Introduction | Task | Process and Resources | Evaluation | Conclusion

Introduction

      You have been selected by NASA to go on a space mission to discover information about a planet that is in our solar system.

 

      Just like an astronaut, you are required to collect data while you are on your mission.  After you explore your planet, you will contact Mission Control on Earth by a cyber postcard to communicate your highly researched data.

The Task

      Your job is to discover some interesting facts about your planet and record them down on a mission data report sheet.

      Before blasting off on your mission: 

      Know your destination (planet)

      Data Collection: 

      Namesake (Who is you planet named after?)

      Distance from the sun (How many miles is it form the sun?)

      Diameter (What is your distance across your planet?)

      Rotation period (One day on your planet equals how many hours/days on Earth?)

      Moons (How many?  What are their names?)

      Temperature (How hot or cold is it?)

      Other interesting facts (Special features.  Does it have volcanoes, craters, rings, valleys, etc…?)

      Communication

      Create a Cyber Postcard using a virtual postcard site. (Contact Mission Control – your teacher)

      Debriefing

      Create a simple slide show using Apple Works to share your information.

Process and Resources

Process

      1.  Before leaving on your mission, decide what planet you will be traveling to.

      2.  Have your data collection sheet out with a pencil.

      3.  To do your research, click on the name of your planet destination listed at the bottom of this page.

      4.  Read the web site to learn about your planet, jot down notes on your data sheet.

      5.  Now you are ready to write a draft letter for your cyber postcard.

      6.  Using the draft sheet, write a letter to mission control (your teacher).  The body of your letter should share five facts you discovered about your planet.

      7.  Use the check list to make sure you have everything in your cyber postcard.

      8.  When you are finished editing your letter, you are ready to create your cyber postcard.  Click this link to the Virtual postcard site, follow the directions and send your message to Mission Control (your teacher’s email address).

      9.  Using your data sheet, you will now create a rough draft slide show on paper that will share the information you collected on your mission.

      10.  Using the check list, edit your slide show.

      11.  Open up the file on your desktop called Mission Slide Show.

      12.  Input you information into each slide and then go up to file and save your work.  Call it your name.

      13.  Pack up the laptop and put all your paper work in the case.  Don’t forget to charge your laptop.

 

Resources

 

Evaluation

      Provide students with a clear understanding of the grading criteria that will be used to evaluate what they have done.

      Provide links to online rubrics (of your making or on the Web) so that students know exactly how the projects will be graded.

      Determine if the evaluation will be a group evaluation, an individual evaluation, or both.

      Consider alternate assessments that fit the task.

Goal:  Students need to know in advance how their work will be evaluated.

 

Conclusion

      Include a summary of what you will have accomplished when the WebQuest is complete.

      Explain how you could do further study on this topic.  This could be in the form of rhetorical questions to the students.

      Ask the students to consider what new questions were generated when trying to solve the original task.

 

Credits and References

      Have the students list the sources they used. This includes books, music, pictures, and text that the student used.

      Have the students thank people who helped them.