represent and explain the concept best) and a completed graphic organizer.

7. Every class member will participate in every aspect of the exploration as well as reflect on the process and the work.