Process
To begin this project you must first develop an understanding of our Solar System. Follow the following link to read an introduction about the Solar System before going any further. The links on this page will give you an introduction to each of the parts of our Solar System, including planets, the Sun, astroids, and comets. In addition to reading about the parts of the Solar System, you are able to look at the images on the web page in detail and in some cases play movie files.
To decide which link to vist, click on your grade level.
Now that you have a general understanding of how our Solar System works and what it is made up of, it is time to begin your journey. You will be assigned a planet from our Solar System to visit and report about. You will be traveling aboard the Milkyway 5000 in a team of three. Each journalist on your team has specific responsibilities during this trip.
Journalist One is responsible for recording all of the facts about your planet as you journey through cyberspace to find your information. This journalist is also responsible for doing most of the writing on the poster and the brochure.
Journalist Two is responsible for creating all of the artwork for your poster and your brochure. This journalist is also responsible for reading all of the information found on the reference page to the rest of his/her team.
Journalist Three is responsible for assisting the other two journalists as needed and reporting the information learned from this trip to the rest of the Daily Planet staff. In addition, this journalist is responsible for working with the other groups from the Daily Planet to create a scale model of your planet for the Daily Planet's Solar System display.
Begin your trip by accessing the Daily Planet's Reporting Sheet and print it out. Then access reference pages about your planet by clicking on one of the buttons below. Journalist One, this is where you will find most of your information. Remember, Journalist Two should be reading this to the group.
Additional information on the planets can be found at these websites if you cannot answer all of the questions on your recording sheet from the sites above.
Grades 4 and 5
StarChild: A Site for Young Astronomers ----- Click on the Planet you wish to learn about
Grades 3 and 4
StarChild: A Site for Young Astronomers ----- Click on the Planet you wish to learn about
Journalist Two, you will want to follow these links to locate pictures of your planet to assist you in your artwork.
NASA's Official Photos of the Planets
Journalist Three, you will want to examine this website to gather more information about the size of your planet for the model. Then you will need to examine the directions to begin constructing your model.
A Scale Model of the Solar System
Directions for Creating Your Model
After gathering all of the information about your planet, your team will return to Earth to create your travel brochure, advertisement, and model. Click on each of the following links to access the directions and expectations for each project.
Travel Brochure