Group Member Names: _________________________________________________________________

Planet Earth: Final Project

For your final project, you and your group members will get to CHOOSE ONE of the following
options. You will have from Tuesday April 13th to Friday April 16th to complete your work. As a
class, we will be sharing projects on Monday April 19th and Tuesday April 20th.
* Grading rubrics are included with each option (look them over before making your choice) *
Option 1: “You Be The Teacher(s)”

You are in charge of planning a lesson for grade 7 science. To do this, you must
choose ONE of the main concepts in the Planet Earth Unit:
 Earthquakes and Volcanoes
 Plate Tectonics and Pangea
 Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition
 Rocks and Minerals
 Fossils and Eras
After choosing your main concept, you must create a lesson plan/presentation
that includes the following:
o An introduction to the topic. Do this in a way that captures the class’s
(grade 7 students’) attention.
o The main part (*longest section). This is where you teach the students
about your topic and includes an activity, such as doing some reading,
writing, or something hands-on—be creative! Also, be sure to teach
concepts/ideas in an order that makes sense.
o A closure. This is where you sum up what you taught in the main part.
o Assessment. This can be some questions that students have to answer (as a
class), a *short quiz, or something else. The purpose of assessment is for
you (as the teacher) to find out if students learned what they were
supposed to.

*Tip: don’t be “boring”, get creative and be enthusiastic.

 Group Member Names: _________________________________________________________________

RUBRIC - Option 1: “You Be The Teacher(s)”

Elements Great (4) Good (3) Okay (2) Poor (1)

Teaching material Teaching material Teaching material Teaching material does
included sufficiently included does well at covers only some of not cover any necessary
covers everything the covering the main the necessary information about the
Amount of students (class) needs topic. Questions asked information about the main topic. The class
to know. Questions by the class are asked main topic. Questions will likely find it
Content
asked by the class are due to a small amount will likely be asked to challenging to
Included
due to a desire to learn of information missing. better understand due understand the purpose
more, NOT about to a lot of missing of the lesson.
missing information. information.

Accuracy of All information Most information Some of the Majority of the

Content presented is accurate. presented is accurate. information presented information presented
is accurate. is inaccurate.

Focus on ONE Lesson clearly focuses Lesson focuses on one Lesson gives some Lesson does not give
Main Topic on one topic, and it is topic, and it is taught information about one sufficient information
insightfully taught. well. topic. about one topic.

Layout of introduction, Layout of introduction, Layout of the Layout of the

Written Lesson main part, closure, and main part, closure, and introduction, main introduction, main part,
Plan assessment is concise. assessment is evident. part, closure, and closure, and assessment
assessment is lacking is not given.
effort.

Explanation of Students made Students made Students made Students hardly (if at all)
Concepts insightful (interesting meaningful (important) simplistic (simple and made connections
and unique) connections between ordinary) connections between the concepts
connections between the concepts and real between the concepts and real life.
the concepts and real life. and real life.
life.

Presentation Information is Information is Information is Information is

presented in an presented in an presented in a straight- presented in an
intriguing and interesting way to forward way and ineffective way and the
compelling way to engage the audience. generally engaged the audience is not
engage the audience. audience. engaged.
Group Member Names: _________________________________________________________________

Option 2: “Planet Earth Game/Puzzle”

Create an educational game/puzzle that could be used during the Planet Earth
unit in a grade 7 classroom. The game must be interesting, fun, and an accurate
representation of your chosen Planet Earth topic information. Remember that
there are various types of games/puzzles you can base your creation on (board
game, puzzle, card game, etc.), and you can blend game/puzzle ideas together as
long as it makes sense!

Your game must include the following:

o A focus on one main topic from the Planet Earth unit (you can use vocab
words from various chapters, but they must be related in some way).
o A detailed instruction manual (you can research what an instruction manual
looks like to help create your own). Be sure to give your game/puzzle a
name!
o Use 10-15 vocabulary words (bold words) from this unit.
o Some way that game players (students) can use the definitions of the
vocabulary words while playing the game (you can look up the exact
definitions at the back of the book).
o How to win the game/complete the puzzle.
o A way for at least 4 players to play the game or complete the puzzle at one
time.
o Any pieces needed to play the game (cards, dice, player pieces, game
board, etc.)

*Tip: make this a game/puzzle you would personally want to play/complete.

Group Member Names: _________________________________________________________________
 Group Member Names: _________________________________________________________________

RUBRIC - Option 2: “Planet Earth Game/Puzzle”

Elements Great (4) Good (3) Okay (2) Poor (1)

