Gallery Walk Questions about the Solar System

_{created by Mark Francek, Central Michigan University}

Knowledge

1. In regard to Snowball earth relate:

a) the possible factors that could have driven Earth into a snowball state?
b) the mechanisms for deglaciation?
c) how Snowball Earth affected the development of life?
d) how organisms survived during this time?

2. List the composition, structure, fusion process, and features of the following stars.

3. Where is the subsolar point located on June 21?

Comprehension

1. Discuss what would happen to the earth's atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere after an exponential increase in water rich comets striking the earth.

2. Draw a diagram distinguishing the location of the circle of illumination on June 21 and Dec. 21.

Application

1. You are in prison and get to exercise alone 1 hr. per day in a courtyard devoid of greenery. Without taking a picture of another person, how could you document the change in seasons with a camera?

2. Using the map of world time zones, what time and day is it now in Tokyo?

Analysis

1. Distinguish the three most important differences in characteristics of the following pairs of planets:

a) Mercury and Jupiter
b) Venus and Saturn
c) Mars and Uranus
d) Earth and Pluto

2. A child often believes the sun "disappears" at the end of a day because we say the sun rises and sets. How would you explain to the child that earth's rotation is related to day and night?

Synthesis

1. Create a list of equipment (without worrying about money) you would need to discover the origin of the following features upon reaching Mars:

a) Volcanoes
b) Erosion and deposition (water)
c) Impact craters
d) Erosion and deposition (wind)
e) Faulting
f) Flood basalts

2. Write a short weather forecast for your location given that the earth is tilted 43 degrees on its axis.

Evaluation

1. Based on the articles, argue for/against evidence for life on Mars, Europa, Ganymede, and Io.

2. How would you rate the use of daylight savings time in your state? Consider both sides of the issue and then come to a conclusion.

Visit the introduction to Gallery Walks for more information about using Gallery Walks in your classes.

Learn more about creating questions for Gallery Walk using Bloom's Taxonomy

To see a more fully fleshed out example of a Gallery Walk activity, check out either Weather Map Interpretation or Soil Morphology.