Our Solar System

Introduction

Your class is studying our Solar System and your group has been assigned to study a specific planet. You need to get some basic information about that planet, so that you will be able to share your information with the other members of your class.

Your Mission

Explore some of the web sites listed below (and follow the appropriate links) to obtain information about the planet that has been assigned to you.

You will present your information in report form, using Microsoft Word. Don't forget to include lots of pictures in your report.

The Process

1. As you explore the web sites listed below, be sure to answer the following questions about your planet.

2. Take notes (in Microsoft Word) as you gather the information. Reference all information gathered to the web site (or other resource) from which it was gleaned, i.e., the web site address.

3. Save the pictures that you think you'd like to use in your report as you visit the web sites.

4. Use the Newberry House Online Dictionary or another dictionary to look up any unfamiliar words that you come in contact with while doing your research.

The Questions

Answer as many of these questions as you can in the time you are allotted. You do not need to answer them in order.

1. What is the size (diameter) of your planet?

2. How far is your planet from our sun?

3. How far is your planet from the Earth?

4. Which place does your planet occupy in the order of our nine planets from the sun (first from the sun, second from the sun, etc.)?  Include a picture of your planet shown next to the other eight planets and the sun.

5. What does your planet look like (include pictures)?

6. What is your planet's atmosphere made of?

7. What kind of weather does your planet experience (include high, low and average temperatures)?

8. Does your planet have any satellites (or moons) of its own (include pictures, if possible)?

9. Can your planet support life (or has it ever been able to support life)?

10. How long does it take your planet to complete its orbit around the sun?

11. How long does it take your planet to complete one rotation on its axis?

Web Sites to Explore

Welcome to the Planets

Views of the Solar System

Solar System Simulator

Find Your Planetary Weight and Age -- in Excel

Find Your Planetary Weight and Age -- chart

Your Weight on other Worlds

Planetary Fact Sheets

The Nine Planets for Kids

The Nine Planets -- A Multimedia Tour of the Solar System

EXPLORING THE PLANETS - Gallery Entrance

NSSDC Photo Gallery

Evaluation

Your final project will be evaluated by the following criteria:

1. All components of the process were completed.
2. Your information is presented clearly.
3. Your data is supported by referenced facts.
4. Your report is informative, interesting, and visually appealing.
5. Your report indicates that you accessed, evaluated, and used a variety of information sources.

Conclusion

After completing this project, all members of the group will:

1. Know much more about their assigned planet than they did when they began this project.
2. Know how to copy graphics and text from the Internet to a Microsoft Word document.
3. Have a working knowledge of the Internet and how to use links.
4. Have the ability to extract appropriate information from several resources into an organized document.
5. Have the ability to evaluate information gathered from online resources.
6. Have a heightened interest in astronomy.

This page was designed and created by Lori Krane Magaliff

Updated November 2002

Questions or problems regarding this page should be directed to:

Lori Krane mailto:[email protected]

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