Planet Density Project

This week in the Lab Class we worked on a mini project or performance task on planet density.  Students were given the assignment through Google Classroom.  They were given a HyperDoc that had all of the necessary links and information they needed to complete the project.

We started with a couple of short videos to introduce the concept of density and how it relates to planets.  There were also a section of resources that were provided including videos on how to subtract and multiply with decimals.  They were also given a NASA website that had all of the relevant information that they would need to complete the tasks.  Students watched the videos and gathered the information on their own.  They used the data that they found to answer questions and fill in a table on a Google Doc provided to them through Google Classroom.

Once they finished filling in the information and answering the questions on the doc, they had a short quiz that they took using a Google Form and Flubaroo.  Flubaroo is an Add-On that automatically sends them their results.  

Students then completed the final portion of their planet density project.  They were to design an "alternate universe" where they had to multiply the current planet densities by a number of their choosing.  They also had to find the difference in density to their "home" planets.  They designed their universe using Google Draw.  Some chose to use pictures of existing planets and others drew their own.  Some were very creative...

 Others used existing images to create their alternate universes.  They were still creative with their naming and stories...

In the end, the Lab Class students did a great job.  They were highly engaged and worked independently with a little help from each other and the teacher.  It was really neat to see them really take ownership of their learning and work throw the process in a student-centered environment.