Space Museum Project
The Space and Planet Agency for Cosmic Exploration or SPACE has asked you to gather information about the Earth, Moon, Sun, Solar System, and the history of our planet's space exploration for this museum. This museum will be a web based museum that visitors can use to learn more about space and space exploration.
You will be working as a class to create your virtual space museum.
To create this you will:
You will present your PowerPoint to a panel of judges who will select one person's PowerPoint to receive the Amazing Galaxy Award. This award will be given to the person whose presentation is deemed best overall.
Step 1 - First, you will be assigned to a role. Using a teacher created K-W-L chart, your group will brainstorm what you know and what you want to learn about the solar system. This should be be based on previous knowledge with a focus on facts. Your group will share the information with the class. You can then add to your chart any new discoveries made during the class discussion.
Step 2 - You will have to choose your role within the group:
Tour Guide Role
1. In your section of the virtual space museum, you need to describe the distinguishing characteristics of the planets in our solar system and their location. Make sure you cover the major elements of the solar system (the sun, planets, and their moons). What else can you include in this section? What is it like out there?
2. Make sure you use your scoring guide for guidance.
Astronomer Role
1. In your section of the virtual space museum, you need to describe various objects in the sky such as asteroids, comets, stars and meteors/shooting stars. What do they look like? What are their characteristics? You could describe how they look to us from earth versus how they might appear close up if you visited them in a spaceship.
2. Make sure you use your scoring guide for guidance.
Navigator Role
1. In your section of the virtual space museum, you need to describe the change in position and motion of the moon and planets and the apparent motion of the sun, moon and stars. Describe what you see that moves. Make sure you describe the contents of the daytime and nighttime sky. Explain why these celestial bodies move. You could also point out some significant attractions such as solar and lunar eclipses.
2. Make sure you use your scoring guide for guidance.
Space Historian Role
1. In your section of the virtual space museum, you need to describe the history of space exploration such as the Apollo mission, space shuttles, Hubble Space Telescope, and space probes. Are there any space exploration projects going on now? Make sure to find out about any of our current exploration projects and include these in your section of the virtual web museum.
2. Make sure you use your scoring guide for guidance.
Step 3 - You will begin your research to design your portion of the space museum.
1. Check out the resources and learn all you can for your role.
2. Type your facts, explanations, examples and ideas into your daily research log. Be sure to date your log.
3. Using Microsoft PowerPoint, begin to type up your section of the virtual space museum.
4. Create a title page with hyperlinks to navigate your presentation.
5. With your group prepare for the presentation
The Nine Planets - This website is a multimedia tour of the Solar System including history, mythology, and current scientific knowledge.
NASA KIDS - This is NASA's website with many interesting facts about our solar system. Explore this website to find out how old and how much you weigh on other planets.
Build a Solar System - Still more facts about the Solar System. Be sure to check the links at the bottom of the page.
Starchild - A site about space for children sponsored by NASA.
Zoom Astronomy - A site to find some great research for all roles.
Amazing Space - A site full of information and activities for children about space.
The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Space - A website based on the story we read.
Kidseclipse - This resource is for navigators. It focuses on the movement of objects in the sky.
Weight on Other Planets What is your weight on the Earth, in pounds? If you were on other celestial bodies, you would weigh a different amount than you do on Earth.
NASA Get information, facts, photos, news, videos, and more about our solar system from NASA. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
National Geographic Get information, facts, photos, news, videos, and more about our solar system from National Geographic.
Timeline Creator
Step 4 - Present your PowerPoint presentation to a judging panel made up of students and teachers. This panel will award the group with the best virtual web museum "The Amazing Galaxy Award." Refer to the scoring guide to prepare for this presentation.
To impress the panel of judges:
Step 5 - You will complete a self-evaluation. The following questions should be answered in your daily research log.
Self Reflection:
Collaboration Reflection:
You will be working as a class to create your virtual space museum.
To create this you will:
- Explore and research more information about the solar system
- Use the power of the Internet to research the information
- Talk with solar system experts through the internet
- Keep a research log to record all the information you gather
You will present your PowerPoint to a panel of judges who will select one person's PowerPoint to receive the Amazing Galaxy Award. This award will be given to the person whose presentation is deemed best overall.
Step 1 - First, you will be assigned to a role. Using a teacher created K-W-L chart, your group will brainstorm what you know and what you want to learn about the solar system. This should be be based on previous knowledge with a focus on facts. Your group will share the information with the class. You can then add to your chart any new discoveries made during the class discussion.
