Lesson: Life in Space?

Ask: Do you think there is life in outer space? Why or why not? Would it be similar to life on Earth or different? What could it look like? Discuss. Then prompt students to brainstorm conditions that support life on Earth like water, air, energy in the form of sunlight or food, moderate temperatures, and a protective atmosphere. Discuss why each is important.

Distribute the “Evidence of Life” skills sheet. Use the jigsaw technique: Create small groups and assign each a section of the article. (Note: There can be multiple groups assigned to the same section. If you include the online-only section about Titan, you will have four sections; if you use only the print issue, you will have three.) Have students read the entire article aloud with their group members. Instruct them to then reread their assigned section and fill in the related parts of the skills sheet. When everyone has finished, rearrange students into groups with at least one representative for each section of the article. Then have students complete the rest of the graphic organizer using information gathered from their peers.

As a class, discuss what students learned about the factors scientists look for in the search for alien life. Then have students complete the article’s “Check for Understanding.”

Read the post-reading question aloud: In your opinion, which planet or moon in the article would be the best place for scientists to search for life? Poll the class and enter your results in the online poll. Ask for a few volunteers to share why they think one planet or moon is more likely to harbor life than the others. Have students use the “Where Could Life Exist?” skills sheet, along with the information in the graphic organizer they completed in Step 2, to write an argument about which planet or moon they think is most likely to harbor life.

Play the video “Our Solar System.” Discuss the traits of different celestial bodies in space. Distribute “Create an Alien World” and have students use the guiding questions to design their own imaginary world with life-forms. Have students share their worlds with one another. Discuss similarities and differences between the worlds they created.

⇨ VIDEO EXTRA: Watch a video about the solar system.

⇨ TAKE OUR POLL: Which would be the best place to search for life? Share your view.