Aim:

Students will learn

• to distinguish between meteors , meteorites,asteroids,comets, and planets
• to use the Internet as a research tool
• to evaluate the reliabilty of sources 

Goals and Objectives: A primary goal of this unit is to engage the students in both use of their intelligence and use of the Internet. As a secondary result, students should have an understanding of how scientists work in teams, how argument advances discussion, and how to gauge the reliabilty of Internet information. Students will be able to explain the differences between the sky phenomena they study.

Standards: These are addressed as a by product of the primary goalsd noted above.

• National Science Education Standards-Contents
• http://books.nap.edu/html/nses/html/index.html
• See particularly science as inquiry section and
• Earth and Space content standards

Subject-matter: Meteors , meteorites, asteroids, comets, and planets

Instructional Plan: Students will begin the unit by writing down or discussing as a group what they already know about the phenomena they are about to study. Then they will go to the web site in teams of two to receive their mission and do the research to suggest a plan of action. The two-person teams will meet in groups of six (three teams) and share their plans. These groups will then report to the whole class "science convention". Some students will take on the role of journalists to interview others. A written report of the convention will be prepared for the class newsletter.

Materials and Tools: 

• open minds and willingness to cooperate as part of a team
• pencils and paper
• Internet-ready computers
• sand, ice, dirt, foil, Christmas tree tinsel strands, rocks, glue, and clay for crafts in which the students may replicate the phenomena they've studied

• their ability to use and evaluate internet sources
• their ability to work as part of a team
• the abilities and contributions of their team members
• Students will also use an on-line form to assess themselves objectively.