Imagine! It's the year 2025 and all the land in Merrick-Bellmore has been developed. It's so crowded on Long Island that there is no place for you to build a house for your family.
You've heard that a new real estate company, Universal, is now listing property on the moon. So you and a few of your friends decide to look into lunar land purchases.
Before you purchase land on the moon, you'll want to research the neighborhood there.
You and your friends have decided to split up the task and each of you will do research on different aspects of the moon. Since each of you has a career on Earth, you will use your expertise as you learn more about the moon. After you complete your research individually, you'll meet, discuss, and come to a consensus about where to purchase land.
If you could live anywhere on the Moon, where would you like your home to be?
In this WebQuest you will be working together with a group of students in class. Each student in your group will assume the role of a different expert: geologist, historian, meteorologist, and photographer. Then together you will decide where to purchase land on the moon. You will present the information and your decision on where to purchase lunar land in the form of a HyperStudio presentation.
As a member of the group you will explore Web pages from people all over the world who care about moon exploration, history, and possible sites for colonization.
You'll begin with everyone in your group getting some background about the moon before dividing into roles where people on your team become experts on one part of the topic.
Use the Internet information linked below to answer the basic questions of who? what? where? when? why? and how? Be creative in exploring the information so that you answer these questions as fully and insightfully as you can.
- The Moon - This site provides general background information on the Moon. It contains links to photos, geology, history, and cyclic changes.
- Moon Watch: The Site for Moon Enthusiasts - This site contains photos, history, videos, and trivia about the Moon.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Each of the members of your team will choose a different career from the ones listed below. Individually you will be responsible for gathering information about the moon relevant to your specific career.
2. Read through the files linked to your group. If you print out the files, underline the passages that you feel are the most important. If you look at the files on the computer, copy sections you feel are important by dragging the mouse across the passage and copying / pasting it into a word processor or other writing software.
3. Note: Remember to bookmark or copy/paste the URL of the file you take the passage from so you can quickly go back to it if you need to to prove your point.
4. Be prepared to focus what you've learned into one main opinion that answers the Big Quest(ion) or Task based on what you have learned from the links for your role.Geologist
Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to Geologist:
1. Describe the lunar landscape.
2. Compare the lunar landscape to Earth's landscape.
3. What features of the lunar surface would be the best for landing a space craft and locating a colony?
- Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Journal - Scroll down the dialogue to access videos of the astronauts exploring the lunar surface.
- Map of the Moon - Detailed map of the moon
Historian
Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to Historian:
1. Investigate the history of the moon.
2. What have past explorers (astronauts) learned about the moon.
3. Is there any evidence of current volcanic activity, earthquakes, or recent asteroid impacts that would be detrimental for setting up a colony in a particular location?
- Kennedy Space Center Page - Apollo 11 conversations and links - Conversations between the astronauts aboard Apollo 11. Use the Moon and Earth links throughout the dialogues to access facts and photos.
- Exploring the Moon: Apollo Missions - The six Apollo landings which took place between 1960 and 1972, provided scientists with huge amounts of lunar data in the form of photography, surface and experiment results, sample collections, and surface operation.
Meteorologist
Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to Meteorologist:
1. Investigate environmental conditions on the moon: temperature, weather, or other daily, monthly, or yearly cycles on the moon.
2. What is the environment of different locations on the moon?
3. In terms of the environment where would colonization be most suitable?
- United States Navy Observatory lunar data - This site contains lunar dates and times for: moon rise, moon set, eclipses, periods of illumination (day and night), other daily and yearly data
- Moon Animations - See a lunar eclipse, or the phases of the moon
Photographer
Use the Internet information linked below to answer these questions specifically related to Photographer:
1. Find lunar photos that show places on the moon that would be suitable for colonization as well as photos that would be unsuitable for colonization.
2. Find scenic places that you would like to live near.
- Images of the Moon - Surface features on the moon.
- Invitation to the Moon - Lots of images of the moon.
You have all learned about a different aspect of the moon. Meet with the other experts in your group and come to a decision about where on the moon to purchase land. Each of you will bring a certain viewpoint to the answer: some of you will agree and others disagree. Use information, pictures, movies, facts, opinions, etc. from the Web pages you explored to convince your teammates that your viewpoint is important and should be part of your team's answer to the Task / Quest(ion): If you could live anywhere on the Moon, where would you like your home to be?
Your WebQuest team will present your information in the form of a HyperStudio presentation. Make a title card with the names of each team member as well as each member's career expertise. Each team member will be responsible for making one or two HyperStudio cards pertaining to their expertise. Your final HyperStudio card should clearly state where on the moon you will purchase land and the reasons for your group decision.
You and your teammates have learned a lot by dividing up into different roles. Now's the time to put your learning into a letter you'll send out for real world feedback. Together you will write a letter that contains opinions, information, and perspectives that you've gained. Here's the process:
Feel free to use the links and correspond with NASA experts about the information you are collecting.Your Contact is: NASA
Deciding where to purchase land is an important decision, whether it's in New York or on the Moon. As you completed this WebQuest you have not only become familiar with our closest astronomical neighbor, the Moon, but you have also learned more about what geologists, historians, meteorologists, and photographers do. In addition, you've learned that teamwork takes individual work as well as a group consensus to make a final decision.
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Content by
Mrs.
Russell |