To assist kids in characterizing what life might be like on other planets, have a discussion about and chart the elements on Earth that help to support life. Students should think about all forms of life, not just human. Create a chart that lists the different Earth elements such as light, temperature, water, food, air and gravity that help to support life.
Once students choose the other planet they will use for the alien planet project, have the students list the characteristics that make the planet different from Earth. For example, if a student chose Mercury, he should list items such as the planet's small size, dry surface and extreme temperature differences. Instruct students to note any characteristic of the planet that would affect alien life.
Have students begin to consider the type of life that could live on the alien planet. Have students make a list of the type of adaptations it would it need to survive the temperature, atmosphere, light, gravity, food and water conditions on the planet. At this point in the project, students should make a model or poster of the planet's surface and the alien life forms that exist there.
To accompany the model or poster visual, have students create a journal entry as if an the alien living on the planet. Have students describe what a day on the planet is like for the alien. Instruct students to include scientific facts about the planet woven into the fictional journal entry so that you can assess their knowledge of the planet.
To assess the student's knowledge of the planet's distance from Earth and other solar system elements, have students write a postcard as if a human was visiting the alien planet. In the postcard, the student should describe the length of the trip to the planet, the sites he saw along the way through the solar system and what adaptations or safety equipment he had to have to survive the planet's conditions.