THE SEED MONTESSORI SCHOOL

Senior High School - 1st Sem, SY 2022-2023

EARTH SCIENCE
Mini Performance Task: Interstellar Crash Landing

Name: Kim, Shaira Score: /20

Despite what may seem apparent, every living organism is responsible for knowing the
characteristics of a habitable planet. By being educated about these, humans will be better
equipped to decide where to live when Earth ceases to be habitable. As an interstellar
voyager who suffers a mechanical issue with my spaceship, I have gained sufficient knowledge
to know where is the best planet to land on. As I passed through the seven planets, planet 4 is
probably the most important planet for my landing. First of all, despite its freezing temperature
of 2 degrees C, planet 4 is still a suitable place for humans to live since humans can endure
temperatures between -15 degrees Celsius and 115 degrees Celsius. And the water supply is
still sufficient at this average temperature. As a matter of fact, living organisms could not
outlive without no water as it is imperative for life to exist. As a further factor, this planet's
relatively larger mass is important to me. The mass of planet 4 is 1.5, 0.5 percent heavier than
that of the Earth. Generally, the more massive the planet, the more atmospheric mass it is
likely to have. These large atmospheres increase both heat absorption and radiation, allowing
the planet to maintain a more stable temperature. In other words, planet 4 can bear more life
than Earth can. A second positive impact on the planet is the presence of tectonic activity.
Having active volcanoes and water, planet 4 can support life by transporting and replenishing
the chemicals living organisms require.

As a final note, Planet 4 has a superior atmosphere in comparison to the other planets. Planet
4 has Nitrogen and Oxygen which are pivotal to the existence of living organisms. In fact,
Nitrogen and Oxygen are the most abundant elements in Earth's atmosphere, with
approximately 78 percent and 21 percent, respectively. Life cannot survive and thrive without
these naturally occurring gases. The reason for this is that nitrogen is an essential component
of many cells and processes, such as amino acids and proteins. It is also used in
photosynthesis by plants to make chlorophyll. Additionally, oxygen is critical for organisms'
growth, reproduction, and the conversion of food into energy. In its atmosphere, Planet 4 also
has an ozone layer. Its function is to act as a shield, blocking much of the light energy that is
present, such as ultraviolet rays, from entering the planet's atmosphere. In territorial
organisms, this light energy can damage DNA molecules and reduce the growth and
reproduction of plants. In light of these factors, I decided to land on Planet 4 and have the ship
repaired. While planet 4 has some less desirable elements (temperature, for this matter), I
believe this planet has the best chances of surviving. The reason for this is that living
organisms have their fundamental needs met.
Sources:

1. Grunes, D. L. (2008, February 29). Effect of nitrogen on the availability of soil and
fertilizer phosphorus to plants. Advances in Agronomy. Retrieved September 7, 2022,
from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065211308601273#:~:text=Nitrogen
%20frequently%20increases%20root%20growth,increasing%20the%20absorption%20o
f%20phosphorus

2. JayLea. (2021, November 8). Do plants need oxygen? Respiration & Plant Energy
explained. Flourishing Plants. Retrieved September 7, 2022, from
https://flourishingplants.com/do-plants-need-oxygen/

3. Ozone layer. National Geographic Society. (n.d.). Retrieved September 7, 2022, from
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ozone-layer/

4. The importance of Nitrogen. The Importance of Nitrogen | College of Agriculture,

Forestry and Life Sciences | Clemson University, South Carolina. (n.d.). Retrieved
September 7, 2022, from
https://www.clemson.edu/extension/peach/commercial/fertilization/importance-of-nitroge
n.html#:~:text=Nitrogen%20is%20an%20essential%20nutrient,as%20either%20ammoni
um%20or%20nitrate.

5. NASA. (2022, April 26). 10 interesting things about air – climate change: Vital signs of
the planet. NASA. Retrieved September 7, 2022, from
https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2491/10-interesting-things-about-air/#:~:text=It's%20a%2
0mixture%20of%20different,dioxide%2C%20neon%2C%20and%20hydrogen.