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Hey Everyone! Are you ready for an exciting look at the Solar System?! This unit starts with movie clips that portray solar sciences. From the movie clips, I want to find out what you guys are learning correctly and incorrectly about our solar system from the movies y'all watch. Dorothy Diehl says that "most people have a very inaccurate notion of what real-life space travel among the planets or between star systems is like. There are two reasons for this. One, it is impossible to print an accurate scale model for distance of the solar system in a textbook. Even a classroom-sized model is ineffective because choosing a scale that allows Pluto to be at the opposite from the Sun, puts the inner planets almost on top of each other." So, from this fact and the movie misconceptions, I have an activity planned that will hopefully get everyone on the right track. The activity is called "The Travels of Slimey the Slug and Sunscout the Starship." Instead of a formal assessment of what we did in class, I you guys to write down some of your perceptions of solar sciences in movies. Everyone will also write a paper where you are asked to take a stand on Hollywood's (you choose if it is inaccurate or inaccurate) portrayal of solar sciences.  In the paper the you will have to include movie scene examples and facts that show the correct information. I will be facilitating your fact finding by taking each one of you on a solar search. Each one of you will do a project of your choice on two assigned topics. During the search you will locate information from sites I have selected and do some type of project on it so you can present it to the class (Power Point, Access, Word, poster, etc.). The activities culminate with the great solar system rescue where we will go on a hunt through the solar system to find missing probes. This software is really fun. Also the we will participate in a group activity called a futures wheel where we will discuss the question "What would happen if we had to move to another planet?" You will also get the chance to present your project, present your Take a Stand paper results, and take notes using Inspiration. These notes can be used to help you study for the test. All of these activities should help you reach my goal for the unit: to get a greater understanding of the true facts of the solar system. Click the flying saucer to go to Astronomy for Kids!!   Lesson 1  WebQuest Space Travel  Lesson 2  Take a Stand Lesson 3  WebQuest Solar System Search Lesson 4  Moon Phases Lesson 5  The Great Solar System Rescue Top It Off  Culminating Activity Take a Test! Solar System Test   Back to Top Page created by: Jenna Jenkins Last Updated: April 24, 2002