Step 2 - You will have to choose your role within the group:
Tour Guide Role
1. In your section of the virtual space museum, you need to describe the distinguishing characteristics of the planets in our solar system and their location. Make sure you cover the major elements of the solar system (the sun, planets, and their moons). What else can you include in this section? What is it like out there?
2. Make sure you use your scoring guide for guidance.
Astronomer Role
1. In your section of the virtual space museum, you need to describe various objects in the sky such as asteroids, comets, stars and meteors/shooting stars. What do they look like? What are their characteristics? You could describe how they look to us from earth versus how they might appear close up if you visited them in a spaceship.
2. Make sure you use your scoring guide for guidance.
Navigator Role
1. In your section of the virtual space museum, you need to describe the change in position and motion of the moon and planets and the apparent motion of the sun, moon and stars. Describe what you see that moves. Make sure you describe the contents of the daytime and nighttime sky. Explain why these celestial bodies move. You could also point out some significant attractions such as solar and lunar eclipses.
2. Make sure you use your scoring guide for guidance.
Space Historian Role
1. In your section of the virtual space museum, you need to describe the history of space exploration such as the Apollo mission, space shuttles, Hubble Space Telescope, and space probes. Are there any space exploration projects going on now? Make sure to find out about any of our current exploration projects and include these in your section of the virtual web museum.
2. Make sure you use your scoring guide for guidance.
Step 3 - You will begin your research to design your portion of the space museum.
1. Check out the resources and learn all you can for your role.
2. Type your facts, explanations, examples and ideas into your daily research log. Be sure to date your log.
3. Using Microsoft PowerPoint, begin to type up your section of the virtual space museum.
4. Create a title page with hyperlinks to navigate your presentation.
5. With your group prepare for the presentation
The Nine Planets - This website is a multimedia tour of the Solar System including history, mythology, and current scientific knowledge.
NASA KIDS - This is NASA's website with many interesting facts about our solar system. Explore this website to find out how old and how much you weigh on other planets.
Build a Solar System - Still more facts about the Solar System. Be sure to check the links at the bottom of the page.
Starchild - A site about space for children sponsored by NASA.
Zoom Astronomy - A site to find some great research for all roles.
Amazing Space - A site full of information and activities for children about space.
The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Space - A website based on the story we read.
Kidseclipse - This resource is for navigators. It focuses on the movement of objects in the sky.
Weight on Other Planets What is your weight on the Earth, in pounds? If you were on other celestial bodies, you would weigh a different amount than you do on Earth.
NASA Get information, facts, photos, news, videos, and more about our solar system from NASA. (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
National Geographic Get information, facts, photos, news, videos, and more about our solar system from National Geographic.
Timeline Creator
Step 4 - Present your PowerPoint presentation to a judging panel made up of students and teachers. This panel will award the group with the best virtual web museum "The Amazing Galaxy Award." Refer to the scoring guide to prepare for this presentation.
To impress the panel of judges:
- Your group will put together the virtual space museum that will include all the information that you learned about the solar system.
- Remember to include any illustrations or pictures in your virtual space museum.
- You need to have the virtual space museum completed prior to the presentation and have it as a reference for the oral presentation.
Step 5 - You will complete a self-evaluation. The following questions should be answered in your daily research log.
Self Reflection:
- How did this experience change your knowledge of the solar system?
- Did you find the answers to your brainstorm questions?
- What did you learn from completing this WebQuest?
- What would you change in this WebQuest to improve it?
Collaboration Reflection:
- Did you feel that your group worked cooperatively?
- Did everyone stay on task during group meeting times?
- Did everyone complete their work on time for making the virtual space museum?
- Did you enjoy working as a group for putting the complete virtual space museum and organizing the oral presentation?
- File KWL.doc (doc file - n/a) File ResearchLog.doc (doc file - n/a) File TourGuideScoringGuide.doc (doc file - n/a) File Planet Outline.doc (doc file - n/a) File Sun Outline.doc (doc file - n/a) File AstronomerScoringGuide.doc (doc file - n/a) File Astronomer Outline.doc (doc file - n/a) File NavaigatorScoringGuide.doc (doc file - n/a) File Navigator Outline.doc (doc file - n/a) File SpaceHistorianScoringGuide.doc (doc file - n/a) File History of Space Exploration.doc (doc file - n/a) File 004Rform.doc (doc file - n/a) File EvaluationScoringGuide.doc (doc file - n/a) File 5thGradeArticulatedScienceStandards.doc (doc file - n/a)