Science 7

Update 2026. The vision is to take Grade 7 students on a year-long discovery of a "New Earth" through a hypothetical journey to colonize an uninhabited exoplanet

PART 1: A NEW EARTH

Introduction: Students are introduced as the members of a new crew for a journey into space in search of a new home. As the director, I will be responsible for choosing our direction. Their jobs are to be specialists who advise and provide recommendations.

Students are introduced to the 3 possible exoplanets that we have discovered that might be able to sustain human life.

Introducing Exoplanets X, Y, Z

I printed and placed the three planet images on the wall. Students were able to look at the image and make initial observations and conjectures about which planet they thought would be the most suitable. They each get a copy of the exoplanet data sheets to glue into thier notebooks.

Planet images.pdf

The exoplanet candidates

2. Baseline data:

What is it about Earth that makes it capable of supporting life? Before any decisions can be made, an understanding of our planet's habitability is needed. We usually try to boil the ideas down to 6 factors (see the slideshow).

I take this opportunity to talk about communication skills, and to review the scientific process.

I like this free flap book by STEM-tastic Teaching Resources as review notes.

Assignment: Research and gather information about the factors that affect Earth's habitability.

I use this opportunity to ensure students learn all the expectations for classroom procedures like group work, submitting assignments, assessment scales, presentation skills, etc.

01 Slides Introduction

01 Assignment Baseline

Elaborate backstories are fun! Cross-Curricular Opportunity with ELA

See the Earth Catastrophe assignment

Earth Catastrophe

3. A more in-depth understanding of some of the factors affecting habitability:

Here is where you will have to flex your own teaching muscles. Cover the topics of:

Carbon cycle
Water cycle
layers of the Earth
seismic waves (specifically focus on seismic shadows - see slideshow)
tectonic plates and crustal movements - convection of the mantle
earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains as a result of crustal movements

4. Culminating assignment: Planet Analysis Cross-Curricular Opportunity with ELA
1. Use the planet shadow data (circles on the exoplanet data sheet) to draw in the P and S seismic waves based on the shadows to determine where the mantle and core(s) start and end. From there, students can make inferences about the thickness of the internal planet layers.

2. Students complete page 1 of the Final Planet analysis using the data on the exoplanet data sheet and the internet to find data for Earth. Then they summarize on page 2.

3. Students use the summary, data, and template to write an essay supporting their exoplanet choice.

Seismic waves to map the center of a planet

Final Planet Analysis

PART 2 LANDING

Now that we have chosen the most suitable planet (Planet Y), we need to get to the surface.

Once again, flex your own teaching muscles to cover all of the Structure and Forces Outcomes

Final Assessment: Build a landing pod for an "egg"stronaut that will withstand landing forces (essentially an egg drop project with no parachutes allowed). The pod will become their shelter for the next stage!

Eggstronaut Final Assessment

PART 3 SHELTER

The pods will become their new temporary shelter. We talk about how shelters are essential for providing safety from changing temperatures. Cover all outcomes from Heat and Temperature.

Assignment: Convert their landing pod into a heat-proof shelter

I used small (20mL) frozen Freezies as astronauts that students have to keep from melting
Heat lamps and hot plates simulated sunshine, and the thinner crust of this planet (see slideshow)

Shelter building

PART 4 FOOD

Since plants will take some time to grow, and we are unfamiliar with local fauna, our best option for food will be to hunt.

Currently, I am just teaching Ecosystems outcomes - but eventually, I would like to make this section scenario-based.

"Discover" the presence of animals through fossils. Which leads to a large apex predator of some kind.
The predator is difficult to hunt (thick hide, smart, or ?). We need to analyze its habitat to try to trap it instead. Discover smaller animals - food web.
The arrival of humans causes some sort of environmental impact issue. Maybe,
- Forest fire (carbon cycle)
- Water contamination (water cycle)
- Toxin pollution (biomagnification)

Other sources of food, PLANTS! Bur first, we will need to consider the best land to plant on. Cover Geology, Landforms, Rocks and Minerals, Erosion, and Soils.

Segway into the Plants Unit: Cover seed germination, vegetative propagation, plant structures, and processes.

Final Assignment:
Students choose a "table scrap" and research how to reproduce it. We set up a table scrap garden.

PART 5 SUSTAINABLITY

I like to finish with sustainability and ask students to consider our human impact on a pristine environment. Students can research human impacts to conclude the year.

Analyzing Human Impacts

Feeling ambitious? What if...

Planet Y has an intelligent population of beings. Cross-curricular project to include Social Studies (exploration or worldviews)

... maybe someday?

Thanks for reading. Happy teaching!

I'd never say no to a coffee.

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