Santa 2055
The future we predicted when we wrote this popular activity in 2005 has sadly not happened yet. We're now guessing it will be 2055 when Santa is delivering pressies around the solar system.
Students analyse planetary data to find which planet best satisfies Santa's future requirements. They then e-mail Santa to advise him of their decision, and - if you wish - design a card to show why this planet is such a great place to spend Christmas.
Blueprint curriculum link
- Unit: Gravity
- Concept: Solar system: The solar system is modelled as planets rotating on tilted axes, orbiting the Sun. This explains day and year length, seasons and how planets and moons appear
- Skill: Draw conclusions: Deduce patterns and relationships in data and observations
- Learning stage: Analyse
This was a simple but effective activity and it brought out a creative side in a lot of pupils. They found the information easy to use and the checklist useful in developing their persuasive writing. I had preceded this lesson with one researching insects that are eaten and sample recipes, as well was which countries eat most insects and why. They had to provide graphs to back up their statements and this helped develop their numeracy skills too
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This was a simple but effective activity and it brought out a creative side in a lot of pupils. They found the information easy to use and the checklist useful in developing their persuasive writing. I had preceded this lesson with one researching insects that are eaten and sample recipes, as well was which countries eat most insects and why. They had to provide graphs to back up their statements and this helped develop their numeracy skills too