INTRODUCTION:

 You are a travel agent astronomer trying to sell a vacation on your planet.  As a travel agent you will provide the necessary facts and information to entice your clients into visiting your planet in our solar system.

TASK:

 As a travel agent you are responsible for developing a brochure/advertisement and travel commercial promoting your planet as the best place to vacation in the solar system.  Every planet is different, so it is your job to give as many interesting facts, information and pictures as you can so that we will pick your planet as our vacation destination over anyone else.
Information for your written and oral presentation could include: description of your planet, color, location, weather and activities you could do (use your imagination and make these up such as: space flying, asteroid fishing and star swimming). You will develop a travel brochure/advertisement with pictures and drawings and a oral presentation/commercial for your classmates convincing them your place is the best vacation place in the solar system to visit.

RESOURCES:
 
 

 To complete this project, you will need to go to the following sites:

Coloring Book
http://www.windows.umich.edu/cgi-bin/tour.cgi/coloring_book/index_java.html

Welcome to the Planets
http://pds.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/

http//seds.lpl.arizona.edu/billa/tnp/nineplanets.htm/#toc

a learning center for young astronomers coloring book
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/
 

http://www.tcsn.net/afiner/planet.htm

nine planets
http://www.tcsn.net/afiner/solar.htm
 

mission to the planets
http://ispec.scibernet.com/station/mission.html

http://www.kapili.com/risec/
explore astronomy

simulator of the planets make your own
http://space.jpl.nasa.gov/

pictures of the planets
http://library.thinkquest.org/18188/english/gallery/main.htm

astronomy for kids
http://www.frontiernet.net/~kidpower/astronomy.html

PROCESS:

 You will pick a planet you want to research.  Each student will complete research related to their planet, concentrating on weather, color, location, size, and physical characteristics.

Follow these steps:
1. Each student will select a planet except for Earth.
2. Each student will research their plan using the resources stated.
3. Each student will draw their planet.
4. Each student will have pictures of their planet.
5. Each student will take all their data and pictures and create a brochure/ advertisement promoting a vacation on their planet (including their facts as a selling point).
6. Each student will present their final project to their classmates in the form of an advertisement or commercial.

EVALUATION:

 The written and oral presentation will be by an individual student, assessed by both teacher and peers.  The criteria for evaluating the project will be decided by the teacher.  Another evaluation will be done by a student vote for the best vacation planet after everyone has presented; this will be counted as a grade.
Teacher criteria will include the following areas:
Click here for an evaluation sheet to print out.

CONCLUSION:

 By completing this project, you should:
 

• Demonstrate your knowledge of your planet in our solar system through details and facts and its physical characteristics.
• Complete research, drawings and pictures related to your planet in order to provide information for your final written and oral presentation.
• Have an understanding of your particular planet and be able to relate it to the rest of the class through your commercial/ advertisement.
• After viewing everyone else's presentation, you will have a better understanding of our solar system.
• Communicate clearly, effectively and creatively the information you have organized in your research/ brochure/ advertisement/ commercial.

 Some day in the future you may see yourself as a space age travel agent, traveling through the solar system selling vacation spots.You will be able to do this because you now have all the necessary information to interest your clients in a worthwhile vacation planet. Go out now and travel with the stars and planets!! Can you see yourself doing this? I can.

CREDITS:

        Graphics taken from dogpile.com