Lesson Plan #5
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Learning about Space: Web Scavenger
Hunt
GRADE LEVEL
Grades 7 to 12
CURRICULUM
Language Arts, Journalism, Science, Computer Science
OVERVIEW OF LESSON PLAN
In this lesson, students explore the July 1999 space shuttle
mission. Students will first discuss an article about this mission's
goals and historic importance. Students then participate in a
Web "scavenger hunt" to find related Web sites and
write an article about the Columbia space mission, current space
endeavours and Canada's involvement in Space.
Use SchoolNet News Network (SNN)'s website: http://www.snn-rdr.ca/snn/
to assist you with journalism skills, interaction with other
student/teachers throughout Canada and as a safe, structured
publishing environment for your students writing.
MATERIALS AND PREPARATION
ACTIVITIES/PROCEDURES
1. Read and discuss ‘Fuel leak wasn't shuttle's
only flaw'. Focus on the following questions:
- What prevented the space shuttle from launching on July 20nd
and July 22, 1999?
- What women other than Col. Collins are mentioned in this
article, and in what ways are these women significant figures
in history?
- What is the goal of this shuttle mission?
2. Web Scavenger Hunt: The scavenger hunt will focus on aspects
of the space program as well as Canada's involvement. Students
must not use the NASA website as a resource. Each student will
be asked to find and cite one website on a specific topic.
- Photo of crew of the Columbia STS-93, their names, responsibilities
on the flight
- Detailed Description of the Chandra X-ray Observatory with
photo
- Biography of Col. Eileen Collins and photo
- S. Chandrasekhar, Nobel Prize Winner: Who is he? What did
he win the Nobel Prize for? Get Photo.
- The Columbia was carrying the Chandra X-ray Observatory as
well as other items. Find websites describing each of these and
provide a photo of each:
- SAREX-II (Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment)
- EarthKam, PGIM (Plant Growth Investigations in Microgravity)
- CGBA (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus)
- MEMS (Micro-electric Mechanical System)
- BRIC (Biological Research in Canisters)
- SWUIS (the Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System)
- GOSAMR (the Gelation of Sols: Applied Microgravity Research
experiment)
- On what date was the Columbia STS-93 mission completed. Provide
photo.
- The first fully Russian contribution to the International
Space Station will serve as the early cornerstone for the first
human habitation of the station. Find a description and photo
of this module.
- What Canadian women have been involved in space flights?
Provide their names, biography and what flights they were on?
- Next year a Canadian astronaut will be the first Canadian
to float freely in space. Who is he and what Canadian system
will he be installing.
- The International Space Station is one of the key focuses
of NASA. When will the station's first crew arrive and who are
they. Provide photos.
- NASA's plans include further human missions to the Moon &
Mars. When is their next scheduled mission - Moon or Mars. Find
statistics on either planet.
- The Canadarm is one of the Canadian Space Agency's greatest
achievements in the space program. What company(s) designed and
constructed the Canadarm?
3. Allow each pair of students to sit at a computer that
is displaying an Internet search engine, such as Yahoo! (http://www.yahoo.com)
or AltaVista (http://www.altavista.com).
Explain scavenger hunt assignment: First, ask students to try
to find the first item (a picture of the crew members from the
July 1999 space shuttle mission) and write a Web citation for
it. The teacher may need to help students find information once
they have found appropriate web pages. Most information will
be found on the first page of Web site. When a student has written
the citation for the first item, he or she should raise his or
her hand to notify the teacher, and the teacher should check
the citation and correct it as necessary. Students should only
be allowed to continue with the scavenger hunt/Web citation activity
after the teacher has reviewed the first item.
4. Students should research the plans for future space
shuttle missions and find two Web sites with information on these
missions. Students should then cite each website.
5. WRAP-UP/ HOMEWORK: Writing a news or feature
article on an aspect of the Columbia space mission and the information
they found on the websites.
Their article should answer the 5 W's: Who, What, When, Where,
Why (and sometimes How). Use the inverted pyramid which means
that articles should be written with the most important information
first and the least important last. Use the SNN Writing Guide to show students how to write
an article.
EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on written journal entry, participation
in class discussions, accurate completion of the worksheet and
their written article.
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