INTRODUCTION

It is now the year 2145.  ZoomPro, a large multi-national company, wants to put a space hotel in orbit around one of the other eight planets in our solar system.  The Grade Sixes at St. Benedict School have been given the task of searching for the perfect location for this hotel.  You have three weeks before ZoomPro expects a report on which planet would be the best place for an orbiting space hotel.

THE TASK

You are to write a report recommending which planet should be chosen, complete with pictures of the planet you recommend.  Here are some ideas you should consider in making your recommendation to ZoomPro.

·        Why would your planet be the most interesting to look at from orbit?

·        How long would it take to get to the planet?

·        What field trips would be possible from the hotel, either to the planet, its moons, or close-by planets?

·        Are there any special problems related to this planet?

·        What interesting facts or myths can be related about this planet?

RESOURCES

You may use any book or magazine in your classroom or library.  Although there are many web sites about the planets, it will save time if you use only the following sites:

·        Views of the Solar System  has separate pages for each of the nine planets, along with great pictures. www.solarviews.com/eng

·        Starchild, a NASA web site has facts about the planets. www.starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov

·        The Nine Planets: A Multimedia Tour of the Solar System has facts and pictures. www.seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/nineplanets

·        Welcome to the Planets, another NASA site, has great pictures.  Go to www.pds.ipl.nasa.gov then click on Educators, then on Welcome to the Planets.

·        Space at www.learnalberta.ca has symbols for the planets.  Go to online reference centre, then SIRS Discoverer, then World Almanac for Kids, Table of Contents, Space.

PROCEDURES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1.       Teams of 2 students will investigate a planet that will be assigned by lot.

2.       Begin by writing down everything that you think you know about your planet.

3.       One person will be named the photographer, Flash, who will be responsible for collecting pictures of your planet.

4.       The other person, Data, will be responsible for collecting interesting facts about your planet.

5.       If there is a third person, Spock, in your group, that person will work with Data to collect information and perhaps mythological facts about the planet.

6.       All team members will work together to combine pictures and information into a Powerpoint presentation which Mrs. Holzman, the Chief Executive Officer of ZoomPro, will view.

7.       All team members must also be involved in the actual presentation.

8.       Remember that the CEO of ZoomPro is a busy woman, and you will only have a five minutes to convince her to build the hotel around your planet.  So you want to include only interesting and relevant information and pictures.

9.       Your Powerpoint presentation must have at least  5 slides, and each must have at least one picture. 

10.   You will have one session to gather information and pictures, one session for planning and beginning the Powerpoint, and one session to polish the presentation.  You do not have any time to waste.