Space Project Based Learning Brochure

"To Infinity and Beyond!"

Safe to say SPACE is my favorite unit in science!?
YES YES YES!

My favorite part of the space unit is...well...everything. But if you forced me to pick one, I would pick the students' space brochures! 

I love project based learning in so many ways! I love the beginning, when the kids are so excited to choose their topic (in this case, their planet). I love the middle when they are researching, organizing, and paraphrasing content. I especially love the end, when they see their results and show off their final project! 

Below is my sample that I display each year. I did a brochure on Pluto, since no student is allowed to pick Pluto. This helps the students see my high expectations for neatness and organization. I get much better project results when I start with a sample of what I would like to see when they are finished. 

The students follow a project form to separate their brochure into 6 sections, including the cover. After that, the information collection is up to them. They are required to have an illustration on each panel, as well. 

Below is the recommendations section (Please excuse the misspelling below! You know how it goes!) I love love love this recommendations section because it allows the students to apply the factual information they learned from researching to a fictional panel on their brochure. They use the facts they learned to create ideas for things that people could do on the planet they chose (for example, ice skating on Neptune!). The "tourist attractions" they create always make me laugh and add a creative/fun element to the project. 

I love to let the students have a little fun being creative, too! This student needed more space for her illustration, so she got innovative and added fold down panels!

The project sheet - above