ActivitySurfing the Solar SystemType of Activity:
Brief description of the activity and its strengths:In this treasure hunt game, from the "Family ASTRO" Project, players are given clues in words and pictures to worlds or features in the solar system. URLCourse LevelNon-major courses ContextType and level of course in which you would use this activity:Introductory course for non-science majors in planetary astronomy. Skills and concepts that students should have mastered before beginning the activity:Students should have gone through a typical introductory course on the planets. How the activity is situated in its courseThis can serve as a review activity before the final exam or as part of a lab toward the end of the course. I use it as a group activity in the lab. DescriptionSome years ago, with funding from the National Science Foundation, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific developed a program called Family ASTRO, which created kits of activities and games which families can do together and learn some astronomy. Most of the games and activities are done in person, but this one activity is on line and is a treasure hunt of information about the solar system. EvaluationThe game is self-evaluating. There are hints built in along the way and you are told if your answer is incorrect. At the end, the first letter of all the previous answers spells out the answer to the final puzzle. TopicsPlanetary science; Planetary geology; Planetary atmospheres; Terrestrial planets; Moons; Other planetary; General astronomy; The Sun and Solar System (including the Earth-Moon system, asteroids and comets); History of Astronomy Submitted By:
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