Title of Project: Planet for Sale

Subject(s): Earth Science

Grade Level(s): 6th Grade

Abstract:
Students will be learning about the planets of our solar system. They will be studying different
characteristics of each planet and comparing and contrasting those characteristics through a
series of activities. Students will then choose a specific planet to research. Students will use
spread sheets, the internet, word processing, simulations, video equipment and website creators
to complete formative assessments throughout. Students will then assume the role of a realtor
and try to sell their planet to specific buyers. The students must be familiar with their planet and
understand how they can pitch their planet correctly in competition with the other realtors and
their planets for sale. They will create a website and commercial of information as their
summative assessment. They will then take their websites and commercials to an elementary
school class in which the younger students will learn and be able to choose which planet they
would like to "buy."

Learner Description/Environment:
The learners are 6th grade students aged 11-12 that have been accepted into the theme school.
Most students are average to gifted while there is one student who has an IEP and several 504
students. The environment will be my classroom at the school in which can be replicated easily
in other classrooms and schools.

Time Frame:
Students will have two week to complete the project. Each day (class period) is approximately
55 minutes.

Learner Performances:
By the end of the project, students should be able to know specific masses, distances from the
sun, revolution period, rotation period and physical characteristics of each planet. They must
also become an expert on their chosen planet and be able to compare and contrast their planet to
that of Earth. Students will experience the highest level of Bloom's Taxonomy which is to
"create" because they will be producing a commercial and making a website as their final
assessment.

Standards Assessed:
6
th
Grade Science GPS
S6E1. Students will explore current scientific views of the universe and how those views
evolved
c. Compare and contrast the planets in terms of
Size relative to the earth
Surface and atmospheric features
Relative distance from the sun
Ability to support life
e. Explain that gravity is the force that governs the motion in the solar system.
NET-S
1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct
knowledge, and develop innovative products and
processes using technology.
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas,
products, or processes
b. Create original works as a means of personal
or group expression
c. Use models and simulations to explore complex
systems and issues

2. Communication and Collaboration
Students use digital media and environments to
communicate and work collaboratively, including
at a distance, to support individual learning and
contribute to the learning of others.
a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers,
experts, or others employing a variety of digital
environments and media
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively
to multiple audiences using a variety of media
and formats

3. Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate,
and use information.
b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize,
and ethically use information from a variety of
sources and media

5. Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal
issues related to technology and practice legal and
ethical behavior.
a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible
use of information and technology
b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology
that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity
c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for
lifelong learning
d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship

6. Technology Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding
of technology concepts, systems, and operations.
a. Understand and use technology systems
b. Select and use applications effectively
and productively
c. Troubleshoot systems and applications
d. Transfer current knowledge to learning
of new technologies

The hook or Introduction:
Students will come into the room in which several items will be placed on each desk. The items
represent a characteristic of one of the planets. Students must then find their matches (usually 3
to 4 other students) that represent other characteristics of the same planets. Some of the items
will be rings, rocks, sulfur, a picture of twins, water, a bottle of carbon dioxide, a bottle of
methane gas (both not filled/just replicas), a wheel, a picture of a hurricane and other objects and
items. Students will use prior knowledge of the planets to match up and then they will discuss.

Process:
Day 1: After students have come into the classroom and have done the introduction activity,
they will then each receive a chart with specific information that will need to be filled out.
Students will watch a video in order to get this information. As they watch the video, students
will fill out the chart. The chart contains information on the order of planets, size in diameter,
distance from sun, atmospheric conditions, period of revolution and period of rotation. After
viewing the video, students will then receive a laptop in which they will log onto My Big
Campus which is the school's online learning blog and they will record their information into a
spreadsheet on the class webpage. Students will be graded on their spreadsheet for correctness.

Day 2: Students will use their laptops individually, logging into My Big Campus again where
there is a "bundle" set up for them. The bundle is their activity for the day in which contains a
link to Popplet where they will be creating a Popplet of information on interesting facts about
each planet. The students will have guidelines as far as having a certain number of facts per
planet. The students will also have links to specific websites to use. The students will spend the
remainder of the class doing research on each planet and creating the Popplet. Students will
complete Popplet and turn share their link via the class webpage on My Big Campus. Students
will be graded on their Popplet and information.

Day 3: Students will break into groups and share laptops. They will be given a link via My Big
Campus to a virtual lab they will be conducting. The lab will show the gravity on each planet
and how it affects shooting a cannon ball and hitting a target. Students will open a word
document with a series of introductory questions, procedure to lab, data chart and conclusion
questions. The students will use the virtual simulation to record the mass of each planet and
gravity. The cannon will be set at 33 degrees in which that will stay constant. They will have to
change the velocity on each planet in order to hit the bulls eye depending on the mass and
gravity. They will record data and answer conclusion questions. Students will post a screen shot
of one of their trips to the planets in their document and upload to My Big Campus. Students
will be graded on lab document.

