The Apocalypse: Earth and Space Science

Teaching students about Space is tons of fun, however, it is difficult for many to grasp the abstract concepts because they cannot manipulate, see, or touch the planets, asteroids, etc.While brainstorming for this project, a colleague of mine came up with a phenomenal idea. Kids (well I think the general public included) are fascinated by apocalyptic events (of course including Zombies!). She came up with the idea that if some apocalyptic events happen to the Earth, its physical features and living creatures would alter. So, if these events happened, how could our school district and the general public be ready to thrive after such changes? The students were challenged to create a brochure that informs the public about the changes and predict what may happen as a result of the changes. I told the students the following apocalyptic changes happened to the Earth:

1. The Earth's rotation slowed to cause 36 hour days.
2. The Earth was pushed back a few light years.
3. The Earth takes 400 days to make one revolution around the sun.

Here are the Driving Question and Project Requirements:

Driving Question:

How do Earth's characteristics affect our daily lives?

Create a brochure that includes:

• List that identifies the characteristics of the Earth, Sun, and Moon
• Create a Double-Bubble or Venn Diagram comparing current characteristics of the Earth and Moon to the Earth after the “change”
• Survival Checklist
• Analyze and critique the Magic Treehouse Book "Midnight on the Moon" in an essay

The students needed to have sound knowledge about the Earth's current features before they could compare and predict the apocalyptic changes. I grouped students in pairs to ensure engagement of all students. During the "work" phase, one of the DIY's assigned was to write an essay about the Water Cycle. Most students met or exceeded my expectations! I think after 4 years of learning about the water cycle, the are starting to grasp it!

Another activity I assigned the kids was to create a model of the Earth, Moon, and Sun and the relationship of their movement, but also had to provide the limitations of their model. The kids worked with their table mates (groups of 5) and had to present the model and its limitations to the class. Here are some pics!

Some of the student products met my expectations, but many did not. Still many of them were unsure about vocabulary and features of the Earth, which hindered their ability to compare and predict. For next year, I may do more hands on labs for the students to help the acquisition of the concepts. I did a lab on the moon phases (I put a styrofoam ball on a stick, used a lamp in a dark room as the Sun, and had the kids turn counterclockwise to see the phases of the moon).  Unfortunately we were not able to get enough copies of the Midnight on the Moon novel either, so it had to be nixed from the project :(. 

I may try to fine tune the project for next year, add some more activities to the research/work phase, or maybe just change it altogether. Many students did not meet my expectation on the assessment. 

If you are interested in the project, leave your email in a comment and I will send the project plan and rubric to you!