ExotrexLesson2.1:ExploringtheSolarSystemObjectives:-IdentifythefeaturesoftheSolarSystemMapinExotrex2-DescribetherelativedistancesbetweenplanetsusingtheSolarSystemMapinExotrex2Materials:ThislessonisanexplorationofthefeaturesoftheSolarSystemmapinExotrex2andstudentswillneedaccesstothegameinordertocompletethislesson.Preparation:YouwillneedtoprojecttheopeningscreenofExotrex2andshowstudentshowtogettotheSolarSystemMapaswellastheDistanceSimulator. BesuretobecomefamiliarwiththesetwofeaturesofExotrex2andbereadytodemonstratehowtonavigatetowardsthesetwofeaturesofthegameforthislesson.
NCSSStandards:Thislessonisexploratory.Thefollowingstandardscanbeincorporatedifyouwishtoaskstudentstotakenotesspecificallyongravity,orbitsandthescaleofthesolarsystem.MS-ESS1-2Earth'sPlaceintheUniverseDevelopanduseamodeltodescribetheroleofgravityinthemotionswithingalaxiesandthesolarsystem.MS-ESS1-3Earth'sPlaceintheUniverseAnalyzeandinterpretdatatodeterminescalepropertiesofobjectsinthesolarsystem.WarmUp(5minutes):Askstudentstodrawaquickmodelofthesolarsystemandtolabelplanetswithanydistinguishingcharacteristictheycanthinkofforeachitemincluded.After2minutesaskstudentstosharetheirworkandtakestockofthesementalsolarsystemmaps.ExplainthattheywillbeexploringthesolarsystemindetailtodayusingthegameExotrex2.GuidedDiscovery(10minutes):ShowstudentshowtonavigatetotheSolarSystemmapinExotrex2,accessinformationabouteachplanetinthemapandalsonavigatetotheDistanceSimulator.Setyourexpectations on the types of information that students should be collecting and the amount. Theaccompanyinghandoutispurelyexploratoryinnature.Feelfreetomodifyittofityourneeds.IndependentPractice(30Minutes):Passoutstudenthandoutsandhavestudentsexplorethesolarsystem!Besuretoremindstudentstonotclickonthe“TravelNow”buttonthatisavailableonTitan,VenusandMercury.Thatwilltakethemintofullgameplay.ReviewandConclude(5minutes):AskstudentstosharenewinsightsordiscoveriesabouttheSolarSystemandtoreflectonhowtheywouldchangethemapthattheydrewatthebeginningofthelesson.
Accessthesolarsystemmapbyclickingonthisinteractivetable
Exploreplanetsbyclickingonthem
AccessDistanceSimulatorhere
Accessmoreplanetsbyclickinghere.
TheDistanceSimulatorshowsrelativedistances&funfactsaboutSolarSystem.
Name:__________________________________________________________Date:______________Directions:Use theSolar SystemmapandDistance Simulator in Exotrex2 to completeobservationsaboutplanets,asteroidsandtheirrelativedistancesbetweeneachotheronthishandout.1)Whatisonefactthatyoulearnedorsurprisedyouabouteachofthefollowingplanetsandasteroids?a)Sun:b)Mercury:c)Venus:d)Earth:e)Mars:f)AsteroidBelt:g)Jupiter:h)Saturn:i)Uranus:j)Neptune:2)Whatisonefactthatyoulearnedorsurprisedyouabouteachofthefollowingmoons?a)Luna(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):b)Phobos(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):c)Deimos(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):d)Io(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):e)Europa(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):f)Ganymede(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):g)Ariel(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):
2)Whatisonefactthatyoulearnedorsurprisedyouabouteachofthefollowingmoons?(Continued)a)Miranda(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):b)Umbriel(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):c)Titania(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):d)Titan(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):e)Iapetus(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):f)Dione(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):g)Rhea(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):h)Triton(Moonofwhichplanet?________________):UsetheDistanceSimulatortoanswerthefollowingquestions:3)Whichplanetsarerelativelyclosetogether?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4)Whichplanetsareseparatedfromothersbythegreatestdistances?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________5)WhatarethreeinterestingfunfactsthatyoudiscoveredwhileexploringtheDistanceSimulator?
a) _____________________________________________________________________________
b) _____________________________________________________________________________
c) _____________________________________________________________________________
ExtensionDiscussionExotrex2challengesstudentstotesttheequipmentprovidedbyDr.Burke inpreparationforfindinganewplanetforhumanity.Inlesson2.1,studentsshouldhaveexploredthesolarsystemand gained a deeper awareness of the diversity of the planets and its sheer vastness. Thefollowingquestionpromptsaredesignedtodebrieflesson2.1andsetstudentsupforplayingthe Exotrex2 at length. Each discussion prompt is accompanied by a goal for studentunderstanding.Prompts:1) Asyouexploredtheplanetsofthesolarsystemwhatdidyoulearnthatwasneworsurprising
toyou?Goal:Carefullybuildonstudentobservationstohighlightthattherearesomanyplacestoexploreinthesolarsystem.Studentswillbeexploringmoonsofplanetsandthismaybethefirsttimethattheymayhaveconsideredthatamoonmaybeanacceptableplacetolive.
2) In your exploration so far, have you found a place that you thinkmight be suitable for
humanitytocallhome?Goal:Treattheseanswersashypothesesthatwillberevisited.Writedownthelocationsanddocumentstudentjustification.Requirestudentsgiveevidencefortheirproposals(bothproorcon)basedonfactsthatwerelearnedwhileexploringthesolarsystemmap.WhileplayingExotrex2,studentswilllearnaboutdifferentplanetsbutultimatelywillnotfindanewhomeforhumanity. Themainpointof thegame is forstudentstoshowthattheycantesttheonboardequipment,deploy roversandanalyzeplanetarycomposition successfully. OncetheyhavesuccessfullycompletedthetrainingexercisesinExotrex2theywillbechallengedtofindanewhomeamongExoplanetsoutsideofoursolarsystem.
3) WhatdidyounoticeaboutthesolarsystemwhileusingtheDistanceSimulator?
Goal:Wewantstudentstounderstandthevastsizeofthesolarsystem.ThiswillhelpthemrealizewhyhavingaspecializedshipwithaB.E.A.K.E.R.engineisnecessaryfortravelingsuchlongdistances.Ifthesolarsystemissolarge,whatdoesthatmeanforthesizeoftheuniverseandthegalaxy?ThesequestionsareimportantforlayingthegroundworkofunderstandingthattheexistenceofaninhabitableExoplanetmayverywellbepossible.
