Teacher Process
This lesson, depending on students' progress, may take up to 4-5, 40 minute science lessons.
The first day, separate the students into pairs. Depending on the behavior of the class, you can either allow them to pick their own partner or you can pick partners for them.
Next assign a computer to each student, making sure that the students are sitting next to their partners.
Direct the students to the Webquest site and allow them to search around the site for about 5 minutes to become familiar with it.
Read the “Task” portion to them, making sure that they understand the lesson.
If there are no questions, allow them to get started on the lesson. By this point, 15-20 minutes of science will be over. For the remainder 15-20 minutes allow the students, with their partner, to research and fill out the worksheet for the planet that they have chosen.
Circulate the classroom for any questions from the students, and record for each student which planet they have chosen for this project.
The second day, allow the students to continue researching their planet. Also encourage them to begin brainstorming what 5 qualifications a planet would need in order to inhabit life.
By the end of the second day, the students should complete the research worksheet, and have a good idea of the 5 qualifications. Use the entire 40 minute lab to complete these two tasks. Also, leave a 10-15 minute period of time after the lab for a brainstorming session for their essay.
When you return to class, after the lab, start the students on brainstorming for their individual essay for the president. Guide them in constructing a web, or a list of the details that they want to put in their essay.
On the third day, the students should have completed the research worksheet, completed the qualifications for life worksheet and should be mostly focusing on writing their essay. Hand out the guidelines to the students called “Guidelines for Writing a Paper to the President.” So they don’t have to rely on the computer for writing the paper. Allow them to work on their rough draft the entire 40 minutes of class.
On the fourth day, the students should be close to completing their essay. Allow them 25-30 minutes to revise their rough draft and re-write a final draft. For the remaining 10-15 minutes, let the students reconvene into their partner groups and instruct them to develop visuals on their 5 qualifications.
On the fifth day, the students should present the information on their planet and their visuals on their items.