Vicki Oleson
Northern University Middle School
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Science
Sixth Grade
Processing Goals:
Students will develop the following thinking skills:
Students will develop the following reasoning skills:
Students will develop the following collaborative skills:
Content Goals:
Students will know:
Technology Goals:
Students will:
Specific Activity Goals:
During a unit taught at the sixth grade level on the universe, students will be given a task that will require them to gather, organize, analyze, and interpret data related to the livability of various planets and moons in the solar system. Then students will work on teams in different roles to make decisions about where to build a space station. Advantages and disadvantages of various locations will be examined, and decisions will be made based on supporting evidence. Students will also be required to determine what adaptations would have to be made for humans to live in that environment. Students will then collaborate to create a multimedia presentation that supports their choice of location for a space station based on evidence from their research.
Introduction
In a futuristic setting in which overpopulation has caused catastrophic problems for our planet, students will be asked to explore two questions: Where should a space colony be built? And what adaptations will be needed to support life at that location?
Task
Each student assumes the role of astronomer, meteorologist, geologist, psychologist/sociologist, or biologist. As a team, they research and report on the question of where to build a colony and what adaptations will need to be made.
Process Overview
To complete their task and answer their questions, students will:
Steps in the Process
Before students start the task, during large group instruction students will:
1. Participate and complete the four missions of The Great Solar System Rescue (Tom Snyder Productions). Completing the missions will:
2. Students must complete the Astronomical Units Activity. (see graphic organizer)
3. Students must complete the Size of the Planets Activity (p. 47 GSSR)
4. Students must complete the Reasons for Seasons Activity (p. 296 Science Is) (see graphic organizer)
5. Students must complete a lesson on evaluating Internet sites in the Media Center.
6. Students must complete The Pull of Gravity (p. 124 Science Is) (see graphic organizer)
7. Students must complete Popping Ping-Pong Balls (p. 55 Science Is) (see graphic organizer)
Students will determine what is necessary to sustain life
Questions to answer:
The Web Quest Challenge:
As with the Great Solar System, students will have roles. First, students will work in homogeneous teams (same role) as astronomers, meteorologists, geologists, or psychologists/biologists. Their task will be to study planets from each of these perspectives and to gather, evaluate, and present data. Based on their research, students will decide on a location for a space colony. Students will create a Power Point presentation that will:
Books
Read aloud:
Walsh, Jill Paton (1982). The Green Book . New York, NY: Farrar-Straus-Giroux
Teacher Resource:
Bosak, Susan V. (1991). Science Is… (2nd edition). Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada: Scholastic Canada Ltd..
Laser Disc
Great Solar System Rescue, (1992). Tom Snyder Productions http://www.teachtsp.com/products/ProductDetail.asp?PS=GREGSD&QryType=Subject&SubjectID=3&AP=2
World Wide Web Source
Oleson,Vicki (2000). Solar System Colonization Project 2000 [Web Quest Online] http://www.pls.uni.edu/webquest Available: [2000, September].
Project Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated several ways:
When the students are completely done, they will answer the following questions:
Evaluation of Power Point Presentation
Vicki Oleson, oleson@uni.edu
Karla Krueger, karla.krueger@uni.edu
David Tallakson, david.tallakson@uni.edu
Patty AcheyCutts, pcutts@aea7.k12.ia.us
While I have taught a similar unit before, the development of the Web Quest was something that was new for me. I have learned that creating a Web Quest is a wonderful experience that for me became much more involved simply because of the wonderful resources available to the students on the topic. The Web Quest is also an all-inclusive curriculum that I will be able to use again and develop further with each use. Developing a Web Quest is also best done in a group. I needed help searching for sites, and often we were searching for sites as the students were working because of the nature of the project. Our resources had to match the needs of the students because they were making the decisions about locations to colonize.
I will try to create another Web Quest. The motivational aspect of this medium is phenomenal. The students were often leading me. I am also pleased that the students have not only mastered basic conceptual understanding that I had planned, but have also learned and synthesized many facts about our solar system.
I chose these technological resources both because of their motivational power and because information about space and our solar system is changing daily. We were fortunate enough to be working through this Web Quest just as a crew was traveling to the International Space Station to prepare for the first crew to live there. What excitement!
Decisions that needed to be made regarding my choice of materials basically centered on finding sites that were of an appropriate reading level. This was one of the difficulties of the project. The students were required to comprehend text a much different way. This type of reading comprehension was not like reading a novel. The students had to be diligent in their efforts to make sense of the information and collect data accurately.
Availability of the Internet at home was also a consideration for the Web Quest. Few of my students did not have access at home, but we did have to make arrangements for students to have time in the library before and after school to make the task possible.
The laser disc was used because it is a valuable teaching tool that is available at our school and conducive to whole class exploration and instruction. This laser disc also prepared the students to collaborate and make decisions as a group.
Both the Internet resources and the laser disc allowed us to view the solar system in a way impossible through books. The nature of the Great Solar System Rescue is a simulation. Simulations were available on the Internet for designing a space station, determining your weight on another planet due to gravity and many others.
The laser disc was available through our local area education agency. I simply checked it out at no cost. There was also no cost for the use of the sites chosen on the Internet.
I chose this teaching strategy because it is motivational and opens a wealth of information and data to the students to synthesize and use.
From the INTIME Web site (www.intime.uni.edu)
Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model Components Highlighted in This Activity
Principles of Learning
The situation students were asked to examine is compelling from the standpoint of the question itself - In a futuristic setting in which overpopulation has caused catastrophic problems for our planet, students will be asked to explore two questions: Where should a space colony be built? And what adaptations will be needed to support life at that location? It is also compelling from the standpoint of current events &endash; when the unit was taught, preparations were being made to man the International Space Station early in 2001.
Students were actively involved in creating a list of what humans need to survive. This required reflection upon the information they had informally gathered about what they needed to survive and also reflection upon information they had gathered about survival from Internet resources.
Information Processing
Communication and evaluation of ideas were necessary to successfully complete the task of listing the 10 most important things needed for human survival. This was accomplished in both small group discussions and large group discussions.
Content Standards
This activity addresses the science content standards involving populations and ecosystems (NSE) and the earth in the solar system (NSE). Students are asked to examine physical factors of our planet that permit life. The role of sunlight is one factor that students discussed. Also abiotic factors such as light, water, temperatures, and soil composition also were discussed. The earth's gravity, tilt and seasons also were part of the discussion.
Tenets of Democracy
This activity required tolerance for others' ideas. This is evident in the student responses and interactions in their ability to listen and determine what all agreed upon and what required further evaluation. Critical thinking and decision making were involved in creating and ranking the list of survival needs. Students were individually responsible in their groups and also in large group discussions to adhere to procedures conducive to group functioning. At times it was necessary to vote on an idea to reach consensus. This also required that students be sensitive to group needs in relationship to individual opinions.
Student Characteristics
The students that were video taped are exceptionally cooperative. They are also very motivated by the topic. There were students that were less involved. I tried to ask the right questions and position myself physically to enhance their involvement. There was also one student that was very disappointed by the role he was playing. That had been decided in a fair way and it was necessary to visit with him about working as a group even if it wasn't possible to work in the role he had chosen. Those were very small problems. Generally this group is cooperative and enthusiastic.
Evolution of the Activity
Karla Krueger and I worked through a similar activity last year using a piece of software. That was also motivational and successful.
I feel like the incorporation of the Web Quest makes this activity even more comprehensive and complete. Hands on activities have also been added to assist in the understanding of concepts such as gravity, the seasons, density.
(Learning activity format adapted from National Educational Technology Standards for Students Connecting Curriculum & Technology)