Day 4: Students have finished the activities portion of the project and are ready to choose a
specific planet that they would like to put on the "market." After choosing their planet, students
will be talking with a local realtor on how to market their planet properly. The realtor will show
them their own ads and pitches and the students can ask questions. Now that students have done
their initial research and work, they will now collaborate with the teacher to come up with the
rubric that they will be graded with on their final project. This will be a standards based rubric
ranging from Does Not Meets to Exceeds.

Day 5-9: Students will work in groups on their product of making a website of information on
their planet and company commercial.

Day 10: Presenting websites and commercials to an elementary class. The elementary students
will be instructed by their teacher to bring their own devices where they will then be asked to
answer a series of questions on the planets and texting their answers to "Poll Everywhere"
website. Immediate feedback is given and students can discuss. They will then pick which
planet they would like to "purchase".

Product:
Students will work in groups on their product of making a website of information on their planet
including a company logo, slogan and listing price for their planet but more importantly,
including the information and characteristics of that planet by opening up the spreadsheets,
Popplets and lab documents from their fellow classmates. Once website is completed, students
must work on a commercial that will also get potential buyers interested. Students will use video
cameras and microphone equipment as well as Splice which is a video editing app. They will
use the iPads to do this. They will submit their link to the website and the video file to the class
website on My Big Campus. They will be graded on their products with a standards based rubric
and their interactions and responses from the elementary peers.

Technology Resources/Management:
The technologies needed for the learning experience are laptops with Microsoft excel and word.
They will also need internet access and preregistered access to My Big Campus. Students will
be using the whiteboard to watch a video on the planets. They will be using links to find
information. They will also need to register and use the website Popplet. Students will also need
the link to the simulation. They will need to register and use the website Weebly in order to
complete their final product. They will also need access to iPads where they will video
themselves for their commercial and use the app called Splice to make their commercial.
Technology is used in each day of this project and is essential for driving the project and
motivating students. Without technology, this project would not be possible.

Student Skill Development:
Students will need to know how to log on to a computer and know how to use a mouse on the
laptop. They will also need to know how to use basic functions of Microsoft word and excel.
They will also need to know how to publish links to My Big Campus. They will need to know
how to save information to their student drives. They will need to know how to use a keyboard.
They will need to know how to use basic concepts of Weebly. They will also need to know how
to use an iPad and work the App Splice.


Adaptations for Special Needs:
Students with an IEP will be given help by the para-professional when needed, but they will be
personally accommodated with pre-printed materials and a list of vocabulary words. They will
also be given extra time if needed on any part of the project. For those who have limited sight,
they will be able to change the settings on their laptop for larger font and text. For those who are
hearing impaired they will be able to view videos in closed caption. For those students who are
ELL, they will be given a list of words in their native language and a list of the same words in
English. They will be allowed to use their native language in some of the commercial as long as
they restate in English. They will also be allowed to use the vocabulary words in their native
language for all written or typed activities. Students who are gifted will be able to add an extra
element to their project where they will need to address the closest space object to their planet
and name characteristics about this object that may affect the purchase of the planet.

Engaged Learning Indicators:
I believe this project encompasses many of the EL indicators such as:
-Standards-based
-Challenging
-Authentic
-Student-Directed
-Student as explorer, teacher and producer
-Teacher is a facilitator
-Collaborative
-Performance-based
-Assessments are on-going and generative

LoTi:
I believe this project should be given a LoTi of 6 due to the implementation of technology and its
dependence on the success of the project. The students are also collaborating with peers, taking
on the role of a professional realtor, as well as becoming a teacher to younger peers. They must
produce their own project within groups with little teacher support, which indicates that this is
mostly a student-directed project.

Assessment:
Students will be assessed throughout the project. They will need to turn in a number of items
before their final products. They will be assessed on their completion of the excel document of
planet information. They will be assessed on the completion of interesting facts on their Popplet.
They will be assessed on their knowledge of information from the word document submitted
after completing their virtual lab. They will be turning in a completed product of a website with
all information from the above assessments as well as a commercial. Students will be graded by
their teacher based on their final products with a standards based rubric. The students will help
in producing the standards based rubric that they will be graded with. They will also be graded
on the answers to the submitted responses from their elementary peers and the response in which
the peers have on which planet they like the best and would like to purchase.

