Teacher Resources

It's a Bird, It's a Plane...

It's a Meteor!

Help to save the planet and become a "Friend of NASA"

 

Research Scenario

OH NO!!! NASA has discovered a meteor heading toward the Earth!!! Scientists at NASA are worried that if it hits the Earth, it might cause orbital changes. A shift in the tilt of the Earth's axis, its revolution, or its rotation could affect life on our planet. NASA wants your help to figure out how this would affect the cycles of the Earth. Your findings will be sent to the scientists and engineers at the Goddard Space Flight Center outside Washington, D.C. If your presentation is helpful to solving the meteor problem, you will earn a "Friends of NASA Research Certificate."

Essential Question:

How does Earth’s relationship to the sun impact weather and time on Earth?

 

Tasks

To successfully prepare your presentation for NASA, you will have to conduct research and think critically about the relationship between the Earth and Sun.

You will be working with a fellow scientist to gather the necessary information to complete the following steps:

Use the planning checklist to keep you on track as you work.

Once the tasks are completed and you have finished preparing your presentation, you will earn your Certificate.

***Your teacher may assign you to work with a small group instead of in pairs.

 

Products

 

 

You and your partner may choose to complete one of the products below. Each product must address three topics:

The Earth's movement and its relationship to day and night.

The Earth's movement and its relationship to the length of a year.

The Earth's movement and its relationship to the seasons.

 

Assessments

 

 The following scoring tools may be used or adapted by your Supervisor (teacher) to evaluate your research process and your final product and presentation.

Research Process Assessments:

Final Product Assessments: 

 

Questions

Essential Question:

How does Earth’s relationship to the sun impact weather and time on Earth?

Subsidiary Questions:

  • Earth’s Movements
    • What is an orbit?
    • How do the planets in our solar system move in relation to the sun?
    • What causes day and night?
    • How many hours are in a day? Why?
    • How many days are in a year? Why?
  • The Seasons
    • What is the Earth’s axis?
    • What causes the four seasons?
    • Do people all over the world experience the four seasons?
    • How does location on the Earth determine whether we experience the four seasons?
  • Sun Tools
    • How does the sun help people tell time?
    • What tools have people created to use the sun to tell time?

Gather & Sort

Use a variety of resources for gathering information about:

  • The Solar System
  • The Earth
  • Day and Night
  • The Four Seasons
  • The Sun's Use throughout History

Report your research findings on these topics using this Friends of NASA Note Taking Sheet .

Click here for resources on the topics above.

Be sure to avoid plagiarism and keep track of your resources for a bibliography.

 

Organize

Synthesize your findings by using the Friends of NASA Presentation Preparation Sheet.

 

Evaluate the effectiveness of your research for the task.

  • Have you completed all your tasks?
  • Have you included all the necessary information?
    • Review the rubric for your assessment.
    • If you are missing information or have not answered all the questions, go back and revisit your resources to complete the tasks.

 

Conclusion

Presentation: Present your Power Point, text book, or story to the class and parents at a Space Convention organized by your teacher. You will receive your hard-earned "Friends of NASA Research Certificate."

Reflection:

  • If a meteor hit the Earth, what might happen to:
    • the four seasons?
    • the length of the day?
    • the length of the year?
  • How would these changes affect your everyday life?


Extension Activity:

If you want to learn more about space, here are a few ideas to help you "blast off!"