Name_________________________________

MY PLANET_____________________________

Tic-Tac-Toe Astronomy Unit Project This project will count as TWO TEST grades! There will NOT be a unit test, as the project itself will be the test! You are to complete a Tic-Tac-Toe. It may go horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, but YOU MUST COMPLETE THE CENTER SPACE!!! Each square will be worth 100 points. The project total will be 300 points. When is the project due? The final project will be due January 15, 2013 (the Friday AFTER Spring Break). You may turn it in right AFTER Winter Break (January 6, 2013) for 30 extra points.

1. Draw the phases of the moon for the next 14 days. 4. Create and perform a song or poem about space. 7. Respond to a prompt about the seasons.

2. Make a monopoly style game for the Astronomy Unit. 5. Make a travel brochure for a planet. 8. Rewrite and illustrate a story about the moon as a childrens book or comic book.

3. Make a model of the heliocentric solar system. 6. Explain the life cycle of a star from a nebula to a black hole. 9. Make up a new story explaining a particular constellation.

Instructions for the activities that you chose are below. Please make sure that you are doing a tic-tac-toe through the MIDDLE space! If you have further questions, PLEASE ask Ms. Alvino! 1. Draw the phases of the moon for the next 14 days. Make sure to look at the sky around the same time each night and record both the time and date. Be sure to tell if it is waxing or waning and if its a crescent, a quarter, a gibbous, a new moon, or a full moon. 2. Make a game board using the following instructions: a. Must be a monopoly styled board with at least 10 squares on each side. b. Board must have 4 squares with transportation relating to space. c. Must have a Jail square renamed related to space. d. Must have Chance cards that relate to space minimum of 15 cards. e. Must have Community Chest cards that relate to space minimum of 15 cards. f. There must be a Go square renamed relating to space. g. Money is REQUIRED! You MAY NOT use Monopoly money. You must pick a currency relate to space. For example: Alien Money. You MUST have enough money for 4 players to play WITHOUT running out of money! h. Must have different game pieces that relate to space for at least 4 people.

3. Make a model of the heliocentric solar system. You MUST include the sun and the 8 planets. Any extra moons or asteroid belt will be extra credit! You may make it out of any material that will not rot within a week from the time you turn it in. 4. Create a song or poem about space. It must be at least 1 minute and 30 seconds in length. You may use pre-made music, make up your own music, or have no music at all (if doing poem). If you choose to use pre-made music, you must find a version WITHOUT lyrics. You may choose to videotape or record you and/or your friends performing the song/poem. Or, you may choose to perform it in front of the class during your presentation. 5. YOU MUST COMPLETE THIS SQUARE! You are going to create a travel brochure on a planet that you pull from a hat. You will be doing research on your planet to find out the following information. You will put all the information about your planet in your brochure. You will then pick a feature or two to advertise why someone would want to come to your planet. I know that you would not be able to survive on any other planet, but I want you to use your imagination and creativity to come up with why someone would want to visit your planet. (Examples: A frozen planet may advertise a ski resort. A planet close to the sun may advertise tanning. A planet with long nights may advertise night-life activities). Please follow the guidelines ON THE NEXT PAGE!!! You will be graded on the accuracy of the information, neatness of the brochure, and your creativity of the reason to visit. You MUST include: a. Origin of name b. Distance from the sun c. Number of moons d. Size (diameter or circumference) e. Rocky (solid) or Gaseous f. Composition (what is it made of?) g. Rings or not h. Length of planets day (rotation period) i. Length of planets year (orbital period) j. At least 2 pictures 6. Explain the life cycle of a star from a nebula to a black hole. You may use your class notes but you will need to do more research on the stages in between. **Hint: you should have 8 stages.** You may choose to explain the life cycle in the form of a power point, poster, written essay, or any other approved method. If you choose to do something else, please ask Mrs. Reynolds first! 7. Please respond to the following prompt in at least 2 pages double-spaced. a. The Northern hemisphere on Earth usually tilts at a 23.5 degree angle toward the sun during its summer, while at the same time, the Southern hemisphere tilts at a 23.5 degree angle away from the sun during its winter. An asteroid just hit Earth. It came in at the just right angle and speed to spin the tilt the Earth in the exact opposite direction. The asteroid did NOT harm the Earth in any other way. Explain what would happen in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA and Cape Town, South Africa, Africa. What would the people in these two places need to do to adapt to the new tilt of their hemisphere?

8. Find a myth/folklore about the moon that is at least one paragraph in length. Rewrite the story as a childrens story book or as a comic book. Make sure to illustrate it! 9. Select a constellation. Research the real story or zodiac description of how it got its name/why its in the sky. Summarize the story into your own words. Then draw the arrangement of the stars of your constellation on a sheet of computer or construction paper. Then decide what you think the constellation looks like to you. Write a creative story about why it is in the nights sky. If you think it really looks like the object in the original story, you must make up a new story as to why it is in the nights sky. You will present your story to the class.

Instructions of How to Set Up Your Planet Travel Brochure The blocks found below will represent the front and back of your planet brochure. The top 3 grids will be 1 side of your brochure while the bottom 3 grids will be the other side of your brochure. Front Page Page 5 This is where you will finish up the reasons for the people visiting your planet. This may also be a good place to put a picture. Page 6 You may leave this one blank or put any extra stuff here. This may be a good place to put a picture. This will be the very back of your brochure. Page 1 This is the front of your brochure. Please put planet name. Some type of drawing or design to represent your planet. Your name.

Back Page Page 2 This is where you put your planet facts. You will probably have to finish them on the next page. Page 3 Finish your required planet facts on this page. You may also add a design here too. Page 4 Start your advertisements for why people should visit your planet. This is the creative part!