Science Project - My Planet

Names: ________________________________________________
The next few days you will be given a planet from our solar system. You will create your own travel
brochure and create at least two drawings (colored pencils, crayons, markers, etc.) of your planet.
Follow this worksheet for your notes and information youll find on your planet from your science
textbook, other books, and the Internet. After you have filled out this worksheet you are ready to begin creating
your brochure.
The brochure will count as a test grade (Due 2/4), you will get 2 class work grades for working on
your project during the allotted time (in my class and Mr. Heuers class), a quiz grade for creating an outline
for your classmates to fill in (Due 2/3) and filling in one during the presentations, and a project grade for
presenting your brochure to the class (Presentations will be held on 2/5-6). Thats 5 grades total!
Our Planet is ______________________
Your brochure must include the following sections:
Cover Page (10 Points): Must look interesting in order to get your viewers attention. Must include a
picture, the name of your planet, and your names.
Basic info page(s) (50 Points):
o Topics to be included in your basic info page(s):
The Planet's Name: What does its name mean? Many planets were named after
mythological gods.
Position in the Solar System: Where is your planet located (for example, Mars in the
fourth planet from the Sun)? How far from the Sun does it orbit? Is its orbit unusual in
any way? Should include a picture.
Rotation on its Axis: How long does it take for your planet to rotate on its own axis?
(This is one day on your planet.)
Size: How big is your planet? How does it rate in terms of the other planets in terms of
size (is it the biggest, the smallest)? What is your planet's mass?
Orbit: How long (days) does it take for your planet to orbit the Sun?
Atmosphere: What is the composition of the atmosphere of your planet? Is it a thick or a
thin atmosphere?
Temperature: What is the temperature range your planet? How does this compare to
the temperature on Earth?
Your Planets appearance: What type of planet is it (is it rocky or a gas giant)? What is
its internal composition? What does your planet look like?
Moons: If there are moons orbiting your planet, describe them and when they were
discovered.
Rings: If there are rings orbiting your planet, describe them and when they were
discovered.
How Would a Human Being Fare on Your Planet (10 Points): On your planet, would a person choke
in the atmosphere, be squashed by the extreme gravity, float with ease, freeze, burn up, or something
else? Could a person live on your planet with any accommodations?
Something Special (10 Points): Is there anything special about your planet? This can often be the
best part of the report, taking you off on interesting topics. For example, are there 100-year-long storms
on your planet? Are there giant volcanoes? Does your planet have a very tilted axis (giving it extreme
seasons)? Have spacecraft visited your planet? If so, what have they discovered? Is your planet in an
orbital resonance with another body?
Bibliography (10 Points): Create a bibliography of the resources you used.

Rubric for IB Grading:

Criterion A: Knowing and Understanding

At the end of year 3, students should be able to:

i. describe scientific knowledge
iii. analyse information to make scientifically supported judgments.

Achievement Level
0

Level Descriptor
The student does not reach a standard indicated by any of the
descriptors below.
The student is able to:

1-2

i. recall scientific knowledge

iii. apply information to make judgments.
The student is able to:

3-4

i. state scientific knowledge

iii. apply information to make scientifically supported judgments.
The student is able to:

5-6

i. outline scientific knowledge

iii. interpret information to make scientifically supported
judgments.
The student is able to:

7-8

i. describe scientific knowledge

iii. analyse information to make scientifically supported judgments.

Criterion D: Reflecting on the Impacts of Science

At the end of year 3, students should be able to:
iii. apply scientific language effectively
iv. document the work of others and sources used.

Achievement Level
0

Level Descriptor
The student does not reach a standard indicated by any of the
descriptors below.
The student is able to:

1-2

iii. apply scientific language to communicate understanding but does so

with limited success
iv. document sources, with limited success.
The student is able to:

3-4

iii. sometimes apply scientific language to communicate

understanding
iv. sometimes document sources correctly.
The student is able to:

5-6

iii. usually apply scientific language to communicate understanding

clearly and precisely
iv. usually document sources correctly.
The student is able to:

7-8

iii. consistently apply scientific language to communicate

understanding clearly and precisely
iv. document sources completely.