Supporting Materials:
Website for My Big Campus:
http://www.mybigcampus.com/
Websites for Research:
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level1/planets.html
http://nineplanets.org/
http://planetfacts.org/
Website for virtual lab:
http://highered.mcgraw-
hill.com/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=swf::800::600::/sites/dl/free/0072482621/78778/Gravity_
Nav.swf::Gravity Variations Interactive
Video
Found on United Streaming called A Closer Look at Space: The Planets
Website for Popplet:
www.popplet.com
Website for Weebly:
www.weebly.com
Website for Poll Everywhere:
http://www.polleverywhere.com/
Word Document for Virtual Lab
Excel Document for Movie Information
iPad
Splice App
Laptops
Rubrics for assessment


Rubric created by Teacher and Students for Final Assessment
Astronomy Unit
Standards
S6E1 c and e

Level 1
Does Not Meet
Level 2
Progressing
Level 3
Meets
Measurement
Topic:



-
Characteristic
s of the
Universe



Grade:



__________
S6E1: Planets
c. Compare and
contrast the planets
in terms of size
relative to Earth,
surface and
atmospheric
features, relative
distance from the
Sun, and their ability
to support life.
Student shows
minimal progress
toward the
standard by not or
incorrectly
comparing and
contrasting the
planets in terms of
size relative to
Earth, surface and
atmospheric
features, relative
distance from the
Sun and their
ability to support
life.

Student shows
limited progress
toward the
standard by
comparing and
contrasting the
planets in terms of
size relative to
Earth, surface and
atmospheric
features, relative
distance from the
Sun and their
ability to support
life with partial
accuracy.

Student meets the
standards by
accurately
comparing and
contrasting the
planets in terms of
size and relative to
Earth, surface and
atmospheric
features, relative
distance from the
Sun and their
ability to support
life.

Criteria: Correctly
compare and
Criteria: Correctly
compare and
contrasts 0-3
planets and little
to no key
characteristics for
planet for sale.
Criteria: Correctly
compare and
contrasts 4-7
planets and
identifies partial
key characteristics
for planet for sale.
contrasts all 8
planets and
identifies key
characteristics of
planet for sale.
S6E1: Gravity
among space objects
e. explain the gravity
is the force that
governs the motion
of the solar system
Student
demonstrates
minimum
knowledge of
facts/characteristi
cs relating to
gravity among
objects in the
solar system
Student
demonstrates
basic knowledge
of
facts/characteristi
cs relating to
gravity among
objects in the
solar system
Student
demonstrates
knowledge of all
facts/characteristi
cs relating to
gravity among
objects in the
solar system

Teacher Comments:

Group Evaluations

Peer Work Group Evaluation Forms

Directions: In the space below, honestly evaluate the work of other students in your group by
answering yes or no and by using a scale from 1 to 3, 1 being poor, 2 being average, 3 being
above average.

Evaluators Name:_______________________________________ Date:_____________
Group Member 1:___________________________
1. Did this group member complete his/her assigned tasks for the group? Yes No
2. How would you rate the quality of this persons work? 1 2 3
3. How would you rate the timeliness of the completion of the work? 1 2 3
4. How would you rate the accuracy of the work? 1 2 3
5. Overall, how would you rank this group members performance in the group? 1 2 3
6. Would you want to work with this person again? Yes No
Explain why in the space below.




Group Member 2:___________________________
1. Did this group member complete his/her assigned tasks for the group? Yes No
2. How would you rate the quality of this persons work? 1 2 3
3. How would you rate the timeliness of the completion of the work? 1 2 3
4. How would you rate the accuracy of the work? 1 2 3
5. Overall, how would you rank this group members performance in the group? 1 2 3
6. Would you want to work with this person again? Yes No
Explain why in the space below.




Group Member 3:___________________________
1. Did this group member complete his/her assigned tasks for the group? Yes No
2. How would you rate the quality of this persons work? 1 2 3
3. How would you rate the timeliness of the completion of the work? 1 2 3
4. How would you rate the accuracy of the work? 1 2 3
5. Overall, how would you rank this group members performance in the group? 1 2 3
6. Would you want to work with this person again? Yes No
Explain why in the space below.


Group Member 4:___________________________
1. Did this group member complete his/her assigned tasks for the group? Yes No
2. How would you rate the quality of this persons work? 1 2 3
3. How would you rate the timeliness of the completion of the work? 1 2 3
4. How would you rate the accuracy of the work? 1 2 3
5. Overall, how would you rank this group members performance in the group? 1 2 3
6. Would you want to work with this person again? Yes No
Explain why in the space below.