Procedures:

1. Read James Marshall's Space Case. Demonstrate where Earth is in relationship to the other eight planets and the sun. Discuss the possibility of life somewhere else in space. Write a group story (e.g., "Happy Valentine's Day, Space Case") commemorating a different occasion.
2. Present the problem-solving situation: "Pretend that your Space Case robot wants to visit you on your special day. Can you think of how it looks? Try to make your Space Case robot from the materials your teacher gives you."
3. Have children draw their robot designs in their folios (record-keeping logs). Check folio sketches to see that their robot designs are complete.
4. Allow children to work in teams of two-to-four. Have teams choose one box and select any items from the material's table.
5. When teams have completed their cardboard robots, have them take turns sharing their robots with the class. Make sure that teams point out their robots' unique features. (No two robots should be the same.)
6. Have teams display their robots for other classes. Then have team members answer any questions other children pose.
7. Investigate unidentified flying objects (UFO's) found in library books. Share findings with the class. Stress: "While is fun to think of Space Case or aliens in space, no one knows for sure if they are real."

Evaluation

1. Check student folios to insure sketches of robots were finished.
2. Assess student participation in team activities and discussions.
3. Evaluate student contributions to teams presentations.
4. Credit student attempts to answer questions about their robots.

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