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* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
TEKS 7.9A analyze characteristics of objects in our solar system that allow life to exist such as the proximity of the sun, presence of water, and composition of the atmosphere Alien Survival Materials: Construction paper Markers Paper Rulers Solar system resource materials Purpose of activity: Students should apply what they have learned about gravity, the planets and the solar system to create an alien that is able to survive on its planet. Review table titled: What makes a world habitable? before this activity. Objectives: Describe the types of characteristics that are necessary for survival on a chosen planet. Identify characteristics of objects in our solar system. Students will create an alien for an assigned planet or of their choice. They will use the required criteria listed on the student page to design their final product. Differentiated Instruction option: This project can be differentiated by allowing students to complete one of the following: media presentations (Video or power point.) write a screenplay about the alien. TEKS 7.9A: analyze characteristics of objects in our solar system that allow life to exist such as proximity of the sun, presence of water, and composition of the atmosphere Alien Survival Background: Think about planet Earth and its characteristics. The temperature ranges from -88oC to 58oC because of the distance from the sun. We have four seasons since Earth is tilted 23.45o on its axis. Most of our planet is covered with water. The air is made of nitrogen, oxygen and a little carbon dioxide which is the perfect combination to allow us to breathe. The force of gravity pulls us down at a rate of 9.8 meters per second 2 so we don’t float off into space. Earth is home to people, plants and animals because it has water and the right kind of atmosphere. All organisms need to have unique characteristics that allow them to survive on a certain planet. You are going to pretend you are an alien from a different planet and describe what adaptations you need in order to survive. Procedure: Use plain white paper, pencil, and art supplies to draw a picture of the alien from your chosen or assigned planet. You must include special adaptations of your alien based on the climate, atmosphere, and characteristics of the planet. Use FACTS from table titled: What makes a world habitable? and your creative ideas to describe your alien. Your project must include a picture of the alien with the adaptations labeled. You must also include a description of the alien that explains the adaptations (at least 5 sentences). REQUIRED QUESTIONS: The following questions need to be answered in your description. If these items are not included, points will be deducted. Think about a particular planet, its properties and location… 1) What characteristics does the alien have that allow it to survive in the planet’s climate? 2) How does the alien acquire its food? 3) What gases does the alien breathe? 4) How has the alien adapted to the planet’s gravity? 5) What does the alien look like? Alien Survival Rubric Y N Points 5 1. Is my name and title on the project? 30 3. Have I included a labeled drawing of the alien? 4. Is this information included? Planet alien lives on 5 Adaptation to the planet’s climate 5 Adaptation to the planet’s gravity 5 Adaptation to eat 5 Adaptation to breathe 5 5. I have included a 5 sentence description of the alien that answers the required questions. 6. 5 I checked for spelling and grammar errors Points Earned 35 Total What Makes a World Habitable? Obtained from http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/explore/our_place/activity_glance.shtml Factors that make a Planet Habitable Temperature Influences how quickly atoms and molecules move Water Dissolves & transports chemicals within and to and from a cell Not Enough of the Factor Just Right Too Much of the Factor Situation in the Solar System Low temperatures cause chemicals to react slowly, which interferes with the reactions necessary for life. Also low temperatures freeze water, making liquid water unavailable. Life seems limited to a temperature range of -15 to 115 degrees Celsius. In this range, liquid water can still exist under certain conditions. At about 125 degrees Celsius, molecules important for life (e.g., DNA and RNA) start to break apart. Also, high temperatures quickly evaporate water. Surface: Only Earth’s surface is in this temperature range. Sub-surface: The interior of the solid planets & moons may be in this temperature range. The chemicals a cell needs for energy & growth are not dissolved or transported to the cell Water is regularly available. Life can exist between wet periods, but, eventually, water needs to be available. Too much water is not a problem, as long as it is not so toxic (poisonous substance) that it interferes with the chemistry of life Surface: Only Earth’s surface has water, though Mars once had surface water and still has water ice in its polar ice caps. Saturn’s moon, Titan, seems to be covered with liquid methane. Sub-surface: Mars & some moons have deposits of underground ice, which might melt to produce water. Europa, has a vast ocean beneath its outer shell if ice. Factors that make a Planet Habitable Not Enough of the Factor Just Right Atmosphere Traps heat, shields the surface from harmful radiation, and provides chemicals needed for life, such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Small planets and moons have insufficient gravity to hold an atmosphere. The gas molecules escape to space, leaving the planet or moon without an insulating blanket or a protective shield. Energy Organisms use light or chemical energy to run their life processes. When there is too little sunlight or too few of the chemicals that provide energy to cells, such as iron or sulfur, organisms die. Earth & Venus are the right size to hold a sufficient-sized atmosphere. Earth’s atmosphere is about 100 miles thick. It keeps the surface warm & protects it from radiation & small- to medium-sized meteorites. With a steady input of either light or chemical energy, cells can run the chemical reactions necessary for life. Nutrients Used to build and maintain an organism’s body. Without sufficient nutrients organisms cannot grow. Planets without systems to deliver nutrients to its organisms (e.g., a water cycle or volcanic activity) cannot support life. Also, when nutrients are hard to obtain life cannot exist. All solid planets & moons have the same general chemical makeup, so nutrients are present. Those with a water cycle or volcanic activity can transport and replenish the chemicals required by living organisms. Too Much of the Factor Situation in the Solar System Venus’s atmosphere is 100 times thicker than Earth’s. It is made almost entirely of greenhouse gasses, making the surface too hot for life. The four giant planets are completely made of gas. Of the solid planets & moons, only Earth, Venus, & Titan (Saturn’s moon) have significant atmospheres. Mars’ atmosphere is about 1/100th that of Earth’s, too small for significant insulation or shielding. Light energy is a problem if it makes a planet too hot or if there are too many harmful rays, such as ultraviolet. Too many energy-rich chemicals is not a problem. Too many nutrients are not a problem. However, too much volcanism for example Jupiter’s moon, Io, or the churning atmospheres of the gas planets, interferes with an organism’s ability to get enough nutrients. Surface: Some inner planets get too much sunlight for life. The outer planets get too little. Sub-surface: Most solid planets & moons have energy-rich chemicals. Surface: Earth has a water cycle, an atmosphere, and volcanoes to circulate nutrients. Sub-surface: Any planet or moon with subsurface water or molten rock can circulate and replenish nutrients for organisms.