Vocabulary words are Vocabulary words are At least 10 vocabulary Less than 10 vocabulary
Integration of used effectively as a used as a learning tool words are used, but words were used, and
Vocabulary learning tool and there and there are at least they are not a useful they were not used
Words are at least 10 included. 10 included. learning tool (randomly appropriately.
included).
Definitions of All definitions are used Most definitions are Several definitions are Definitions are
Vocabulary accurately and used accurately and inaccurately used, and inaccurately used, and
Words effectively to help effectively to help it is unclear how they are not used in an
players learn. players learn. players are using them educational way.
to learn.
Game/puzzle clearly Game/puzzle focuses Game/puzzle mostly Game/puzzle does not
Focus on ONE focuses on one topic, on one topic, and it is focuses on one topic, focus on one topic, and
Main Topic and it is insightfully clear when playing. but this is not entirely chosen elements do not
integrated. clear when playing. seem purposefully
chosen.
Layout of instruction Layout of instruction An instruction manual An instruction manual is
manual is thorough, manual is easy to is included, but it is not not included, and it is
logical, and includes follow, and includes easy to follow unclear how the
Instruction how to set-up, play, and how to set-up, play, (steps/information game/puzzle works.
win/complete the and win/complete the missing). Less than 4 Less than 4 people can
Manual
game/puzzle. At least 4 game/puzzle. At least 4 people can play the play the game/complete
people can play the people can play the game/complete the the puzzle at a time.
game/complete the game/complete the puzzle at a time.
puzzle at a time. puzzle at a time.
The presentation of The presentation of The presentation of The presentation of
game/puzzle is neat, game/puzzle is neat, game/puzzle is not game/puzzle is not neat,
organized, and includes organized, and includes neat, organized, and organized, and pieces
Overall all necessary pieces. The all necessary pieces. pieces are missing OR are missing AND the
game/puzzle is vibrant, The game/puzzle is the game/puzzle is not game/puzzle is not
Presentation
colourful, and has at vibrant, colourful, and vibrant, colourful, and vibrant, colourful, and
least 3 original graphics has 1-2 original has no original graphics has no original graphics
for visual appeal. graphics for visual for visual appeal. for visual appeal.
appeal.
The group put a great The group put some The group tried making There was little thought
amount of effort into effort into making the the game/puzzle put into making the
making the game/puzzle interesting and fun, game/puzzle interesting
Creativity game/puzzle interesting interesting and fun as but elements made it or fun.
and fun as shown by the shown by the creative difficult to
creative inclusion of inclusion of definitions, understand/enjoy.
definitions, pieces, and pieces, and theme of
theme of the the game/puzzle.
game/puzzle.
Group Member Names: _________________________________________________________________

Option 3: “Creative Representation”

Create a physical representation (diorama, book, or ask teacher if you have

something else in mind) of planet Earth from the inside-out and go into detail
about the past and present state of Earth. Your creative representation and write-
up of each component must be thorough (detailed) enough for an alien to learn
from and understand!
*Please note that you will have to bring your own materials to use*

Your “story” of the Earth must include the following things:

o A representation of Earth’s layers with a description of each (inner core,
outer core, mantle, and crust).
o A representation of the era’s (Precambrian era, Paleozoic era, Mesozoic
era, and Cenozoic era) and an explanation of each as well as how fossils
serve as evidence of these times (give details about fossil discovery,
handling, and identification).
o Representation of TWO crustal landforms (mountains, volcanoes,
earthquakes, weathered landforms, eroded landforms, deposited
landforms, etc.) and an explanation of how they come to be.

*Tip: make your representation as visually appealing and informative as possible,

and place the appropriate description/write up next to or near the component(s)
you are describing.
 Group Member Names: _________________________________________________________________

RUBRIC - Option 3: “Creative Representation”

Elements Great (4) Good (3) Okay (2) Poor (1)

All necessary All necessary Most necessary Not all necessary
components (earth components (earth components (earth components are
Amount of layers, eras, crustal layers, eras, crustal layers, eras, crustal included AND
Content landforms) are included landforms) are included landforms) are explanations are missing
and explained with and explained well. included, but the or are not helpful for
Included
great detail. explanations are not understanding.
entirely helpful for
understanding.

All descriptions are All descriptions are All descriptions are Descriptions are missing
correct and insightful correct and given with some and/or are incorrect.
Accuracy of connections are made connections are made inaccuracy, but there There is no connection
Content between the between the are little connections made between the
components. components. made between the components.
components.

Information is focused Information is focused Information is mostly Information is not

Focus on Key on the necessary on the necessary focused on the focused on the
Topics components (earth components (earth necessary components necessary components
layers, eras, crustal layers, eras, crustal (earth layers, eras, (earth layers, eras,
landforms), which landforms), which crustal landforms), but crustal landforms), and
means the two means the two the two landforms the description of the
landforms were landforms were were described with two landforms were not
sufficiently described. described, with some some major mistakes. given.
minor mistakes.

Layout of the chosen Layout of the chosen Layout of the chosen Layout of the chosen
representation includes representation includes representation representation is
all necessary artwork all necessary artwork includes most missing necessary
Overall (figures, drawings, or (figures, drawings, or necessary artwork artwork (figures,
models) and it is very models) and it is (figures, drawings, or drawings, or models),
Presentation
visually appealing. visually appealing. models) and it is and it is not visually
somewhat visually appealing.
appealing.
It is evident that group It is evident that group It is evident that group It is evident that group
members put in a great members put in a good members put in some members put in no
Overall Effort amount of effort into all amount of effort into effort into all aspects effort into all aspects of
Given aspects of this project all aspects of this of this project (visuals this project (visuals and
(visuals and written project (visuals and and written pieces) and written pieces), and it is
pieces) and organized it written pieces) and it is somewhat not organized or easy to
in a way that is very organized it in a way organized, but not easy follow.
logical. that is easy to follow. to follow.