During their "Close Encounters" expedition, our fifth grade students pondered the question, "Is Life on Other Planets Possible?" They learned how different Earth is from other planets in our solar system and how the sun affects each planet. They researched the pioneers of space investigation and learned that many were ridiculed and even punished for their theories about space. They created "Wanted" posters for several of these renegade scientists. As part of their field work, students attended Space Week activities at the Franklin Institute and met and participated in a question and answer session with Astronaut C. Winston Scott. As they completed their expedition, they took on the role of NASA scientists. They designed space stations for the planets on which they will live and continue their work to find out if there could be some interesting life forms out there somewhere.

Guiding Questions for "Close Encounters"

• What makes life here on earth possible? (humans?)
• How has what we've learned through space exploration shaped our lives? (continue to shape our lives?)