If you answered yes to any of these questions, NAHS wants you! NAHS stands for the National Association for Humans in Space. They want to build the first human city in the solar system. The city will be called Alpha. They do not care what the cost or how long it takes. However, they need to determine the appropriate site of their new city. That is where your assignment begins.

NAHS wants to send you and four other team members into the solar system to determine the appropriate site. You will visit the other planets and their moons. They will provide you with the transportation in a new age space shuttle and any other materials that you may need as long as you present them with a great site for Alpha upon your return to Earth.

Get ready to go! You are blasting off today...

The ultimate task of your trip is to determine the perfect site in the solar system for NAHS to build Alpha. This trip is free and you will be reimbursed for all expenses. However, NAHS requires two tasks of you upon your return.

The first task is to present your findings to NAHS in a slideshow presentation to be done one week after your return. This presentation should:

• describe the site for Alpha including the atmosphere and specific location.
• describe the layout of the city or how it would be constructed.
• explain why Alpha would be successful at this site.
• list what humans living in Alpha would eat.
• describe how humans would dress.
• explain the type of shelter required for humans at this site.
• list jobs humans could do at this site.
• show supporting pictures of the site.

The second task for your team is to devise a newspaper page explaining your trip and why people from Earth should go live at Alpha. The NAHS will use this article to attract the first inhabitants for their new city. The article should be on a newspaper front page and include:

• an attractive description of the site.
• why humans should live in space.
• reasons why humans would want to come there.
• photographs of what Alpha will look like.

Your page should also have an advertisement that will make people want to move to this new city, because of what is available there.

The NAHS has provided you with the following steps to help you accomplish the task.

Step one: Your teacher will assign your travel team, which will consist of five members.

Step two: Decide on your roles

Once in your travel group, decide what role each of you will play. The roles are:

• Journalist - gather information and be the head editor of the newspaper article
• Colony Expert - determine the type of city to be built, what the homes would look like, how humans would dress, and the layout of the city
• Geologist - describe the composition of the planet including the soil and atmosphere
• Photographer - gather interesting pictures of the planet, site for Alpha, and surrounding areas
• Astrologist - collect data about the planet such as its distance from Earth and interesting history

Step 3: Make a folder on the network to store files, and get a manilla folder

Print the necessary paperwork to fill out during your space travel. This information will be helpful when making the final decision about the site for Alpha. Every member of the team will need to complete an Inspiration journal giving PMI facts about living on each of the planets. Look at this example of an Inspiration Journal. You will find this on the Student Disk, inside the Senior School shared folder. Please open it and save a copy in your own folder, and then close it, so other people can copy it.

• click here, and print out the paperwork needed for your team (only 2 copies needed per team)

Step 4: Plan your critical path

Read through everything you need to do, and do a plan of how you will work towards your deadline. You can design your own, or print this one to fill in. Remember that people can be working on different things at the same time, and make sure you leave time at the end to proofread your newspaper page, and to practise giving your presentation.

Everyone in the group will need to pull their weight if you are going to get through in time. Miss the deadline, and the NAHS officials will ask to be repaid the money they spent on sending you on this trip. It cost millions of dollars - can you afford that?!

Step 5: Do your background reading

NAHS would like for you to visit the following site to build your background knowledge about the solar system. Read the information carefully, and dot jot any pertinent points.

You also need to locate the section of the library that has information about space. Please check out at least 3 different encyclopedias in the reference section, and read what they have to say about our solar system. Again, dot jot important data.

Step 6: And the Count Down Begins...5...4...3...2...1...Blast Off!

Visit the other planets in our solar system. Everyone should make journal entries at each planet. The Geologist and the Astrologist should also fill out their data tables. Everyone should always keep in mind that you are looking for a perfect place for NAHS to build Alpha! Here are some useful links: (but use Sites by Topic, and the Search page to find more).

Step 6: Making the big decision - where to put Alpha

Now that you have returned to Earth, discuss with your team where you think Alpha should be built based on the information that you gathered from your travels. Journal entries and data tables should be looked at carefully to determine the best site. Print out the outline versions of everyone's Inspiration Journal rather than the diagram version.

Step 7: Plan your big presentation selling this idea

Once a site has been chosen, create a slideshow presentation to present to NAHS on the site and why your group chose this site. NAHS has provided your group with the following guidelines for creating your slideshow. The presentation should:

• include a minimum of 15 slides.
• use great detail to describe the site for Alpha including the atmosphere, soil, surrounding areas, gravity, etc.
• provide vivid pictures of the site.
• describe the history of the planet where Alpha will be located.
• provide a description of the layout of the city and the resources that it will offer humans.
• describe how humans will dress and what entertainment they can participate in.
• explain why your group chose this site.

Find out how to make a slideshow here. Remember that your should not have whole sentences in your slideshow, because you are talking to it, not reading it aloud. Use words, images, and bullet points, not sentences.

Step 8: Persuade the people to come

With the journalist as the editor, write a persuasive newspaper page for the NAHS to influence people to inhabit Alpha. It should provide a creative and attractive description of Alpha including the entertainment, dress, and resources for humans. The main goal is to persuade people to leave their homes on Earth and relocate on Alpha. Find out how to make a newspaper page here.

The following grading standards will be used to evaluate your participation, slideshow presentation, and newspaper article. The first two objectives are based on your performance as a group. The other two objectives are based on your individual contribution to the WebQuest.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Slideshow Presentation	Content is minimal and/or several factual errors. There is no clear or logical organizational structure. The presentation just contains facts. The oral delivery is not smooth and the audience felt lost. More than one of the requirements was not met.	The content includes essential information but with 1 or more factual errors. For the most part, the content is logically organized. The delivery was not smooth or transitional, but the audience was interested. One requirement was not completely met.	Essential knowledge about the topic was included and the knowledge appears to be good. The overall organization appears to be flawed although headings and/or bulleted lists were used. The delivery went relatively smooth and appeared to be rehearsed. The presentation was relatively interesting. All requirements were met.	Content is covered in depth with details and examples. The knowledge of the subject is excellent. The content is well organized and uses headings and/or bulleted lists to group related materials. The delivery was interesting, well rehearsed, and smooth. All requirements were met and exceeded.
Persuasive Newspaper page	The content and organization are confusing. There seems to be no beginning, middle, or end. There are several capitalization and punctuation errors. The graphics do not match the text.	The content is well organized. For the most part, there is a clear beginning, middle, and end. There are 1-2 capitalization and/or punctuation errors. The graphics match the text, but there are not enough.	The content is attractive and well organized. All sections have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Capitalization and punctuation are correct after receiving help from an adult. Graphics match the text but there are too many.	The content is exceptionally attractive and well organized. There is a clear beginning, middle, and end. Capitalization and punctuation are correct without help from an adult. The graphics are good and evenly distributed with the text.
Cooperative Group Work	Rarely listens, shares, and supports others. Is not a good team player. Rarely provides useful ideas or focuses on the task and what needs to be done. Often "puts down" the project and group members. The other members usually have to check or redo the work.	Often listens, shares, and supports others. Sometimes is not a good team member. Sometimes provides useful ideas and focuses on the task and what needs to be done. Occasionally "puts down" the project or the work of other group members. Provides work that sometimes needs to be checked.	Usually listens, shares, and supports the effort of others. Usually provides useful ideas and is a strong group member by providing high quality work. Rarely "puts down" others or their work. Focuses on the task and what needs to be done most of the time.	Always listens, shares, and supports others. Routinely provides useful ideas and is a definite leader by never "putting down" the project or others. Almost always provides high quality work and is focused on the task.