Planet Research Project

Important Guidelines and Information:

Planet Research Project - this is an in-class partner laptop project. Your group will be researching details of an assigned planet and compiling the information as a PowerPoint Presentation. After, your group will present the most important details about your planet to the class. As a class, we will be compiling the details of each planet and then performing comparitive analysis of the planets in our solar system.

Project Sequence:

• Research - Planet Data Collection Worksheet
• Compile Planet Research in a PowerPoint Presentation

Assigned Planets for Research:

* If you are assigned Mercury, Venus, or Mars: you are required to add many more content, photos, and captions for full credit. Why? Students researching gas giant planets have more work to do than you. They have to write about more moons and rings!

Assignment Documents (be sure to "right click" and save link as):

• Planet Data Collection WS
• PowerPoint Template (ctrl-click, then "save link as")

Helpful Links for Research (remember that you will need to use several websites to find all of the information):

Nine Planets - This site offers introductions to the nine planets, their satellites and other Solar System objects, including asteroids, comets and Kuiper Belt Objects.

JPL Planets - This site will be useful for our planet research project. It includes the important data for each planet.

NASA Solar System - This site will also be useful for our planet research project. It includes the important data for each planet and more.

Enchanted Learning Astronomy - Great site for simple planetary data that is very kid friendly. This site also has some good images to use with your presentation

Planet Symbols from NASA - Symbols of all the planets. MOST IMPORTANTLY, there is an explanation of the symbols at the bottom of the page.

NASA's Celestia Exploration - Planets are listed on the left, click your planet for quick data.

NASA's Worldbook - Click on your planet from the list for some great information.

Windows to the Universe - Contains information on all planets.

National Geographic Virtual Solar System - Not a lot of information but a very cool site! Some features only work on a PC.

Kids Astronomy - Kid friendly planet data.

Your Weight On Other Planets - Type in 100lbs. and select your planet to get the answer!

Grolier Online Encyclopedia - This online encyclopedia is only accessible while you are at school. It is really easy to find information AND images of your planet. Type the name of your planet in the search tool.

NASA's Photojournal - Tons of pictures for your PowerPoint presentation!

 

Site Created by: Sean Gardinier